Wednesday 31 January 2018

#52 Ancestors Week 5 "In the Census"



The 1861 Census for North Mundham

North Mundham is a small village south east of Chichester. The 1861 census for the part of North Mundham shows just 25 males and 14 females living in 9 homes.   




One family in the census is a family of 5 with the head of the family Charles French.  

Charles was born in East Wittering the eldest child of James French and Anna Wells in 1834 and baptised St. Anne’s, East Wittering on 2nd March 1834.  At the age of 7 he is living with his family at nearby Sidlesham.   At the age of 17 in 1851 he is still living with his family at Johnsons Cottage in Sidlesham, along with another family who I can find no family link to, which consisted of a widow, her son and a lodger, both men working as farm labourers as is Charles, his father and brother George.  By the age of 22 Charles is living in Birdham, where he marries Fanny Kewell on 18th October 1856. Living in North Mundham the 1861 and 1871 census shows him working as an Ag Lab (agricultural labourer).  By the age of 49 the 1881 census is showing him as a cowman living in Faygate Road, Rusper.  Ten years later he has moved his family again this time to Jevington where he is working as an Ag Lab.  At the age of 69 he is living with his wife at Diplocks Farm, Langley, Eastbourne and working as a farm worker, 10 years later at the age of 79 he is still at Diplocks Farm with Fanny and is working as a stockman.  Charles died the autumn of 1919 in Eastbourne

Fanny Kewell was born in Sidlesham the 5th child of John Kewell and Jane Witt and she was baptised at St Mary our Lady, Sidlesham 15th July 1835.  Fanny lived in Sidlesham but at the age of 16 is living in Pagham as a servant.  In May 1856 (5 months before she marries) she has a child William James Kewell, who is baptised in Westhampnet  on 22nd May and is shown as illegitimate in the parish records, there is no record as to who the child’s father is.  Fanny is living in Birdham by the time of her marriage in 1856.  Fanny followed her husband, living in Rusper 1881 Jevington 1891 and then Eastbourne from 1901 until her death in 1927 at the age of 92. NB. The 1891 census shows her father living in Jevington with them “on parish relief”  for a while.

William James Kewell was born in Westhampnet and was baptised 22nd May 1856, 5 months before his mother’s marriage to Charles French.  The 1861 census shows him as the son in law of Charles, think there is a little confusion there as William is only 4!  By the 1871 census William is shown as son of Charles the head of house, so maybe he is his illegitimate son, but we have no way of knowing for sure.  William is also showing at Ag Lab, so most probably was working with Charles (his father?) By 1881 William has changed his occupation as is working as an engine cleaner on the railway in Brighton.  The census shows him visiting Station Street, Brighton, maybe he is lodging with a co-worker as the census shows the head of the home as a railway guard.  By 1891 William has married Hilda Austin in Brighton (1883) and they have moved to Feering, Essex were William is showing on the census as an Engine Driver. William and Hilda had 4 children 3 sons and 1 daughter.  William only outlived his mother by 10 years, his death being registered in Braintree in 1937.

Henry John French was born in Sidlesham and baptised on 5th September 1858. In 1871 while living with his parents in North Mundham 12 year old Henry is recorded as an Ag Lab the same as his father and 14 year old brother William. By 1881 he is lodging in Lancing and working on Monks Farm as a farm labourer.  By 1891 Henry is back living with his parents and working in Jevington with his father.  At the age of 43 in 1901 Henry is lodging in Jevington and working as a labourer in the local chalk pit. At the age of 45 Henry marries Mary Seymour Pettit who tragically dies at the age of 33 just 18 months after they marry.  In 1911 he is boarding at Hillside Collage, Jevington working as a Roadman.   Henry’s death at the age of 76 was registered in Eastbourne in 1934. 

Harriet Jane French was born in Sidlesham and baptised on 7th October 1860.  On the 1881 census Harriet is shown as working on Park Crescent, Brighton as a servant.  She marries Edward Symes a Boot and Shoe maker from Dorset in 1887 in Brighton.  Their first two sons are registered in Pimlico, London, but they are back in Brighton for the 1891 census, living in Upper Lewes Road where 3 more children are born.  Before the 1901 census Harriet has moved with her family to Burgess Hill, where her husband is continuing as a Shoemaker. Ten years later she has moved down the road to Keymer, Clifden Mews.  Harriet’s death at the age of 69 is registered in Cuckfield in 1929
This is where the story ends as far as the 1861 census goes, but Charles and Fanny go on to have another 7 children.  Mary Jane, Emily, Charles, James John, Elizabeth Anna, George and Arthur. 

Mary Jane being the next link of my family tree as my Great Grandmother.  Born 1863 in North Mundham she was baptised 19th April 1863.  At the age of 18 shown on the 1881 census she is working in Hove in York Road as a servant.  The next record found of Mary Jane is the registration of her first child with William Moore, Minnie in 1883 and shown living in Ellen Street, Hove.   At present cannot find the marriage record, but may be mis-transcribed. By 1891 Mary has moved to Ivory Place, Brighton with William and their children, Minnie, Mary & Arthur, they had one more child William Henry but he died in infancy.  A year later in 1892 her husband William dies at the age of just 36 leaving Mary Jane with 3 children.  On 26th May 1895 in Brighton she marries Walter James Worsfold a Carter to a coal merchant, their addresses on the marriage certificate are shown as Walter living at 40 Ivory Place, Brighton and Mary Jane at number 25. Mary Jane continues to live at 25 Ivory Place after her marriage to Walter and they go on to have 2 daughters of their own, Harriett Frances Worsfold in 1895 and Clara Emily Worsfold in 1899. 1901 the family are still living in Ivory Place but by the 1911 census Mary Jane, Walter and their youngest daughter Clara are living at 35 New England Street, Brighton.   Mary Jane ‘s death is registered in Brighton in 1929 


Wednesday 24 January 2018

#52 Ancestors Week 4 "Invite to Dinner"



This is a difficult one, who would I invite and why?  There are so many in my tree for all sorts of reasons I would like to meet, so other than just singling out a single person, here are some of the people I would like round my dinner table and why.  

William Wadey (1764-1828) Maternal Great Great Great Grandfather.  William has caused me problems for a long time, he is my oldest  “Brick Wall”  The earliest record I have of William is his marriage to Hannah Burstow (1790-1856) in Brighton 4th December 1825



William was born c1764 and after his marriage to Hannah had two children Thomas Wadey (1827-1854) and Stephen Edwin Wadey  https://jos52ancestors.blogspot.com/2018/01/stephen-edwin-wadey-1829-1904.html unfortunately William died before Stephen was born and is shown on Stephen’s baptism record as deceased.
William is shown as a widower on his marriage record and at his death 3 years later his age is shown as 64 and living in Circus Street, Brighton, but I cannot find any records of William or his first wife.  So William is going to be one of my guests as I would love to ask him where he was born and the names of his parents to knock down this brick wall

Rosetta Elizabeth Lane (1853-1926) Paternal Great Great Grandmother.  This lady has my admiration and I just would love to meet her and find out about her and her life.  Rosetta was born on Hope Street, Mile Town Sheerness on  10th February 1853 the only daughter of Michael Lane (1816-1884) and Amy Taylor (1822-1907)  By the age of 8 in 1861 Rosetta is living with her parents at 41 Meeting House Lane, Chatham.   She married Horatio Blair West when she was 18 in 1872 and ten years later she had divorced him.  Considering this was 1880’s this was pretty rare (around 300 divorces per year) especially with the wife filing for the divorce   Rosetta has a great story and needs more than a couple of paragraphs, watch out in future for Rosetta’s full story



Walter James Worsfold (1872-1949) Maternal Great Grandfather   

Back row Hartie Worsfold(Great Aunt), Walter Worsfold (Great Grandfather), Dorothy Mitten (Grandmother), Charles Henry West (Grandfather), Keith West (Uncle). Middle row Dorothy Wadey, John West (Mum & Dad), Stephen Wadey (Grandfather).   Front row Margaret Wadey (Aunt), Michael West (Uncle)
 I have heard a few memories from my Mum about this gentleman.  Walter was born 23rd April 1872 in Brighton one of ten children of William Worsfold (1835-1907) and Harriet Bonniface (1847-1883) Walter was their 5th child, Walter had 7 sisters and 2 brothers.  In 1895 Walter married Mary Jane Moore (nee French) a young widow living along the street from his home in Ivory Place, Brighton.  When he married Mary Jane he also became a father to her three surviving children, Minnie Moore aged 12, Mary Elizabeth Moore aged 9 and Arthur Moore aged 5.  Walter and Mary Jane went on to have two children of their own, both girls, Harriett Frances Worsfold (1895-1975) and Clara Emily Worsfold (1899-1962). 
Before his marriage Walter was at sea, showing on the 1891 census as an ordinary seaman on board a vessel called Spirit out of Poole.  With only 3 crew members I would imagine that it was a local fishing boat.  After his marriage he changed employment and became a Coal Carter.  At some stage after the death of his wife in 1929, Walter spent a while living with this daughter Clara and her family at 108 Hythe Road, Brighton.  Recollection from Dorothy (one of Walter’s granddaughters) is that Walter would sit in a chair and cup his hand around his ears when any one spoke to him as though he was hard of hearing, but whenever his son in law Stephen Wadey would say “Come on old un shall we go along the road" he always heard first time.  Along the road would mean the Stanmer Park Tavern just opposite the end of Hythe Road.  I would love to have him round my table just to get to know him and maybe find out some stories of my Mum when she was a girl.   The picture above is a mix of the two sides of my family both Wadey’s & West’s are in this photo, Walter is second from the left on the back row. Actually I would like to invite everyone in this photo