Somerset & Dorset Pages Number 2

Surname Interests

Family Queries

Cathy Simpson seeks help and advice on:
CRAMM/CRABB, GOULDING, OXFORD, and PURCHASE. She has investigated all these surnames in depth in Newfoundland back to about 1800-1830 and wishes to find the origins of specific individuals who came to Newfoundland about that time from Britain. She would welcome correspondence with others researching these names or variants.

Christine Payne is seeking additional information on her VINER ancestors:
Thomas VINER married Martha GUILFORD on 14 Nov 1758 in Barrow Gurney at St Mary and St Edward Parish. They moved to Abbots Leigh, but were buried in Barrow Gurney. Children were: Nancy 1759, Mary 1760, John 1763, Betty 1765, Mary 1770, Martha 1772, Susanna 1774, and Sarah died 1795 Barrow Gurney.
John VINER b.1763 married Mary HOLLIDAY 21 Aug 1786 at Wraxall SOM, west of Bristol. They moved to St Michael's Parish, Bristol city. Children were: Elizabeth 1788, John Thomas 1792, William 1793, Charles 1797, Sophia and Mary Ann. Sophia married David HEWITT 18 Dec 1808 at St Michael's Bristol. Mary Ann married George PACKER on 6 Aug 1809 at St Michael's Bristol.
Charles VINER (1797) "emigrated to America", supposedly to fight in the war of 1812. He was Corporal of the Guard and with three others slipped across the border into North America from Canada. He settled in Parishville, St Lawrence County NY and eventually moved west to Illinois. He became a prosperous farmer and an esteemed citizen of Grundy County, Mazon, Illinois.
Christine is interested in the earlier origins of this VINER family and wonders if relatives are living in the region of Bristol today.

Anita Best wishes she had more information about:
George BEST, her GGF, and the BEST family at Henstridge Ash SOM or nearby. All known about him is in a death notice as follows: "George Best, native of Henstridge Ash, Somersetshire died April 29, 1880 at Merasheen, Placentia Bay aged 79. Here 68 years."
It is said that he had had two wives and 6 children were born. One of those was Albert, Anita's GF, who had 6 sons (Lambert, Malcolm, Victor, William, Cyril Heber, George Frederick, John and Cleverley Richard) and two girls (Lilias and Annie). There is information about these people but little beyond a marriage date entered in the Bible for Anita's grandparents. The Churches were burned and records lost.
Anita would appreciate any help in finding out more about the BESTs of Henstridge Ash SOM and about George Best.
[Note from JLS: The years mentioned in the death notice suggest that George Best went to Newfoundland at the age of about 11 years, maybe with older people (parents?), departing about the year 1812. Does anyone recognise the surname HEBER?]

Roger Luther is searching for more ancestral background to the LUTHER family in DOR. Roger has traced back to 1746 in the village of Kinson (now part of Bournemouth), when Thomas LUTHER married Mary ELBY. Roger would be interested to hear from anyone with other information on the LUTHER family. He has difficulties with some precise links from 1740 to 1780 and no data before 1740.

John Bornholdt wishes to exchange information on:
HULL family who lived in Leigh and Chetnole, Yetminster Parish DOR:
Joseph HULL married Mary ANDREWS 18 May 1779 Yetminster DOR and their children were:
(unknown) HULL, b.8 Apr 17??;
James HULL, b.26 Apr 1784, Chetnole DOR;
Ann HULL, b.2 Jun 1785, Chetnole DOR, married Mark JEANES (b. abt 1788 SOM) 12 Nov 1816 Yetminster DOR, d. 2 Oct 1867 Centre Co. Penna.;
Mary HULL b. 6 Feb 1787, Chetnole DOR;
Elizabeth HULL, b. 29 Mar 1780, Chetnole DOR;
Joseph HULL, b. 21 Feb 1790, Chetnole DOR, married Mary CROCKER (b. abt 1800 Leigh DOR, d. 25 Jun 1851 Des Moines Co. Iowa) 25 Feb 1817 Yetminster DOR, d. 14 Dec 1891 Tyrone Penna.; 8 of their children emigrated to the USA of whom the eldest was George Crocker HULL b. 21 May 1818 Leigh DOR, married Mary JEANES (b. abt Jul 1821 Leigh DOR, d. 6 Dec 1907, Tyrone Penna.) 25 Feb 1845 Yetminster DOR, d. 14 Dec 1891 Tyrone Penna.
John HULL, b. 29 Jul 1793 Chetnole DOR.
William George HULL, b. 27 Jan 1795 Chetnole DOR, married Amelia MILBROO (b. abt 1787, place unknown England, d. 4 Nov 1865, Centre Co. Penna.), d. 25 Feb 1867, Centre Co. Penna.
Samuel Andrews HULL, b. 13 Jun 1797 Chetnole DOR, bur. 20 Mar 1798 Chetnole DOR?
Charles HULL, b. 311 Aug 1799 Chetnole DOR.
John would like to exchange information with anyone who is interested in any of the above families; he has further information on American descendants of Ann, Joseph and Amelia.

Carl Hustins is seeking information on the surname HUSTINS. There are branches of the HUSTINS family in Newfoundland (Nfld), Nova Scotia and the USA, all of whom originate with a Nfld family, traced back to Twillingate, Notre Dame Bay, Nfld where Charles Hustins married Mary Ware on 1 Nov 1849. Charles had two wives and there were at least 14 children from these marriages. Mary and Charles are known to have had seven children - William Henry (1851), Emily (1852), Isaac (1855), George (1856, Jacob (1859) and Samuel James (1862). What happened to Mary is not known but Charles remarried to Elizabeth Normore in Little Bay Islands a bit west of Twillingate. There were two children before their nuptials and five afterwards. Charles died on 10 Sep 1894 and is recorded as born in 1823, possibly at Crewkerne DOR.
The Dorset Genealogical Society has advised that there are indications that some Hustins were buried in the Corfe Castle area during the period 1807-1837.
Carl would welcome any information on the HUSTINS surname, its origin as well as an indication of any Hustins descendants.

Rick Wheadon is tracing members of his WHEADON family.
His 2xGGF John Wheadon was born in Broadwindsor DOR on 2 Oct 1825. He married Jane SEAL (b. 25 Oct 1825) in Stoke Abbott DOR on 26 Oct 1850. They had 8 children, one born in Stoke Abbott and seven born in Broadwindsor.
John Wheadon's father was also John Wheadon and his mother was Charlotte DALLEY - no other data.
Jane Seal's father was John Seal and her mother was Elizabeth DAVIS - no other data.
Rick has detailed information on the descendants of John Wheadon jnr for those interested in the WHEADON name.
He would be most interested in any information about the Dorset families associated with these people.

Sandy and Pamela Miles have traced the PRATER family back to a John Prater (1819-1875) who was a smith and lived in Bristol. His father's name is given as John Prater who was a farmer but no trace of him has been found. As a farmer it seems likely that he came from Somerset or Gloucestershire. Information on these two John Praters would be most welcome.
They are also trying to trace a Joseph Prater who was a witness at the wedding of Louise, a daughter of John Prater (smith), in 1879.
They know about the Praters of Nunney SOM and wonder if there is a link somewhere.
Any help in sorting out the difficulties experienced by Pamela and Sandy would be most appreciated.

Charles E. Lowe Jr is looking for information on the parents of Henry Edmund LOW(E) who was born on 15 July 1816 in Spetisbury Parish DOR. The mother's name was Elizabeth but her maiden name is not known. The father is believed to have been a seaman from Galway in Ireland. Henry Edmund enlisted at age 18 in Westminster and served for more than 20 years, ending up in St John's, Newfoundland, in Royal Newfoundland Companies. He moved on to Toronto, Ontario, and lived out his life there as a shoemaker. Charles also has some queries about OLVER and HUGOE on the Cornish Surnames Page.

Kathryn Carlaw is seeking information on the ancestry of two brothers, Robert BRIDLE b.17 Feb 1790 Chard SOM and William BRIDLE b.4 May 1797 Crewkerne SOM. Both came to Australia as convicts in 1817/1818. Family remained in England.
Their parents were John Bridle and Mary with siblings John, Samuel, Richard, Abraham, Sarah and Elizabeth. There was one more brother but his name is not known. Kathryn would welcome contacts on these people.

Keith Radford is looking for any information relative to Warland of Blandford DOR prior to 1800. He has a large amount of information available about this family, both native to Dorset and immigrant to Australia, starting with W.H. Warland who immigrated in 1823 and settled in the upper Hunter region of NSW (Murrurrundi).

Judi Shields is looking for family connections to her father William Henry TREVETT who was born in Litton Cheney DOR in 1905. He was the only son of William George TREVETT and Mabel Annie nee BURROWS. Judi is the only surviving child of William Edward Trevett, her brother William Anthony having died in 1985. Judi was be very interested to find descendants connected with the TREVETT and BURROWS families in Dorset and to have more ancestral background on her father and mother.

Terence A. Walsh is interested in the name TOWNS(H)END in the areas of West Horrington, Chilcot, Croscombe SOM and Bristol in the period 1690-1874. Apart from the listings in the surnames above, he has data going back to James Townsend bap. c.1690 in the tithing of Coxley, west of Wells and James Townsend bap. c.1690 Wells St Cuthbert, West Horrington SOM. The last James Townsend b.1792 in the list above was a road surveyor and his seven children were born in such diverse places as West Derby, Westmoreland, Herefordshire and Bristol. His first child William Rose Townsend and his seventh John Robert emigrated to Victoria, Australia. Terence has a large listing of the Townsend family connections back to 1690 in West Horrington SOM but there the list ends. Any ancestral links before 1690 would be much appreciated.

Richard H. White Sr is planning to visit Dorset in 1999.
He would like to meet any WHITE/DODMAN/SELLY/SIMMS relatives he may have in the County or elsewhere. His GF Harold George WHITE emigrated to Peterburough Ont. Canada from Gillingham DOR and then on to America on 25 Feb 1914, naturalised 17 May 1916. His GGF Harold Alfred White and GGM Charlotte (nee Dodman) remained in Dorset, as did his GF's sister Elsie (Mrs Arthur Selly) and sister Mabel (Mrs Sam Simms). Their brother who may have been John also emigrated to the USA. Richard White writes: "I understand that this listing may not help me much, but am curious to its results" - Let's prove him wrong!

Les Parsons is seeking information on William PARSONS and Charlotte GADD who were married in St Mary Redcliffe, Bristol SOM on 16 March 1817. They had eight children in Weston in Gordano SOM and one of them was the 3xGGF of Les Parsons. It is believed that Charlotte was born in North Petherton SOM on 10 June 1798. Any information on William and Charlotte would be appreciated.

Harriet Herrington is looking for help on the HERRINGTON family.
George HERRINGTON (b. c.1803 Kilmington SOM) married Mary JEFFORYS (b. c.1810 Maiden Bradley WIL) and had children - Thomas (b.1835), Edward Jefforys (1837-1884), John (1838-1839), George (Harriet's US line, see below), Alfred (b.1845 Kilmington SOM), Barnaby (b.1847 Kilmington SOM), Harry (b.1847 Kilmington SOM).
Harriet's US line started with George (son of George and Mary) who emigrated to the USA about 1880 and was married to Susanna Bennet (b.1847 Bloxham OXF), with children born in Kilmington SOM and Stourton WIL - Harriet has the details.
George who married Mary could be the son of Thomas Herrington and An Lapham who were married in Kilmington. The 1851 Kilmington Census has George and Mary farming 218 acres in Kilmington. The 1871 Census has George and Susanna farming Bonham Farm (300 acres) in Stourton WIL.
Harriet would be delighted to find others who are searching for these families.

Brian Mallett hopes to obtain some real information on:
Abraham and Benjamin TULK who were two brothers from somewhere in Dorset, possibly Poole. They are believed to have jumped ship in Newfoundland about 1845. They may have been part of a Newfoundland fishing expedition out of Poole DOR. There are several members of the Tulk family in both Canada and the USA who have been trying to obtain information on the two brothers. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Perry Kendall is researching the KENDALL family of Ramea, Newfoundland and its connections to Marnhull DOR.
John KENDALL (c.1810-1870) went out to Newfoundland as a pauper apprentice with Newman and Company sometime in the 1830s, possibly with a brother and sister. Perry is interested in contacting anyone with any pertinent information on the family and naturally hearing from any Kendalls who presently reside in Marnhull DOR.
NOTE from Webmaster: For those interested in learning more about pauper apprenticeships and Robert Newman and Company in Newfoundland, go to the Newman and Company Story, prepared by Bill Crant.

Rita Hay (through Diann Gibbs) is seeking information prior to 1832 on Henry WELCH (b. 24 Apr 1831 DOR) whose father was John WELCH and his mother Sarah nee PRATTEN. Henry married Elizabeth WITHYMAN (b.16 May 1834) of West Chinnock SOM on 16 May 1853. The father of Elizabeth was Thomas WITHYMAN and her mother was Catherine nee OSBOURNE. Prior to 1832, Rita has no information on dates or places relating to the parents of either Henry or Elizabeth. She would welcome any assistance pre 1832 for John Welch and Sarah Pratten and pre 1835 for Thomas Welch and Catherine Osbourne.

Patrick Tilley seeks information on the TILLEY family of Curry Rivel SOM and their involvement with the parishes of Isle Abbotts, Fivehead, Langport and Hambridge. The family appears to have been of some standing as they were landowners with hired help boarding on their farms.
Thomas TILLEY married Susannah (maiden name unknown) in the 1770s and lived in Curry Rivel SOM. Their children, born in Curry Rivel SOM, were Charles b.1779, James b.1781, William b.1786, Elizabeth and Isaac.
James joined the Royal Navy in 1795 and retired as a Lt. in 1826. In the 1832 Electoral Register, James was in Fivehead and had a freehold on land in Isle Abbotts SOM. He first married Sarah Helling of Curry Rivel SOM and later Ann, widow of Thomas Greet of Kent. Langport SOM is mentioned in James' will.
William (Pat's 3xGGF) married Frances Taylor. Their children were James (Pat's 2xGGF) b. 1817 Curry Rivel SOM, Elizabeth, William, Thomas (died young), Susan, Thomas, Sophia and Ann. Except for James, Pat loses track of this family.
James married Eliza Humphrey at Isle Abbotts SOM in 1841 and moved to Oldland GLS where William Edwin Tilley, Pat's GGF, was born in 1851 at Dod Lane. He had two elder sisters, Anna and Emma. The family apparently went to Townbridge Kent were Eliza of Isle Abbotts, widowed, was living on an annuity in 1881.
The Somerset Parishes above were mentioned in baptism and marriage records and in wills. Patrick Tilley is visiting Somerset in 1997 and would be most interested to hear from anyone who has information on the Tilley families, especially of Curry Rivel in the 1750s.

Dawn Griffis nee Alsford needs some real help in finding more about her Grandfather Samuel Alsford, born in the 1867-70 period to seafaring parents. The 'finding' is all the more difficult because Samuel was raised in a naval orphanage (name not known) somewhere along the Dorset/Devon/Cornwall region, most likely in Dorset. He is believed to have had siblings. He married Agnes Grubb, spending 23 years in the Royal Navy when the family lived in Hampshire. When he retired the family moved to Folkestone, Kent.
There were 11 children of whom the youngest was the father of Dawn Griffis. He had the most amazing name derived from the fact that Agnes had run out of ideas and her husband was somewhere between Sydney and Melbourne with the Royal Navy. He was named Sydney Melbourne Matthew Alsford, the S.M.M. Alsford in the above table! There was a sister Ethel and a brother Fred who had three children, Keith, Anne and Brian. Keith went into submarines and later emigrated to Australia.
SMM, Dawn's father, lost contact with all of the family and he died in 1989. Dawn had tried to get him to remember who his other siblings were but, as the youngest, he did not know most of them.
With such background, Dawn would greatly welcome any help that can be offered in sorting out the family background back in the time of the naval orphanage and earlier families.

Peter Bradley would welcome help on John & Susan BRADLEY who probably married in 1792/3 though this cannot be found in Bath records. Sarah was not born in the county of Somerset and no record has been found to date. They lived at 5 Burdett Buildings, Walcot, Bath. They had four children baptised at St Michaels Church, Bath between 1794 and 1801. In the 1841 census, Sarah was 70 years old. Peter has been unable to go back earlier thus far.

Doreen Crocker is searching for information and help on Robert ROGERS, born 1617 in Cheddar SOM. At some stage, he went to the USA and it seems that he probably was in Maine in 1640 at a residence in Agmenticus (York). It seems that he moved to Boston and Newbury, Massachusetts soon afterwards, perhaps 1642. He was married at an unknown place and date to Susanna (no known surname). Their first child was born in Newbury Mass. in 1647/48 with 5 other children born to 1658. Robert died in Newbury 23 Dec 1663 and Susanna there also on 29 Mar 1677.
Doreen has information about descendants but is looking for information about Robert and his family in Somerset - parents, siblings and even ancestors. She is trying to find when he emigrated to the USA, in what ship he sailed and where he went after landing. Doreen would be grateful for any advice and assistance.

Upgraded Query:-Debbie McWhirter is continuing to search for marriages between SEVIERs and ARNEYs in the Weare/Wedmore SOM area. Following a visit to the SRO in Taunton and information derived from contacts from these pages, her interest has moved to seeking information on the marriage of John SEVIER, possibly to someone of the surname ARNEY, in the mid 1700s. The evidence that Debbie has collected suggests there is a link between the Sevier and Arney families. Their son Thomas, born c1770, married Sarah BURRIDGE (b.1785) in 1809.
Thomas Burridge Sevier, a blacksmith, was one son of this latter marriage and he had four brothers and two sisters: John, William, James, Charles, Mary and Martha. He married Susannah nee STEVENS on 19 Jun 1851 in Weare SOM. John SEVIER, the only one to remain in the area, married Eliza Tilly and they had seven children, six daughters - Amelia, Priscilla, Jane, Selina, Ellen and Emily - and one son Edward. William married Mary Ann Smart and they had at least one daughter, Sarah, but all died very young. Charles and James both appeared to have died relatively young and without marrying.
Debbie found that the name Sevier existed as a second name with Harold Sevier HAM (d. 1947) who was the son of Robert HAM who married John Sevier's daughter Emily and whose grave was in the churchyard at Weare SOM. From census returns, Debbie discovered that there was a young female Sevier living in Weare with an elderly Miss Arney as some kind of companion/maid of all work.
Debbie would be most grateful for any assistance which can be offered, particularly if there are Seviers or their descendants still around with whom she could communicate.

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This second page of surnames was begun on 17 January 1997. It is developed and maintained by John Symonds. Modified 1 January 1998.