Somerset & Dorset Pages - Number 1

Surname Index

A list of the surnames in the Surnames Interests Table below is arranged alphabetically. Just click on one that interests you and you will be taken to the appropriate place in the list. You can just browse the table if you wish.

In seeking the surnames of ancestors, we have been given some more detailed information on queries about some member of the family. We are trying out this query series to give an opportunity set out the problem which the particular researcher can face. If you are interested or have some information about the query, please contact the researcher directly by email and provide any information you wish to exchange.

Norlaine Thomas asks for assistance:

HUNGERFORD - Is interested in the period during which the Hungerfords occupied Farleigh Hungerford Castle, c.1330-1664, and in any information on the family in the late 1500s and early 1600s. There are also names of those who married into the family - Hussey, Fitzjohn, Peverell, Botreaux, Burnell and Moleyns.
Can anyone help with information on what, if any, new archaealogical work has been done on the Farleigh Hungerford site since about 1975?

John HEBLEY is seeking assistance:

The Heb(er)ley family have been traced back to Weymouth and Wyke Regis DOR, the original name being HEBERLEY. In the early 1800s, members of the family were sailors out of Weymouth Harbour and owned a number of vessels of various types. The earliest member was John Jacob Heberley who was captain of the Nancy and died at sea in 1818. He was married to Elizabeth CURTIS in 1809 and lived on Franchise Street. From whence did the Heberley family arrive in Weymouth?
The suspicion is that the original name was HEBERLIG from the Wuerttemberg area of Germany. That area was invaded in the late 1700s by Napoleon's armies and people fled to England. Sailor training may have been a great help. Note that there are HEBERLIGs (and Heberley descendants) in Pennsylvania, USA from the Palatinate or Wuerttemberg in the late 1700s.
Are there any history buffs in Weymouth, or more generally in Dorset, who can shed some light?

John Robert SYMONDS is seeking information on:

The birth date, place, marriage and ancestors of George SYMONDS, Cordwainer of Wareham? He died in Weymouth DOR in 1846. He had a son Frederick who was born in Weymouth in 1845 and was married to Elizabeth WALLIS, daughter of Daniel Wallis, a miller, at Blandford DOR on 27 August 1870. Are there any persons with details about George Symonds, ancestors and descendants?
Kate JOYNER was born about 1849 at Winterborne Whitchurch DOR and her father was a wheelwright and a Methodist Lay Preacher who was exiled to the Isle of Wight for verbally supporting the Tolpuddle Martyrs. John would welcome any information which can be provided.

Neville Potter seeks help:

He is tracing his GGF Charles SHORE who live for thirty years or so, from 1870 to 1900 at Greenwell Point east of Nowra, and at Kiama in NSW Australia. He worked on dredges (the Pluto and possibly the Pearl), dredging the Shoalhaven River and also on oyster leases.

With some considerable help from a friend in Bruton SOM, he had responses from descendants of three of Charles Shore's sisters. Charles had an elder brother John who, like Charles, left Bruton but no trace of John SHORE has been found so far; he may have gone to Canada. Any help welcome on both queries!

Pamela Cowgill is looking for a Family Connection:

Her FRENCH family has been found to include Henry FRENCH, son of Daniel and Susannah FRENCH, born 1803 in Christchurch DOR, and his son George born 1847 in Wimborne Minster.
She is also looking for information on John PELLEY and Sarah nee CORBEN on the Dorset/Hampshire border.

Marshall Partridge seeks help:

He is tracing his family ancestors in the Yeovil area with one possible marriage at Norton Fitzwarren, west of Taunton. Partridge men in his list are as follows:
Richard bpt c.1580 (place not known); m. Christobel GILES 18.11.1607, HM.
Thomas bpt 10.10.1623 HM; married but no details.
Richard bpt c.1670 (place not known); m. Mary PINNEY 26.12.1691, Yeovil.
John bpt 26.12.1713 HM, d. 17.2.1771 HM; m. Joan GOOD 1730 Norton Fitzwarren SOM (bpt c1715 Norton Fitzwarren?)
Moses bpt 1769 HM, d. 1.1.1837 HM; m. Susannah GARLAND 11.6.1793, HM.
Richard bpt 16.10.1803 HM, d. 14.11.1891 Hinton NSW AUS; m. Elizabeth YOUNG 10.3.1831, E. Coker SOM (possibly bpt E.Chinnock c.1715).
Benjamin bpt 29.7.1833 HM, d. 7.6.1860 Hinton NSW; m. Clara (Cleo) WISE nee TAYLOR 1854, Hinton NSW AUS.
*---Note: HM = Hardington Mandeville SOM near Yeovil.
TAYLOR, Clara (Cleo), born Urchfont WIL, bpt 22.4.1827 Bath SOM;
1. m. Frederick WISE of Urchfont 1849
2. m. Benjamin PARTRIDGE 1854 (see above list)
3. m. Joseph LEEDHAM

Ann Stadden would like to correspond with anyone connected with the family of George CLAYTON and to share pictures. She provides the following background:
The mother of her husband Jim Stadden was Ethel CLAYTON, the daughter of Fred CLAYTON and Jennie nee CARROLL. Fred was born in 1881 and emigrated from London to Canada in 1897 with his brother John Clayton, leaving their brother George Clayton in England. Ethel Clayton corresponded with George Clayton and his family for many years.
Ann has many pictures of George, his wife nee NEIL, their daughter Queenie who, in turn, had a daughter Sylvia. They may have lived at 40 Eton Grove, Bournemouth DOR. The pictures include Bournemouth, 40 Eton Grove, Shell Bay DOR, Ramsgate KEN and more. George served in France in WWII.
Ann would like to correspond with anyone who can help re-establish the family connection.

Glenn Matthews would like to correspond with anyone connected with his ancestors, especially in the Weston-super-Mare, Clevedon region of Somerset:
Edward URCH married Mary WALLACE and they lived in Kewstoke SOM. He died in 1863 and she in 1890.
Their son George URCH married Eliza NORRIS from Clevedon SOM and they were married at Weston-super-Mare in 1854. They then emigrated to Australia. Their daughter Isabella Catherine was born at Braidwood NSW AUS and she married Owen MATTHEWS in 1875.

Joan Elliott is seeking information on and descendants of Somerset families in the outlines below:
DARBY Family of Winscombe SOM
Harry Darby married Amelia Pleydell TURNER at Weston super Mare in 1832. Three brothers Harry, Arthur and Sydney Hudson Darby came to Australia in 1839. Other brothers were Rev. Thomas Darby, vicar of Spanby LIN, and Edmund Darby, storekeeper, of Lime Street, London.
VICKERY Family of Roadwater SOM
James Vickery, son of William Vickery and Susan THRESHER, came to Australia in 1855.
HARPER Family of town unknown, SOM
George Harper, born c.1824, son of Thomas Harper and Anne BAKER, came to Australia in 1840 from a place in Somerset, not known at present but would like to know.
All are forebears of Joan Elliott. Complete family histories are available after their arrival in Australia.

Camilla von Massenbach is asking for:
SMITH - confirmation of birth, date and place, and ancestry for Henry Walton SMITH, born 1738, died 23 August 1792. His family was said to be a "good one" and they cut him off when he married beneath him. His son founded W.H. Smith, the booksellers and stationers.

Richard (Dick) M. Straw seeks to verify connections to family in SOM, late 18th, early 19th centuries:
SHERREN - Philip Sherren was born in 1755 in Martock SOM and joined the Royal Artillery at age 15. He served often in the West Indies and was promoted to 2d Lieut. in May 1805 in Bermuda (at age 50!), while defending against French attacks. He retired at the end of 1807 due to illness, married Grace CURTIS in West Chinnock in 1808. Three sons were born in West Chinnock; Philip 1809, William Curtis 1814, and John Curtis 1816.
Philip Curtis SHERREN (1809-1890) married Charlotte COTTERELL, emigrated 1856, landed New York, believed to have spent a couple of years at Toronto Canada, then went to Ramsay Co., Minnesota USA 1858/9 and settled there.
William SHERREN (1814-1874) emigrated to Tasmania in 1836 and then moved to Victoria.
John Curtis SHERREN (1816-1873) emigrated to Victoria about 1857. He is believed to have had a butcher shop in what is now South Melbourne.
Can anyone help with verifiable family connections in Martock or West ChinnockSOM?
Information about descendants of William and John Curtis Sherren in Australia would be welcome too.

Gloria Jackson is seeks help on:
MANLEY - The Somerset birthplace and ancestors of John MANLEY b. c1807. He and wife Elizabeth (maiden name not known) became the parents of Elizabeth (b.c1838) and John (b.c1842) before they emigrated to Hope Twp, Durham Co, Ontario Canada. Joseph MANLEY (b.c1806), thought to be the brother of John Snr, married Sarah STEVENS (b.c1818) about 1841 and emigrated to the same area of Canada. Any clues would be much appreciated.

David Watkins is looking for assistance:
SLADE - William SLADE married Elisabeth COOK in 1824 at Broadwindsor DOR and they had the following children:
Mary b.1829 Drimpton DOR; Lucy b.1831 Childhay DOR; Henry b.1833 Childhay DOR; Jane b.1836 Childhay DOR; James b.1839 Childhay DOR.
Henry is his 2xGGrandfather and later moved to Aberavon in Wales and married Ann REES. He has not been able to obtain any further information on William and Elisabeth. Any help would be appreciated.

John Budden is researching:
BUDDEN - Interest is in the Budden families, particularly of north and east Dorset including Sixpenny Handley and Blandford DOR in the 1700s. His last known ancestor was Stephen Budden born in c1784 in Sixpenny Handley DOR, married and lived thereafter in Tollard Royal WIL just over the county border.

Roger Luther is looking for any information on:
LUTHER - Any of this name in England of the 1600s. Specifically he is searching for data on Capt. John Luther before he sailed to Massachusetts from Dorset about 1630. He was probably born at Great Canford DOR. He has plenty of information after John Luther's arrival in America but nothing prior.

Janet Satterfield is seeking information on:
TARGETT - John Targett married Hannah YOUNG on 23 October 1803 in Binegar SOM, by Banns which show John Targett "of the Parish of Evercreech". Janet is looking for the parents of John Targett. Was he born in Evercreech? She would like to exchange information with anyone researching the Targett surname in the Mendip Hills area of Somerset. Related surnames are Chapman, Kerton, Selway and Derrick.

Bill Crant is trying to establish some specific surnames and their locations in Somerset and Dorset, relating to the activities of Newman and Company in England and Newfoundland. Newman and Company recruited "pauper-apprentices" to go to the Newfoundland Settlement from counties around Dartmouth in Devon. Many seem to have come from Dorset and Somerset and they became merchants and settlers rather than going back to their home counties. For more on the fascinating story, you can go to Bill Crant's Web pages.
Four of the names of interest are those of his four great great grandfathers; Joseph Woolcott (Willcott), Silas Hull, Samuel Allen and Robert Grant (Crant). The bracketted names are the colloquialised form which they took over the years.
There are also pages on Newfoundland's South Coast Genealogy.
Bill would like to have some help and advice from the two counties in tracing people whose ancestors were involved in the Newman company operations, especially in the period 1800-1840. For example, John Penny is buried in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He became a successful merchant and his grave marker reads: "Born in Somersetshire, Eng. May 14, 1826."

Linda Karn is seeking data on Captain George A. Corbin who was possibly born in Blandford DOR c.1807 and went to St John's, Newfoundland before 1832 with three brothers, Henry, Thomas and John. George married Phoebe McCoubrey in St John's in 1831. Subsequent genealogical background is available on Linda's Web pages.

Steve Davis reports that his GGrandfather, Herbert Edgar Sendell, was born in Wellington SOM in 1867. He is seeking information on any or all information on the SENDELL surname for SOM and DOR as this appears to be the primary area associated with the name from his searches of census and vital stats data.
He notes that Sendell appears to be an unusual surname as he found no occurrences in the IGI. Even searching telephone directories in the USA and Canada, there are only about 20 occurrences. In Canada, there are only 6 listings and they are all related to him - cousins or uncles!

Raelene Keatley is seeking help:
Sarah Mary FRENCH was born in Taunton SOM in 1808. It is believed that her parents lived there or nearby. She became a nursemaid in Taunton and married a man named BULPIN about 1825. On a second offence of receiving stolen goods, she was convicted and transported to Sydney NSW in 1830 on the ship CAINS. She was given a ticket of leave in 1842 and married Thomas Coyle, having five children with Thomas. Sarah Mary Coyle never went back to England and died of bronchitis in Goulburn in 1878. Any Somerset information on these people would be very welcome.

Clayton Hutchings is looking for advice and contacts:
James HUTCHINGS was born in Dorset, possibly Broadwindsor, in 1715. It is thought that his parents could have been Hugh Hutchings b.1667 and Mary nee Knight. Family folklore says that two Hutchings brothers came to Newfoundland about 1735, "in bondage" for three years to pay for their passage to a local merchant. James, spouse unknown, was the first to arrive. James was eventually given a plantation in Bread and Cheese Cove, now Bishops Cove, Spaniards Bay, Newfoundland. Clayton's GGFather George Hutchings was born in 1846 at Spaniards Bay Nfld and married Sarah Wight (b.1857). They had 16 children and his records thereafter are extensive!
Clayton is in need of the connection between George and James, and from there to James' history. Can anyone provide the connection in Newfoundland and back to Dorset, with any other help as well?

Scott Biggin needs some help and advice on several people who departed from England's West Country counties for Newfoundland, settled and died there. In each case, he would like to know anything about them before they departed the English shore:
James BIGGIN was born in Somerset and moved to Nfld in the early 1820s, working for Burke's, a Jersey fish trading firm at Bonne Bay NF. There is a James Biggin listed in the church records at Camelot parishes SOM, baptised 24 June 1809, but no confirmatory evidence found.
From an email on 4 Apr 2002, Scott has found James Biggin at the parish of Pylle in Somerset and found many of his relatives there as well, following our emails and his entry a long time back.
Henry CROSS (DEV) moved to Nfld in late 1830s and died there in 1878.
Henry HOUSE (Poole DOR) moved to Nfld, no date; married, settled and died there in 1864.
Jesse HUMBER (origin unknown) moved to Nfld in early 1800s, settled, married and died there.
Thomas SMART (West Countryman) moved to Nfld (no date) and died there in 1906. Never married.
Henry THATCHELL was born in Swanage DOR (1824?), moved to Nfld, settled, married and died there.
SINNICK - Scott would like to contact anyone researching this name in the UK in the period 1700-1800s.

Ronald R. Stowell is trying to find a link between England and the USA in the early 1600s:
Samuel STOWELL at the young age of about 10 years travelled, probably from Somerset, to a new colony in the Americas, apparently with relations who could have been of the surnames Frye, Gill, Lane and Otis. This little colony became Hingham, Mass., established by Rev. Peter Hobart who came from Hingham NFK in England. It is not clear why his journey was undertaken in this way.
Although no positive link has been found with young Sam, Bath Abbey Register has a Samuel Stowell born on 5 Jan 1581 and Chudleigh Parish Register records the death of a Samuel Stowell on 7 Dec 1628. Dates might suggest that this Sam was young Sam's father.
Can anyone provide some suggestions and even solid links for Ron who is a 10th generation descendant?
For more of this interesting query, go to the Stowell story

Jennifer Bailey is looking for information on Solomon BEAMENT who married Mary PURCHASE, and their forebears. Place of likely interest is Curriott Hill, Crewkerne SOM. Dates of interest are in the bracket c1800-1900. The children are:
BEAMENT, Kate, b. 15 Oct 1896 (B. Certificate confirmed), Crewkerne SOM. M. Ernesto MANCINI of Warwick WAR.
BEAMENT, Jesse, b. 31 Dec ? in Crewkerne SOM. Married Ernesto's brother Guiseppe Michael MANCINI. Jesse was Jennifer's GM but she never talked about the Beament/Beaumont family.
BEAMENT, Maurice and Bernard, both died during WWI.
BEAMENT, Amy, changed her name legally to BEAUMONT after Solomon died. Was in the British Army.
BEAMENT, Olive, married Fred HUTCHINGS.
Any information about the BEAMENT/BEAUMONT and PURCHASE families would be much appreciated.

Linda B. Reams is seeking family lineage of Enos BARTLAM, her 2xGGrandfather, who emigrated to the U.S.A. around 1855. He listed his birthplace as Somersetshire, England on the 1860 Virginia census. His wife Mary and children Hannah (b. c.1849) and George William (b. c.1851) were also born in England. George William was Linda's GGrandfather.
Any advice and help on tracing Enos and his ancestors would be much appreciated.

Greg Patch is looking for Somerset ancestors and others:
John and George PATCH were brothers who emigrated to NSW - John on Washington Irving from Weston Supermare (or possibly Plymouth) in 1857, George via New Zealand. They were natives of Bagley SOM and the sons of George Patch and Anne nee Rossiter. Sarah Patch (b. 1762/3 Meare SOM) was the mother of the latter George (father not known). Sarah (re-?) married James Parsons in 1799 Wedmore SOM.
Mary Ellen Norris was a native of Somerset but no other details, except that she was the paternal GGM of Greg Patch.
Phoebe Ganfield was of Meare SOM and was John Patch's wife. Phoebe's brother John Ganfield also emigrated to NSW.
All of the above appeared to have settled around Paterson/Gresford/Hinton in the Hunter Valley of NSW in the 1850s, and then moved to the Richmond River area of NSW in the 1870s.
Ambrose Rossiter was half brother to John Patch and emigrated to NSW on the Harriet in the early 1850s. He settled in Surry Hills (Sydney) where he was recorded as being a gardener.
Greg Patch would appreciate contact with other of these names from Somerset.

Kay Browne has a considerable background of information about the HARDY and WINZAR families of Broadwey and Nottington DOR. but there are many aspects of the early families about whom she would like to make contact with others.
The Hardys descend from a Robert Hardy who married Jane (no maiden name) and they had a son James (a blacksmith) who married Elizabeth WINZAR on 30 May 1814 at St Nicholas' Church at Broadwey DOR. They had 8children in all and Kay is searching for their marriages of which she has some records. Their first born James Winzar Hardy married Hannah HATCHER (or HATCHARD) in the 1830s and they had 13 children (or so!). The fifth child was Matthew Richard Hardy b.1847 who is Kay's ancestor. MRH married Mary Jane LOVELL in 1869. They emigrated to Australia and Kay has the family tree from that time on.
Kay's other major Dorset interest is in the WINZAR family. In the 1740s, two brothers Thomas and Joseph WINZAR were born in Fordington DOR and moved to Broadwey DOR. By the will of their father, they were banished from the family blacksmith business for at least a year. There is an intriguing story to be found there; they never moved out of the Broadwey area. Joseph married in 1748 to Sarah DAMON/DAMMON/DAMEN 1720-1795 and their son Joseph (1752-1812) was a wheelwright who married in 1781 to Charity HOUSE. It was their daughter Elizabeth WINZAR who married James HARDY.
Kay has many other family names for whom she is searching more information. Contact her at her email or postal address for more information on connections in Dorset and Australia.

Return to Surname Index

Oddities

John Hodges tells his strange story about Nether Compton. About 1983, he and his wife were in the village and got chatting to an oldish man.
"Where y' from?" he said. "Yeovil", they replied (they lived there at the time). Note that Yeovil is close to Nether Compton, less than three miles, and it is the largest town for miles around, 35,000 people or more.
"Ah yes," he said, "I was there once; I came back through Yeovil when I was demobbed in 1945."
"You've not been there since?" "No. Ain't had no call to go there," he said. That was Somerset, that was!

The Stowell Story

Sources indicate that a Norman knight Adam was with William the Conqueror in 1066 and was rewarded with the manor de Coveston or de Cothelstone and the manor of de Stawell in Moorlinch, County Somerset, in Saxon times called Estawella or Eastern Spring. Gradually, one form of the surname appears to have become Stowell. The first name Samuel does not appear until 1562 in the registers of Bath and Chudleigh.
In 1635, Rev. Peter Hobart came from Hingham NFK and established the village Hingham Mass. in the American colonies. Hobart's diary indicated that a Samuel Stowell married Mary Farrow in 1649. A well-known genealogist, J. Gardner Bartlett, was commissioned in 1913 by Dr. William H.H. Stowell to search for English ancestors of Samuel Stowell. War intervened and Bartlett returned to the USA in 1915 after extensive but unfinished research.
Bartlett had the theory that Sam of Hingham Mass was brought over by relatives from Somerset and they would have had the surnames Frye, Gill, Lane and Otis surnames though no proof was found to turn this theory into fact.
Ron Stowell believes that information could be found in family notes, bibles, diaries and other records and would dearly love to find people knowledgable in such matters to help him in his search for a UK/US link.

The Somerset and Dorset Family History Society

Here is the URL link for the S&DFHS; Home Page.

This page is maintained by John L. Symonds with the help of S&D; friends and many others. Prepared first on 3 September 1996. Modified 9 June 1999 and April 2002 .