Somerset & Dorset Pages - Number 7

Family Queries

Ron Morey is seeking help in finding information about his paternal GGF Thomas MOREY who was born in Ilchester SOM around 1847/8. He married Elizabeth THOMAS (bp 28 May 1848) at Northleigh Devon. Their children were Judith (bp 7 Dec 1876) Axminster DEV; Benjamin (bp 12 Oct 1879) Offwell DEV; Hannah (bp 17 Oct 1880) Offwell DEV; Maria b. 1881 Offwell DEV; Alice b. 2 Nov 1882 Offwell DEV, d. 25 Sep 1945 New Westminster BC ONT, Canada; Levi b. 12 Jun 1887 Ottery St Mary DEV, d. Jul-Sep 1917 Bridgend GLA WLS.
Alice MOREY married John Charles Herbert SWIFT; their children were John Herbert M. SWIFT b. 16 Apr 1905 d. 3 Mar 1953 and Thomas SWIFT (no birth date available).
Levi MOREY married Elizabeth BALLINGER 29 Oct 1904; their children were Ronald Trevor MOREY b. 1910 Kenfig Hill GLA WLS, d. 1990 and Thomas Henry MOREY b. 16 Jan 1915 Kenfig Hill GLA WLS.

Ann Norman is seeking information on the DRAKE family, born in SOM with descendants moving to Australia and NZ.
Joseph DRAKE (bp 1755 Bichenhall SOM) was the son of John and Mary DRAKE of Bickenhall SOM. Joseph married Joan CLOUTER on 29 Jun 1780 at Bickenhall SOM after banns. Joan was born at Hatch Beauchamp.
Their son John DRAKE married Betsy EDWARDS at Brent Knoll SOM on 23 Oct 1786; John was buried at Banwell SOM on 5 Mar 1870, aged 82 and Betsy was buried at Banwell SOM on 7 Dec 1872, aged 88. Their children were Joseph, Sophia, John, Jane, Mary Anne and Ann.
John Drake Jnr married Ellen BRIER. With three children, they left Plymouth on the "Mount Stewart Elphinstone" for Melbourne VIC AUS on 29 Dec 1856, arriving on 10 Apr 1857. Another child was born 10 days after their arrival. On 10 Mar 1860,they boarded the "Gil Blas" for New Zealand with five children. They arrived at Otago NZ on 31 Mar 1860 and settled in Upper Harbour West at Otago.
Ann has a nearly full family tree from then on but would greatly appreciate any earlier information about John DRAKE Snr and his father Joseph. She has little information Joan DRAKE nee CLOUTER and is particularly interested to have more information on her.

Glenda Logan is researching Robert RYVES of Blandford Forum DOR and his descendants. Robert married Joan (...?) about 1514. According to record, they had nine children but only three are known to Glenda. John RYVES (b.c1514) married Amye HARVEY in 1535; died 1549. Second child was Agnes RYVES, married John SWAYNE Oct 1549; she and her second husband died 5 Aug 1591. The third child was a female who married William HUNTON.
Glenda has a direct line down to her grandson but is interested in filling in the missing data and sharing information with anyone can help in making the line as complete as possible.

Judith Hyde would appreciate contacts on the surnames listed in the table and below.
Edmund Thomas GANGE (b.1813) was the son of Christiana GENGE who may be the daughter of William GENGE and Margaret nee DAVEY. Edmund married Julia PEPPARD (b.1 Jun 1811), daughter of Charles and Mary PEPPARD.
Hepsibah TITFORD (b.c1767) may be the daughter of William TITFORD and Evardia STARK who were married 2 Aug 1762 and had children: Sarah, Benjamin (1765), William (1767), Lucy (1769, John (1775). Hepsibah married Thomas MILLER 25 Aug 1788 in Frome SOM. Judith is trying to locate the Starks and Titfords in the Frome SOM area.

Elaine Spurrell would like to find out more about her ancestor John SPURRELL in Somerset and/or Dorset, who was probably born in 1722 and whose father could have been Robert SPURRELL (bp. 15 Apr 1681 North Petherton SOM). John SPURRELL probably married Mary CUTLER on 28 Dec 1747 and it is likely that these two were the progenitors of the Spurrells in Newfoundland where they were living in 1750. What is not clear at this time about the marriage place is that there are two identical references for these names and that date in Taunton SOM and in Bishop's Hull SOM. The explanation may be simple but has not been verified as yet.
John Spurrell could have been working for a merchant in NFLD in the 1750's, especially if he had been contracted from the Weymouth or Poole DOR area. The John SPURRELL who arrived in NFLD had his name spelt as SPURL and the same spelling shows up in Somerset.
Elaine would be delighted to hear from any descendants of Robert SPURRELL in the Somerset and/or Dorset area.

Beverly B. Hill would be interested in coresponding with any of the descendants of the people listed in the table and below, to learn more about their families and genealogy.
On the BROWN family of John and Ann, Beverly has not been able to find any reference to them in Ston Easton after 1823.
Henry MATTHEWS and Ruth nee FISH resided in the tithings of East and West Horrington, Wells SOM when all their children were baptised in the St Cuthbert Church. Ruth's parents, Henry and Betty FISH, lived in Ashwick SOM when their children were baptised but Beverly has found a removal order dated in 1783 on Henry and Betty and their three childrem, removing them from Ashwick to St Cuthbert Parish.
The children of Henry and Ruth Matthews were Sarah (1805-40), Elizabeth (1807-09), James (1810-c1893), Henry (1812-98), John (1815-c1873), Edward (1817-96), Thomas (1818-c1890) and Elizabeth (1823-88). Edward emigrated to New York USA and Elizabeth went to Utah USA in 1870.
Sarah Matthews married John DAVIS in Walcot SOM and they had 6 children before Sarah died in 1840. John Davis took three surviving children to a place called Liverpool Hill.
Beverly has interesting background on the way in which the BROWN and MATTHEW families came to emigrate to the USA. She would like to share this background with those who may still be descendants of the families in England.

Marrisa Pearson is trying to trace her earliest ancestor Robert Bowring, born c1665, and his wife Elizabeth. He was married to Elizabeth (surname unknown) in 1687 and they had the following children:
John (bp. 19 Oct 1688); Joan (bp. 23 Nov 1692, m. 28 Aug 1716 Edward BELLAMY); Robert (bp. 5 Feb 1694, m. 1722 Gertrude ALLEN); Mary (bp. 26 Jan 1696, m. 1718 Robert TROTH); Lettice (bp. 18 Apr 1699, m. 1725 John WADE); Anne (bp. 14 Jul 1701, m. 1738 Edward TRACY); Benjamin (bp. 18 Sep 1703); John (bp. 5 Jun 1705, m. 1730 Elizabeth COLE); Thomas (bp. 7 Aug 1709, m. 1735 Betty HAYTE). All were born in Corscombe DOR.
The parents of Marrisa's 2xGGM Anne were William BOWRING (bp. 14 Oct 1804) who married Mary GUPPY on 10 March 1832 at Evershot DOR. As far as known, the intermediate families were born, married and died in the parishes of Corscombe, North Poorton, Stratton, Netherbury and Bridport DOR. The family seems to have had farms and textile interests.
Marrisa has been less successful about her 3xGGF Thomas MATTERFACE who was a bleacher in Bridport DOR, born 1802 in Netherbury DOR and hhis wife was Amelia also b. 1802. Their children were: Elizabeth 1829, George 1831, Georgianna 1833/34, Mary 1835, Dan (b. 16 Oct 1840, Marrisa's GGF), Amelia 1844, Alexander 1847. Dan was a flaxdresser in Bridport DOR.
Marrissa would like to know more about the MATTERFACE surname and its possible evolution from de Martenvast, with other variations de Matavas, Matravers, Matafis; she would be grateful for help on sources.

Doug Gent is interested to find out more about Robert Lockyer GENT and his descendants. Although Robert was born in North Petherton, his children were born in Aller SOM.
His eldest was James Richard Lockyer GENT who married Mary Jane BLACKMORE of Bishops Lydeard SOM at Ash Priors SOM in 1877. Their chldren were Percival James GENT (b.1878 Aller SOM, emigrated to Canada); John S. GENT (b.1880 Aller SOM, d. near East Lambrook SOM?); Emily GENT (b.1882 nr Aller SOM, m. Sir Ernest Canning, d. 1939, Birmingham ENG); Richard J. GENT (b.1889 nr Aller SOM?, emigrated to Canada); Wilfred Blackmore GENT (b.1892 nr Langport SOM, d. 1939 Muchelney SOM); Doris GENT (c1885 nr Aller SOM?)

Norma Meier is searching for any descendants of Thomas VIMPANY and Mary nee BUSSELL who were married in St John Parish Church, Bedminster SOM on 5 April 1829. In the 1841 Census, Thomas was a farmer at West End, near Nailsea SOM. Their children were William (b.13 Jun 1830), John (b.25 Dec 1831), Edmund (b.31 Mar 1833), Charles (b.24 May 1835), Henry Edwin (b.18 Mar 1838) and Elizabeth (b.12 Jul 1840).
Thomas and his son Charles (Norma's GGF) were in Cuyahoga County, Ohio USA by 1855. Norma would welcome any information and will share her Vimpany data.

Rose Adams is looking for further information about the family line of Thomas EAMES and Millicent nee BREWSTER who were married in St George Parish Church, Fordington DOR in 1576. They had a son John Richard EAMES, bp c1586/90 at St George Parish Church Fordington DOR. Thomas EAMES b.1681 (4 generations later) was a brickmason in Framingham MA USA and was Norma's 8xGGF. Any help would be appreciated.

Martha (Molly) Frost has the problem that her ancestors seem to have moved back and forth across the SOM/DEV border over the years, though her direct ancestors originated in the Bampton/Petton area of East Devon. She is interested in determining who the parents of Francis MERSON were. Francis was born or baptised in Wiveliscombe SOM in 1829 but details are at present sadly lacking. There were Merson families in Bampton, Petton and Clayhanger as well as in Skilgate across the border from Devon in Somerset.
Molly would appreciate and help or guidance which can be given in determining who the parents of Francis were.

Lindsey Bentley is looking for help in finding more about his 2xGGM whom he only knows as Cornelia SKELTON under her married name (neither her maiden name nor the name of her mother is known). She was born to a serving girl of Merley House, Wimborne DOR. Lindsey has no date of birth for Cornelia but it would have to be c1830-40. No father was named on the birth certificate but it is believed that he was Willet ADY. Merley House was built c1750 by Ralph Willet but his relationship to Willet Ady is not known.
If anyone can offer information of any relevant kind to Lindsey, he would be most grateful.

Linda Knott would welcome any assistance which can be offered about her KNOTT ancestry for which she has provided a series of KNOTT names.
James KNOTT (b.1694) came to Shaftesbury DOR from Broadchalk WIL, about 7-8 miles to the east, and died in Shaftesbury DOR on 20 Oct 1776. Broadchalk has a variety of spellings but the present OS maps put it as Broad Chalke, around halfway between Shaftesbury DOR and Salisbury WIL. One source says that he was accompanied by his wife Joan but another says he was married first to Elizabeth and then to Christian.
KNOTT, James b.3 May 1737, d.6 Feb 1826, both in Shaftesbury DOR. Married Mary STAY, d.5 Nov 1811 Shaftesbury DOR.
KNOTT, Thomas b.7 Apr 1764 Shaftesbury DOR; d.3 Dec 1845 Boston MA USA.
KNOTT, William b.7 Nov 1725 Shaftesbury DOR, d.24 Jul 1794. Married Mary ANDREWS.
KNOTT, Elizabeth b.10 May 1727 Shaftesbury DOR; married 1773 to Moses PATCH.
KNOTT, William d.29 Jun 1741 Shaftesbury DOR; married Mary ..., d.1736.

Tamara Mecham is seeking information on Henry DENHAM (b.1801 Frome SOM) and Elizabeth nee BURGESS. They had nine children:
Andrew b.22 Oct 1824 Frome SOM; Charles b.1826 Frome SOM, m.Sarah Miller; Mary b.28 Feb 1828 Fromefield SOM; Elizabeth b.8 Aug 1830 Fromefield SOM; Martha b.31 Aug 1832 Frome SOM; Sarah b.2 Aug 1834 Frome SOM; Emma b.20 May 1836 Frome SOM; Ann b.1840 Frome SOM.

Jill Morley has been tracing her Arnold family who came to Australia in 1859 on the MINDORA from Winterborne Kingston DOR and settled in Lilydale TAS AUS with their four children. She has the complete line of Australian Arnolds and has traced them and their ancestors all over Dorset and Somerset with the family tree going back to the 1400s.
Robert ARNOLD and Eliza nee HOOK had the following children, all born in Winterborne Kingston DOR: George Henry (b.28 Nov 1848); Henry James (b.3 Feb 1851); Tamar (b.19 May 1854); Isaac (b.5 May 1856).
Robert ARNOLD (b.13 Feb 1826) descended from the following Winterborne Kingston DOR line: John ARNOLD & Mary nee LANE had son William ARNOLD who married Betty BREWER. Their son was Henry ARNOLD (b. 13 Mar 1803) who married Sarah nee STROUD (b.c1808) and it was their son who was Robert ARNOLD.
Eliza HOOK (b.May 1828, Winterborne Whitechurch) was the daughter of George HOOK and Ann nee HAWES.
Jill has acquired the available Arnold wills from the Dorset Record Office and has many Arnold lines in Dorset, some of which she has not yet connected in such villages as Bagbere, Bere Regis, Blandford, Corfe Mullen, Dorchester, Milton Abbas, Motcombe, Sherbourne, Shaftesbury and others. Names that are connected to her line are Hook, Stroud, Little, Besant, Thorne, Lane, Hibbs, Toomer, Hawes, Davis, Domoney, Riggs, Miller, Haysom, Barnes, Squibb, Jeans, Haskell. She would like to share and exchange data with anyone who is a descendant of the Arnolds from and in Dorset.

Peter Stone seeks assistance in tracing Parishes of origin, dates of birth and ancestry of Thomas STONE and Mary ALLERCOTT who were married at Nether Stowey on 28 Oct 1743. They are believed to have had 5 children, all born at Over Stowey SOM: William (b.18 Jan 1744); Elizabeth (b.10 Aug 1752); James (b.27 Sep 1754); Ann (b.29 Sep 1755); Sarah (b.24 Jun 1758).
Thomas STONE was a tenant of Lord EGMONT and the tenancy passed to his son James before or upon his death c.4 Mar 1785.
Peter would welcome any information or documentation such as wills, tenancy records and so on. He would be happy to exchange all information he holds, including a GEDCOM file, with any person interested.

Harris Husted is searching for information about Robert HUSTE and his wife Elizabeth MILLER (MULLER?). The first firm record is that Robert was on a ship's passenger (Hooten's) list as Robert HUSTE, husband (person working the land), arriving in Boston 20 March 1635/36. None of the family of a wife and at least three children were listed. The ship was said to have departed from Weymouth DOR in March of that year. Robert's approximate birthdate was derived from his age 40 years, given on the ship's list.
Variations in the spelling of the surname have made tracing difficult - Huste, Husted, Hustes, Hustus, Hewwste, Hustace, Hustis, Heusted, Heustis nd other variants. The name seems to be in an area around Pilsdon DOR, Stoke Abbot DOR, and Crewkerne SOM, villages all quite close together near the SOM/DOR border. Crewkerne SOM is mentioned here because Rev. Joseph Hull/Hall of the Parish of Crewkerne was in charge of the group of passengers. He and Robert were the same age (40).
Harris assumes it likely that Robert and Elizabeth were married in England as two known children were born c1620/6 (Angell) and c1626 (Ann). When Robert arrived he was granted eight heads of land, suggesting that the family was even larger. Ann married Richard Hardy (1650) in Connecticut. LDS records suggest that Angell married Rebecca Sherwood in Wethersfield, Hartford Conn. around 1643.
Harris would welcome contact with any persons interested in this family surname from around that period of time, whatever variant it is.

Bob Hatcher is primarily researching his Hatcher line in DOR & SOM, together with their spouses. The earliest confirmed ancestor so far is George HATCHER of Sturminster DOR who married Mary BURT, daughter of James and Emy (?) BURT, at Durweston parish DOR and listed in that register on 19 Sep 1762.
Bob has a major query in addition. There was a Hatcher family who were Lords of the manor of Careby LIN from c1500 to 1689. Sophia TOMLIN was born at CORBY (sic) LIN. She married William HATCHER at Croscombe SOM in 1840. Was there a connection or merely a coincidence? Both her parents were said to be dead at the time of her marriage so had she come to live with relatives?

Marcia Bourdeau is searching for the birth and parents of (Dr.) John BRICKELL who was born c1700-5, possibly in DOR. There is possibly a brother (Rev.) Matthias BRICKELL. John and Matthias, it is reported, travelled to America in 1724 on the same ship that brought the royal Governor Burrington, according to an article from "Colonial and Revolutionary Families of Pennsylvania". It also says that the ancestor of the North Carolina Brickells was Rev. Matthias Brickell of Bertie County, North Carolina, who died there in 1758.
Dr John Brickell was the author of a book called "The Natural History of North Carolina" printed in America and said to have been reprinted in Dublin.
Marcia would welcome any help that can be given in discovering the birth place and parentage of Dr John Brickell, any information about him, his book and the work he was doing in the Carolinas. He does not seem to have been mentioned after about 1735. There is the question, "Did he return to England?" She has considerable background and articles on Rev. Matthias Brickell who preached in North Carolina and died there.

Jim Christian is seeking confirmation or correction of facts and any additional information on the individuals listed in the table or families listed below.
John JURDAINE married Tomazine FRY, both of Lyme Regis DOR. Their daughter Judith JURDAINE married James HILL and they had seven children: Judith, Sarah, James, Benjamin, Mary, Elizabeth and William.
Daughter Sarah HILL married in DOR in 1591 to William FRY of Pimperne DOR and they had six children: Lydia, Mary, Hannah, William, Tristram and Tamazine. Daughter Lydia FRY (b.c1580) married John BURTON (1580-1645, of London, s. of Francis BURTON of York b.c1560 and Judith ALLEN) at St Saviors' in 1605. It may be St Saviors' is of Southwark in London.

LouAnn Corrigan is seeking information on her ancestors in Dorset in the late 1700s and into the 1800s, and on any other descendants down to the present.
Charles and Betsey GARLAND had a large family of 7 boys and 3 girls in Overmoigne where Charles was a baker, subsequently a church sexton (Wesleyan Methodist?) and was long-lived. One of the family was Thomas GARLAND b.c1796 and married Jane MARSH of Wool DOR on 2 Nov 1830. Thomas had a sister Elizabeth who married Will PENNEY in 1819 and a brother Jeremiah.
Thomas conducted a dairy in Owermoigne DOR, with a large number of cows in his charge. Thomas and Jane had eight children: Charles (1831), William (1833-1833), Mary (1834), Ann (1835), George (1838), William (1840), Thomas (1843) and (Jane 1844). In the spring of 1845, Thomas, Jane and 7 children (aged from 13 down to infant Jane) left England, travelled across the Atlantic and down the St Lawrence River. They were landed at Quebec City, then travelled by way of Buffalo NY and the Great Lakes to Racine County, Wisconsin.
LouAnn has more information about the extended Garland and Marsh families in Dorset. She would particularly like to find more about their descendants. She would share what she has about Jane Marsh's sister Ann and her family with the surname DOREY who lived in Church Knowle DOR. This information came from a 96 year old cousin, Ann's granddaughter, in 1973.

Isabel Harris is searching for information on a man with the surname DENNIS (first name not yet known) who was born in Dorchester DOR around the 1690s. He went to Newfoundland around 1714. His grandson John DENNIS was one of the first settlers of Sandy Point Nfld and could probably have been a master mariner or a sailor.
Isabel would appreciate any help as researching a family tree from Hong Kong is, to say the least, very difficult.

Peter Jones is looking for information about his 7xGGF John TRUSLER who lived in the Parish of Whatley SOM with his wife Sarah, at least when his early children were born. He may have been born there c1690. John and Sarah had the following children: John (b.c1712), Unknown child (bap. 10 Mar 1716), Benjamin (bap. 4 Jan 1718), Leah (bap. 21 Jun 1724).
Peter's family research into the Trus(s)lers of SOM stops at c1690 and he has ended up doing lateral searches looking for leads. He thus has an "almost" one name study. His fairly extensive database of Trus(s)lers ranges over Kent, London, Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex and Warwickshire with bits and pieces from other Counties. Information has come to him from overseas - Australia, Canada New Zealand and the USA.
He would certainly welcome any help with his SOM Truslers.

Lillimae Frey is hoping to gather more information about her 2xGGF Simon Gregory who emigrated to Pennsylvania c1855. According to his obituary, he had three brothers and one sister: John, Mary, Richard and Elijah. Some of the family seem to have emigrated also as Elijah is mentioned in several articles. The US 1860 Census indicates that Elijah's family included his mother Johanna. One of Elijah's sons married a Sarah Carter in 1838 and she was born in Paulton SOM.
A Simon Gregory was christened in Paulton SOM on 20 May 1838 and had siblings with the same names as listed above, with parents Elijah Gregory and Johanna nee Bull. In addition to the five children already mentioned, this family had Jacob, Hester, William (died an infant), William, George and another Hester.
The Gregory family members who came to the USA ended up in Schuylkill County PA and they were coal miners; seemingly they could have been so occupied in Paulton SOM. Simon was killed in a mine explosion in PA.
Lillimae would greatly appreciate any help which would confirm the connection with the Gregory family of Paulton SOM.

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