Saturday, 13 June 2026

John Tooze and Sarah Tristram

Holcombe Rogus, All Saints Church: South porch
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Michael Garlick - geograph.org.uk/p/6642067

John Tooze (bap. 25 Dec 1806) son of Thomas Tooze and Joan Potter, married Sarah Tristram (bap. 11 Dec 1808) daughter of James Tristram and Mary Hooper, on 13 Jun 1830, in Holcombe Rogus. Witnesses were Thomas Tooze and Richard Tooze, presumably John's two older brothers. 

John and Sarah Tooze had eight children baptised in Holcombe Rogus:
  1. Eliza Tooze bap. 17 Mar 1833. Died, aged 35 in 1868 M Quarter in WELLINGTON - SOMERSET AND DEVON Volume 05C Page 257
  2. Isaac Tooze bap. 9 Aug 1835 
  3. Mary Tooze bap. 22 Jul 1838
  4. John Tooze bap. 29 Aug 1841
  5. James Tooze b. 1845 M Quarter in WELLINGTON SOMERSET AND DEVON Volume 10 Page 518, bap. 23 Feb 1845
  6. Sarah Tooze b. 1847 S Quarter in WELLINGTON SOMERSET AND DEVON Volume 10 Page 406, bap. 22 Aug 1847
  7. Frederick Tooze b. 1850 D Quarter in WELLINGTON SOMERSET Volume 10 Page 472, bap. 2 Feb 1851
  8. Frank Tooze b. 1854 J Quarter in WELLINGTON SOMERSET AND DEVON Volume 05C  Page 417, bap. 1 Oct 1854
All of the baptisms gave John Tooze' occupation as Chairmaker, except for that of Mary, when he was described as a Wheelwright. That might be a mistake in easy confusion, as there were so many Toozes in Holcombe Rogus. The mother's maiden name on the GRO birth registrations for James, Sarah and Frederick is TRISTAM. On Frank's it was correct with TRISTRAM.

On the same day, 1 Oct 1854, as the baptism of Frank Tooze, there was a baptism of an Elizabeth Tooze, illegitimate daughter (1854 M Quarter in WELLINGTON - SOMERSET AND DEVON Volume 05C Page 420) of Eliza Tooze. As it was the adjacent entry on the baptism register, one may surmise that this may have been the child of John and Sarah's eldest daughter.

It also appears Sarah Tristram had a son, born in Holcombe Rogus, around the time of her marriage, but for whom there does not appear to be a baptism record. This, I can only imagine is because they didn't want have the 'wrong' surname imposed by the church. Census records and his age at death suggest a year of birth around 1830 and being born so close to the wedding, I feel, makes it far more likely that he was indeed John Tooze' biological son. When this son married Ann Escott (20) daughter of John Escott, Sawyer, on 30 Jun 1853 in Holcombe Rogus, he listed himself as William Tristram Tooze and his father as John Tooze, Chairmaker. On the marriage record, William is merely listed as being of 'Full Age'. However, in 1841, he had been listed as William Tooze (10), living in the household of Sarah's parents, James and Mary Tristram (didn't help that this had been mis-transcribed as Tresham) at Dowdneys, Holcombe Rogus. In 1851, William Tooze (20) Sawyer, was a Lodger in the household of John Escott (37) Widower, Sawyer, at Twitchen, Holcombe Rogus. William and Ann had three children, before he died, aged 27, in 1858 M Quarter in WELLINGTON-SOMERSET AND DEVON Volume 05C Page 325 and was buried on 3 Jan 1858 in Wellington. 

In 1841, John Tooze (30) Chair Maker and Sarah Tooze (30) were living at Twitchen, Holcombe Rogus with Eliza (8), Isaac (6) and Mary (3), and William Tooze (20) Ag Lab (this is not William Tristram Tooze. There was a William Tooze bap. 26 Aug 1821 in Holcombe Rogus, the son of William Tooze, Mason and Tamzin Nott, but I don't know for certain if this is him, nor have I done any further research to discover what relation he could be).

In 1851, still at Twitchen, were John Tooze (44) Chairmaker; Sarah Tooze (42) Lace Mender; Isaac Tooze (15) Chairmaker; Mary (12), John (10), James (6), Sarah (3) and Frederick (6 months). There also was Lodger, Richard Willway (29) Tailor, from Witheridge. Eliza Tooze (18) was House Servant to Charles Gorman (30) Innkeeper, at the While Lion, East Street, Taunton.

In 1861, Mary Tooze (23) was General Servant in the household of Thomas Chard (73) Farmer of 65 Acres as Haydon Farm, Taunton; James Tooze (14) was Farm Servant in the household of James Tristram (50) at Lower Besley, Farm House, Holcombe Rogus; Sarah Tooze (13) was General Servant in the household of William Woolaway (35) Letter Carrier at 9 Church Square, Taunton. Not been able to find the rest of them on the 1861 census.

Sarah Tooze died, aged 56, in 1865 M Quarter in WELLINGTON,SOMERSET AND DEVON Volume 05C Page 305.

In 1871, John Tooze (64) Chairmaker, Widower, was a Lodger in Mantle Street, Bowermans Lane, Wellington, Somerset, with Frank Tooze (17) Sawyer and Isaac Tooze (8), both Boarders. (Isaac William Tooze (1862 D Quarter in WELLINGTON - SOMERSET AND DEVON Volume 05C Page 387) was John's grandson, the illegitimate son of Mary Tooze.)

In 1881, John Tooze (75) Chair Maker (Cabt Mkr), Widower was living in the household of John Vincent (43) - John Vincent had married Mary Tooze in 1874 - in Butleigh, Wells, Somerset.

As yet, I've been unable to find the record of John Tooze' death. He does not appear on the 1891 Census and a death in Wellington, Somerset in 1890 is suggested, but I've been unable to find a record to confirm this.

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