Inherited Craziness
A place to share all the nuts found on my family tree

Showing posts with label Howe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Howe. Show all posts

Monday, 2 September 2024

Jane Middleton and William Flew

Church of St Peter, Knowstone
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Derek Harper - geograph.org.uk/p/3465881

Jane Middleton, baptised on 15 Mar 1829 in Knowstone, Devon, daughter of Robert Middleton and Elizabeth Baker, was my 2x great-grandmother.

By 1841, then aged around 12, Jane had already left home and was working as a farm labourer for John Bucknell at Beaple's Barton. The still-important farmhouse is about one mile south west of Knowstone village, bordered to the south by Beaple's Moor and to the north by Beaple's Wood

In 1851, Jane (20), was a Pauper inmate of The Workhouse in Church Lane, South Molton, along with her son, Robert, aged 1. Presumably, this was the only place she could go as a single mother and clearly she was either still there or back there in 1853/4 when she had her second son, William.

Jane actually had 4 children out of wedlock. Only her daughter survived.
  1. Robert Middleton, b. 1850 S Quarter in SOUTHMOLTON Volume 10  Page 199, bap. on 3 Mar 1854, record marked 'dead' (abode 'Union', i.e. Workhouse) and buried on 6 Mar 1854 in Knowstone, aged 4 years.
  2. William Middleton, b. 1853 S Quarter in SOUTHMOLTON Volume 05B  Page 416, bap. 9 Feb 1854, record marked 'dead' (abode given as 'Union', i.e. Workhouse), buried 5 Mar 1854 in Knowstone, aged 8 months.
  3. Frederick Middleton, b. 1856 D Quarter in SOUTHMOLTON Volume 05B Page 430. Buried 20 Jan 1858 at St Peter’s Church, Rose Ash, Devon, and bap. (posthumously) 3 Oct 1858 in West Anstey.
  4. Emma Middleton, b. 6 Aug 1862, bap. 5 Oct 1865, in West Anstey.
Robert, William and Frederick's surname is listed on their GRO birth records as MEDDLETON. All have the mother's maiden name left blank, confirming illegitimate births. Found no GRO birth registration for Emma.

In 1861 Jane Middleton (32), was a House Servant in the employ of John Micks at Woods Farm, West Anstey. A decade later, in 1871, Jane Middleton (34?) was Housekeeper to William Short (66) at Rowry, Molland, South Molton, Devon, with her daughter Emma (8) listed as a Boarder. 

Jane Middleton, Spinster, daughter of Robert Middleton, married William Flew, Widower, son of Richard Flew, who said he was then 38, at her parish of St Peter's, Knowstone on 2 Sep 1875. On the marriage certificate, Jane is listed as being 30. She was actually 46. Witnesses were Hugh Tapp (married to Jane's sister Harriet) and Mary Ann Marshall (William's sister Mary).

However, within six months, William Flew died, age estimated at 40. He was buried on 5 Mar 1876, at All Saints Church, Rackenford. William also left four children from his first marriage; Thomas, Mary Jane, Sarah and William.

Jane Flew then married John Howe (or How) in the first quarter of 1877.

St Margaret's Church, Stoodleigh
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Derek Harper
geograph.org.uk/p/2448281
John How, born 12 Mar 1842 to John How and Mary Ann Broom (who married in 1837 in Oakford, Devon), was baptised on 3 Apr 1842 in Stoodleigh, Devon.
In 1851, at Hasswells Cottage, Stoodleigh, John was the second of six children; Mary Ann (11), John (9), Matilda (7), Ellen (5), Robert (2) and William (0). John's maternal grandmother, Mary Broom, widow (78), born in 1773, lived with the family.
John How Sr had been baptised on 13 May 1810, in the wonderfully named village of Huish Champflower in Somerset, the son of Nathaniel Howe and Joan Rogers, who had married on 25 Mar 1805 in Chipstable.

In 1881, John and Jane How were living at Babcott Cottage on the Stoodleigh Estate, Stoodleigh. John, an Agricultural Labourer, was 38. It says 49, but Jane was 52. John's parents, John and Mary Ann How, also lived in Stoodleigh at 1, Little Coleford. (Perhaps a cottage on Little Coleford Farm?)

In 1891, living at Habridge Cottages, Steart Road, Stoodleigh, John How (49) and Jane How (49 again, really 62), were joined by John's mother, Mary Ann (76), widow - John's father had died in 1887 - and William Henry Middleton (2), described as 'Wife's Daughter's Son'. My dad just called him Uncle Bill.

By 1901, John and Jane Howe had moved to Manley Cottage, 2, Halberton - near to the Manley Bridge on the Grand Western Canal (here's what the property at 1 Manley Cottages looks like). John was 59 and Jane had clearly become tired of lying about her age, as she's listed accurately at 71.

Jane Howe, wife of John Howe a Farm Labourer (in attendance), died on 21 Nov 1905 (1905 D Quarter in TIVERTON Volume 05B Page 264) at West Manley, Halberton, from Heart Failure. Estimated as 70, she was 76.

In 1911, John Howe (69), Widower, was a boarder in the household of George Cockram at Marsh Cottages, Bolham Road, Tiverton. 

In 1921, John Howe (79) Widower, OAP, was still a boarder in the household of George Cockram, this time at 80, Chapel Street, Tiverton.

John Howe died on 31 Mar 1927 (1927 J Quarter in TIVERTON Volume 05B Page 414) at the age of 85.

When my father had hand drawn a family tree for me some years ago, he had added John and Jane Howe with some of their dates, unlinked, at the bottom of the page. Clearly he knew of them (he was a small boy when John died), but didn't know who they were: that Jane was his great-grandmother.

Manley Bridge, Grand Western Canal, from the west
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Christine Johnstone - geograph.org.uk/p/4085587

These pages are my notes on work in progress. Follow That Page can monitor changes, as further research is done. Where something is unconfirmed, I've tried to make this clear, but include the information as it may provide further clues.

General Register Office (GRO) references for births and deaths, where appropriate, are quoted, so that you can more easily locate certificates. I do not routinely purchase certificates for any, other than my direct ancestors, which I'm willing to share.

If you have information, certificates, etc., you can offer, please get in touch.