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| Old Toll House, Briton Street, Bampton cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Milestone Society - geograph.org.uk/p/6114414 |
James Beamer, son of James Beamer and Rose Anna Smith, younger brother of Alfred Beamer and half-brother of Loveday Jane Land and John Land, formed a family with Mary Jane Snell - that's the maiden name listed on several of their children's birth registrations - but [so far] I've been unable to find a record of their marriage. Mary Jane is listed as being from Plymouth.
James and Mary Jane had at least seven children:
- Mary Jane Beamer born Q2 1884 in Tiverton, mother's maiden name SNELL. (Died and was buried, on 13 Apr 1884, in Bampton.)
- Ethel Anna Beamer (no civil reg), bap. 26 Apr 1885 in Bampton.
- (Unnamed male child) Beamer born Q3 1886 in Tiverton, mother's maiden name SNELL. (Died in the same quarter, age 0.)
- Sarah Jane Beamer born Q3 1887 in Tiverton, mother's name SMALE
- Tom Beamer born Q3 1890 in Tiverton, mother's maiden name listed as SUELL. Bap. 3 Aug 1890 in Bampton.
- Rosanna Beamer born Q1 1893 in Tiverton, mother's maiden name SNELL. Bap. as Rose Anna Beamer, on 30 Apr 1893, in Bampton. (Died, aged 16 months and was buried, on 22 Aug 1894, in Bampton.)
- Mary Ann Beamer registered Q1 1896 in Tiverton, mother's maiden name listed as SNELL. Bap. 29 Dec 1895 in Bampton. (Died in Q2 1901, aged 5. Buried on 27 Apr 1901 in Bampton.)
There could, of course, be other births that I've missed, particularly given the number of discrepancies in the information, such as the mother's maiden name, which I attribute to either errors in transcription, or registrars writing down what they heard, that the parents probably couldn't have read to check.
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| Ethel Ann Beamer (3) "British King" from Liverpool |
This curious record appeared in my searches for this family and relates to an Ethel Ann Beamer, age 3, sailing on the "SS British King" from Liverpool, arriving in Philadelphia on 29 May 1888. Their intended destination was Chicago. Taken alone, I'd have ignored this and assumed that this was another Ethel Ann Beamer entirely. HOWEVER, in the box at the top right, it says "Accompanied by" Sarah Jane 8 months and Mary Jane 30, both of which fit. I've also found an equivalent record for Sarah Jane and both children appear on the passenger list, along with Mary Jane. It's hard to imagine them being able to afford to go to the US - and come back again - but equally hard to imagine the combination of those three names and ages cropping up together more than once. It's a mystery.
In 1891, James Beamer (39) Agricultural Labourer, wife Mary (35), Ethel A (6), Sarah J (3) and Tom (0), were living in Briton Street, Bampton.
On 16 Oct 1894, James and Mary Beamer were both charged and bailed, accused of "Wilfully neglecting Rose Anna Beamer, a girl under the age of 16 years, to wit, 16 months, in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering and injury to health, at Bampton, on 15 August 1894, and on various other dates." They were found not guilty and acquitted. Was their crime being poor?
In 1901, James Beamer (48) General Labourer, Mary Jane (42), Ethel (15), Tom (9) and Mary A (5), were living on the Tiverton Road, Bampton. Daughter, Sarah Jane (14), was employed as a General domestic servant, in the household of Henry Early, Watchmaker and jeweller, at 12, Angel Hill, Tiverton.
Ethel Ann Beamer married William David Cappell on 24 Apr 1907, in Bampton.
Then in 1911, we find the family has "emigrated" to Wales. James Beamer (53) from Bampton, Devon was employed as a Coal miner hewer and living at 4 Price Street, Pentre in the Rhondda Valley, Glamorganshire with Mary (49), Tom (20) also working as a Coal miner hewer; Ethel Cappell (25), William Cappell (25) Son-in-law, and grandchildren, William (3) and Ethel (1).
They returned to England, as Mary Beamer died, aged 70, in 1927 in Taunton, Somerset. Then James Beamer died, in 1931, aged 77, also in Taunton. (William and Ethel Cappell lived in Rowford, Cheddon Fitzpaine, Taunton in 1939, but I could find no further records for Sarah Jane after 1901 or Tom after 1911.)
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4 Price Street, Pentre in the Rhondda Valley |
