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

Monday 19 April 2021

The Tale of the Trespassing Goat

How innocent does he look?

You learn some unusual stuff going through historical records. Like how often my great-grandfather, David Jones, appeared in front of the courts. 

This time (oh yes, there are more), in 1884, it was for trespass. The cause of the complaint reads, "Trespass: Defendant's goat trespassed on complainant's pasture land at Ringmeen, Queenstown on 15 Oct 1884." David appeared before the Petty Sessions Court on 17 Oct 1884 and was fined three shillings, plus one shilling and sixpence costs. Expensive goat feed! 

From this we can probably safely deduce that David kept a goat. Who knew, eh? We wouldn't have known, of course, had it not got him into trouble.

David Jones at the Petty Sessions Court again

Sunday 4 April 2021

Benjamin Thompson and Mary Ann Bottrell

The Spotted Cow (closed)
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Stephen Craven - geograph.org.uk/p/2331664

Benjamin Thompson, son of Daniel Thompson and Mary Adcock, married Mary Ann Bottrell, daughter of Stephen Bottrell and Mary Thompson, in 1866, at Christ Church, Watney StreetSt George in the East. Benjamin's sister, Sarah Elizabeth Thompson, had already married Mary Ann's brother, Daniel Botterill. Both sibling pairs, therefore, married their first cousins.

In 1861, Benjamin (19), bricklayer, had been living with his aunt and uncle, John and Maria Blackett, in St George in the East

By 1871, Benjamin Tompson (29) Master Builder and wife Mary were living at 299 Cable Street. (Benjamin's brother Dan and his wife Mary Ann Green were living at that same address two years later, when their first child, Eliza Louisa was born there.) One wonders if 299 was a boarding house?

Then in 1879, Benjamin Thompson was listed as the incoming licensee at the Victoria, 46 Three Colt street, Limehouse E14. He should be there at the time of the 1881 census. He was still there in 1882 and 1884. 


Records suggest that Benjamin and Mary had five children:
  1. Daniel Tompson born 1872
  2. Benjamin Adcock Tompson born 1874
  3. Sarah Tompson born 1879
  4. Thomas Tompson born 1883
  5. Mary Tompson born 1887
Benjamin Tompson died in 1890, aged 48. The probate record states, 5 February: The Will of Benjamin Tompson of the "Victoria" Tavern, Three Colt Street, Limehouse in the County of Middlesex, but late of the "Spotted Cow", Hither Green Lane, Lewisham in the County of Kent, Licenced Victualler, who died 6 February 1890 at the "Spotted Cow", was proved at the Principal Registry by Mary Tompson of the "Spotted Cow" Widow of the Relict and John Soppit of the "Railway" Tavern, Shortlands in the County of the Kent, Licensed Victualler the Executors. He left £1,140 17s 10d.

In 1891, Mary Tompson (46), widow, had become the Licenced Victualler of the Spotted Cow, Hither Green Lane, Lewisham. Living with her were her son, Daniel (19) Manager Public House; Benjamin (17), Cabinet Maker's Apprentice; daughter Mary (3); her niece Sarah Tompson (Dan Tompson's daughter), as well as a Sarah A Bunting (24), General Servant.

By 1901, Mary Tompson (55) was living at 44, Ringstead Road, Lewisham. With her were Benjamin Tompson (27), who had become an upholsterer; Thomas Tompson (17), Warehouseman; Mary Tompson (13), Sybil Thompson (2), granddaughter, and Ellen Guymer (20), General Domestic Servant.

Mary Tompson died, aged 58, in Lewisham, in 1903.

Sunday 28 March 2021

William Henry Bridle and Emma Lucas

Interior of St Thomas a Becket's Church, Thorverton, Devon
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Derek Voller - geograph.org.uk/p/4038111

William Henry Bridle (b. 1844 in Rockbeare, Devon), son of Thomas Parsons Bridle and Elizabeth Wills, married Emma Lucas, in 1870, in Thorverton. 

The births of their four sons are widely spaced, but I found no others:
  1. William Bridle b. 1871 in Brampford Speke
  2. Mark Bridle b. 9 Jan 1876 in Newton St Cyres
  3. John Lucas Bridle b. 11 Jun 1879 in Newton St Cyres
  4. Harry Bridle b. 7 Aug 1887 in Stoke Canon
In 1871, Henry Bridle (26), Agricultural Labourer, Emma (21) and William (1) were living in Brampford Speke

In 1881, they had moved to Lilly Road, Newton St Cyres, Crediton and Henry (36) had changed occupation to Railway Labourer. 

In 1891, we find them living in Stoke Canon, where 4th son, Harry was born. Henry, listed as William Henry (45), was once again working as an Agricultural Labourer, wife Emma (40), with Mark (14), John L (11) and Harry (3).

In 1901 in the very small village or hamlet of Nether Exe (24 households in 1086), are Henry (56), Emma (51), with just Harry (13) still left at home. 

And in 1911, back in Stoke Canon, William Henry Bridle (66), Farm Labourer, and his wife, Emma (62), were living in the household of their son Mark and his wife, Maud Lucy Medcalf (who he married in St Pancras, London in 1905), along with Mark's nephew, Harry (3) and Elizabeth Deroney (72), boarder. 

In 1921, William H Bridle (76) described as 'Blind Retired' and Emma Bridle (71) were still living in Stoke Canon, Devon.

Henry Bridle died in 1928, aged 84. 

Emma Bridle died in 1937, aged 88.

Saturday 27 March 2021

Lewis Jerred and Mary Elizabeth Williams

Chapel Hill, St Erth
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Bill Boaden - geograph.org.uk/p/4062395

In 1888, Louis Jerrad (sic) married Mary Elizabeth Williams (born in St Erth, Cornwall), in Christchurch, Hampshire (now Christchurch, Dorset). 

The son of John Jerred and Frances Ann Orchard and elder brother of Frances Mary Jerred, Louis Jerred (as he was often listed), born in Silverton, Devon, was actually registered as Lewis Jerrad (sic) in the 2nd quarter of 1863. In 1871, aged 8, he was with the family in Sowton, but in 1881, Louis Jerred (18) was a Baker's Apprentice to George Hannabus, Master Confectioner, in Angel Hill, Tiverton. (George Hannabus was from Cadbury, Devon, which might have inspired a good name for a confectionery business ...) 

Mary Elizabeth, a Domestic, was the daughter of John Williams, a Tin Miner, and his wife Honor, of 2, Greenwich, St Erth, Penzance, Cornwall in 1881. 

Lewis and Mary Elizabeth Jerred had six children: 
  1. Ernest John Jerred b. 27 Feb 1891 in Bournemouth, Hampshire
  2. Arthur Jerred b, 1893 M Qtr in KINGSBRIDGE Vol 05B Page 194
  3. Ethel May Jerred b. 1896 M Qtr in KINGSBRIDGE Vol 05B Page 189
  4. Albert William Jerred b. 9 July 1898 in KINGSBRIDGE Vol 05B 184
  5. Honor Frances Jerred b. 1900 J Qtr in KINGSBRIDGE Vol 05B Page 169
  6. Violet Mary Jerred b. 15 July 1903 in KINGSBRIDGE Vol 05B Page 164
Louis and Mary Elizabeth are elusive in 1891, but their first child had been born that year, in Boscombe, historically Hampshire, today in Dorset. 

By 1893, they'd moved back to the south west to settle at Loddiswell, near Kingsbridge in Devon. There in 1901, listed as Lewis Jerred (36), Railway Labourer, with Mary E Jerred (38), Ernest J Jerred (11), Arthur Jerred (8), Ethel M Jerred (5), Albert W Jerred (2) and Honor F Jerred (0).

In 1911, still in Loddiswell, Devon, were Lewis Jerred (46) Railway Labourer; Mary Elizabeth Jerred (48), Ethel May Jerred (15), Alfred William Jerred (12), Honor Frances Jerred (10) and Violet Mary Jerred (7). Ernest John Jerred (20) had joined the Royal Navy in 1909, as a Stoker, and was with the Royal Navy At Sea And In Ports Abroad with HMS Edgar (1890). Not found Arthur.

In 1921, Lewis Jerred (56) Railway Labourer for the Great Western Railway Company was living at Quarry Park, Loddiswell, Devon with Mary Elizabeth Jerred (58), Albert William Jerred (22) Farm Labourer Out of Work and Violet Jerred (17) who was employed doing garden work at a nursery. 

Mary Elizabeth Jerred died in 1931 S Qtr in KINGSBRIDGE.

In 1939, Lewis Jerred was living at 36 Wallingford Road, Kingsbridge

The Great Western Railway (GWR) had opened the Kingsbridge branch line in 1893 and it was closed in 1963. Lewis Jerred, who died in 1951 J Quarter in KINGSBRIDGE, at the age of 88, thankfully, won't have seen the closure. 

Sunday 21 March 2021

John Stone: Attempting to ravish and carnally know

Hockworthy: Hockford Cottage
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Martin Bodman - geograph.org.uk/p/164609

John Stone, the third of Henry Stone and Mary Ridgeway's children, born in Ashbrittle, Somerset, in 1858, may have been a bit of a rogue. 

In 1861, John (3), like his older brothers, was at home with his parents at Court Place, Ashbrittle. I've not been able to locate him in 1871, when he will have been around 13, but he'd already left his parents' home. Undoubtedly employed as a farm labourer, his employer probably didn't know much about him, so he may well appear on the census, but with details they guessed.

In 1873, aged 15, John Stone, was arrested and taken to the Devon County Prison, on 2 Jun, accused of "Attempting to ravish and carnally know Maria Disney on the 28th May, 1873, at Hockworthy." The committing magistrate was J. C. New, Esq., of Cullompton, but John wasn't tried: the bill was ignored for assault with intent to ravish, indecent assault and assault. No further details or clues as to why the case did not proceed, but as Peter Calver of Lost Cousins suggested, securing a conviction was difficult in those times.

On the 1871 census, Mariah Disney (then 12, so 14 at the time of the alleged assault), daughter of John Disney, farm labourer, was living at Hockford Barton, Hockworthy. We may assume she was the young lady in question. 

[NOTE: John's sister, Harriet Stone, married their first cousin, James Ridgway. James Ridgway's mother was Ann Tooze, who's own mother was Eliza Disney, so there's no doubt that John was also "keeping it in the family"!]

Widening the area of search, I eventually found John Stone on the 1881 census living in the household of Henry Payne, Railway Tunnel Miner, at Railway Hut, Hurst Green, Oxted, Godstone, Surrey. Living there were Henry Payne (31), his wife, four children aged 5 to 11, as well as nine men, all boarders, all railway tunnel labourers. And at the bottom of the long list was John Stone (22), Tunnel Miner's Labourer, born in Somerset.

The Oxted Tunnel - on the Oxted line, which passes under the North Downs in two tunnels, and then splits into two branches at Hurst Green, adjoining Oxted in Surrey - opened in 1884. It doesn't take much imagination, therefore, to work out what John must have been working on in 1881. Living in what must have been horrendous conditions, with so many people crammed into an undoubtedly overcrowded space, lacking in facilities will have been a perfect environment for transmitting infectious diseases ...

Because one year later, John Stone, "Labourer on Railway", died, aged just 24, on 27 Aug 1882, in Uplowman. His sister, Mary Ann Prescott, was present at his death. Wondering if he'd been killed in an accident or even a revenge attack, I'd ordered his death certificate, but John had, in fact, died of the all-too-common at that time, Phthisis (Tuberculosis). 

John Stone was buried, on 3 Sep 1882, in the churchyard at Uplowman.

Grave of John Stone and his parents, Mary and Henry Stone, in Uplowman Churchyard