James Rousell  1800 – 1872

 

c1800. Birthplace given as 3 different places in different Cs: Alkham, & Barham --unlikely - & Caple-le-Ferne [5m.S of Alkham], Kent, 1800 - 1806. At present I have no lead on his parents, but in 1841C, Barham District 3, p.6 of 11, a Richard & Mary Rourell, both 60, ag. labourer and living next door a Richard Rowsell, 39, with family. Could these be parents and brother?.Deaths Dec 1844 ROUS_LL Mary Bridge 5 27. In 1851C, Richard, 80?, widower, blind, b. Sletling, [Stelling? - 6 miles wsw of Barham}Parochial Relief Ag.l., living with son William 42 b.Dover, in Harbledown, Canterbury,~10m.NW of Barham. I think this must be the same Richard as is with Mary in the 1841C. And in the 1841C the same William, b.1810, is in Bekesbourne, ~5m.north of Barham. Thus James would have brothers Richard & William on this hypothesis. Deaths Sep 1855 Rousell Richard Bridge 2a 306 . Think I have 2 Williams muddled up here!!

Have discovered http://www.barham-kent.org.uk/Genealogy.htm. .http://www.kentarchaeology.org.uk/Research/Maps/LofKPE.htm

I have also discovered a Martha Rousell,1765, [ Denise Parmentier, Moore-Boss Ancestry Tree is a descendant; have been in contact with her & she has asked a Karen for more info.], whose parents were James Rousell c1743 & Mary Spratt. Possibility that Martha 1765 & Richard 1780 were siblings.

Would have married Mary  Vanson 1827 -1828, prob.in Barham, maybe Tilmanstone. Now found that a Mary West, 1794 married a John Vanson 1793, c 1816, produced Sarah 1816 [ no baptism found in Barham] & Robert 1817 &, maybe, MaryAnn 1825, and was then widowed, remarrying James Rousell and having more children. Through the above Barham website have now traced Mary West back 2 more generations: see her page.

1828 James Rowsell married widowed Mary Vanson in Tilmanstone on 17/9/1828- FMP and inherited 2 stepchildren,: Sarah Vanson 1816, Robert Vanson 1817. Need to find this marriage in Kent Archives in Maidstone.

Barham lies 7 miles south-east of Canterbury and 7 miles north of Folkestone. Barham lays at 51º 21´north of the Equator and 1º 14´ east of the Greenwich Meridian. Births, marriages and deaths were registered under Bridge.

.1828 – 1834   3 children born. The eldest, Ellen Rousell, was born in Tilmanstone [from censuses] , 6m. east of Barham, the next two in Barham

http://www.barham-kent.org.uk/Genealogy.htm has Barham baptisms for

1831. William Rousell 21/05/1831, parents James & Mary Rousle.

1834. Susannah Jane Rousell 23/03/1834, parents Jim & Mary Rousel.

1838. Elizabeth Anne Rousell 5/06/1838 . Parents James & Mary Rousle . Baptised in Barham.

1838. Twin Elizabeth Anne Rousell born, 7/02/1838. Time of birth recorded, 2pm, seemingly showing that she was a twin. Father a labourer, mother, noted as Mary Vanson, could write when she registered the birth 2/3/1838. I thought her twin was George [ listed on previous page, 24, of Birth entries]. But, he is not listed in the 1841C., nor is there a death listed of a similar sounding George in the intervening 3 years. But, 2011, have just discovered that a George Rousell was born Bekesbourne to a William Rouselll ~ 1838, he being aged 13 in 1851C, so just a coincidence that he is on the next page of Bridge births for this quarter, Bridge covering both Bekesbourne & Barham. Elizabeth's twin must have died at birth, and as such, there is no b.c nor d.c for him /her. Have Elizabeth's b.c BROU1. Her baptism was 25/6/1838 in Barham

Photo of Barham Church taken in 1867

1841. Jemima Rousell born . Mar 1841Rousell Jemima Bridge 5 40. Baptised 4/04/1841[Barham site], parents James & Mary Rousle.

1841 Census. James Rowsell, 40, shepherd, living in Derrington Street, Barham. [page 9 of District 3, only found through trawling all Barham entries: transription in name of Joseph Rowell ! So, to obtain this again, need to search on say Robert Vanson ,b1819. - p.10 of District 3]]. All born Kent.

This Robert Vanson married Charlotte Sutton 19/02/1843 in Bishopsbourne. He is of full age, labourer servant, Barham, with father, John Vanson, labourer. Charlotte is 19. One of the witnesses was Mary Ann Rousell, her mark; this could be his sister, born Mary Ann Vanson 1825 . Have m.c.MV1

1842.  Jemima prob. died 'Jun', Bridge, 5.29, down as Jemima Ronsell.

1851 Census. James Rousell, 50, farm labourer, living in Deringstone, Barham. [page 7 of District 6b.]

1861C. James Rousel is a servant, mar. at Shilinger? Farm, [next to Ropers Sole] Barham, shepherd [though looks like shiphand!], aged 56 [4 years too young?], b.Caple-le-Ferne, Kent [ Barham, District 6, p.8 of 27]

. . His wife, Mary Roussell, in Barham  as married, 65, b. Barham, living at Derington as head of household with 4 lodgers, ag.labourer's wife but no James! [Barham District 7, p. 15 of 21]

1871C.  James Rousell, aged 67, b. Barham, mar., lodger, shepherd, at Shibinger?,[next to Ropers Sole Farm], Barham. The same farm as in 1861, but now with different owners. [Barham, District 6. p. 2 of 24] . Ropersole Farm - on the old Dover Road - still exists today: instructions on how to get to a company with offices there exists on web.

. His wife, Mary, found mistranscribed as Bourell & as aged 47!!. Living at Derringstone, Barham.  Aged 77, b. Barham, mar., formerly laundress, with a lodger William West [ so maybe a relation too] 42? and daughter, Elizabeth Robinson, 29. [Barham, District 7, p. 15 of 22].

1872.  James Rousell dies, aged 66, 23/8/1872, farm labourer, in the Union Workhouse, Bridge, of Ascites - abdominal dropsy - 23/8/1872. Informant was George Folwell, X, present at the death, a 70yr old inmate of the Workhouse in 1871C, death registered 26/8/1872. D.c. DROU2. Buried 24/8/1872 in Barham

http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Bridge/ . . . . .Seemingly, records exist in Maidstone of Admissions & Discharges, & for Deaths, for Bridge Workhouse:

• Centre for Kentish Studies Sessions House, County Hall, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 1XQ. Holdings include: Guardians' minutes (1835-1930); Births (1836-1912); Deaths (1835-1914); Admissions and discharges (1835-1934); Casuals admissions and discharges (1907-31); Indoor relief lists (1836-1933); Lunatics in workhouse (1870-98); Lunatics dead or discharged (1878-1919); Apprenticeship register (1865-1911); Register of infants (1905-26); Register of children sent to training homes (1916-24); Register of children boarded out (1894-1913); Removal orders (1832-1926); etc.
• Canterbury Cathedral Archives, The Precincts, Canterbury, Kent CT1 2EH. Baptisms (1855-94).

 

.Summary of his occupations: 1838 Labourer, 1841 Shepherd in Barham, 1851 Farm Labourer in Barham, 1858 Farm Bailiff [given on m.c. of his daut.Elizabeth], 1861 Servant & Shepherd , 1871 Servant & Shepherd, 1872 Farm Labourer.

His life, as a poor labourer and shepherd, seemingly having to live away from his wife during the last 11 years of his life [ but maybe only at lambing time] and dying in the Workhouse, destroys my family myth that his daughter, Elizabeth Rousell, came from a good family and ran off with Francis Robinson, a groom.! What does puzzle me is how Elizabeth, from Kent, and Francis, from Oxfordshire, met and married in Essex in 1858.? Probably were working as servant and groom in same, or neighbouring, houses, but each a long way from home.

1873. Mary Rowsell died 5/12/1873, age given as 79, widow of James Rowsell, farm labourer, in Derringstone, Barham. Cause of death 'Serans Apoplexy - stroke - 2 days', informant Sarah West, same[vague] address. . Have d.c .- on her page. Buried 11/12/1873 Barham- FMP

Miscellaneous.[In 1891C Barham: -OAST HOUSE George Rowsell Head 43 Male Sturry, Kent - Agricultural Labourer Emma Rowsell Wife 36 Female Wye, Kent . A c.1847 birth.]

Children of James Rousell.

So James & Mary Rousell had 6 known children 1828- 1841, of who 2 [ including the probable twin born dead] died in infancy, but Mary was married previously and probably had 3 other Vanson children.

 

EARLIER ROUSELLS

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