Mary/Thomas BAYLIS house in the Plump.

My sister and I will be visiting the Forest in two weeks. Looking for the home/land that Mary and her first husband Thomas Baylis lived on in the Plump.

Mary was born Mary Ann Baynham In Herefordshire In 1814. On Christmas Day, 1832, Mary married Thomas Baylis at Hope Mansell. Thomas Baylis died in 1862. In 1867, at St. John’s church in Cinderford, Mary married widower William Phelps, a neighbor in the Plump (according to the census, he lived on Hazel Hill). In 1892, William Phelps was buried in Drybrook with his first wife Sophia. Mary Ann Baynham Baylis Phelps died later than William Phelps, in 1897, and Mary is buried with her first husband Thomas Baylis in Abenhall, along with several children of theirs, who died very young.

Mary and Thomas Baylis’s son Henry “Harry” is my great grandfather, he was a stone mason , as was his ather. I have reason to suspect that Mary Baylis and William Phelps lived in Mary and Thomas Baylis’s house, instead of her moving into William Phelps house, but that might not be the case. I would love to walk the lanes along both of the Baylis and the Phelps properties, and, if possible, identify the homes where they might have lived.

In the 1861 Census, Thomas Baylis was on the Plump, but more specifically “Westbury Brook nr. Fair Play Green”. ??? This is all I have to go on...

Hoping to narrow down 1. Where they lived. 2. Where within the cemetery they are buried.

Kind regards, Deb

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Have you identified where these places are or is that what you want to know?

This map (http://tiny.cc/9kaeaz) shows Plump Hill, Fairplay and Westbury Brook but not sure it helps.

(Open in new tab to see the map)

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Peter

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What a great map, I spent hours working the overlays though the various time frames.

What am I looking for? Specifically, a parcel number that might identify a particular building, or the land on which it stood, belonging to Thomas Baylis or Mary Ann née Baynham Baylis Phelps.

Initially I thought that the property Thomas/Mary Baylis lived on would be located on Dockins Hill Way, which would have been easy, walk or drive the public street, view the homes, without being intrusive... Hazel Hill is further away, a dead end road, but that might be where William/Mary Phelps lived? if We add in Westbury Brook, that takes us to a whole different area, Horsepool Bottom? Would that be the area along Jubilee Road, or does Westbury Brook curl around ?Green Farm and go all the way up to Fair Play Green? Would this area be accessed through the Rocks?

I notice parcel numbers, for example in the 710-714 around Hazel Hill, Is there a directory of owners in the late 1800’s that would correspond? Getting it narrowed down to a specific street or lane would be lovely, a specific parcel, even better. Thomas Baylis was a stone mason who built cottages, so we will be glad to just generally enjoy the local cottages and architecture on the Plump, as well.

Sorry for being so muddled, I haven’t a clue...

Thank you! And thank you MP.Griffiths. Kind regards, Deb. Postscript, sent GeoffgWatkin a note, thank you.

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You could contact Geoff Gwatkin.

http://geoffgwatkinmaps.co.uk/Research-Maps-of-Gloucestershire.php

He sells maps (that he has created) along with matching lists of land owners. Might be worth asking what maps he has for the area you are looking as his index map is small scale and it's not clear exactly where the boundaries lie. His map 106 seems to cover the area and is based on information from around 1856. The adjacent map 11 might also cover the area but is based on information from 1838 so might be too early.

It's a shot in the dark that, potentially, could identify the exact house. It worked for me on some other research I'm doing - gave me some key information.

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Peter

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