Dr Abel (General)

by sidtoomey01 , Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, Thursday, February 24, 2022, 23:23 (994 days ago) @ Kate

Hi again,

I think that, if you want to, there are quite a few leads to follow up for Joseph Abell (the older one) and his family. Some are as follows:-
Gloucestershire Tithes Apportionment Data Base. (searchable free on line)
Once you are at the searchable part of the data base, input "Abell" in the land occupier box.
This should give you
PLOT 152, House, offices and garden 1 rood 20 perches owned and occupied by Joseph Abell.
PLOT 153, Cherry orchard, 3 roods 31 perches occupied by Joseph Abell. Owned by another person.
PLOT 153 A, Garden, 39 perches occupied by Joseph Abell, owned by another person.
This relates to around 1839.

Then go to "Know Your Place, Gloucestershire" online which is a searchable series of overlaid maps and other information. Find your way to the village of Micheldean and Merrin Street.
Play around with the different maps and one of the older Ordnance Survey maps has "Forrest Cottage" showing on it, next door to "Forest House" (on its North Side).
You can then overlay the Tithe Map over the Ordnance Survey map and you will see plots 152, 153 & 153A.
For some reason in this instance the maps aren't perfectly synchronised but it isn't an issue.
Then one of the more recent maps will show "Forrest Cottage" as a place name "Merrin".

Do a search for listed buildings in Micheldean and you should find that both "Forest House" and "Merrin" are Grade two listed buildings. If you follow the different links for "Merrin" you should find a photograph of the house. The front of the house is to the back and doesn't face the road. The copyright for the photograph is owned by a Doctor. Interesting.

Wales Newspapers online (free searchable) have some entries for newspaper articles concerning Doctor Abell.

Then another avenue to search is The National Archives. Gloucestershire Archives have documents relating to "Doctor Abell of Micheldean" and properties, mostly mortgages, at 16 & 18 Brunswick Square, Gloucestershire.
Buildings 12 to 18 Brunswick Square are Grade two listed and Google Street view shows No.18 all scaffolded and looks like being refurbished. I think Dr Abell might ? have practised medicine there. Description of the square and its history look exclusive.
One of the files in Gloucestershire Archives relates to a family court case, Abell vs Abell.

British Medical Directories should also provide information on Doctors Abell and their medical qualifications.

Military History for Ensign Abell of the 60th Regiment of Foot, previously of the 49th Foot, could also be interesting to follow up.
The 49th Foot from 1802-1814 was in Canada and fighting the Americans.
The 60th Foot had as many as five Battalions with at least some of them fighting with Wellington in Spain in the Peninsular Wars before the Battle of Waterloo. From a quick read i think they were split up with individual Companies being attached to other Regiments. I think they were equipped with new "short rifles" and performed well, earning praise. If Joseph Abell was there, being a Surgeon, he probably would have been in amongst the gory stuff.
Some reports mention the 60th didn't fight at Waterloo owing to being understrength.
Around 1818, after Waterloo and the occupation of France, the British Army was downsized and i believe the 60th was disbanded.
This could be when Ensign Abell went on half pay.

I hope this gives you something to think about.
Any queries let me know.
Good hunting.
Sid Toomey.