Morning all,

When I moved into my house in Bream, I inherited various deeds and conveyances showing that the house was previously owned by a Richard and Eliza Watkins (maiden name James d. 1943), then passing to Isaiah (b. 1867, d.1937) and Sarah Ann (Ind) and then to their son.

Does anyone have any information to share about this family please? The house is on the tithe map, and it would be great to be able to identify the previous owners.

Richard and Isaiah were both described as coal miners - any idea to which pit they worked at?

And does anyone know the identities of the Lydney Lane dwellings on the 1891 Census? Only the road name is given, and I do not know which family lived where. Our house was a row of industrial workers cottages and it would be great to identify the names of the other families.

Many thanks in advance,

Jon

If you Google

Lloyd George Land Survey Finance Act (1909-10)

https://www.glos1909survey.org.uk

Press on Search

Go the the heading:

Search by surname or company name and enter WATKINS

List of WATKINS appear.....

You will find WATKINS, Isaiah

NEWLAND, builidng land, Lydney Road, Bream (GA/D2428/1/2,1230

NEWLAND, tenement, Lydney Road, Bream, GA/D2428/23/2,1227

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When you click on these two headings up comes this info 0

23/2

Place: Newland
Income tax parish: Coleford

Occupied by: WATKINS, Isiah (M)

People holding property:

WATKINS, Isiah, Bream (M) Owner

Owner Occupied

Property: Description : Buildings

Poor Rate

Number: 513
Gross Value : 5s
Rateable Value 5s

Description: Land
Address: Lydney Road, Bream

Map reference: 39.13 T (tried opening this on the map section, at the moment doesn't seem to want to open)

Gross Value: £211
Site Value : £187
Tithe: £1
Agricultural Value : £210

Buildings: £20
Fruit £4
Taxable Value £186

Poor Rate:

Number : 512
Gross Value £4.14s
Rateable Value £4.3s

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The second Hereditament Number : 1227 - this a map reference of 47.1F

See if this comes up on the maps (which is the the heading)

If you use the Advance Search on this website.

e.g. Searching baptism and typing in Lydney Lane.

There are 181 listed from 1858 onwards up to 1929.

The Advance Search also covers marriages (both groom and bride) and deaths.

Hubert Watkins: father Isaac in 1935

4 Brides from 1863 to 1950

72 deaths listed Lydney Lane Bream from 1861 to 1980.

There are 4 Watkins burials listed living in Lydney Lane Bream. The earliest William Watkins who died aged 76 in 1862.

In 1873 Robert Richards aged 24 Miner living in Lydney Lane, father Oliver Richards a Haulier, married Sarah Watkins aged 19, also living in Lydney Lane, father Richard Watkins a Collier.

Hope this is a start!

A Richard Watkins in 1872 born 1843 is listed in the Freeminers register on the site residence Bream.

Google Books

Richard Watkins Bream

Geological Survey of Great Britain 1879

Forest of Dean

4. Forget-me-Not. Bream

J W Blanch in one column and in the next Richard Watkins (appears to be mining Iron).

I can see a snippet on Google Books written by Cyril E Hart in 1971 which says ‘while Henry Crawshay had built Cinderford, Richard Watkins had built Bream. The family owned several iron ore mines.

On Google Books in 1884

R Watkins in Bream has

Bow Pit, Crows Nest and New Dun Pit

I’ve just realised our past Admin - Dave Watkins, had posted on this website 15 April 2005 a write up by Diana Watkins

A Forest of Dean Champion

Unfortunately, Diana Watkins link to her family website is no more.

Use the search button for Harold Baden Watkins on this website to call up the 2005 post and census returns.

Also on the net this book is on sale for 75p. Forest of Dean Local History Society.

//forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?mode=thread&id=352

The Watkins dot AU site was Dave W's own Watkins research site :-(

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Ἀριστοτέλης A Gloster & Hereford Boy in the Forest of Dean ><((((*>