Drusilla JOHN born 1857, Gorsley/May Hill area. (General)

by Jefff , West London, Middlesex, Saturday, November 22, 2014, 03:29 (3648 days ago) @ Kazza471

Hi Karen,
apart from the 1890 marriage record, do you have any other reason to think your Drusilla was born in 1864 ?

I ask as after searching various databases I also believe your Drusilla is the same girl born near Gorsley in 1857 as per Mike's 1861 Census post. It’s not a common name, and Mike’s find seems the most likely to me. Ancestry also carries this Baptism which confirms the Census dates.

Name: Drusilla John
Gender: Female
Baptism Date: 27 Jul 1857
Baptism Place: Kempley,Gloucester,England
Father: William John
Mother: Ann
FHL Film Number: 425446, 91539

Searching surname "John", and not "Johns"(even with Soundex ticked), finds the PR in this FoD site;

Record_ID: 160871
Entry_Number: 405
Year: 1857
Month: Jul
Day: 27
Parents_Surname: JOHN
Child_Forenames: Drusilla
Fathers_Forenames: William
Mothers_Forenames: Ann
Mothers_Surname:
Residence: Herefordshire
Occupation: (Gipsy) Basket maker
Officiating_Minister: Arthur J. Street
Event: Baptism
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P188 IN 1/6
Page_Number: 51
Parish_Chapel: Kempley
Soundex: J500

This confirms William’s “basketmaker” occupation, very typical for gypsies in the Herefordshire/Glostershire borders. This area's fertile agricultural land and mild climate meant it was renowned for extensive fruit orchards, offering plentiful seasonal work for gypsies especially at harvest time, not to mention demand for skilled basketmakers and repairers. Before that, spring brought huge displays of wild daffodils in the Kempley area, as discussed here in the past. It’s known that local gypsies would gather cut daffs in swathes to sell at nearby towns, such as Newent, Ledbury and even Gloster, carried by the basketful of course.
See http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/GLS/Kempley/Gaz1868.html

The 1861 Census indicates Drusilla was born at Gorsley.
As the village website states Gorsley is right at the foot of May Hill.
http://www.gorsley.com/

This photo of May Hill was taken from near Gorsley.
https://geolocation.ws/v/W/File:Crooke's%20Farm%20and%20May%20Hill%20-%20geograph.org.u...

As I'm sure you know, May Hill is a very prominent landmark that can be seen from many miles around, particularly north towards Gloster and beyond along the traditional gypsy travelling routes past the Malverns into Worcestershire. This is why it's been used as a "beacon" hill in the distant past, I suspect the gypsies of old may even have considered it a ”magical” place much like Glastonbury Tor in Somerset. I’m sure it would be prominent in their legends and storytelling, and maybe a birthplace to be proud of !
May Hill is mentioned in this description of Aston Ingham, Gorsley's close neighbour. This village still has a byway called "Gypsy Lane", presumably for good historical reasons.
http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/HEF/AstonIngham/Gaz1868.html

This prior thread also discusses May Hill, hopefully you may find it of interest.
http://www.forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?id=41424

Regarding your belief Drusilla was born in 1864, the only Record I can find to support this is her 1890 Marriage Record. As MPG has discovered, the unusual choice of witnesses strongly suggest this is a gypsy wedding. In olden times it was very common, particularly for ladies, to “adjust” their actual ages when asked during a marriage or Census. It was sometimes thought improper for a bride to be older than the groom, and as nowadays no-one likes to pass the “magic” ages of 30 or 40. Hence I’m not at all surprised a bride who’s real age is 33 would state she was 26 when her groom was 28. And why not, no-one was going to check or query it, especially here when the Minister and Witnesses are clearly doing their best to help the couple. The fact the Record quotes Johns rather than John is no surprise, Johns being a far more commonplace surname than John, as I proved when mistakenly searching for Drusilla Johns within the Baptism PRs earlier !

The 1881 Census for Samuel Burgham & Drusilla shows the couple in Cinderford. They are shown as married !?, living with Samuel’s parents just yards above St Stephens Church. As well as confirming his father & her May Hill birthplace (your source ?), it also gives a more likely age for Drusilla, and mentions a visitor, possibly her sister ? They don’t appear to have any children, perhaps their first child was the reason for their formal 1890 Marriage ? (Or is Elizabeth their baby ?)

1881 CENSUS. Hinders Lane, Dockham, St Stephens Parish.
Given Name Surname Relationship to Head Marital Status Age Estimated Birth Year Gender Occupation Birth City Birth County Birth Country.

Joseph Burgam Head Married 43 1838 Male Labourer Ruspidge (East Dean) Gloucestershire England
Lorne Burgam Wife Married 45 1836 Female Littledean Gloucestershire England
Samuel Burgam Son Married 22 1859 Male Coal Miner Littledean Gloucestershire England
Drusilla Burgam Daughter in Law Married 22 1859 Female May Hill Gloucestershire England
Elizth. A. Burgam Daughter 6m 1881 Female Cinderford Gloucestershire England
Ellen Johns Visitor 15 1866 Female East Dean Gloucestershire England

These reasons are why I believe the 1857 Kempley baptism is indeed your Drusilla.

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I cannot find any more clear Census records for Drusilla, not helped as there’s another Drusilla Johns in Cornwall, born near Penzance in 1862. Similarly I cannot find Samuel in later Census’, although Ancestry carries these Records;

West Yorkshire, England, Prison Records, 1801-1914 about Samuel Burgham
Name: Samuel Burgham
[Samuel Burgin]
Birth Year: abt 1862
Birth Place: Cinderford
Age: 24
Event Date: 23 Jun 1886
Prison or Quarter Session: HMP Wakefield
Location: Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England
Sentence: Imprisonment or Servitude

England & Wales, Death Index, 1916-2007 about Samuel Burgham
Name: Samuel Burgham
Birth Date: abt 1857
Date of Registration: Dec 1922
Age at Death: 65
Registration district: Westbury on Severn
Inferred County: Gloucestershire
Volume: 6a
Page: 306

Finally, GlosBMD gives this interesting Record that may reward investigation;

Marriage Details

Groom Surname Groom Forename Bride Surname Bride Forename District Parish Building Year Register Entry
BURGHAM Samuel JOHNS Selina Forest of Dean Westbury-on-Severn (FoD) Register Office Closed 1908 14 79