Hello,
I am trying to trace my grandmothers heritage her name was Alice Fletcher who married Stephen Bowkett. My nan passed away so we have no more information she had a sister called Eve who died at around 10 years old and had brothers called: Danny, Joey, Johnny, Noddy there may of been another but cant remember. My nan was brought up in a wagon in the forest of dean area and her parents worked on the land around the area. Does anyone have any information that would be great thanks Ian.

If you could supply even approximate dates and locations it would help enormously.

Would this be her marriage?

GR marriages

First Name Stephen H
Last Name Bowkett
Gender Male
Year 1940
Spouse Fletcher
Image Quarter 2
Country England
County Herefordshire
District Ledbury
District Number
Registry Number
Volume 6A
Page 1837
Line Number 13
Entry Number
Category Births, Marriages & Deaths
Record set England & Wales Marriages 1837-2005
Collections from Great Britain, England
Spouse Match Spouse Match: Stephen H BOWKETT married Alice FLETCHER
First Name Alice
Last Name Fletcher
Gender Female
Year 1940
Spouse Bowkett
Image Quarter 2
Country England
County Herefordshire
District Ledbury
District Number
Registry Number
Volume 6A
Page 1837
Line Number 72

And might this be Eve?

GR deaths

First Name Eva
Last Name Fletcher
Gender Female
Year 1934
Birth Year 1927
Birth Month
Birth Day
District Ledbury
County Herefordshire
Country England
Volume 6A
Event Quarter 3
District Number
Page 458
Line Number 19
Entry Number
Record set England & Wales Deaths 1837-2007
DOR
Category Births, Marriages & Deaths
Collections from Great Britain, England

I don't belong to find my past, but have seached for Alice FLETCHER in Herefordshire

and up comes

Alice BOWKETT (FLETCHER) - Birth year 1917 : Ledbury R.D. and states :

Charles FLETCHER + 4 more people are on this record + 3 more people who are officially closed.

-----

Also lists in Ledbury R.D.

FLETCHER

Alice 1900
Elsie D - 1888
Elsie (M) - FLETCHER (HODGE) - 1903

---

There is a tree on Ancestry - which has a Stephen H BOWKETT - born 3 September 1914 and died February 2001

__-

Not sure how to work this findmypast as other names can appear e.g.

Dennis FLETCHER 1932 - who seems to be with Charles etc. etc

The 1939 Census transcript has been kindly passed to me and hope this helps.

FLETCHER Household (9 people)

Caravan White House
Ledbury R.D.
Herefordshire
England

Alice BOWKETT (FLETCHER) - born 23 April 1917 - Female - Unpaid Domestic Duties, Single 71 5

Charles FLETCHER - born 12 August 1879 - Male, Seasonal Worker, Married 71 1

Emily FLETCHER - born 12 Mar 1895 - Female, Seasonal Farmer Worker, Married 71 3

Sorry, this record is officialy closed. Check if you can open a closed record.

Austin FLETCHER - born 11 January 1920, Male, Rag & Bone Merchant, Single 71 6 **

Sorry, this record is officially closed. Check if you can open a closed record.

Alfred FLETCHER - born 23 September 1924, Male, Rag & Bond Merchant, Single, 71 8

Sorry, this record is offically closed. Check if you can open a closed record.

Dennis FLETCHER - born 03 April 1932, Male, School Age, Single, 71 10

But when you look at the original Jack has been missed.

Jack FLETCHER - born 19 September 1919 - Collier

----

There is an Austin FLETCHER who married 1944 to a Ruth HARRIS (Forest of Dean - Register Office)

Thank you for your help

Thank you very much

Birth registrations that appear to be a match for a couple of the family:
Births Sep 1927
Fletcher Eva Butler Monmouth 11a 28

From GlosBMD:
Child Surname Child Forename Mother's Former Name Year District Office Register Entry
FLETCHER Eva BUTLER 1927 Forest of Dean Monmouth, West Dean 8

Births Jun 1917
Fletcher Alice Butler Monmouth 11a 34

From Glos BMD:
Child Surname Child Forename Mother's Former Name Year District Office Register Entry
FLETCHER Alice BUTLER 1917 Forest of Dean Monmouth, West Dean 5 116

This suggests that Alice and Eva’s mother was Emily Butler but not yet found a marriage.

Mike

The following Census entries may be helpful:
1891 Census:
Churchway, East Dean
Believed to be near Steam Mills.
Given Name Surname Relationship Gender Age Estimated Birth Year Birth City or District Birth County Birth Country
Eli Fletcher Head Male 43 1848 London England
Clara Fletcher Wife Female 40 1851 Shropshire England
Elie Fletcher Son Male 22 1869 Lydney Gloucestershire England
Letitia Fletcher Daughter Female 17 1874 East Dean Gloucestershire England
Elizabeth Fletcher Daughter Female 15 1876 East Dean Gloucestershire England
Sarah Fletcher Daughter Female 14 1877 East Dean Gloucestershire England
James Fletcher Son Male 11 1880 East Dean Gloucestershire England
Charles Fletcher Son Male 9 1882 East Dean Gloucestershire England
Samuel Fletcher Son Male 7 1884 East Dean Gloucestershire England
Cecilia Fletcher Daughter Female 6 1885 East Dean Gloucestershire England

1901 Census:
Two Bridges, East Dean
Household Number Name Relation to Head Age Estimated Birth Year Gender Birth Place
41 Eli Fletcher Head 55 1846 Male N
41 Sarah Fletcher Wife 50 1851 Female N
41 James Fletcher Son 23 1878 Male East Dean, Gloucestershire, England
41 Charles Fletcher Son 21 1880 Male Monmouthshire, Wales
41 Sarah Fletcher Daughter 19 1882 Female East Dean, Gloucestershire, England
41 Samuel Fletcher Son 18 1883 Male East Dean, Gloucestershire, England
41 Selia Fletcher Daughter 15 1886 Female East Dean, Gloucestershire, England
41 Mary Ann Fletcher Daughter 13 1888 Female East Dean, Gloucestershire, England
41 Hilliam Fletcher Son 11 1890 Male East Dean, Gloucestershire, England
41 John Fletcher Son 9 1892 Male East Dean, Gloucestershire, England

Eli is described as a Tinware Maker

This is Eli's Burial from this website:
Year: 1936
Month: Nov
Day: 21
Surname: FLETCHER
Forenames: Eli
Residence: Crump Meadow
Age_at_death: 67
Officiating_Minister: Tom T Haines Vicar
Event: Burial
Cause_of_death:
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P85/1 IN 1/15
Page_No: 199
Parish_Chapel: Cinderford St John

Mike

Hello,
That is correct my grandmothers mother was Emily Fletcher, thank you.

There was a Danny (Daniel) Fletcher and a Joey maybe Joseph Fletcher these were my nans brothers also you have named some of them thank you

I wonder if this refers to the 1901 family and the status of Eli and Sarah’s marriage?

BNA Gloucester Citizen - Friday 09 August 1907

THE CHARGE OF ABDUCTION IN DEAN FOREST. In reference to the charge at Littledean Police Court against William Slender, a gipsy, camping at Two Bridges. Blakeney, of taking Mary Ann Davies, an unmarried girl, out of the custody of and against the will of her mother, Sarah Davies, who cohabits with Eli Fletcher, also a gipsy, the girl being alleged to be only 15 years of age, accused has been brought before Mr. W. H. King at Newnham and discharged, the police having discovered a birth certificate which fixes the girl's age at 20 years.

Using the Census returns as a guide we find the following birth registrations which are taken from the GRO online Index:

Name: Mother's Maiden Surname:
FLETCHER, CHARLES SAMPSON DAVIS
GRO Reference: 1870 M Quarter in WESTBURY ON SEVERN Volume 06A Page 229

FLETCHER, LETITIA DAVIS
GRO Reference: 1875 M Quarter in WESTBURY-ON-SEVERN Volume 06A Page 266

FLETCHER, ELIZABETH DAVIS
GRO Reference: 1876 S Quarter in WESTBURY-ON-SEVERN Volume 06A Page 261

FLETCHER, JAMES HENRY DAVIS
GRO Reference: 1878 J Quarter in WESTBURY ON SEVERN Volume 06A Page 264

FLETCHER, SARAH ANN DAVIS
GRO Reference: 1879 S Quarter in WESTBURY ON SEVERN Volume 06A Page 261

FLETCHER, CHARLES DAVIS
GRO Reference: 1881 J Quarter in CHEPSTOW Volume 11A Page 4

FLETCHER, SAMPSON DAVIS
GRO Reference: 1883 S Quarter in WESTBURY ON SEVERN Volume 06A Page 242

FLETCHER, BERTHA ATHELIA DAVIS
GRO Reference: 1885 M Quarter in WESTBURY ON SEVERN Volume 06A Page 250

FLETCHER, MARY ANN DAVIS
GRO Reference: 1887 M Quarter in WESTBURY ON SEVERN Volume 06A Page 241

FLETCHER, WILLIAM DAVIS
GRO Reference: 1889 M Quarter in CHEPSTOW Volume 11A Page 4

FLETCHER, ALICE DAVIS
GRO Reference: 1890 D Quarter in MONMOUTH Volume 11A Page 25

FLETCHER, JOHN DAVIS
GRO Reference: 1892 M Quarter in WESTBURY ON SEVERN Volume 06A Page 243

Mike

BNA Gloucester Citizen - Tuesday 18 September 1934

DEAN FOREST CHILD'S DEATH
SEQUEL TO FALL IN HOPFIELDS

The Coroner for South Herefordshire (Mr. E. L. Wallis) held an inquest at Canon Frorne, near Ledbury, last evening on Eva Fletcher, the seven-years-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher of Cannop, Forest of Dean, near Coleford, who died on Saturday in a hop-pickers' camp. Mrs. Emily Fletcher told the Coroner she went to the Canon Frome district in August for the purpose of hop-picking. Eva got up on Saturday as right as ever and never complained. Her daughter seemed to go faint in the hop yard that morning, however, and witness took her back to their tent. She died at 1 o'clock. Mrs. Ruth Fletcher, an aunt of the child, of Gorsty Knoll, near Coleford, said as Eva came out of the hop fields on Friday night she had fall but seemed none the worse for it. On Saturday morning when she saw her she seemed all right. Later her father came to her and said he was going for a doctor. Witness went to the tent and saw Eva lying outside. The next thing she heard was a nurse saying the child was dead.

Ruptured Liver

Nurse Theodora Mary Crabtree said she was called to the farm on Saturday morning. On arrival she found the child looking desperately ill lying in some blankets in the field. At about 10 o'clock she thought the child was dead as she had stopped breathing. Witness listened to her heart, however, and found it was still beating, so she applied artificial respiration, hoping the doctor would arrive. The child did breathe again, and actually died at 10.20 a.m. The doctor did not arrive till later. Dr. H. A. Picton said the cause of death was haemorrhage into the abdomen from a ruptured liver. The Coroner said that although it was a straightforward case it was unusual, in that the injury was caused by such a fall. Children usually fell about without hurting themselves at all. The jury returned a verdict that death was due to haemorrhage into the abdomen from a ruptured liver, caused by a fall.

Thank you so much my nan did say Eva died falling on a stick and it puncture her liver.

Hi Ian, I'm not sure whether you are still active on this but I have quite an extensive tree on the Fletchers if you'd like to compare notes. Sarah Davis the wife of Eli Fletcher was a gypsy queen and buried in Parkend. She was a very well respected medicine woman/healer as well as a hawker. Her death was widely reported in several newspapers, but mainly for the bogus claim that she died at the age of 100 where in reality she was about 78. Many of the articles give a fascinating account of her funeral and of her body 'lying in state'. I have researched mainly from the angle of Harry Fletcher (grandson of Sarah and Eli). All of his children are now deceased (the last one a few years ago), but many of his grandchildren still live in the Forest. He and his brother Austin (their father's namesake) married two welsh women Blodwyn Davies (a war widow) and Austin married her niece, Ruth Harris.

I know that I'm late to the party here but thought I'd mention for future researchers that the 'Eli Fletcher' listed as dying in 1936 is the son of Eli Fletcher and Sarah Davis. Eli Fletcher senior died in 1922 and is buried at Parkend.