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I am researching my late husband's family who originated in the Newland/WEst Dean area.
In particular at the moment I'm concestrating on the family of Charles ROSSER and Mary JAMES.
They had 10 children, many of whom drifted up to Staffordshire, but some I can not trace at all:
Alice Harriett b.1849 not found after 1851 census, no death found
Matilda b.1846 can't find her in 1871 She married Ambrose Harris in 1863
John b. 1839 Is with his mother and brother in 1861 but then disappears!
Richard b.1824 not found after 1871 and no death found either

I am interested in all ROSSER names in the area
www.geocities.com/conkeep2k

Alison Rosser

7101 views

Hi Alison

I have been looking at Rossers from Coleford, Staunton, Newland, Lydbrook etc from the mid-late 1700's looking for a link with Edward b.1806 Coleford Much of my info is unverified at present so please contact me off list if you would like to share what I have.

7000 views

Hi

I had a look on the IGI and came up with a marriage you may be interested in.

John Rosser (b. 7 Apr 1839 West Dean) married 23 Nov 1861 West Dean to Sophia Grindle (b. 1840 West Dean). Her father was Thomas Grindle.

Joanne.

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Matilda is listed in 1881 Census as follows:
Name Relation Marital Status Gender Age Birthplace Occupation Disability
Ambrose HARRIS Head M Male 31 Harrow On The Hill Carpenter
Matilda HARRIS Wife M Female 35 Forest Of Dean
William HARRIS Son U Male 3 m Claines, Worcester, England
Alice M. HARRIS Dau U Female 6 Hanley, Stafford, England
James TEGG Lodger U Male 26 Putney Seedmans Assistant

Source Information:
Dwelling Northfield St
Census Place Claines, Worcester, England
Family History Library Film 1341702
Public Records Office Reference RG11
Piece / Folio 2932 / 106
Page Number 58

Cheers
Mike

7011 views

This is a possible death for Richard:
Name: Rosser, Richard
Record Type: Deaths
Age at death: 46
Quarter: December
Year: 1871
District: Monmouth (1837-1939)
County: Gloucestershire Herefordshire Monmouthshire
Volume: 11a
Page: 11

Cheers
Mike

6985 views

Hello Alison, I have details of Charles Rosser who married Caroline White. They married in 1858, both aged 21 in Stafford. They had nine children and Caroline died in 1874 with the last child, Charles, in Rotherham. Caroline came from a large family and many of them, with spouses and children, came to Yorkshire to the coalfields. Let me know if you would like more info. Regards, Anne Crossley.

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Thanks for contacting me.
I do know quite a bit about Charles and Caroline's family, although not too much about Caroline's.
Charles was the brother of my husband's gr grandfather William.
I would be grateful for any information you would like to share! How are you connected?

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Hello Alison, Sorry for late reply, have been on hols. Caroline White was a sister of my gt. grandmother, Mary White, who married James Cavander in Cinderford, 1862. Am in contact with a gt. grand-daughter of Caroline and Charles here in Yorkshire. The Whites were of some standing in the Forest, one of them being head keeper of the Forest in the late 18th-early 19th century, living at Latimer Lodge, Cinderford where many of the White clan appear to have been born. Contact off line if you'd like any details that I have. Regards, Anne.

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Hello Anne
I am a descendant of John (c1758) and Betty White who lived at Latimer Lodge and wondered if we could share information. I am also in touch with another member of the White family who has links with the Rossers. I can be contacted direct at ricval at tiscali.co.uk if you prefer. Regards Valerie

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1851 West Dean
ROSSER Charles 53 Stone Cutter Newland
Mary 46 West Dean
Richard 26 Stone Cutter West Dean
Charles 16 Stone Cutter West Dean
William 14 Stone Cutter West Dean
John 11 Scholar at Home West Dean
Elizabeth 7 Scholar at Home West Dean
Matilda 5 Scholar at Home West Dean
Alice Harriet 1 West Dean

1851 East dean
WHITE Richard 49 Labourer East Dean
Caroline 47 Newnham
Richard 17 Coal Miner East Dean
Mary 15 East Dean
Caroline 13 East Dean
George 9 Scholar East Dean
Jane 6 Scholar East Dean
Ellen 11 Scholar East Dean

Name: Caroline White
Name: Charles Rosser
Date of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec 1858
Registration district: Stoke upon Trent
Inferred County: Staffordshire
Volume Number: 6b
Page Number: 311

1861
Charles Rosser abt 1836 Gloucestershire, England Head Stoke upon Trent Staffordshire
Caroline Rosser abt 1838 Little Dean, Gloucestershire, England Wife Stoke upon Trent Staffordshire
Eliza Ann Rosser abt 1860 Hanley, Staffordshire, England Daughter Stoke upon Trent Staffordshire

1871
Charles Rosser abt 1834 Ellwood, Gloucestershire, England Head Kimberworth Yorkshire
Caroline Rosser abt 1839 Little Dean, Gloucestershire, England Wife Kimberworth Yorkshire
Albert Rosser abt 1864 Hanley, Staffordshire, England Son Kimberworth Yorkshire
Catherine Rosser abt 1870 Masbro, Yorkshire, England Daughter Kimberworth Yorkshire
Clara Rosser abt 1871 Masbro, Yorkshire, England Daughter Kimberworth Yorkshire
Eliza Rosser abt 1860 Hanley, Staffordshire, England Daughter Kimberworth Yorkshire
Ellen Rosser abt 1868 Nottinghamshire, England Daughter Kimberworth Yorkshire
Emily Rosser abt 1866 Nottinghamshire, England Daughter Kimberworth Yorkshire
Mary M Rosser abt 1861 Hanley, Staffordshire, England Daughter Kimberworth Yorkshire

1881
Charles Rosser abt 1835 Ellwood, Gloucestershire, England Head No 123 Eastwood Lane, Rotherham, Yorkshire, England
Mary Ann Rosser abt 1843 Glee Isle, Shropshire, England Wife No 123 Eastwood Lane, Rotherham, Yorkshire, England
Alice Rosser abt 1873 Masbro Roth Daughter No 123 Eastwood Lane, Rotherham, Yorkshire, England
Florence Rosser abt 1876 Rotherham Daughter No 123 Eastwood Lane, Rotherham, Yorkshire, England
Lilly Rosser abt 1880 Rotherham Daughter No 123 Eastwood Lane, Rotherham, Yorkshire, England
Alice A. Bale abt 1866 Bromley, Kent, England Step Daughter No 123 Eastwood Lane, Rotherham, Yorkshire, England
Fanny Maria Bale abt 1869 Bromley, Kent, England Servant Daughter No 123 Eastwood Lane, Rotherham, Yorkshire, England
Susanah E. Bale abt 1871 Chislehurst, Kent, England Servant Daughter No 123 Eastwood Lane, Rotherham, Yorkshire, England

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Hello fellow family hunters.
I have just come accross this great site and it has kept me busy now for hours and hours. lol
I am trying to find out if any of you guys have any information on my G G G G G Grandfather Thomas Rosser who was born in Coleway approx 1811. He is mentioned in the 1841 census as living in Lanes End in Colefield and being married to Sarah.
I am interested in any information on homas or his family and Coleway, which I had never heard of until now. After lookng at this site I am determined to find out a lot more about the place so any information would be accepted gratefully.

Thank you for reading this

Martin O'Neill

6587 views

Hi Martin and welcome to this great site and forum.

As you may well have found this site carries PRs for many Thomas Rossers, with four being born between 1809 and 1813 in the Coalway "area" for example !, so difficult to know which if any is yours.
Am I right in guessing you think he was born in Coalway from a Census form, or do you have more "accurate/reliable" info ?. Perhaps you have more family names ?.

Coleford is near the western edge of the Forest, towards the older places such as St Braivels & Monmouth at the Forest's edge on the River Wye. Pre 1800 or so the Forest's churches were all traditional ones dating from far earlier, they tended to be around the Forest's edge, at Littledean, Mitcheldean, Monmouth, Ruardean etc, as this was where the majority of the population were on the lower flatter farmland, not up in the "wild" Forest.
http://www.forest-of-dean.net/?About_the_Forest

This site contains many very usefull old maps of the FoD, suggest look at the one dated West 1787 to start
http://www.forest-of-dean.net/joomla/the-forest-of-dean/maps-of-the-forest

Coalway is nowadays within the extreme Eastern edge of Coleford, as is neighbouring Broadwell. I think it's named as it was literally on the "coal way" ie the route used to take coal out of the Forest's early mines to the Wye for shipment. Coalway itself had mines and quarries eg Bixlade and an early tramway, I think it was more "important" and definitely busier than the quiet "suburb" it seems now (my sister lives there). In early Census' Coalway is often referred to as Lane End, it was a mining hamlet on the road between nearby Coleford (smaller then) going east towards the centre of the Forest and the later bigger mines near Cannop/Speech House. This road then continues onto the "new" town of Cinderford before dropping off the wooded Forest plateau down to the ancient village of Littledean, which is on the eastern edge of the Forest and handy for the fertile lands adjoining the River Severn and it's ports at Westbury etc where the first "settlers" farmed since Domesday times.

This is THE reference to search for all things Dean history
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=23255&strquery=coalway

This site has several photos from Coleford area, including Broadwell which is the adjacent neighbour of Coalway and was also called Lane End in the past.
http://www.forest-of-dean.net/gallery/coleford/

The Genuki site is great for getting to know a town from a Victorian viewpoint, please explore it from this link.
http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/GLS/Coleford/index.html

Also worth reading are the old Trade Directories, there are several for Coleford area here (also look under West Dean district)
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cbennett/
The earliest for Coleford is from 1837, it shows a Thomas Rosser Stone Cutter, is he your man I wonder, perhaps at Bixlade nr Coalway ?. THAT SAID it is a VERY common name.

This site has some great old photos of the area and quarries.
http://www.forestprints.co.uk/coleford.htm

This great site (owned by prominent Dean author) includes some early Coleford mines etc
http://www.archive-images.co.uk/index.search.php?sid=6202&img=3

Here is an overhead photo of Bixlade area (now largely overgrown), look west to Coalway & Coleford.
http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/reserves/spion-kop-quarry

In case you're wondering Spion Kop was a famous Battle fought between the British Army and the Boers in South Africa, it's a very steep hill. Since then many references to the name have been made in late Victorian Britain, usually wrt steep slopes eg the "Kop End" at Anfield(Liverpool Football stadium, and others), or this Quarry, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Spion_Kop

Also see
http://www.coleford-online.co.uk/heritage/coleford-history-2/
http://www.royalforestofdean.info/forest-of-dean/coleford.shtml

I've emailed you more old photo references to Coalway area, sadly its almost 3am here and I must away, sorry.. hope this starts you off.

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Re Thomas b 1811, if you try the wondrous "Advanced search" function, this Marriage looks a good contender for Thos & Sarah, it was/is custom to wed at the bride's home parish church so not necessarily at Thomas's home at Coalway.
In those days as said earlier the only Churches were effectively around the edge, rather than inside, the Forest area. It's odd they would marry t'other side of the Forest and not the perhaps more likely choice of Newland or Bicknor, but ??.
That said, its possible the couple were trying to avoid their families, given the witnesses don't obviously appear to be family. However as said this PR is only a "possible" at the mo. Searching the witness' own background in the PRs or Census may help indicate whether this is your Thomas or not.

Record ID 8673
Entry Number 114
Year 1832
Month Apr
Day 12
Grooms Surname ROSSER
Grooms Forenames Thomas
Grooms Age
Groom Condition [not stated]
Grooms Occupation
Grooms Residence Hundred of St Briavels
Grooms Fathers Surname
Grooms Fathers Forenames
Grooms Fathers Occupation
Brides Surname HOWELL
Brides Forenames Sarah
Brides Age
Brides Condition [not stated]
Brides Occupation
Brides Residence Hundred of St Briavels
Brides Fathers Surname
Brides Fathers Forenames
Brides Fathers Occupation
Licence or Banns Banns
Date of Banns
Signature or Mark He signs she marks
Witness 1 A Cooper
Witness 2 Mary Cooper
Other Witnesses
Officiating Minister J A Harrison Officiating Minister
Event Marriage
Memoranda
Notes
Register Reference P110 IN 1/9
Page Number 38
Parish Chapel Littledean

Hope this helps to start with, atb Jeff.

6651 views

Also worth reading are the old Trade Directories, there are several for Coleford area here (also look under West Dean district)
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cbennett/
The earliest for Coleford is from 1837, it shows a Thomas Rosser Stone Cutter, is he your man or a son I wonder, perhaps at Bixlade nr Coalway ?. THAT SAID it is a VERY common name.

=============================

Re Thomas b 1811, if you try the wondrous "Advanced search" function, this Marriage looks a good contender for Thos & Sarah, it was/is custom to wed at the bride's home parish church so not necessarily at Thomas's home at Coalway.
In those days as said earlier the only Churches were effectively around the edge, rather than inside, the Forest area. It's odd they would marry t'other side of the Forest and not the perhaps more likely choice of Newland or Bicknor, but ??.
That said, its possible the couple were trying to avoid their families, given the witnesses don't obviously appear to be family. However as said this PR is only a "possible" at the mo. Searching the witness' own background in the PRs or Census may help indicate whether this is your Thomas or not.

Record ID 8673
Entry Number 114
Year 1832
Month Apr
Day 12
Grooms Surname ROSSER
Grooms Forenames Thomas
Grooms Age
Groom Condition [not stated]
Grooms Occupation
Grooms Residence Hundred of St Briavels
Grooms Fathers Surname
Grooms Fathers Forenames
Grooms Fathers Occupation
Brides Surname HOWELL
Brides Forenames Sarah
Brides Age
Brides Condition [not stated]
Brides Occupation
Brides Residence Hundred of St Briavels
Brides Fathers Surname
Brides Fathers Forenames
Brides Fathers Occupation
Licence or Banns Banns
Date of Banns
Signature or Mark He signs she marks
Witness 1 A Cooper
Witness 2 Mary Cooper
Other Witnesses
Officiating Minister J A Harrison Officiating Minister
Event Marriage
Memoranda
Notes
Register Reference P110 IN 1/9
Page Number 38
Parish Chapel Littledean

Hope this helps to start with, atb Jeff.

My suspicion of Thomas from Ellwood West Dean

Year: 1809
Month: Mar
Day: 5
Parents_Surname: ROSSER
Child_Forenames: Thomas
Fathers_Forenames: George
Mothers_Forenames: Elizabeth
Mothers_Surname:
Residence: Ellwood
Occupation:
Officiating_Minister:
Event: Baptism
Memoranda: at Breem Chapel
Notes:
Register_Reference: P227 IN 1/5
Page_Number: 40
Parish_Chapel: Newland

Year: 1835
Month: Aug
Day: 30
Parents_Surname: ROSSER
Child_Forenames: Thomas
Fathers_Forenames: Thomas
Mothers_Forenames: Sarah
Mothers_Surname:
Residence: Ellwood
Occupation: Stonecutter
Officiating_Minister: G. Ridout Vicar
Event: Baptism
Memoranda:
Notes: In this record a surname was not clear so the best guess was given
Register_Reference: 8811
Page_Number: 12
Parish_Chapel: Clearwell

Year: 1838
Month: Oct
Day: 14
Parents_Surname: ROSSER
Child_Forenames: George
Fathers_Forenames: Thos
Mothers_Forenames: Sarah
Mothers_Surname:
Residence: Coalway Lane End
Occupation: Stone-cutter
Officiating_Minister: W F Douglas Asst Curate
Event: Baptism
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P93 IN 1/5
Page_Number: 36
Parish_Chapel: Coleford

1841 Coleway Lane End
Thos Rosser abt 1811 Gloucestershire, England Newland, Gloucestershire
Sarah Rosser abt 1811 Gloucestershire, England Newland, Gloucestershire
Esaih Rosser abt 1833 Gloucestershire, England Newland, Gloucestershire
Thos Rosser abt 1836 Gloucestershire, England Newland, Gloucestershire
George Rosser abt 1839 Gloucestershire, England Newland, Gloucestershire

1851 Lane End
Thomas Roba abt 1809 West Dean, Gloucestershire, England Head Newland, Gloucestershire Stone Cutter
Sarah Roba abt 1810 West Dean, Gloucestershire, England Wife Newland, Gloucestershire
Sarah Roba abt 1833 West Dean, Gloucestershire, England Son Newland, Gloucestershire
Thomas Roba abt 1836 West Dean, Gloucestershire, England Son Newland, Gloucestershire
George Roba abt 1839 West Dean, Gloucestershire, England Son Newland, Gloucestershire
H Elen Roba abt 1842 West Dean, Gloucestershire, England Daughter Newland, Gloucestershire
Samuel Roba abt 1845 West Dean, Gloucestershire, England Son Newland, Gloucestershire
Lydia Roba abt 1849 West Dean, Gloucestershire, England Daughter Newland, Gloucestershire

1861
Thomas Rosser abt 1811 Lane End; West Dean, Gloucestershire, England Head Newland, Gloucestershire
Sarah Rosser abt 1810 Lane End; West Dean, Gloucestershire, England Wife Newland, Gloucestershire
Thomas Rosser abt 1836 West Dean, Gloucestershire, England Son Newland, Gloucestershire
George Rosser abt 1839 West Dean, Gloucestershire, England Son Newland, Gloucestershire
Helen Rosser abt 1842 Lane End; West Dean, Gloucestershire, England Daughter Newland, Gloucestershire
Samuel Rosser abt 1845 Lane End; West Dean, Gloucestershire, England Son Newland, Gloucestershire
Lydia Rosser abt 1850 Lane End; West Dean, Gloucestershire, England Daughter Newland, Gloucestershire

1871 Lane End
Thomas Rosser 62 West Dean
William Watkins 6

Name: Thomas Rosser
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1809
Date of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep 1873
Age at Death: 64
Registration district: Monmouth
Inferred County: Monmouthshire
Volume: 11a
Page: 14

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

6577 views

Thanks Slowhands :-)
May I ask why you particularly "plumped" for this 1809 Thomas baptism given the apparent choice available ?. Presumably it's given the Coalway locality and the possible mining/quarrying background ?. Or perhaps more likely, is it because you've worked back from the 1841 Census's which perhaps only show this particular Thomas in Coalway Lane End area rather than the other baptisms in the more general area ?, I'd very much appreciate your thinking please. [I did thoroiughly search my 1851 Glos Census cd without finding anyone, and on repeat without finding your Thomas Roba, will try again but ! ].
Finally, is there any evidence/intuition to support my suggestion Thomas b1809 did get married at Littledean, maybe the Coopers appear in the Census's as neighbours to the Ellwood Rossers ?

I do hope you can continue to enlighten me.

Finally please note I've just deleted my suggestion the Thomas Rosser in the Directory being "a son" of our man, as soon as I switched off the pc this mornig I realised this major chronological error.

Thanks again, Jeff.

PS Update, sorry, on opening your post I hadnt seen you've attached it to a prior thread which presumably answers the question ?. I did search for related prior threads without any obvious success, but admittedly not over thoroughly and certainly only searching "Coalway Rosser" instead of the key search word "Newland".

6545 views

Thanks Slowhands :-)
May I ask why you particularly "plumped" for this 1809 Thomas baptism given the apparent choice available ?. Presumably it's given the Coalway locality and the possible mining/quarrying background ?. Or perhaps more likely, is it because you've worked back from the 1841 Census's which perhaps only show this particular Thomas in Coalway Lane End area rather than the other baptisms in the more general area ?, I'd very much appreciate your thinking please. [I did thoroiughly search my 1851 Glos Census cd without finding anyone, and on repeat without finding your Thomas Roba, will try again but ! ].
Finally, is there any evidence/intuition to support my suggestion Thomas b1809 did get married at Littledean, maybe the Coopers appear in the Census's as neighbours to the Ellwood Rossers ?

I do hope you can continue to enlighten me.

He says he is from West Dean whereas Coalway might be more Newland/Coleford - but not conclusive

His death suggests he is born around 1809

Their is an Ellwood link with his second child

A feeling / intuition !

The marriage feels right given the ages of children in 1841 census

as I say a suspicion .....

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

6683 views

Well Guys, what can I say. A big thank you to you all. I just flicked on my PC after a long day in prison (as an employee not an inmate) and found these reams and reams of info. I have not looked at it all yet but I will surely make a start after I have eaten.
Not really sure I know where to start but I will take a delve through and see what I can find.
Again thanks for all this.
As soon as I know what I'm looking at I will post and keep you informed of what I have found.
What a great site!!!!
Regards

Martin

6468 views

Here's is 'your' ROSSER family tree website -

http://www.angelfire.com/az3/englishroots/index.html

This tree is back to George ROSSER & Mary SHAYL - 15 July 1695 Awre

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If you have access to Ancestry (and Public Members Trees) there are quite a number of couple Thomas ROSSER/Sarah HOWELLS, (parents Henry HOWELL, 1777-1855 & Susannah JONES - 1790-1851 (witnesses: A COOPER & Mary COOPER) whom he married 12 April 1832. Worth comparing people's various trees and information etc.

Parents (for Thomas) given as George ROSSER 1760-1822 - wife Elizabeth BARROW - 1770-1812 - (married 11 October 1791)

children

Elizabeth 1792-1800
George - 1794 ***
Eleanor - 1796 ***
Charles - 1798
Joseph - 1800 (Quarryman on later census, married Hannah SMITH - 12 July 1823, Littledean - witnesses A/Mary COOPER)
Elizabeth - 1803
Anne - 1809
Thomas - 1809

---

1851 Census, West Dean
Tufton Cottage

Ellen HILL - Widow - 55 - Laundress - born Newland
Caroline - 23 - Governefs (FOD records - baptism at Coleford 30 December 1827, Thomas (stonecutter)
Hannah - 20 - Dressmaker
George ROSSER, unmarried, brother - 57 - Tailor.

---- FOD records, Elinor ROSSER married Thomas HILL - 10 March 1825, Newland

1841 Census, Dean Forest, Ross, St Briavels

HILL

Elenore - 44
Caroline - 13
Hannah - 10
Thomas - 5

----

Trees goes back even further to 1515

----

Gloucestershirebdm

Children of Thomas ROSSER - and mother's maiden name HOWELL(S) - Forest of Dean, Coleford

George - 1838
Ellen - 1841
Samuel - 1844
Male - 1848
Lydia - 1849

-----

There is an old message on Gloucestershire Rootsweb (1999) - Coleford Millenium project - which has 1830 Directory of Coleford Tradesmen, Thomas ROSSER, stone-cutter.

http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/GLOUCESTER/1999-07/6931524869

Under Heading: Coleford Tradesmen 1830

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