Forest of Dean FHT Forum - Rebecca STEPHENS? 1818 -1901 Stonehouse

Rebecca STEPHENS? 1818 -1901 Stonehouse (reply)

Jim Thomas — Mon, 13 Mar 2017 18:06:28 +0000

it is possible that this could be Rebecca nee Fennell but does not explain why she left her daughter in the care of her mother Sarah.

I have seen some old pictures of her daughter Fanny in which she looks almost negroid. I know that within the family my gggrandfather who was Fanny's uncle married Caroline James and in the 1851 census had a visitor from the West Indies. A tenuous link I know. I've lost contact with the lady who posted her pictures and the pictures themselves after my computer crashed. On the parish record of her birth she appears as the daughter of Rebecca Fennell only.

Also the fact that a William appears on her marriage certificate may be that she only knew the name of her grandfather as her father although no sign of him is found after the birth of his penultimate child Mary in 1831. To confuse matters, on Sarah's death certificate she is described as the widow of Charles, so there were definitely a few faulty memories at work. I doubt if this problem can be resolved with any certainty.

Gloster boys in Bedford Prison 1851, William Fennell (reply)

Jefff — Thu, 04 Dec 2014 03:31:11 +0000

Discovered this website entry by chance, includes a little more detail about William, which I see was supplied by your good self, Jim !

http://vcp.e2bn.org/prisoners/prisoner_further_details.php?vcp_id=29988&gid=1

Fanny FENNELL 1840 Awre (reply)

Lived999 — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 19:04:24 +0000

Fanny is my Great Grandmother although I do not know which Rebecca was her mother I have a copy of the marriage certificate of George BAILEY and Fanny. You may be interested to know that on this it states that a William Fennell was her father. The rank or profession of William proved difficult for me to decipher, but it looks like Shipowner. I can supply a copy if anyone is interested. Terry Williams

Robert HAWKER 1823 Littledean (reply)

Powys,Amanda — Sat, 11 May 2013 18:49:25 +0000

It appears that although Robert HAWKER was one of the Gloster boys in Bedford goal
1851 census , his offence was committed in West Dean Gloucestershire and he was sentenced to 10 years for sheep stealing and transportation.
It seems that transportation at this time was not so possible as parts of Australia were reluctant to take more British convicts.
Robert Hawker was to serve in sentence at firdst in Bedford and then was transferred to Dartmoor as a long term prisoner.

Bedfordshire & Luton Archives and Records Service

Bedfordshire Gaol Register

Back To Search Results

Gaol Record Detail For: Robert Hawker

Record ID:

28094

Commital Year:

1850

Reference Doc:

BLARS QGV13/1

ID in Reference Doc:

Age:

Gender:

Male

Health:

Good

Occupation:

Haulier

Education:

Read Imperfectly

Form of Religion:

Church of England

Marital Status:

Single

Next of Kin:

Brother John. White's Hill, Nr Cinderford. Gloucester.

Offence:

Sheep stealing

Date Received:

12/12/1850

When Committed:

19/09/1850

Trial/Conviction Date:

15/10/1850

Trial Type:

Quarter Sessions

Place of Trial/Conviction:

Gloucester

Type of Gaol:

Bedford County Gaol

Sentence:

10 [years]

Separate Confinement:

Gloucester 2 months

Conduct:

Orderly

No. of Previous Convictions:

Previous Conviction Details:

Once tried for robbery, but acquitted.

How Disposed:

Removed to Dartmoor

Discharge Date:

26/12/1851

General Remarks on Prisoner:

C.2.12. May 25 6 months exemp August 25 3 months 1B. [letters] 10:2;51, 25:10:51.

William MERCY; Gloster boys in Bedford Prison 1851 (reply)

RalphCook — Wed, 08 May 2013 21:21:53 +0000

William Mercy married Mary Ann Powell b. 1825, d/o Samuel Powell & Molly Sparrow on 21 Oct 1839 - she was, based on her baptism details only 14 years old, he was a 19 year old blacksmith. In 1840 they had a daughter named Sarah Ann Mercy who was baptised in Drybrook in September of that year. The 1851 census has William a convict, a blacksmith born in Gloucestershire at Bedford prison. His wife meanwhile, in the same census is described as a "widow"!

William FENNELL 1786 of Stroud (reply)

James Cutell — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 18:29:01 +0000

Thanks for your prompt help, it is very much appreciated.

Rebecca STEPHENS? 1818 -1901 Stonehouse (reply)

slowhands — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 14:00:31 +0000

Does anyone know for certain which Rebecca was the mother of Fanny who appears in 1851 as the granddaughter of Sarah Fennell(Meredith)and subsequently married George Bailey

[long shot]
I wonder if this is Rebecca Fennell married and living in London ?

Name: Rebecca Offer
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1818
Date of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep 1901
Age at Death: 83
Registration district: Lambeth
Inferred County: London
Volume: 1d
Page: 209

1901
William Davies abt 1869 Lambeth, London, England Head Lambeth, London
Amelia Davies abt 1873 Chelsea, London, England Wife Lambeth, London
William Davies abt 1892 Lambeth, London, England Son Lambeth, London
Ada Davies abt 1893 Lambeth, London, England Daughter Lambeth, London
Albert Davies abt 1895 Lambeth, London, England Son Lambeth, London
Matilda Davies abt 1897 Lambeth, London, England Daughter Lambeth, London
Rebecca Offer abt 1819 Stonehouse, Gloucestershire, England Grand M In Law Lambeth, London
Emma Grove abt 1852 Lambeth, London, England Mother-in-law Lambeth, London
Albert Grove abt 1878 Lambeth, London, England Brother-in-law Lambeth, London

1891
Rebecca Offer abt 1819 Gloucestershire, England Head Lambeth, London
Emma Groos abt 1851 Lambeth Daughter Lambeth, London
Amelia Woodley abt 1855 Lambeth Daughter Lambeth, London
Amelia Grove abt 1873 Lambeth Granddaughter Lambeth, London
Edmund Grove abt 1875 Chelsea Grandson Lambeth, London
Albert Grove abt 1878 Lambeth Grandson Lambeth, London
Richard Woodley abt 1853 Lambeth Son-in-law Lambeth, London

1881
Rebecca Offer abt 1819 Gloucestershire, England Head Lambeth, London

1871
Rebecca Offer 52 Glo
Emma Offer 29 1842 Lambeth
Thomas Offer 18 LAMBETH
Amelia Offer 16 - 1855 Lambeth

1861
Walker Offer abt 1825 Stroud, Gloucestershire, England Head Lambeth St Mary, Surrey
Rebecca Offer abt 1826 Stroud, Gloucestershire, England Wife Lambeth St Mary, Surrey
Emma Offer Wabt 1848 Stroud, Gloucestershire, England Daughter Lambeth St Mary, Surrey
Thomas Offer abt 1850 Stroud, Gloucestershire, England Son Lambeth St Mary, Surrey
Amelia Offer abt 1852 Stroud, Gloucestershire, England Daughter Lambeth St Mary, Surrey
James Offer abt 1859 Nova Scotia, Halifax Son Lambeth St Mary, Surrey

Name: Amelia Offer
Date of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar 1855
Registration district: Lambeth
Inferred County: London
Volume: 1d
Page: 253

Possible marriage

Name ;Walter Offer
Name: Rebecca Stephens
Date of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec 1841
Registration district: Stroud
Inferred County: Gloucestershire
Volume Number: 11
Page Number: 615

1841 Vicarage Stonehouse
Rebecca Stephens abt 1821 Gloucestershire, England Stonehouse, Gloucestershire
Walter Offer abt 1821 Stonehouse, Gloucestershire Wooldyer
Thomas Offer abt 1776 Stonehouse, Gloucestershire
Harriett Offer abt 1781 Stonehouse, Gloucestershire

Fanny FENNELL 1840 Awre (reply)

slowhands — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 13:18:03 +0000

Does anyone know for certain which Rebecca was the mother of Fanny who appears in 1851 as the granddaughter of Sarah Fennell(Meredith)and subsequently married George Bailey

Year 1840
Month Aug
Day 9
Parents Surname FENNELL
Child Forenames Fanny
Fathers Forenames [not stated]
Mothers Forenames Rebecca
Mothers Surname
Residence Awre
Occupation [not stated]
Officiating Minister J. H. Malpas Vicar
Event Baptism
Memoranda Daughter of
Notes
Register Reference P30 IN 1/2
Page Number 41
Parish Chapel Awre

1841
Sarah Fennell abt 1796 Gloucestershire, England Awre, Gloucestershire
John Fennell abt 1829 Gloucestershire, England Awre, Gloucestershire
George Fennell abt 1832 Gloucestershire, England Awre, Gloucestershire
Fanny Fennell abt 1840 Gloucestershire, England Awre, Gloucestershire
Thomas Newell abt 1761 Gloucestershire, England Awre, Gloucestershire

1851 Awre Rd nr Walnut Cottage
Sarah Fermell abt 1796 Stonehouse, Gloucestershire, England Head Awre, Gloucestershire
Fanny Fermell abt 1841 Awre, Gloucestershire, England Grandchild Awre, Gloucestershire

1861
William Sibley abt 1826 Gloucestershire, England Head Gloucester St Nicholas, Gloucestershire
Hannah Sibley abt 1822 Gloucestershire, England Wife Gloucester St Nicholas, Gloucestershire
Annie Besser Sibley abt 1853 Gloucestershire, England Daughter Gloucester St Nicholas, Gloucestershire
Sarah Ellen Sibley abt 1854 Gloucestershire, England Daughter Gloucester St Nicholas, Gloucestershire
Esau Ralph Sibley abt 1857 Gloucestershire, England Son Gloucester St Nicholas, Gloucestershire
Fany Fennell abt 1841 Gloucestershire, England Visitor Gloucester St Nicholas, Gloucestershire

William FENNELL 1786 of Stroud (reply)

m p griffiths — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 13:02:47 +0000

Looking at Gloucestershire Marriage CD

William FENNELL married Sarah MEREDITH - 29 July 1817 - at Eastington.

Gloucestershire Baptism CD - 1813 - 1837

Eastinghouse (Stonehouse) St Michaels and all Angels

Children of William (labourer) and Sarah

Rebecca - 24 May 1818
Charles - 16 August 1819
Anna Maria - 24 September 1820
William - 28 August 1822

a couple of other FENNEL/FENNELL births - but not William and Sarah's

William FENNELL 1786 of Stroud (reply)

James Cutell — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 12:57:36 +0000

William Fennell was born in Stroud (1786) and Married a Sarah Meredith (1793) of Stonehouse c1817.

The family moved from Stroud after the birth of their fourth child Charles 1822. Their eldest child William is the one who appears in the forum for being transported to Australia

Subsequently six more children were born and christened in Awre. A child Fanny born in 1840 in Awre was the illegitimate daughter of Rebecca Fennell who I have assumed is the eldest daughter c1818.

My queries are: Whether anyone has access to parish records of Eastington where I can trace the marriage and christenings of the younger children which occurred between 1817 and 1822

Does anyone know for certain which Rebecca was the mother of Fanny who appears in 1851 as the granddaughter of Sarah Fennell(Meredith)and subsequently married George Bailey

Gloster boys in Bedford Prison 1851 (reply)

jim thomas — Wed, 28 May 2008 22:50:52 +0000

William Fennell was my gggfather's brother, can you share info?

Gloster boys in Bedford Prison 1851 (reply)

shepway — Wed, 28 May 2008 06:44:28 +0000

William MERCY and William FENNELL were jointly charged and convicted and I helped research the families a few years ago following contact with a descendant of William MERCY who was a lady living in Cardiff. During the course of this research I made contact with 2 sisters who were descendants of William FENNELL. One was living near Perth WA (Dave Watkins note!) and the other in the USA. Subsequently I met all three for lunch at a Hostelry about a mile from Junction 13 of the M5.

Cheers
Mike

Gloster boys in Bedford Prison 1851 (reply)

ChrisW — Wed, 28 May 2008 04:36:44 +0000

The Cad!!

Gloster boys in Bedford Prison 1851 (reply)

jim thomas — Wed, 28 May 2008 04:03:36 +0000

William Fennell was a naughty boy while in FOD. He stole some gold watches and was sentenced to 1 year in Bedford gaol and then transported to Australia where he started a new life marrying a young girl, having left his wife and son back in FOD.

Jim

Gloster boys in Bedford Prison 1851 (reply)

unknown — Sun, 11 May 2008 11:29:42 +0000

Now you mention it,there are several traces of gravel pits (i.e. deep, blue-green ponds) round our way and there's still a fuller's earth quarry down the road, so I suppose the landscape could well have been much more industrial then than it is now.

And, as you say, people have always travelled in search of work. This myth of everybody staying where their parents and grandparents lived really never was anything more than a myth.

Sian.

Gloster boys in Bedford Prison 1851 (reply)

slowhands — Sun, 11 May 2008 11:03:51 +0000

I remember Brick pits and kilns in Bedfordshire, and quarrying around Leighton Buzzard.

I guess besides the clay there is some Sandstone and Limestone and chalk and flint to be extracted....

and then there are the Cotswold ag.labs who may have wandered east :-)

work is work to a Gloster boy !

Gloster boys in Bedford Prison 1851 (reply)

unknown — Sun, 11 May 2008 10:51:55 +0000

What a lot of men from the area had made it all the way over here to Bedfordshire. Presumably there used to be either mining or other heavy industry round here to have brought them here in the first place...and then things didn't work out quite as hoped!

Sian
in very hot Bedfordshire.

Gloster boys in Bedford Prison 1851 (reply)

slowhands — Sat, 10 May 2008 10:40:14 +0000

William Fennell abt 1823 Newham, Gloucestershire, England Convict Bedford St Paul, Bedfordshire
Robert Hawken abt 1824 Little Dean, Gloucestershire, England Convict Bedford St Paul, Bedfordshire
Henry Jones abt 1825 Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England Convict Bedford St Paul, Bedfordshire
John Thomas abt 1831 Wesburyon Svgin, Gloucestershire, England Convict Bedford St Paul, Bedfordshire
Stephen Gardiner abt 1811 Hedgeworth, Gloucestershire, England Convict Bedford St Paul, Bedfordshire
Aaron Gough abt 1833 Thornby, Gloucestershire, England Convict Bedford St Paul, Bedfordshire
William Mercy abt 1821 Gloucestershire, England Convict Bedford St Paul, Bedfordshire
Samuel Mirt abt 1829 Pamswick, Gloucestershire, England Convict Bedford St Paul, Bedfordshire
Charles Pilsworth abt 1811 Marchin Hampton, Gloucestershire, England Convict Bedford St Paul, Bedfordshire
Joseph Probert abt 1830 Beckery, Gloucestershire, England Convict Bedford St Paul, Bedfordshire

Henry JONES 1823 Coleford (reply)

slowhands — Sat, 10 May 2008 10:30:42 +0000

Year: 1823
Month: Dec
Day: 28
Parents Surname: JONES
Child Forenames: Henry
Father's Forenames: James
Mother's Forenames: Anne
Mother's Surname:
Place of Residence: Col[e]ford
Occupation: Stonecutter
Officiating Minister: Henry Poole Minister
Event type: Baptism
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register Reference: P93 IN 1/4
Page No: 56
Parish_Chapel: Coleford

1841 Coalway
Name: Henry Jones
Age: 17
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1824
Gender: Male
Where born: Gloucestershire, England
Civil Parish: Newland
Hundred: St Briavells

s/o James (Stone Cutter) and Ann

Robert HAWKER 1823 Littledean (reply)

slowhands — Sat, 10 May 2008 10:22:45 +0000

Year: 1823
Month: Nov
Day: 29
Parents Surname: HAWKER
Child Forenames: Robert
Father's Forenames: Philip
Mother's Forenames: Dinah
Mother's Surname:
Place of Residence: Hundred of St Briavell
Occupation: Yeoman
Officiating Minister: T R Garnsey Curate
Event type: Baptism
Memoranda:
Notes: See also Entry 360.No note to say whether these two births were twins or if one was born at an earlier date and now being Christened
Register Reference: P110 IN 1/5
Page No: 46
Parish_Chapel: Littledean

1851
Robert Hawken abt 1824 Little Dean, Gloucestershire, England Convict Bedford St Paul, Bedfordshire