The Bower & Collier Family History

Research by Colin Bower

Jones Family

Progress To Date

Great Grandparent: Martha Hannah Jones
- Her Parents: John & Elizabeth Jones
- Her Grandparents: David Jones

Mini Family Tree (Direct Ancestors)

The family tree to date may be summarised:

Jones Family

David Jones b c 1790
Married c 1810

John Jones b c 1810/1
Married 12/4/1841
Elizabeth Counter b 1815

Children:
Elizabeth Jones b 1842/3
Martha Hannah Jones b 1844/5
John Richard Jones b 23.6.1947

Martha Hannah Jones b c 1844/5
d 15.5.1889 (age 40?)
Married 13.08.1864 (age 20)
George Christopher Bower b c 1841/2
d 15.03.1877 (age 35)

William Bower b 23.10.1867
Married 6.06.1897
Charlotte Hayes b 15.08.1876

Frederick Bower b 12.09.1910
d 10.9.2006
Married 11.07.1936
Doris Ivy Brecht b 15.03.1912
d 29.6.2003

Colin Malcolm Bower b 12.01.1944
Married 15.10.1966
Christine Elizabeth Collier b 26.03.1946

Link to Family Tree

 

Martha Hannah Bower (formerly Jones) & Descendants

Summary of Research To Date

Surprisingly good progress has been made with this difficult name particularly when I found a John Jones in the 1851 and 1861 Censuses!

I have found the birth of John Richard Jones but not Martha Hannah Jones as yet.

Birth Marriage & Death Certificates Held
- Births: 1 + 3 Unwanted
- Marriages: 3
- Deaths: 1

Certificates held-Martha Hannah Bower (formerly Jones)

Census Records Obtained
- 1841 (?) John & Elizabeth Jones
- 1851 John Jones Widower & family
- 1861 John Jones Widower & family
- 1871 Martha (Jones) Bower and brother John R Jones
- 1881 Martha (Bower) Hennenn
John R & Matilda Jones & family
- 1891 John R & Matilda Jones & family
- 1901 John R & Matilda Jones & family
- 1911 John Richard Jones, Widower

Census Records Held

Other Research Undertaken
- IGI - nil
- Parish Records - nil
- Wills
- Businesses - nil
- Correspondence
- Visits - nil
- Photographs
- Misc Info/Documents

Progress 2004

I obtained the 1889 death certificate of Martha Hannah Hennen (formerly Bower born Jones) who after the death of George Christopher Bower married Frederick Hennen.

Progress 2005

-

Progress 2006

Exraordinarily, I traced the family in the 1851 and 1861 Censuses to learn that John Jones (Senior), Widower was born in Yorkshire.

Progress 2007

Finding John Richard Jones' name in the 1861 Census meant I could get:

- his birth certificate to get his mother's maiden name (Elizabeth Counter) for the first time.
- John Jones' marriage certificate giving his father as David Jones, School Master

Progress 2008

-

Progress 2009

Entries in the 1881, 1891, 1901 and 1911 Censuses were added.

Progress 2010

I included the Jones family in the project: The Big One!

The Big One - Family History Research Report - Jones Family

In writing up the Big One! research report for the Jones/Counter Family, I traced the birth and baptism of Elizabeth Counter and a potential entry in the 1841 Census for John & Elizabeth (Counter) Jones.

Progress 2011/15

-

Progress 2016

Some while ago I spotted a family tree via Ancestry. It gave the names of John Jones' mother (Martha Spence), his grandparents and great grandparents! I have accepted that this information is true.

If it is, it takes our tree back to David Jones a Lead Miner born in 1723, married in Marrick, North Yorkshire and died there in 1800 (age 77).

Marrick is near Reeth, which was the main centre of the Swaledale lead mining industry.

I also found an entry in the 1841 Census for John and Elizabeth Jones.

Progess 2017-2019

-

Progress 2020

I hold a certificate for the marriage of:

John Jones (Father David Jones, School Master)
married 12.4.1841
Elizabeth Counter (Father Richard Counter, Excise Officer)
at St Matthew's, Bethnal Green

I did find out a little more on Ancestry:

1. Elizabeth Counter born 10.11.1815
bp 8.12.1815 at St Matthew, Bethnal Green
(Parents Richard Counter, Excise Officer& Elizabeth of Collingwood Street)

2. Richard Counter (1783-1855)
married 29.3.1804
Elizabeth Jones
at Old Church, St Pancras

3. A Richard Counter lived at 58 Clark Street, Mile End Old Town from 1833 for some years, per the Electoral Roll 1832-1965

I updated the individual records including Elizabeth Jones:

Elizabeth Jones

Progress 2021

I had previously found out that an ancestor in the Jones Family was a lead miner in Swaledale.

I was lucky enough to find a map of Swaledale in a local charity shop. It shows places where the family lived, e.g. Reeth, Grinton and Marrick:

I had noticed some errors which reminded me to go back to the Family Trees submitted to Ancestry by other people.

At the end of 2021, I started to put information into an Appendix:

Appendix

Census 1841

One of the benefits is that I found brothers John and David Jones, Brokers living together in London. This was before John Jones married Elizabeth Counter later in 1841:

1841 Census

Wellington Place, Mile End Old Town, Stepney

John Jones (25) Broker (not born in Middlsex)
- he married Elizbeth Counter later in the year
David Jones (30) Brother Broker (not born in Middlesex)
Hannah Jones (30) David's Wife
Martha Jones (3)
David Jones (2)
Thomas Jones (9 months)

Bp of Martha Hannah Jones

At long last, I found the christening of Martha Hannah Jones but not the registration of her birth.

St Dunstan's, Stepney

Martha Anne Jones (should be Martha Hannah) bp 21.7.1844
(Parents John Jones, Labourer of Mile End Old Town and Elizabeth)

John Jones' mother Martha (Spence) Jones and his sister Isabella were still living in Reeth in 1841:

1841 Census

Reeth, Grinton, Yorkshire

Martha Jones (age 70) born in County - Yes
Isabella Jones (age 25) ditto
Mary Jones (age 2 months) ditto

(Isabella, Charwoman (age 37) and Mary (age 7) were still living in Low Street, Reeth in 1851)

Progress 2022

At the turn of the year and into the New Year, I completed an Appendix of information about the family, when they lived in the lead-mining area in Swaledale, North Yorkshire:

Jones Family Appendix

Things we wish we knew

Colin Bower
10 February 2022

Links to:
Jones Family - Main Links
Family History - Main Index

 
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