The Bower & Collier Family History
Research by Colin Bower
What's New?
Summary
In 2012, there were developments in the following:
Family History
- Bower/Pitts Family and West Clandon
- Seabourne/Holbrook/Robson Family
- Collier Family and West Clandon
- Brecht/Brett One-Name Study
- Brecht/Somes Family
- the Big One! - Somes Family
Naval History
- the Sinking of the SS Britannia 1941
Local History
- Find the Lady!
Family History
Bower/Pitts Family
Pitts/Pinnion Family
A regular correspondent in Australia sent me the details of 2 burials in the Holborn/Drury Lane area of London:
St Giles in the Fields
Louisa Pitts of Great Wild Street
buried 31.10.1838 (age 44)
Benjamin James Pitts of Queen's Court, Holborn
buried 15.1.1839 (age 47)
(Benjamin was born James Benjamin Pitts)
I had previously visited St Giles' church:
Visit to London including St Giles ChurchFamily
I tried to find the bp of Loiusa Pitts nee Pinnion but found one potential entry only:
West Clandon, Surrey
Louisa Pinion bp 28.4.1793
(Parents William Pinion& Mary)
Pinion/Pinnion is a relatively uncommon name and if this is "our" Louisa, it would mean an unexpected link for the Bower/Pitts/Pinnion family with West Clandon that we know from my wife Chris' ancestors in the Peryer/Perrier and Smith families:
The Big One!- Peryer/Perrier Family
Seabourne/Holbrook/Robson Family
A distant relative sent me a charming photo of Ruth Elizabeth (Robson) Wright born 1873 - parents George and Ellen Maria (born Holbrook late Seabourne) Robson.She is holding my correspondent's grandmother:
Collier Family
A cousin of my wife Chis made contact. She gave us details of a branch of the family that was unknown to us and not included in Ted Collier's family tree:
She told us that there were still descendants of Walter James Collier living in Enfield.
James Benjamin Collier
A descendant of James Benjamin Collier made contact. His family tree stretches back via Silk Weavers named Collier to the Huguenots in France in 17th Century.
What would be wonderful is if "our" Colliers, who were also silk weavers, link up, as family legend has suggested.
Butt and Ben Cottages, West Clandon
A resident of West Clandon sent pictutres of the Butt and Ben Cootages as they are today. She was able to idntify which house:
- Martha Collier was sitting outside, and her grandson Len Collier was standing in front of, and
- Len, my wife Chris and our son Steve were standing outside
see previous photographs we have:
Brecht/Brett One-Name Study
Electoral Rolls 1901-1961
Ancestry recently published the electoral rolls for the London area and in the case of the Brecht family there was coverage over a period of 60 years 1901-1961.
There were entries for 8 London boroughs:
Maximum number of people named Brecht
Poplar...3
Limehouse 1
Woolwich...6
Greenwich...5
Bow & Bromley...2
Stepney...2
Lewisham...1
Baron's Court...2
The largest totals of people named Brecht was between 1939-1958 and the largest number in any one year was 11 in 1949 and 1950.
Brecht/Somes Family Tree
Mary Somes
Over the years, we have found some parts of the jigsaw that makes up the sad life of Mary Somes. We have not established the names of Mary's parents but a reasonable guess would be:
Mary Somes born circa 1783/4 bp (?) 4.8.1784 (21 days old) at St George in the East
(parents (?) William Somes, Waterman of Lime Yard & Elizabeth)
married Heinrich Brecht 10.7.1808 at St Mary's, Islington
buried 3.1.1819 (age 35) at Christ Church, Spitalfields
Tombstone in St George in the East
My cousin sent me an extraordinary photograph of a large tombstone with memorials to members of the Somes Family from the graveyard at St George in the East:
I have extracted a list of the entries on the tombstone and to make sense of the information, I obtained some entries in Parish Records and collated the information from the tombstone and Parish Records into a Timeline:
The Somes Family - Entries on Tombstone
Entry in the Parish Records of St Leonards, Shoreditch
In the Parish Records is the following unusual entry:
St Leonards, Shoreditch
Original Entries (see Note below)
Frances Iron b 25 or 28.12.1790 bp 27.3.1796
(Parents George & Mary Iron of New Inn Yard)
Robert Iron b 20.1.1793 bp 27.3.1796
(Parents George & Mary Iron of New Inn Yard)
Susanna Iron bp 27.3.1796
(Parents George & Mary Iron of New Inn Yard)
Note
Throughout this entry in the register the name Iron had been amended to Hiron and Sussanna to Hannah. Filed with the Register was a sworn deposition by George Hiron:
"Middlesex To Wit
George Hiron of Nichol Street in the Parish of St Matthew, Bethnal Green in the County of Middlesex and late of Shoreditch in the same County maketh oath and saith that he was present at the Baptism of his Daughter Hannah Hiron who was baptised in 1796 at the Parish Church of St Leonard, Shoreditch and this Deponent saith that his Daughter is by mistake registered as Susanna Iron whereby her true Chtistan name is Hannah and surname Hiron which name she has always borne.
Public Office, Worship Street
Justice of the Peace for the County of Middlesex
this 28th day of October 1825
Signed Wm Bennett"
Conclusions
After the change to the Parish Record at St Leonards, Shoreditch, Hannah Hiron was able to marry Francis Somes next month on 17.11.1825 using her actual name
Though I have not found a link to the above members of the Somes Family, if we can prove that Mary Somes is the daughter of a Waterman named Somes it would be worthwhile researching this family in greater detail.
Another Cousin in Western Australia
A second cousin in Western Australia made contact.
He is a descendant of Charles Brecht, brother of my grandfather Arthur Brecht.
The Big One! - Somes Family
Whilst typing up my records as part of the Big One! project, I went into Ancestry to check some of the London Parish Records and found an isolated entry:
Christ Church, Spitalfields
John Somes bp 5.10.1783 (21 days old)
(parents John Somes, Victualler of Fashion St & Elizabeth)
Unfortunately as yet I have not been able to trace John & Elizabeth’s marriage and whether they had any further children.
This entry may well explain why Heinrich Brecht married Mary Somes (born 1783/4) and moved to Fashion Strett, Spitalfields.
Naval History
Sinking of the SS Britannia 1941
Links to Other Websites
A correspondent made contact to tell me that his grandfather had been on the ill-fated SS Britannia and survived. His grandfather made the journey to South America. My correspondent drew my attention to some interesting websites:
www.australiansatwar.gov.au/stories/stories_war=W2_id=248.html
www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/objects/sIf-T5zlS8S7oxmHgLr5EQ
www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/mar/13/family-life-your-stories
www.benson-village.co.uk/gallery/1721571
Others on board the SS Britannia
A descendant of a sailor who died on the Britannia made contact. The sailor's name is on the Plymouth Naval Memorial.
I was very pleased that a descendant of Lt A H Rowlandson made contact as my father made reference to him in his story:
"…….I learnt later that Lieut. Rowlandson was picked up off a raft by the Cabo de Hornos a Spanish vessel, and he and a French Baroness who was a passenger, persuaded the captain to continue searching. On Saturday 29 March, we saw the Cabo de Hornos lit up (which was OK as Spain had stayed independent) and put up a flare that was spotted by a lookout. We rowed towards the ship, which in turn made for our original position!"
"……I have always been grateful to Commander S.Spurgeon R.A.N. (as he was then) who kept us motivated in our lifeboat, the Captain and crew of the Cabo de Hornos who searched for and looked after us and Lieut. A.H. Rowlandson R.N. (his rank in 1941) and the French Baroness Des Pres who persuaded the Captain to carry out the searches. I painted a picture of the Cabo de Hornos which still has pride of place in my hall."
Local History
Find the Lady!
I was advised of the launch of a new publication by the Milford-on-Sea Historical Society:
- Mrs Whitby's Locket by Barry Jolly.
The book tells the story of Captain John Whitby who married Mary Ann Theresa Symonds, the daughter of Captain John Symonds.
Captain Whitby served under Admiral Sir William Cornwallis and also Admiral Nelson. Mrs Whitby supervised the rebuilding of (and later inherited) Newlands at Milford for Cornwallis.
The Whitby's daughter Theresa married Frederick West thus providing the foundation for the famous Cornwallis-West family.
The Extraordinary Cornwallis-West Family
Annie Fluder
A descendant of Hay and Bess Morant made contact and sent a photo of Annie Fluder:
Annie married Charles Fluder and became the stepmother of Sybilla Fluder who married John Shrubb of Boldre Grange. Sybilla's sister was Elizabeth (Bess) Fluder who married Hay Morant of Ringwood Manor.
Isabel Dickinson
A correspondent advised me that Teresa (Whitby) West had an interest in the arts and knew the poet Walter Savage Landor. As a result she was introduced to and befriended actress Isabel Dickinson:
Isabel Dickinson and Teresa (Whitby) West
The St Barbe Family
Travelling to London, I spotted the following information in the waiting room at Brockenhurst Station:
Route& Branch Railways of the New Forest
- Lymington Branch Line ( from Brockenhurst to Lymington and the Isle of Wight ferry) - Beginnings
In 1856 a group of wealthy residents decided to form their own company and get permission from Parliament for a new scheme. Among those involved was George Foster St Barbe of the Lymington Bank, Alfred Mew the brewer, George Inman the ship builder, Edward Hines the magistrate and William Squire a shopowner from the Isle of Wight.
The scheme obtained Royal Ascent in 1856 and commenced in 1858.
Admiral Sartorius
The lady who kept the Victorian Calling Book - Mary (Fawcett) Murray met Admiral Sartorius' widow who lived at East Grove in Lymington.
A descendant of Admiral Sartorius made contact.
Colin Bower
31 October 2012
