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"John Penrhyn governor of the workhouse was buried at St Oswald's Parish Church on 5th January 1788."

He would have been buried in the churchyard but almost all the stones were removed some years ago and placed in piles around the edge to allow for a Parish Hall to be built.

There is also a burial of an Elizabeth Penrhyn of Church Street(The street containing St Oswalds) on 18th July 1790.

I find it interesting that he died in 1788 as according to William Cathrall in his History of Oswestry, published in 1855, Oswestry's House of Industry was set up by a 1790 Act of Parliament and opened its doors on 28th April 1791. This was a massive building which was burnt down under suspicious circumstances in the 1980s.

There is a suggestion that Oswestry had a workhouse before that for some 30 inmates. I'll have a check with the Local History Society.

I have a copy of Isaac Watkins Oswestry published in 1920. In it is the following

"In the Reports of the Town Charities issued between 1815 & 1838, it is stated that in 1781, the surplus charity of £5 4s for bread for The Poor of Oswestry given under the Will, dated 1616, of Sir John Swinnerton, merchant tailor, Lord Mayor of London 1612 and son of Thomas Swinnerton of Oswestry, was realised to enable the town to purchase and repair certain premises adjoining the churchyard for the purpose of a workhouse. A vestry meeting on 9th Sept 1781, when it was ordered that Thomas Morris and John Edwards, churchwardens, shall contract for and purchase for £126, with money belonging to the parishioners commonly called the Poors money, the old school house adjoining the churchyard heretofore purchased by John Price, joiner, deceased in order that such messuages may be converted into a workhouse for the reception of poor parishioners."
"The purchase was duly made and 12 months later there is an entry regardingthe conduct of the workhouse."

Nov 3rd 1782 It was agreed that the sum of 1 shilling and 8 pence instead of 1s 6d be allowed William Winstanley per week for each person now in the workhouse.

Hi Nicola

Just managed today to get access to the locked burial ground of the Old Independent Chapel in Arthur Street. Not good news I'm afraid. About 20 or so years ago the gravestones were lifted apart from about 5 or six which have been laid flat next to the chapel. None of these were your relative. There is a metal sign with an enamel plaque attached giving names of some 44 headstones all from the right period. Some have the names of people but 17 are just listed as unidentified. I took a photo of this sign along with one of the burial ground and chapel. I also took one of the new Chapel called Christ Church built in the 1870s.

If they attended this Chapel they are likely to be in this burial ground as the Oswestry Cememetery did not open until the 1860s. Also there were many burials in Arthur Street in the 1850s

I have found another child baptised at the Chapel

Thomas, s of Thomas and Margaret(Hughes and afterwards M Mills) Evans, mercer and grocer, Oswestry born 15 march, baptised 12 April by John Whitridge, minister 1792 - 1826.

I also found that Shropshire Archives removed a document from Oswestry Library which was a petition of 3rd April 1849 to demand the Rev J Davies resign his pastorate at Old Chapel, Arthur Street immediately. It had 149 signatories and I would assume one would be your relative. If you want the pictures please PM me.

Hi Gadget

Thanks for the wedding info especially the Gamekeeper aspect. Until I started with the Gells I did not realise that rural people moved about so much as by 1890 two of Thomas's grandchildren are keepers on estates in Dover and Fareham, Hampshire.

I was in Welshpool library couple of weeks ago and checked all the Erbistock records again as they are on Find my Past. Didn't look at the marriage as didn't know where it was but will look next time.

Duff info regarding Forden as that is where his son died and I have a copy of the probate of his son Francis's will.

I do have Thomas in Erbistock in 1851 with Catherine and three children Daniel, Elizabeth and Frederick. Also I knew Catherine was a widow in 1861. Francis my gg grandfather married Mary Davies from Pulford in Wrexam, St Giles on 22 May 1852 and by 1861 he is a gamekeeper at Stockton, Welshpool.

Again the drift back to the Mont/Shrop border.

I will be a bit more open about the Gill spelling in future but even using this can't find death of Thomas which must have occurred in the 1860s

James

I am seeking help to continue the search for my GELL forebears. My g g g grandfather THOMAS GELL appears on the 1851 census and purports to have been born in Erbistock, Denbigh in about 1792 with his wife Catherine born in the same place in 1791.

 I visited the Erbistock records, and on consulting the records I found the baptisms of his 8 children recorded but no mention of either him or his wife Catherine or any sign of a local marriage.

He was a gamekeeper and he began or continued a long line of gamekeepers who worked on estates country wide but most seemed to eventually gravitate to the Shropshire/Montgomeryshire border area.

The children were Jane Bap 3/6/1821, Thomas Bap 12/1/1823, Francis Beech Bap 26/9/1824, John Bap 6/8/1826, Daniel Bap 3/8/1828, Mary Bap 7/11/1830, Elizabeth Bap 1/12/1833, Frederick Bap 24/4/1836.

I have followed each of these family members forward but I am stuck where to look for a marriage or birth of Thomas. This area is difficult as it is close to the point where Cheshire, Denbighshire and Shropshire meet not forgetting the detached part of Flintshire.