Stanton Drew Churchyard

[Old Bristolian]

Hi

I certainly visited Stanton Drew last year, but only looked for & photographed my Rogers interests. I have checked for you on the Somerset Hundreds site & there are Cobbs there in the PR transcripts - a family headed by William (bur 16 Aug 1867 aged 69) & Jane (bur 31 Jan 1869 aged 75). Also other baptisms & burials. I suggest if you have any interests in Somerset to join the group (free of charge - just register ) and you will have access to a wide range of transcripts. I believe most of the records are on FreeReg as well

Regards

Steve

[happenstance]

Hello Steve

I’m sending this post to you because I have some information about Phoebe Isabella Rogers, known as Bella that you may well find fascinating.

Only yesterday I was photographing a broadsheet newspaper article concerning her. I had to shoot the article in several frames, then patch them together in Photoshop to make sure that the print would be legible in the final image. Once I’d completed this I was intrigued to find some information about the Stanton Drew churchyard, so looked it up in Google. The link took me directly to your enquiry about her. How weird is that? Hence my username: happenstance.

I’ve only registered on this forum because I feel I should share this information with you.

She was buried at 12.30pm on Tuesday 10th July 1888.
Family members present at the funeral were: Mr G Rogers (father), Mrs Sage (sister), Mr J Gait Rogers (brother), Alice Maud Rogers (sister), Mrs Branfield (sister), Mr Branfield (brother in law), Mrs Dillridge (sister), Mr Dillridge (brother in law), Mr and Mrs P Hillman (cousins) and Miss Bush (cousin).

The coffin - polished oak with brass fittings was carried by four cousins: William Rogers, Walter Bush, T Membery and Wallington.

Background info. Our families have come into contact before, some 120 years ago. A cousin of mine also died that night, 6th July 1888 trying to save Phoebe Isabella’s life. Another girl, Annie Watts also drowned that evening. It’s a long article (over 2 full-length columns) that contains eye witness accounts, statements from the inquest including one from the only survivor from the boat. It details the whole chain of events from the girls being picked up after work that evening (about 8pm) to the boat capsizing (about 10.15pm) on return from the George Inn at Bathampton, .... I pub I know very well.

Simon

[Old Bristolian]

Hi Simon

Its incredibly kind of you to have taken the trouble to contact me with the information you have - I assume you are a relative then,  of William Isaacs who drowned that night along with Phoebe & Annie Watts.

I did not know the full details (only having a summary of the Inquest from the Bristol Advertiser) until last summer, when I went to Bath Library & found micofilm of the Bath & Cheltenham Gazette for the 11th July & 18th July 1888, which gives, practically verbatim, the whole inquest as well as the details of the funeral you have mentioned. I guess that you have the same information - if not, please let me know as I have transcribed the full details & would be happy to share them with you. If your info comes from another source, could you let me know?

Phoebe Isabella was a step-sister of my g grandfather, Stephen Bumstead - he lived in Bristol and I was interested to see if he had attended the funeral, but he does not appear to be mentioned - it may be that the families were estranged, or simply that, in those days, he could not absent himself from work

Once again, thank you for all your trouble

Steve

[happenstance]

Hi Steve

The article was published in the Bath Chronicle, Thursday July 12th 1888. I understand that The Chronicle was a weekly paper at that time.

The background to me finding this article was that I recently visited an 88 year old cousin in Dover (recently discovered by me, although another cousin of mine, also 88, knew her but didn’t know where she fitted into the family tree) who has some very interesting material about my family, including a wonderful Victorian photo album that contains many photos of family members from the 1860s to 1900s, including one of Willie Isaacs. Anyway, within the bag containing the album was a newspaper clipping, cut out at the time I assume by my cousin’s grandmother, an aunt of Willie Isaacs.

As the article was slightly damaged, and there was a piece of correspondence below the article that I didn’t notice at the time I photographed the piece, I’d gone to the Bath library to try to find the original article from the The Bath Herald. The library didn’t have that article but had the one I refer to which had far more detail about the event. The Herald article was from three days after the event and dealt primarily with the recovery of Willie’s body.

You are right, William (Willie) Herbert Isaacs would have been my third cousin. William was one of eight children of Frederick George Isaacs, himself the eldest of fourteen children (ah... the days before tv). My great grandfather was the thirteenth child; the aunt referred to above, the fourteenth.

Simon

[Old Bristolian]

Hi Simon

It seems that we may have info from different sources (your Chronicle, my Gazette) - the Gazette devoted 8 columns (front page, typical Victorian broadsheet, over two issues) to the story & inquest. If you are interested, send me your email address via a PM & I'll send my transcript onto you - it won't make easy reading as the general verdict seemed to be that Willie, although demonstrating considerable bravery in his attempts to save Phoebe, was instrumental in causing the accident.

As a postscript to the story the Rogers family suffered further devastation in the following year - John Gait Rogers, Phoebe's brother, dying in his early thirties and George Rogers passing away too, all in the course of nine months.

Regards

Steve

[happenstance]

Hi Steve

I think I need to make three posts before I can send a PM, so this one should do it...
I was aware of George’s death soon after from one of your earlier posts.

It does appear that the Gazette devoted more ‘column inches’ to the article than The Chronicle. From the Chronicle article I am aware that the reason of the capsize was Willie suddenly standing from a kneeling position causing water to flood the rear of the boat.

I also noted that no member of the Isaacs family appeared to be at the funeral, or was listed in the article as sending a floral wreath.

It will make sense for you to send me the transcript from the articles you have, then if there is any more information in The Chronicle not covered, I can send you the relevant details.

I would imagine there won’t be considering the amount dedicated to the event in your sources.


Simon

[pussycat*]

Hi Steve

This is my very first post on RootsChat.  I've joined because I've been reading your posts regarding Stanton Drew Graveyard and in particular your reference to Phoebe Isabella Rogers.  I was over the moon to be able to pick up the pictures that were sent to you by Janet showing the gravestones and was then able to pick up yet more information for my family tree from them.  My great grandmother was Phoebe Ann Gait (Rogers) and her daughter Hannah Selina Rogers (Delbridge) was my great grandmother.    If there is any information that I can give you then please do not hesitate to ask.  I have a photograph of Hannah Selina should you require a copy. 

Regards

[happenstance]

Hello

Reading your post about Phoebe Isabella Rogers, it's interesting to note that the newspaper article from 1888 concerning her funeral must contain an error (details earlier in this chain of posts). Hannah Selina Rogers your great grandmother is referred to as Mrs Dellridge. I imagine from your post that it should have been Mrs Delbridge.

Simon

[happenstance]

Hello again...

Sorry, Hannah Selina was you grandmother, not you great grandmother

Simon