PRICE of Herefordshire

[Bosuns Call]

Hi Puffcat,

Thank you for the information. It's nice to see that much documentation for James and  a date for his death. At last there are signs of a paper trail for George. I didn't know that  George was also a "head" gardener.

I am really intrigued now about the lack of a marriage. It would have been about 1895 when George would have married Louisa (if they did marry) and in the 1901 census he was still listed as a gardener. Holding that position I would have thought his employer would have expected him to marry? As he's a gardener, a skilled job why did he find the need to lie about his age, especially if he were a head gardener able to delegate the more physically demanding jobs? More questions to think about. 

Best wishes,

Bosuns Call

[Puffcat]

Is there any chance either of them left Wills?

Regarding the Directories, you had to be a way up the pecking order in a Village to be listed in these.  So the Head Gardener for Mr Reavely was obviously 'someone'.

[Bosuns Call]

Hi Puffcat,

I've never really considered either of them leaving a will but perhaps George left one. Would the Hereford RO be the place to see if either left a will?

It does make more sense with James and George having been head gardeners and with George marrying Louisa Vale and her being the daughter of a farmer and shoemaker. That's why I find the lack of a marriage so puzzling, especially as you found the marriages of three of her sisters.

The marriage isn't listed in the FreeBMD. I just feel I'm missing something that's staring me right in the face. I know lizdb has mentioned the possibility of their being non conformist but the rest of their families seem to have remained C of E. I had given up on finding a marriage between George and Louisa. Perhaps they did marry after all?

Best wishes,

Bosuns Call

[Bosuns Call]

I haven't been on this site for a while so I thought I'd better update this thread! I'll break the info down into several posts.

In the spring I wrote a snail mail letter to Kinnersley Castle all about George Henry and James asking if they had any information or documents from this time concerning the Price family with the castle. Sadly I haven't so far received a reply.

Best wishes,

Bosuns Call

[Bosuns Call]

One breakthrough for me has been to find letters written to the Price family.

One correspondence is from a Phillip Budd to James Price. The letter was dated January 15th 1880. Phillip Budd informs his friend James that his son (who I take to be George Henry's brother Arthur) has died on Tuesday 13th January. He was to be buried quickly on Friday 16th January as his body was in a very bad state. Phillip Budd gave his address as M__th Wood. I was unable to decipher the middle part of the name. The evelope was franked on January 14th at Tenbury and on the reverse the evelope had been stamped at Shrewsbury and Hereford, both on January 15th.


A second letter I have was written on July 3rd 1877. It is a letter written from a John WALL to his sister Susannah (so that confirms that George Henry's dad James did marry Susannah Wall in Eardisland on August 12th 1835). John Wall alluded to the fact that in a previous correspondence Susannah had been enquiring the whereabouts of her son James (George Henry's brother James Thomas, which is why I assume the dead son from the previous letter to be Arthur even though this letter is prior to 1880) as she had not heard from him in many years. John Wall informed her that he had last had contact with James 4 years previously. James had last been heard of in the north of England and John Wall seemed to hint in the letter that James did not wish to be found or contacted but had broken all ties with the family and he did not expect to have contact with him again.

Also in this letter John Wall says that he saw James Price senior on June 8th in Leominster and Susannah was to tell George that John Wall would be at Huntington on July 18th where he would meet up with him. The address of John Wall was given as Rectory Farm, Pudleston. The envelope is franked for Shipley.

Best wishes,

Bosuns Call

[Bosuns Call]

I also have correspondence from a London solicitor addressed to James. They are transcribed as follows:

25 Haverstock Hill, London NW
April 30th 1888

Dear Sir,

I wrote to you on behalf of Mrs. Gill on the 20th instant to inquire if you were still living at the same address but she has not received any reply. If you will kindly send a line by return I shall be glad as Mrs. Gill has something further to communicate but before writing wishes to be sure that the letter will reach you.

I am Dear Sir
Yours faithfully
William Painter




25 Haverstock Hill, London NW
May 2nd 1888

Dear Sir,

Mrs. Gill was glad to receive Mr. Sargents letter on your behalf this morning as she was anxious to hear something from you before communicating the following news. She now desires me to tell you that Mr. Gill died on March 8th after having been very poorly for a long time and by his will has left you £100 free of legacy duty which sum Mrs. Gill as executrix is now prepared to pay. I enclose you a receipt for the money to be signed by you at the place where I have written your name in pencil, having done this if you will return it to me and say how you wish the money to be forwarded I will send it to you accordingly. If Mrs. Gill sent you a crossed cheque for the money you could pay it to your account in any Bank.

I am Dear Sir
Yours faithfully
William Painter




Best wishes,

Bosuns Call

[Bosuns Call]

I also have a family photo. I believe the young man seated to be my great grandfather George Henry as he's the absolute image of my granddad George James. I don't have any clue as to who the other boy is? If he were a brother that would confuse the situation further. George Henry is supposed to be the middle brother but even between James Thomas, George Henry and Arthur there is only a span of 4 years. If that is indeed George Henry with a brother he looks considerably more than 4 years older.

Best wishes,

Bosuns Call

[Bosuns Call]

As I haven't received a reply from Kinnersley Castle I sent them an email. It turns out they did send a reply but unfortunately it didn't reach me! The joys of Royal Mail!

Sadly all the old records have gone from Kinnersley Castle but some documents are held at Hereford RO so it looks like another visit there is needed.

It also seems that I'll need to check the marriage of my great great grandfather James Price to my great great grandmother Susannah Wall on the 12th August 1835 at Eardisland as on the IGI Susannah was baptised 14 April 1822!

Their first son Robert was baptised 17th October 1835 in Shobdon so Susannah must have either been heavily pregnant when she walked down the aisle in Eardisland or she was already an unmarried mother.

Susannah's father was I believe a Thomas Wall born in Staunton-On-Arrow. Using the IGI and looking for Susannah and her brother John Wall I found a Thomas and Elizabeth Wall as their parents with Thomas being baptised 18 March 1788. Thomas' parents were given as James and Anne Wall.

My third great grandfather, also James Price was married to Ann Wall in Staunton-On-Arrow 15th Jan 1799. Ann Wall was baptised 20th Jan 1774 in Staunton-On-Arrow. Anne's parents were given as James and Anne Wall. Possibly Thomas and Ann Wall are siblings? This would mean my great great grandparents James Price and Susannah Wall were also first cousins.

Best Wishes,

Bosuns Call