Richard STONE (bc 1804) Beaminster COMPLETED

[B.E.]

Jolly good! Just checking!

The 1841 Netherbury census has an Esther STONE, aged 69, living in Melplash with Samuel STONE, aged 70. I wonder if there's a typo in the Beaminster baptism transcription and father was Samuel all along?

Samuel STONE married Hester BUCKLER/BUCKLAND at Netherbury in 1799.

What do you think?

[Nickie Stone]

Alas, on Ancestry there is an actual copy of the baptism in handwriting and it definitely reads as

22 Sept 1802 Richard of Richard and Esther Stone of Netherbury.

I'm only just beginning to appreciate the number of people with the surname Stone in the area ....

Thanks for checking though, it's much appreciated.

Nickie

[Nickie Stone]

Hi

It looks like Richard has been found on the 1841 census living at Carter's Cottages, Melcombe Regis.  He is aged 35 years and occupation given as M S, is this male servant?

We have also found the burials for his mother, Hester in March 1867 at St Mary's, Beaminster aged 85 and his wife Elenor, March 1882 aged 73.  They are both buried in the same plot, number 62, and there is a headstone (according to FindMyPast).

As yet we haven't found Richard snr's death, but would he have been buried in the same grave as his wife and daughter in law?

Are the graves in relatively good condition and would the grave be easy to find?

Nickie

[B.E.]

I have to pop down to Beaminster Museum tonight on other business. I'll have a quick butchers at the paper MIs while I'm there.

I can't find the 1841 census record to which you refer on Melcombe Regis OPC, but there are literally dozens of MS and FS occupations. I'm sure you're right that he was a male servant. Family Search suggests there was also a 35-year-old Rd Stone in Bridport on Census Night 1841 - which is much closer to Beaminster. But I can't find him either!

[B.E.]

The headstone on Plot 62 reads:

Sacred to the memory of
HESTER STONE
who departed this life March 26 1867
aged 85 years

Also of RICHARD son of the above
who departed this life June 22nd 1875
aged 72 years

Also of ELENOR wife of the above
who departed this life March 26 1882
aged 73 years

"Having a desire to depart and to be with
Christ which is far better." Philippians 1 v 23

(No sign of the old man, I'm afraid - he's not listed as in Beaminster, but the headstone in the next plot is totally illegible)

[B.E.]

I've been down to the grave this morning and it's seriously weathered - some of the words are just about legible, but probably only because I know what they're meant to be!

Having rechecked against the registers, I'm not convinced that the transcription in the MI list is entirely accurate. For example:

• Hester appears to have died in 1857, not 1867 (though the Beaminster OPC transcription has her aged 35, not 85
• I suspect the Jun 22 date of death for Richard should actually be Jan 22

Further, I know you're adamant that Richard's father was also called Richard (because of the handwritten baptism record) but is it still possible that it was a mistake? Vicars weren't infallible! The reason I'm persisting is because of that 1799 marriage in Netherbury between Samuel Stone & Esther 'Buckland' (whom I now suspect might have actually been Esther Buglar, b. Beaminster 1772, and whose father was called Richard) and the 1841 census record showing Samuel & Esther Stone aged 70 & 69 respectively, in Melplash (Netherbury). By 1851 'Hester Hone' (I assume a further mistranscription) is living on her own in Melplash, aged 79, b. Beaminster. A Samuel Stone died somewhere in the Beaminster area in July 1850, according to Ancestry. And your John Samuel Stone must have had his middle name for a reason! (The first John Samuel Stone died in April 1850, aged 10.)

[Nickie Stone]

B.E.

Thank you so much for taking the time to look for the information for me last night night, it's much appreciated.

Nickie

[B.E.]

I thought readers might be interested to know that Nickie and I finally managed to sort this one out. The elusive Samuel STONE was one of the early burials at Melplash Church (the church was built 1846; he died 1850) but there's no sign of a headstone.

Speculation is rife as to why his wife wouldn't stump up for a decent headstone and was buried elsewhere a few years later, but I doubt we'll ever know!

[Nickie Stone]

Hi

As Hester (Esther) outlived her husband, it might be that after Samuel's death she went to live with her son and daughter in law in Beaminster instead of living on her own.  On the 1841 census they are listed as living together in Netherbury.

Nickie