POTTER- BRIDGWATER-1885 ONWARDS

[zebedee]

Does anyone have any information about the Potters of Bridgwater? They lived in North Street, Bridgwater in 1901. There were 10 children. Thankyou.

[AngelaR]

Hi Zebedee

The only Potters I've found so far in North Street in 1901 were Charles & Rosanna and their family. Are these the right ones?

If they are, I've found census information from Charles's birth to 1901 and will post any or all of it 

My query comes from the fact that I can only find 6 children 

Regards

Angela

[zebedee]

Hi,
Yes, Charles and Rosanna are the right ones and I would be really grateful for any info you have on them. Many thanks for your time and effort. \it is much appreciated.

[AngelaR]

Hi Zebedee!

I assume you already have the 1901 census from your first posting, when the family were at no 28, North Street,  so here is the family in 1891 -

Reference - RG12 1884 Folio 21 Page 36
Address - 12 North Street, Bridgewater
Details -

Charles Potter - Head - Mar - 31 - Police constable - born Creech St Michael, Somerset
Rosanna Potter - Wife - Mar - 33 - - born N Petherton, Somerset
Minnie Potter - Dau - - 10 - Scholar - born Thurloxton, Somerset
William Potter - Son - - 6 - Scholar - born Bridgewater, Somerset
Herbert Potter - Son - - 4 - Scholar - born Bridgewater, Somerset
Rosanna Potter - Dau - - 2 - - born Bridgewater, Somerset
Charles Potter - Son - - 4 months - - born Bridgewater, Somerset
William Vickery - Lodger - Single - 18  - Baker's Assistant - Bateaston, Somerset

And in 1881 -

Reference - RG11 2372 Folio 114 Page 8
Address - The Village, Thurloxton, Somerset
Details -

Charles Potter - Head - Mar - 21 - Ag Labourer - born Creech St Michael, Somerset
Rosanna Potter - Wife - Mar - 23 - - born North Petherton, Somerset
Minnie F Potter - Dau - - 10 months - - born Thurloxton, Somerset

And Charles with his family of origin in 1871 -

Reference - RG10 2368 Folio 100 Page 20
Address - Adsborough, Creech St Michael, Somerset
Details -

William Potter - Head - Mar - 66 - Farm labourer - born Thurloxton, Somerset
Anne Potter - Wife - Mar - 57 - - born Thurloxton, Somerset
Jane Potter - Dau - Unm - 39 - Servant Domestic - born North Petherton, Somerset
Mary A Potter- Dau - Unm - 19 - Servant Domestic - born Creech St Michael, Somerset Age corrected - mistyped the first time  
Charles W Potter - Son - - 11 - Scholar - born Creech St Michael, Somerset
Caroline Thorne - Niece - - 9 - Scholar - born Thurloxton, Somerset
John Rugg - Visitor - Unm - 21 - Carpenter - Bridgewater, Somerset
James Palmer - Visitor - Unm - 22 - Carpenter - Stoke Sub Hambden, Somerset


And again in 1861

Reference - RG9 1615 Folio 13 Page 20 and Folio 14 Page 21
Address - Coombe, Creech St Michael, Somerset
Details -

William Potter - Head - Mar - 56 - - born Thurloxton, Somerset
Ann Potter - Wife - Mar - 44 - - born Thurloxton, Somerset
Mary Ann - Dau - - 9 - - born Creech St Michael, Somerset
Charles - Son - - 1 - - born Creech St Michael, Somerset


Given the huge ( and varying!) gap in age between William and Ann, I wouldn't mind betting that this is a second marriage ....

If you would like, I can look for William and his family in 1851 and 1841. Also, there is a promising looking marriage on FreeBMD in June quarter of 1879, Bridgewater district, ref 5c 578. There is a Rosanna Western in the same reference so it's a pretty safe bet that this is them.

Hope this helps

Angela

[zebedee]

Thanks Angela..lots more info here. Yes please..would love you to go back to find William's family. It sounds as if Rosanna Western was his wife. Many thanks

[AngelaR]

Hi Zebedee,

Here is the only candidate I can find for Rosanna Western (looks like sometimes they ran the name together and sometimes it was separate - Rose Anna)

In 1871 -

Ref RG10 2382 Folio 40 Page 12
AddressRydon, North Petherton, Somerset
Details

Isaac Western - Head - Mar - 54 - Lab - Born Somerset, Dunston
Sarah Western - Wife - Mar - 46 - -Born Somerset, North Petherton
Emma Western - Dau - - 19- - Born Somerset, North Petherton
Rose A. Western - Dau - - 12 - Scholar - Born Somerset, North Petherton

In 1861 -

Ref RG9 1622 Folio 86 Page 12
AddressRydon, North Petherton, Somerset
Details
Isaac Western - Head - Mar - 44 -Ag  Lab - Born Somerset, North Petherton
Sarah Western - Wife - Mar - 33 - -Born Somerset, North Petherton
Sophia Western - Dau - - 10- - Born Somerset, North Petherton
R. Western - Son- - 7 - - Born Somerset, North Petherton
R. Western - Dau - - 2 - - Born Somerset, North Petherton
H.E. Western - Dau - - 10 months - - Born Somerset, North Petherton

(Looks like the enumerator couldn't be bothered to fill the form in properly, the whole page is like this - only adults have full names!)

Here is William Potter in 1851 - I know the ages look at a bit odd, but he's the only remotely likely candidate!

Ref HO 107 1924 Folio 237 Page 7
AddressThe Village, Thurloxton, Somerset
Details
William Potter - Head - Mar - 40 - Agricultural Labourer - Somerset, Thurloxton
Ann Potter - Wife - Mar - 33 - - Somerset, North Petherton
Jane Potter - Dau - - 10 - - Somerset, North Petherton
Robert Potter - Son - 4 - - Somerset, Thurloxton

And Isaac Western in 1851 -

Ref HO107 1824 Folio 316 Page 20
AddressHedging, North Petherton, Somerset
Details
Isaac Western - Head - Mar - 30 -Ag  Lab - Born Somerset, Durston
S Western - Wife - Mar - 33 - -Born Somerset, North Petherton
J. Western - Dau- - 8 - - Born Somerset, North Petherton
I. Western - Son - - 6 - Scholar - Born Somerset, North Petherton
S. Western - Dau - - 3 - - Born Somerset, North Petherton

William Potter in 1841

Ref HO107 953/9 59 Page 2
AddressThurstone (?)North Petherton, Somerset
Details

William Potter - Male - 30 - Ag Lab
Anne Potter - Female- 24- Ag Lab
Jane Potter - Female - 7 months

All shown as born in the county

I couldn't find Isaac Western in North Petherton in 1841, but some of it was quite difficult to read. Someone else may have better luck!

Hope all this helps move things forward a bit for you.

Best of luck

Angela

[zebedee]

Hi Angela,
I am just going to pick your brains again! Have been looking at all the census info you have sent me and have a few queries that you may be able to shed some light on..maybe I have just missed something important that is confusing me!
This is to do with the WESTERN family.

1851-S.WESTERN-daughter-3 (born approx.1848)
1861-SOPHIA WESTERN-daughter-10(born approx.1851)

Do you think these two are the same?

1871-EMMA WESTERN-daughter-19 (born approx.1852)
There is no mention of an EMMA or and E.WESTERN in 1861 census when she would have been 9?

I am sure this is the correct family and that ROSANNA married my Great grandfather, CHARLES POTTER. The only seed of doubt in my mind is that none of Rosanna's children were named after her parents ISSAC and SARAH WESTERN, as is usually the case. What do you think?
Any help much appreciated!

Many thanks once again,

[AngelaR]

Hi Zebedee

If you have a look on FreeBMD and search for births in the Bridgewater district for the surname Western, you'll come up with a set that looks exceedingly like Isaac and Sarah's brood 

They look like they were the only Westerns having children in the entire area at that time - makes things easier!

Amongst others, there's an Isaac, born 1847, which presumably is the I Western in the 1851 census. The other dates match fairly well. There's also a Sarah Charlotte born in 1859, but she may have died. There's no mention of her death in FreeBMD, but then it's not complete - particularly around 1860 where the original indexes are very hard to read and presumably to transcribe!

Of particular interest is Roseanna, whose birth is registered at Bridgewater in the September quarter of 1858 (ref 5c/432) 

As to the names confusion - I think the enumerator was pretty casual, especially as he couldn't be bothered to give anything other than initials! It seems the same enumerator was used in 1851 and 1861. Pity the 1841 person didn't continue as they were quite meticulous and the writing is brilliant!

Having said that, it's pretty clear from FreeBMD that Sophia was indeed 3 in 1851.  I suspect that the enumerator in 1861 started to write Sophia from his rough notes then missed a line and put in Emma's details. There's certainly no trace of Emma or Sophia elsewhere in the area in 1861. It's a guess, but these transcription errors do happen.

You're quite lucky that Isaac and Sarah registered the births of their children - whole swathes of my family didn't so things got even stickier

The only other thing of interest I found while checking through the censuses is that the oldest daughter Jane appears in 1861 as a housemaid, aged 18, in the household of Cora Bear in Packensfield, North Petherton.

Also, when looking at FreeBMD, I found a marriage for Isaac Western and (presumably) Sarah Warner in Bridgewater district , September quarter 1842, ref 10 459. There's a marriage for a Sarah Western the previous quarter - could be a sister ?

Hope all this helps a bit

Angela

[AngelaR]

Sorry - forgot to add the reference for Jane in the 1861 census - it's

RG9 1622 Folio 35 Page 16

Angela