1851 Malpas - Done

[sheikhalbadou]

Hello

I am trying to find out some more about Sarah Brooke Done. In 1851 she should be living in Malpas possibly at Edge House, Bickley Hall or Hampton House. I don't know much else about her except that  her will was written in 1854 by which time she was a widow and she died in 1855. She was apparently a very wealthy woman with quite a large estate.

My interest in her is because she leaves the bulk of her estate to Ralph Stevenson my 4xGreat Grandfather (there was nothing left by the time it got to me!). She describes Ralph as "my relative" and amongst other things leaves him the picture of his great grandfather Mr Randle Brooke. Lots of Ralph's descendants have Brooke as a middle name.

All very tantalising I think you'll agree! I'm hoping something on the 1851 census will give me a clue as to where to go next.

Thanks

Sue

[peterbennett]

Hi Sue
          Here she is in 1851

HO107-2170-F526      Bickley Hall Bickley Parish of Malpas

John Done head unwed 34 farmer 200 acres born Bickley
Sarah Done mother wid 60 farmers widow born Baddington
servants
Elizabeth Wright 25 house serv
Hannah Levely 21
Ann Painter 27 dairy maid
William Griffin 27 ag lab
Samuel Sheen 16 ~
Joseph       ?    14 ~

1841 HO107-89-16-Page4  Bickley

? John ? Done 50/55 farmer        all born in county
Sarah              55/60
John                20/25
Male ? Done    5
plus 7 servants all the names are unreadable

In one of the Cheshire marriage indexes there is a marriage at St Oswalds Malpas 18/3/1819 between Sarah Brooke and a John Dove, could this be John Done mispelt ? as I cannot find a death for any John or Sarah Dove it looks a possibility.

There is also a death for a John Done 1845 in Tattenhall reg. district (which would be right for the Malpas area)  http://www.cheshirebmd.org.uk/

hope this helps

peterbennett

[sheikhalbadou]

Thank you very much Peter

The marriage you mention sounds like a distinct possibility. I wasn't sure if Sarah was Sarah Brooke Something prior to her marriage or just Sarah Brooke - I will now work on the premise that it is the latter.

The death for John Done in 1845 is also spot on -since I posted my request I have got hold of John Done's Will. What I wasn't expecting was the presence of a son - as far as I can tell neither of the Wills mention him - they are fairly illegible however so I will have another look.

Now I just need to work out how Ralph Stevenson fits into the scheme of things - I'm guessing his mother was a Brooke but I haven't been able to find anything as yet. He was born circa 1789 in Bunbury - I don't suppose you have any ideas??

Thanks again for all your time and effort

Sue

[peterbennett]

Hi Sue
           I think before you go down the road of Sarah being a Brooke I would firstly make sure that the husband in the 1841 above is a John or a James, you could do this by asking the Cheshire RO by email at this link, using the address and ref.numbers I have given you, I do know that their copy of the 41 will be much clearer than mine.

http://www.cheshire.gov.uk/Recordoffice/aboutus/recoffcontact.htm

       The main reason I say make sure is that someone else has been doing some work on the same family and come to the conclusion that at Bickley Hall the following children were born to a James Done and Sarah Sutton, John 1816, James 1817 and Robert 1821. These records can be found online in the IGI at this link

http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/frameset_search.asp?PAGE=igi/search_IGI.asp&clear_form=true

     I am always suspicious of records submitted to the IGI, but you cannot ignore them.

     My index of Cheshire marriages does not show a James Done/Sarah Sutton marriage but it does show a James Done and Sarah Dutton at Malpas in 1810.

    As I said the first thing to do is to verify whether it is James or John at Bickley Hall.
    There is a will of James died 1851 which may be enlightening.

     Do you know the parents of your Ralf Stevenson ?

peterbennett

[sheikhalbadou]

Hi Peter

Its all very complicated but I think the following is probably correct:

I know that Sarah Brooke Done was married to John Done because I have both their wills.

James Done (married to Sarah Sutton) is John's brother (also mentioned in both wills)

It would make more sense if the Dones you found in Bickley Hall were James and Sarah as I know they did have a son John and he is still living in Bickley Hall in 1861. As I said I don't think John and Sarah B D had children as everything is left to nieces and nephews.

In 1851 Sarah Brooke Done could be living in Edge House, Edge, Malpas as this is where she writes her Will in 1854 - I don't know whether you have access to the Edge area for 1851 or 41 (I know you have told me in the past that parts of Malpas are missing from the 41).

I have no idea of Ralph's parents all I know is his Great Grandfather is Randle Brooke and that he is somehow related to Sarah Brooke Done (again based on Sarah's will - unfortunately she isn't specific as to how they are related)

I don't know if you have any ideas as to how I should proceed??

Thank you!

Sue

[peterbennett]

Hi Sue

           Here are the 41/51 census details for John and Sarah Done who were living in Broxton. It certainly ties in with the wills, except for the Edge connection, were there any witness names on the will of Sarah Brooke Done ?

1841 HO107-89-17-Page 7   Broxton Cheshire

John Done 55 Independent  all born in county
Sarah        55
Mary Davies 25 serv
John Forster 25 serv
Margaret Foulkes 20 serv

1851 HO107-2171-Folio 14  Barnhill Broxton

Sarah Done head widow 67 Annuitant/Land Proprietor Broxton
John Saville serv marr 61 coachman Malpas
Mary Rodgers serv unwed 26 house serv
Mary Harrison serv ~        29    ~             Whitchurch

    I would think you need to trace the ancestors of Ralf Stevenson in order to make a connection with the Brooke's, which is not easy unless you have the parish records or camp out at Chester RO for a day or two.
    If you can give me details of Ralf's marriage (to who where and when) and his childrens names etc I will see what can be found, before having to contact the RO.

peterbennett

[sheikhalbadou]

Hello Peter

I am sure you have found the right Sarah Done - I took another look at her will and a previously indecipherable word is now clearly Broxton. I think she must have had land and property all over the place - she left money to the poor of several parishes and the use of her pew at Harthill Parish Church to one lucky relative.

Unfortunately I have few hard facts about Ralph Stevenson. He was married to Ann ? born c1788 Marchweil, Denbighshire. I don't know when or where they married. Their children were Mary Stevenson c1817 Malpas, Ambrose Stevenson c1819 Marchweil, Denbighshire, Thomas Stevenson c1820 Malpas, James Stevenson c1822 Malpas, Eliza Stevenson c1825 Malpas, Ann Stevenson c1827 Malpas and Harriet Stevenson c1829 Malpas.

Like you say I think I'll have to pay a visit to the Records office - that will have to wait til the children go back to school in September!

Sue

[sheikhalbadou]

Hello Peter

I tried to send this message yesterday when the site wasn't working properly - it seems to have disappeared! Apologies if you've already had it.

Just to give you a little more information on the Brooke-Stevenson connection. I have got hold of a Randle Brooke's will. In it he refers to his sister Susannah Stevenson and his nephews and nieces Ambrose, John, Elizabeth, Mary and Susannah Stevenson. It was written in 1784 (5 years before Ralph Stevenson was born).  In it he also mentions his  (Randle's) grandfather's picture which he leaves to his nephew Ambrose Brooke - I'm thinking this could be the same picture mentioned in Sarah Brooke Done's will - Sarah is perhaps Ambrose's daughter?

Ralph could either be a younger brother to the Stevensons mentioned in the will or possibly the son of one of the brothers - however the way the will is phrased suggests that John Stevenson required caring for and was perhaps handicapped in some way.

I don't know whether any of this would make it easier to find Ralph's birth.

Thanks

Sue

[peterbennett]

Hi Sue
           I only have access to some marriage indexes and no births eccept for the IGI which I would use for guidance only.

         However I cannot find a marriage of a Susanah/Susan Brook to a Stevenson, the marriages I did find that may be of interest are

1788 Bunbury Ambrose Stevenson and Ann Palin

1807 Chester Susanah Stevenson/Samuel Wilbraham 

1817 Warmingham Ralph Stevenson/Ann Smallwood

I am afraid you will need the records office for the births, but it does look as if Ralph could be the son of Ambrose and Ann Palin

peterbennett