I have a problem with James Rowland born circa 1763-67 and can get nowhere at all!
He is anecdotally supposed to have been born in or near Abergavenny in Monmouthshire and indeed there is a James Rowland baptised 1763 in Llantillio Crosseney, which I understand is near Abergavenny.
He was a Bellringer of some note but not sure if he did this in Wales.
He joined the military (according to a handwritten document by his youngest son which has just come to light) in Newtown, Montgomeryshire!! He joined the 83rd Foot Regiment and was wounded at Salamanca and possibly discharged at this time but no records that far back available. The 83rd Foot Regiment is now the Irish Rangers or Rifles I understand.
James next appears in Bishop's Stortford Hertfordshire where he marries Elizabeth Joceylin from Essex in 1795. His first child, Robert Joslin Rowland was born in Lincolnshire (Stamford All Saints) in 1797. He is next found in Great Baddow, Essex, where he remained and took part in Bellringing at the local church, until he died in 1846.
The story of him being born in Wales is anecdotal and also someone in the family is supposed to have owned a Pub (no name) that fell into the River - looked into the River Wye and River Severn but no stories on that (or floating pubs for that matter!)
Another anecdotal story suggests that he came to Essex/East Anglia via Wickham Market - not sure quite what that means but have explored the possibility that he was a Drover but somehow I don't think he arrived in that area until about the time he was married. There were, however, markets to which welsh drovers brought their sheep in Stamford, Hertford and Essex.
I really dont know where to search for his birth - have done the Monmouthshire parish registers and some Montgomershire records - nothing. Was he born in Ireland I wonder - he joined an Irish Regiment. Was his father a military man and he, himself born overseas - a few of his grandchildren were because the whole family was military. Can anyone help me on where to go next. I am not in the correct area for Military but may pose the question on the Military forum at some time as I understand there is a possibility of Musterand/or Militia Rolls going to be made available in 2 - 4 years.
The other problem is, if he ws born in Wales, he was born at a time when (and I may have got this wrong) a child could be given either the father's surname or the mothers regardless of legitimacy. From the names of his children his father should be Robert and his mother Mary Ann. Interestingly his third son was given the middle name Webster which I thought might be his mother's maiden name but have not been able to prove this. Webster also sounds distinctly welsh.
His first wife Elizabeth Joceylin died in 1813 and he remarried in 1815 to Hannah Mabbs in Great Baddow Essex - he predeceased her.
Sue
