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Rosanna ROBSON married 1889 Lanchester Durham to William Bulman COLPITTS


William Bulman COLPITTS died in 1893.


Birth REGISTRATION
COLPITTS, JANE       Mother - ROBSON 
GRO Reference: 1890  J Quarter in LANCHESTER  Volume 10A  Page 323

At reply #7 -

  "On the List of Female Convicts on the Elizabeth (5), arrived 12 Oct 1836."

    where does this reference live?. Looks interesting. "

It comes from the convict Indent, but gives no more detail about the children.

Elizabeth Ann SMITH baptised 11 Feb 1838 Calcutta, Bengal
-   Parents were John SMITH and Margaret MANOOK / MANUK** who were married 10 Jan 1835 in Calcutta.

John SMITH - possible death 24 Aug 1862 Fort William, West Bengal (born abt 1805)

[Another child of John and Margaret SMITH - Charles Frederick SMITH. Born 27 Sept 1848 Calcutta, baptised 12 Nov 1879. He married 1871 Bengal to Georgianna MERCIS. Possible death in 1890 Bengal.]
** Note MANUK is another Armenian name – Lots of Armenian merchants in Calcutta from a long way back.


Before Elizabeth Ann SMITH married in 1857 to George S WILLIAMS, she gave birth to an illegitimate daughter:-
Adelaide Virginia Gasper SMITH, born 22 Sep 1855, baptised 2 Feb 1856 Bengal.
The father was named as Malcolm GASPER, on Adelaide’s marriage.


When Elizabeth Ann WILLIAMS (formerly SMITH) married Samuel William BOWEN in 1868, her 2 daughters Adelaide Virginia Gasper SMITH (age 13) and Rosa WILLIAMS (age 8)would have become part of the Bowen family, and lived in the Bowen house.
It would appear that Elizabeth Ann died some time 1870-1873, and then Samuel partnered with Adelaide Virginia Gasper. She would have been about 18-19 when their first child was born. She was already living within the Bowen household, and so this perhaps explains why there wasn’t a formal marriage until 1893.

Yes, if they were still babies, or at least young enough to still need a mother.

Once the child was old enough, they were usually sent to an orphan school.

There is a Joseph Wood, who was Nicholas Wood's elder brother, who was also married to an Elizabeth, who had 3 children in the 1851 census: Joseph aged 8,William aged 2 & Elizabeth aged 0. He was a Wheelwright, or a Blacksmith, depending on the Census year under review from 1851-91.
In the 1861 census, he is listed as a widower, living with his son William, aged 12, in Chudleigh. No mention of a Henry C Wood in that census. I intend to try to find the wife's cause of death. Possibly childbirth ?  If so, and the child survived ... ?

Yes, this is the family I have been looking at
The family were living in Ideford (13 miles from Exeter) and the mother Eliza was born in Exeter.
Joseph was a wheelwright in 1851, 1861 and 1871,  and a smith in 1881 and 1891

Joseph WOOD married Eliza HOWE in 1841

Children’s births registered –

WOOD, WILLIAM       Mother - HOWE 
GRO Reference: 1841  D Quarter in NEWTON ABBOT  Volume 10  Page 134

WOOD, JOSEPH       Mother - HOWE 
GRO Reference: 1842  D Quarter in NEWTON ABBOT  Volume 10  Page 137

WOOD, ELIZABETH       Mother - HOWE 
GRO Reference: 1844  S Quarter in NEWTON ABBOT  Volume 10  Page 134
(She died 1844)

WOOD, MARY  ANN HOWE    Mother - HOWE 
GRO Reference: 1846  J Quarter in NEWTON-ABBOT  Volume 10  Page 149
(she died 1848)

WOOD, MARY  ELIZABETH     Mother - HOWE 
GRO Reference: 1850  S Quarter in NEWTON ABBOT  Volume 10  Page 136

WOOD, MATILDA       Mother - HOWE 
GRO Reference: 1852  D Quarter in NEWTON ABBOT  Volume 05B  Page 127


Eliza WOOD age 34, died 1855. Death registered in Newton Abbot
(death cert available for quick digital download for £3.00)


When Eliza, the mother died in 1855, little Matilda was sent to live with her "uncle and aunt" James and Susan Harris. They don't seem to be relations of the Wood family (perhaps Howe?), but appear to have taken in / adopted Matilda. Daughter Mary Elizabeth was sent to visit in Somerset with the Hardings.
     If Henry was born a year before, or at the time of his mother’s death, it might explain why there was no birth registration, and also explains how he ended up being “adopted” by Nicholas Wood, brother to Joseph. Joseph does not seem to have been able to care for his youngest children.


Joseph WOOD probable death in 1899, age 82. Death registered in Newton Abbot