RootsChat.Com

Sue, all I know of
Thomas born 1656 who with Anne were parents of Thomas born 1686 who married Sarah at Covehithe
is that all these people except Sarah were born at Westleton

As the Parents (Thomas and Martha) of the Thomas b 1656 who married Anne were also both born in Westleton this seems to establish a Westleton family of Rous.

As for
How does John Rous, the father of Thomas who married Hannah connect to the family?
My notes say he was born 1700 at a place called Westlet (which I imagine must be a lazy way of writinmg Westleton). His wife, Mary, was born at Westleton

Good luck at the record office!
Your wills would be a great help if only we could somehow more specifically identify who was who.

Now, the Covehithe family..............the only one of 'our' Rouses I know of who lived at Covehithe was a Benjamin Rouse born to Sarah Rous about 1813, Sarah was the daughter of William Rouse and Sarah Wink & baptised 1796 she died soon after Benjamin was born aged 18. It would seem natural for Benjamin to move somewhere where he had relations,  therefore I've studied the PR for Covehithe very carefully, but I've never been able to tie the Rouses there with our Rouses at Westleton etc. That's not to say they aren't connected in some way, just that there doesn't seem to be an obvious link.

Sue, your points are so interesting I have to take them one at a time
So this is about Covehithe

I am not sure what you mean by obvious link, for my Covehithes are connected:-

Thomas Rous b Westleton 1638 married Martha b there abt 1630

Their son Thomas b there 1656
married Anne b there abt 1656

Their son Thomas b there 1686
married Sarah of Covehithe

They had 7 children including
John who married Sarah Martin of Covehithe

John and Sarah had 6 children :-
John chr 24 Aug 1744 Covehithe
Sarah chr 25 Dec 1750 Covehithe
Elizabeth chr 7 May 1753 Covehithe
Esther chr same day and place
William chr 29  Dec 1755 Covehithe
James chr Dec 1741 Covehithe who married Susanna Wright

That James + Susanna had 11 children all Covehithe


Yes I have a Benjamin:-
Mine was born at Theberton 1813 and married Mary Ann Eves at Rushmore Parish Church 4 Oct 1845
He is son of Sarah Rouse (dau b 22 Oct 1796
to William Rouse and Sarah Wink)
This Benjamin and wife Mary Eves had 5 children all born in Covehithe


As for Lettice in her various guises, you have straightened me out completely and I am so grateful (and only hope I might in the end say something that helps you as much as you have me)
I will study your wills and reply to that later.

William and Catherine had three known children - Elizabeth baptised 1778, Richard baptised 1783 and Letitia baptised 1787, all at Westleton.

The mystery deepens.
Lets hope it is the darkening before the storm that clears the air!!! Have faith!
Your "3 known children" I know NOTHING of!
BUT
I DO HAVE
1. Richard Rous married Susanna Biddell only thing known is they had children:
Thomas Rous b 2 Nov 1812 Therefore COULD have been born 1783. He was chr at Bradfield St George Suffolk and died 13 March 1814
His brother was Thomas Biddell Rous b 1816 died 1917
2. Elizabeth Rous. My only Elizabeth Rous was chr 15 Feb 1778 at Covehithe and dau of James Rouse and Susanna Wright.
James was born 1741 at Covehithe and Susanna also b 1741. They had 10 children (1765 to 1789) in addition to Elizabeth - no Thomas

So I am still at a loss where to put your Lettice.
I agree with you a William Rous married a Catherine, so have entered a NEW William Rous who married Catherine Calver on 16 Aug 1774 and produced a Lettice chr 1774 at Westleton
Under that NEW entry I have put all your notes and comments because I find them convincing

I note you are calling Lettice by the name Letitia and I DO HAVE a Lettitia - but she was dau of Sir John of Henham Hall wth her sisters Hannah b 1705 Wangford Leiston and Madam Mary also Wangham 1710

If you are serching for a William to marry in 1774, how about Wiliam Rous son of John Rous and Sarah Martin. He was born Dec 1755 at Covehithe, Leiston and seems to be a bachelor.

Yes, one of we Frees was a schoolmaster.
That is from memory as I have NO HOPE of finding out which one except by reading the whole family tree!

Let me know if you find anything at all about Edmund as he is pushig the ancient frontiers of my Frees

Quakers, maybe - but NOT if that means "well behaved". There were some right funny goings on among the gravestones, I am told

Thanks Sue - a great help

But do we know anything about Thomas + Ann of the 20 June !809 Benhall marriage?
I have no children - indeed they are never heard of again!

Are you sure it is Catherine Calver? I have her as Caroline Calver.
My Lettie may be an error but DOES have her own christening date. It is dau of William and Carolie Calver christened on 13 Mar 1867 at Westleton.
So MAYBE there really were two gals: Lettice of Benhall and Lettie of Westleton


Would you please explain this bit: you say
"In 1851 Lettice was in Benhall acting as housekeeper to a Sarah Rous - until today I'd thought this to be Sarah Rous (Day), but it's now clearer....................the Sarah Rous mentioned has to be her step mother Sarah (Goose). "
My problem is seeing the step mother bit. For all I have on Sarah Goose is this - nothing else!
"William Rous in around 1785 married Caroline Calver.
Then in 1813 he married a Sarah who had picked up the name Goose from a previous marriage"

So which William Rous(e) is which!
I can offer:

William son of Thomas + Hannah, b 1759 at Teberton, husb of Sarah Wink.

William  son of Sarah Rous (wife of Robert Robson) chr 29 Jan 1769 at Clovehithe, Leiston

Willian who married Goose then Calver