Surnames in Dorset

[Mendolin]

Hi,
I'm excited to read your message. I'll tell you why - I just got my grandfather's birth certificate (Samuel Critchell 1884) and found - although he was adopted and lived in London - his natural parents came from Dorset (Bridport). His parents were Virtue nee Pitcher, and Samuel Critchell and they were weavers. in 1871, Samuel and his wife were living in North Allington, Bridport, Devon, and they had three young children. They later moved to Poplar in London and had many more children.

I have been working on the family ties, and what did I find - In 1861 Sarah Critchell (born 1848 in Bridport) was living as a servant with the Cornish family, in Bridport. Until today I did not know there were family connection between them! Thank you.

I had assumed she was an unrecorded daughter of my relatives John Critchell and Ann, but had no proof. It may be this is correct, but I need confirmation. John and Ann DID have a Sarah, but earlier, in 1825, but she may have died.

Certainly there would be a good reason for Sarah to be living with John and Mary Cornish. I note their granddaughter, Sarah GRIFFIN is also living there! She was born in London. I feel large parts of this family relocated to London and began the Critchell line there.

I'd love to hear from you!!!
Tricia Booth

I had this Sarah (born

[allibaker]

could this be one of yours?
mary critchell bapt 23rd march 1800 dorchester to parents samuel critchel and sarah.the BIVRI has a brother listed for mary also baptised dorchester.
john critchell bapt 2nd sept 1798
could this be your brother and sister?
regards
alli

[allibaker]

here are hugh and family in the 41 cencus for bridport-
thomas griffin 50yrs
ester 50yrs
keziah 20yrs
jemima 15yrs
hugh 15yrs
SOURCE INFO-H0107-294/4
FOLIO-22
PAGE-39
regards
alli

[allibaker]

also living in bridport in 1841-
john cornish 35yrs
mary 35yrs
sarah 15yrs
john 14yrs
edwin 12yrs
william 10yrs
george 8yrs
mary 6yrs
jane 3yrs
harry 1yr
sarah cockhill 70yrs independant means
SOURCE INFO-H0107-294/3
FOLIO-33
PAGE-18
regards
alli

[allibaker]

i see these crocker burials in bridport-
ann no age listed buried 5th april 1810
john no age listed buried 27th sept 1805
john no age listed buried 12th may 1811
john no age listed buried 16th may 1811
joseph age listed as infant buried 12th march 1810
mary ann age listed as infant buried 23rd july 1812
elizabeth aged 71yrs buried 7th feb 1830
george aged 3yrs buried 18th june 1826
george aged 35yrs buried 26th feb 1837
john aged 86yrs buried 3rd july 1834
joseph james aged 6 months buried 13th june 1826
louisa aged 1yr buried 22nd feb 1833

these critchell buials-
john no age listed buried 15th march 1829
sarah aged 2yrs buried 22nd june 1826

this griffin burial-
charles aged 4yrs buried 14th may 1834


regards
alli

[genjen]

I have the 1841 census from ancestry.com and it is Sarah CRITCHELL, aged 70, Independent, who is living in the Cornish family home. I have taken that to be Sarah Critchell, nee Crocker, widow of Samuel Critchell and mother of John Cornish's wife, Mary.

Also in Bridport, 1841, are John Cornish's parents:

Samuel Cornish, 65, Chandler
Hannah Cornish, 65, wife,
Maria,  25 ( occupation illegilble)
Robert, 40 ( looks like bag weaver)
Josiah, 15
John, 12

I'm not sure how these people relate to each other, except that Samuel and Hannah are husband and wife. I am assuming that the younger boys are the sons of Robert.
Hannah Cornish was born Hannah Cox in about 1776 but I have no parents for her.

I don't have any more information on the Critchells but had also seen Sarah Critchell living with the Cornish family in 1861.

Sarah GRIFFEN was the daughter of Hugh Griffen and Sarah Cornish and was the sister of my partner's great grandmother. Hugh and Sarah uprooted from Bridport after their marriage and all of the offspring I have for them were born in London. There could be others whom I haven't found yet.

This is all becoming very complicated!

Cheers,

Jen

[genjen]

The Mary Critchell baptised in 1800 certainly could be mine, except that she says she was born in Bridport on all censuses 1851/1861. The age and the parents are right so it's more than likely that it is her.

In 1871, John Cornish, aged 69, is living with a different wife - Maria, aged 51 ( the original Mary was a year older than John, not eighteen years younger).

I shall look for the death of Mary and John's remarriage.

Jen

[Mendolin]

Hi, this is indeed complicated but very thrilling to me as it's opened up a whole new branch or two.

Firstly, I hadn't seen the 1841 census and will look at that later on today, BUT in the 1861 it definitely says Sarah Critchell, unmarried, servant aged 23, born Bridport. Does she tie in with any of your Sarah's? (The Sarah Critchell of John and Ann was baptised in Bridport 1825, so that makes her older than this one. We may yet find another of the right age.)

At the moment I'm on the IGI pages and looking at the Barrack Street Independent parish records, where there are a ton of Cornish baptisms, and I'm sorting them into their respective families. I already found a few more children of John Cornish and Mary Critchell including "Samuel Critchell Cornish" born 1823. I'll keep you posted.

Tricia

[genjen]

The IGI has a Sarah Critchell born 1836/37 in Bridport, daughter of John C. and Ann Gale. Is it possible that the one you have found in 1825 was another child of the same parents, who died young. Names were very often re-used in these circumstances.

I can't find Sarah in 1841. John and Ann are there with other offspring, but no Sarah. It is possible that she was:

a) staying with other family members and they have put her down under a different name, or they thought her parents would put her name on theirs so they didn't bother.
 or
b) they just missed her off. It is not at all unheard of for someone to be missing from a census.

In 1851, John, Ann and family, including Sarah, aged 13, are entered as Crittchill and all together in Bridport.

I am assuming that John Critchell was the brother of Mary, who married John Cornish and that Sarah, aged 23 and living with them in 1861, is therefore Mary Cornish's neice.

We will just have to keep working on this one.

Jen