Pavenham - the Mat Making Centre of England

[Mobo]

 

Did you know that Pavenham was famous for osier weaving and rush plaiting, eventually becoming the mat-making centre of England during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.  In fact, it was just a handful of  families who were responsible for this phenomena at the time.  The Morris's, Lovell’s, Hipwell’s and Ball’s. 

Interestingly, in settlement papers of 1706 we see "Thomas Morris - matmaker, wife Ann, and son Alexander, of St Sepulcre, London" being accepted back into the village.

 

[cathymcc]

Thank you for that, I have MORRIS ancestors for Pavenham.

Interestingly, there is a Wm HIPWELL on the Muster list of 4 June 1831 from Pavenham

James MORRIS was a 51 year old matmaker in Pavenham with three children still under 10 in 1803 when he volunteered for National Defence.

I dont know about hats [I thought that was Luton] but I expect the osiers were used for hats aswell as rush matting.  It was very hard work harvesting them I should think.

[cathymcc]

1803 National Defence:

There was also a Will BALL who was a 46 year ols matmaker with 5 children under 10...infact there 11 matmakers on the list in Pavenham

[Mobo]

 

Hi cathy !

So you too have MORRIS ancestors in Pavenham - we are probably connected then - you should visit my website (see my signature below) and see for yourself. I don't have a James born circa 1752, do you know who his father was ?   

You will see that my Adam MORRIS, appears in the Bedfordshire Muster Volunteer List of 1803, along with brother Henry. 

 

[cathymcc]

No I dont have Adam & Henry MORRIS on the 1803, but I only have the list from the book that was edited by Nigel LUTT.

My earliest MORRIS was Thomas..he was born c 1789 and married a girl from Elstow and settled to raise his family in Kempston just west of Bedford.

[Mobo]

 

Well, I have a Thomas MORRIS b. February 3,  1788 Pavenham, to WILLIAM MORRIS, b.1764 Pavenham, and ANN LEVITT,  b. 1765 in Willington. 

Any connection ??

 

[cathymcc]

That sounds rather like him, my Thomas MORRIS, born in Pavenham,  is in Kempston in 1851 aged 62 with his second wife.

His youngest child, Emily, died young in 1854 -aged 26 - after having had just one child [Rosa MANTON was born in 1852]. 

Emily's daughter, Rosa MANTON, was raised by her father's sister - her father seems to have disappeared after his wife died.  I don't know what happened to him [James MANTON].

So I don't know much about that branch [MORRIS/MANTON] at all,  I don't even have a photo of Emily's daughter [Rosa was my gt gt grandmother and she lived until 1920].

My grand father [b 1896] used to speak of her but he knew nothing about that branch of his family either although he knew a lot about other branches of his family.  He knew about Emily MORRIS-MANTON but not of the Pavenham connection.

[Mobo]

 

Well the only way to know for certain is to find the marriage of Thomas & his second wife,then you can send for a copy of the Marriage Certificate. This will show you Thomas's father's name, and if it is William, then there's every chance it could be him.  What was the name of his second wife ? (you didn't say)

 

[Mobo]

 

I have dug out some info from the IGI, which could well be your Thomas, his first wife Hannah & children, and his second wife Eliza & son.


Marriage of Thomas MORRIS & Hannah CHURCH
8 Sep 1808, Elstow, Beds (Elstow is only 2 miles from Kempston)


Bapt. of children to Thomas Morris & Hannah Church at Elstow, Beds
Mary 19 Mar 1809
Sarah 7 Oct 1810


Bapt. Of children to Thomas Morris & Hannah ? at All Saints, Kempston, Beds
William    26 Mar 1815
Ann         29 Nov 1816 ]
Elizabeth 29 Nov 1816 ] Twins
Jane          3 Jun 1821
Thomas     2 Apr 1826
Emily        4 May 1828
John          9 Feb 1830


Marriage of Thomas MORRIS and Eliza (FOLKES) (b.1827, Kempston), 8 Feb 1849, All Saints, Kempston, Beds

Bapt of child to Thomas Morris & Eliza ? at All Saints, Kempston, Beds
James     24 July 1849

I couldn't find the death of a Hannah Morris, but, obviously, it would have been between 1830-1849