Hercules Abrahams

[Bvc]

Hello, My grandmother was Fanny Mogg whose great grandfather was I think the picturesquely named Hercules Abrahams of Burton Bradstock, Her mother was Sarah Ann Meech nee Meech. Has anyone come across the Abrahams family before. Sarah was born in 1850 and married her cousin George Stephen Mogg, son of her aunt Elizabeth Abrahams. Any news on the earlier roots of this family would be welcome.

[cardiff]

Hi
I noticed on the 1841 census
H0107 293/23/7/9
high street sturminster newton castle dorset
fanny mogg aged 20yrs grocer apt born county
does she belong in your family treee?
cheers cardiff

[Lydart]

Have you checked the Dorset opc page for Burton Bradstock ?


http://www.opcdorset.org/Miscellaneous.htm#burtonbradstock


There are marriages from 1614 to 1812 ... there is, for e.g.     Johnathan MEECH & Cath. WILSHARE married 14 Feb 1744  ...


The main page of the Dorset OPC's has a search facility ...

[Bvc]

Hello, Thanks for these replies. There was of course a mistake in my original posting, Sarah Meech's mother was Mary Ann Abrahams, daughter of Hercules. I will check out the two suggestions and let you know.

[mjb123]

Bvc - I am new to the family history game, so have only just read your message from last February.  My great-grandmother was Minnie Martha Mogg - your grandmother's sister or cousin?  In any event, her grandmother was Elizabeth Abrahams born 1805 and her great grandfather was Hercules Abrahams born 1745.  From my research on Family Search website, I have found that Hercules was born in Colyton Devon (parents John and Elizabeth) and he had 10 children all born in Colyton Devon by four different women- .  His wives were Katherine Drower (married 29.9.1766), Martha Whicker (married 21.1.1805 and the above Elizabeth's mother) and then two more children by Patty and Margaret - the mother of Mary Anne(no record of marriages for these two).  He was 22 when his first daughter Elizabeth was born in 1767 and 78 at the birth of Mary Anne, so I am a bit dubious as to whether this is the same Hercules - however, I have searched all permutations, and there is only one Hercules Abrahams on this database.  I am going to visit Colyton this week to see if I can find any trace of the Abrahams.  My research so far suggests that there were three Abrahams having children in Colyton starting 1767 - Hercules, Isaac and Samuel.  I haven't had time to find out whether these were brothers or not, but will do so.  With a name like Hercules Abrahams, and four wives, he must have been a bit character!

[Bvc]

Hello, How exciting, I have Minnie in my tree and have to work out where she fits in. I have gone no further back than Hercules but as you say he sounds quite a character. I should be happy to hear how you get on in Colyton. My Mogg research has been on the back burner for a while but I must get the files out and have another look. Bvc

[mjb123]

Hello bvc!  I visited Colyton yesterday - if you are not too far away it is well worth a visit - very old - most of the buildings would have been known to our ancestor Hercules.  We found no trace of him, but did find a grave of James Abrahams who died in 1878 and this would fit with one of Hercules' sons.  I also found a grave stone:  "Hannah Mullins 1884 aged 85 - Joseph Meech 1897 aged 84 years - Emily Meech 1914 aged 77" all on the one gravestone - perhaps they're some of your Meech ancestors.

The hardware store in Colyton sells walking tour maps of the town, and also other books about its history.  One of the town's main claims to fame is that it was cited "the most rebellious town in England" on account of its involvement in the Monmouth Rebellion in 1685.  There is a book in the hardware shop about this and I happened to open it on a page listing the 150 men involved in the Rebellion - top of the list:  Isaac and John Abrahams - Hercules great grandfather and grandfather respectively, if my research is correct.

Using the Family Search website I have identified Hercules' wives and his ten children, also his father John (baptised in Colyton) and mother Elizabeth Bishop and his grandfather John (baptised in Colyton).  His great grandfather was Isaac, but there is no trace of an Isaac Abrahams being baptised in Colyton.  Being very speculative, I have found an Isaack Abrahams (or Abrams) baptised in Ashburton Devon 1634.  His siblings were Margeria, Johanna, Anthonius and Laurencius and his father was Anthonii.  These names sounded German or Dutch to me, so, again very speculatively, I searched the German and Dutch records on Family Search and found Anthonis Abrams born in Amsterdam 1594 - parents Anthonis Abrams and Anne Beer.  Abrahams and Abrams seemed to be interchangeable even as late as the time of Hercules.  Of course most of these last finds will be very difficult to confirm, I'm sure, but I might try to find out what was going on in Ashburton in the early 17th century and whether there was immigration from the low countries.

In your original post, you mentioned Burton Bradstock.  After our visit to Colyton, we went on to BB, but could find no trace of Hercules in the churchyard.  Do you have some information connecting him to the village?

Sorry this post is so long, but I thought you might be interested.  The Colyton Parish History Society have a very good website telling all about the town's rebellious past http://www.colytonhistory.co.uk/colyton-history-about.html. regards mjb123

[Bvc]

Hello, and thanks for taking the trouble to send me all this information. I like the sound of Colyton. I am afraid I live in the Scottish borders so trips to Somerset are few and far between. I cannot remember off hand the connection between Hercules and Burton Bradstock. I will look at my notes and let you know.
I have been researching my father's family who appear in Taunton and area in the mid 1500's. The surname is not derivative and does not appear in the area before that time. However on checking on the continent it was quite a common surname in the Low Countries so I am sure there was immigration to Somerset from the continent at that time.
Do we know what Abraham's occupation was. That is sometimes an indicator of place of origin.
I'll be in touch when I've looked out my notes. Regards, BVC

[mjb123]

Hello bvc
I am in possession of a photo of your great uncle William, son of George Mogg - do you have any photos of him, if not I could send you a copy.

The news of Hercules Abrahams is that there are probably two - one born 1745, and one born c1776 - almost certainly father and son, both died in 1822 one aged 77 and the other 47 - I still wouldn't discount there being only one as the 1776 birth is not in the parish record and old fashioned 7s and 4s are easily muddled.  Hercules the elder was a cordwainer (leather worker) and Hercules the younger was a mason.  There is still a tannery in Colyton producing high quality leather.  The local historian does not know anything about the mother of Mary Anne (Margaret), but knows a lot about the Abrahams family.  Isaac and John Abrahams took part in the Monmouth Rebellion in 1685 (John then aged 14), but were not caught and John survived to produce a son John who was the father of Hercules the elder.  The Colyton Parish History website is very good and tells all about the Monmouth Rebellion and the 150 Colyton men who took part.  So our ancestors had a hand in the history of the country. "The Most Rebellious Town in Devon:  The Monmouth Rebellion of 1685 and the Citizens of Colyton" is a book available from Amazon.

The Abrahams family were still in Colyton in 1830 when they started a tailoring business which survived until WW2, making it the oldest business to have existed in Colyton.

Hope you find this interesting.
regards mjb123