NORBURY and GRAYHAM/GRAHAM families of Jersey

[colin123]

Hi Everyone

I shall be very grateful if someone could check for the following info for me at the Jersey archives :-

1)  John NORBURY came to the island from Manchester as a Stonemason between about 1806-1811. He married Charlotte Graham/Grayham (surname spelt differently at the baptisms of 2 of their sons at St Helier) on 6 August 1811 at St Helier. What intrigues me is why did John come to Jersey at this time ? I know that the Napoleonic Wars were at this time, were there fortifications etc. being built that needed skilled workers, ie stonemasons ?? Is there any book that would detail this at all.

2) It seems likely that Charlotte GRAHAM/GRAYHAM was an islander, born about 1780-90. I would like confirmation of this, if possible, together with her parentage/siblings.

John and Charlotte had 2 sons born 1812 and 1813 at St Helier and then went back to the mainland (Southampton) by 1814.


Many Thanks


Colin123

[Maryanneski8]

I am interested in John and Charlotte Norbury, as they are my fourth great grandparents.  I am struggling to find out when Charlotte died.  Some trees are saying she died in Southampton in 1814 but I think they are misinterpreting the data - as John and Charlotte had a daughter, also named Charlotte, who was born and died in 1814.  Any ideas?  Did you find out why they went to Jersey?  Many thanks.  Mary

[rosie17]

Welcome to rootschat Colin has not been active on here since 2021 .If his contact details are the same he will receive a notification you have posted and hopefully exchange information

Rosie

[colin123]

Hi Mary

Thanks for your message, it seems that we are 5th cousins, as I am also a 4th great grandchild of John and Charlotte Norbury !  I am related via their eldest son John (1812-1885), who was born in St Helier in May 1812 and lived nearly all his life in the New Forest area of Hampshire. Are you descended via him, or another of John and Charlotte's children ? John and Charlotte were married on 6th August 1811 in St Helier and had 2 children born in Jersey, John and Thomas (b.1813). They then moved to the mainland and had Charlotte (1814-1814) in Southampton, then moved to the Isle of Wight, where the next child, Francis (1815-1873) was born. About 1816, they moved north to Sheffield and appear to have left John in Hampshire, possibly with maternal grandparents, but I have not established this as yet.
Further children were born in Sheffield, Caroline (1817-1893) and George (1820-1875), before they made their final move to Chorlton upon Medlock and Ardwick in Manchester. The later children were born in Manchester, namely Charlotte (b. 1823) and Edward (1828-1898). Charlotte Norbury sadly died giving birth to Edward, as he was born on 7th March 1828 and she was buried on 16th March 1828, aged 42. John died in 1841 and was buried on 31st January 1841, at that time he was living in Ardwick. Interestingly, he remarried Elizabeth Wilde in Manchester Cathedral on 4th July 1833 and had 4 further children with her, William (b.1833), Joseph (b.1834), Thomas (b. 1836) and James (b.1837).
John was a Stonemason, which may well explain his movements around the country and Norbury is a popular surname in the Manchester area, which is where i think he came from. John was aged 57 at his death, but I've not been able to find any likely entry for him around 1783/4 in Manchester so far. As for Charlotte, I don't know where she originated from, but I think it's likely to have been in the South. John, the eldest son, was baptised twice in Jersey, I think he was perhaps a sickly baby and so was baptised straight after birth and then rebaptised when he got better. This may well explain why he didn't travel north, maybe John and Charlotte didn't think he was strong enough. I think he proved them wrong by becoming a farm bailiff and living to the age of 73 !
I hope this has filled in a few gaps and look forward to hearing from you.

Regards

Colin 

[Maryanneski8]

Hi Colin,

Wow!  Thanks for all the info.  Yes, we are indeed related.  I too, am related through John Henry Norbury….in particular through his daughter Alice Maud Norbury who married my 2nd great grandfather, George Light.  He, in turn, was the father of the youngest Titanic survivor, Eva Georgetta Light.  I grew up in the New Forest but emigrated to Canada 21 years ago.  I regularly visit the UK to visit my family (the Dibdens) in the New Forest.  By the way, do you have any info re the parents of John Norbury senior?  Re Charlotte, I know it was common for marriages to take place in the bride’s home town so I agree with you that she was probably an islander.  Any other snippets re the Norburys are always welcomed.  Mary

[colin123]

Hi Mary

I haven't found anything about John Norbury senior's parentage or actual birthplace, except that I think it was in the Manchester area. Charlotte was, I think, from the South of England, I haven't seen any baptismal registers for Jersey in the 18th century as yet, so she might have been an islander as I can't think of any other reason why she would be in Jersey in 1811, aged about 25/26.

We are actually 4th cousins, as John Henry is our common ancestor. My connection is through his eldest daughter, Ellen (1838-1903), who moved from Southampton, where she was working in the 1861 census, to London where she married George Heselgrave in 1862. George was from Lincolnshire and was living in Southampton with his family at the time of the census and probably met Ellen there. John Henry's wife, Rebecca Tabitha BESSANT, our 3rd great-grandmother, was born in 1816 at Paultons, where her father Henry was a shepherd on the Paultons estate, but unfortunately for him, he was transported to Australia in 1835 for sheep stealing, I don't know if you knew of this little fact ! If I find out more about the Norbury's and the apparent Manchester connection, I'll keep you posted. Colin

[Maryanneski8]

Hi Colin, not to worry.  Another Ancestry member notified me about the sheep stealing and I believe even though he was pardoned (later in his life) he was refused entry back into the UK.

[Maryanneski8]

One other thing Colin, a distant cousin from Canada who is also related to the Norburys sent a relative of mine a copy of a photo of John Henry Norbury and Tabitha.  Can’t quite work out how to send a copy to you on this website.  Can I send it to your email address?  Mary