watson family in essex?

[Jonson1]

Hi Deanna and QueenCorgi
Posting this via Rootschat as I think it of interest to all descendants of Thomas Creswick Watson and his son, George. I was killing time yesterday by googling names and happened to put in Thomas Creswick Watson as I have done many times before.  What came up this time however was this from the Wrexham and Denbigh Advertiser of Sat 15th April 1854:-

"On the 9th April 1854 at King Street, Wrexham, Rebecca Watson aged 89 years, widow of Thomas Creswick Watson, Captain and Adjutant in the Denbighshire Yeomanry Cavalry."

I couldn't find Rebecca in the 1841 census, but did find her in the 1851 census, again at Wrexham.  She is shown as a visitor in the house of Eliza Graham and her age is given as 83 (so how old was she?).  Her occupation is as a proprietor of houses and she was born at Sheffield. Also staying at the house is her granddaughter, (Mary) Cecilia Watson. She we know was the daughter of George Watson and her age and birthplace of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, as given in the census, are correct.

Over the years we have all accepted John Watson's version of events in his history of the Watson family, where he states that Rebecca Watson died in 1838 and that George Watson came into the small inheritance from his father at that time.  This was a spur to him taking his family to Australia the following year in 1839, as he then had the funds to set up a new life there.  I have always thought it odd that he obviously had very little cash to invest in his new property on the Manning River and virtually went bankrupt within a short time.

Now that we have a birthplace for Rebecca, and a slightly confused birthdate, it would be good to know when and where Thomas Creswick Watson and she married, and what her maiden name was. I am not happy about her being Rebecca Hanson from Whaplode, Lincolnshire and wonder whether anyone has firmer evidence.  I have looked carefully at Find My Past records and can't find an entry that convinces me.  I have also done a quick search for a will, but found nothing yet.  If she was a property owner, she might have had one.

It seems that when Thomas Creswick Watson retired from the 3rd Light Dragoons, he took up a position with a militia unit.  Their records tend to be sparse, but I might research it further.

Best wishes
Johnson1

[DeannaB]

Hi Jonson1,
Interesting discoveries.
Thanks for that information.
Regards,
Deanna

[Jonson1]

Hi QueenCorgi and DeannaB, and all descendants of Thomas Creswick Watson out there!
Further to my previous post, I have been using Find My Past again using their cleverer search facilities. Another marriage has come up which I think is the correct one for Thomas Creswick Watson, being St Peter and St Paul Church, Sheffield, although for some obscure reason the entry in the register is for Thomas Watson Creswick.:-

"3rd November 1789. Thomas Watson Creswick of this parish, bachelor, and Rebekah Ellison of this parish, spinster, by banns. Signed by Thomas Watson Creswick and the mark of Rebekah Ellison.  Witnesses John Ellison (spelt wrong, but obviously her father) and John Hall"

Thomas Creswick Watson was baptised in this church 20th June 1770 and his father, Paul a widower, married Judith Wigglesworth (not Wrigglesworth) widow here on 30th November 1787, when John Hall was again one of the witnesses.  There are two baptism entries in the same church for Thomas and Rebecca's children (Rebecca seems to have been spelt in all different ways, but it is spelt this way at her death in 1854) and I have not been able to find any more children:-

"9th May 1790. Susannah, daughter of Thomas Watson, plater, and Rebecca Watson"
"19th April 1795. George, son of Thomas Creswick Watson, plater, and Rebekah Watson (BTs)"

I went back a little further and found the following baptism entry in the St Peter and St Paul registers which seems to tie in with Rebecca's age and birthplace at her death and in the 1851 census:-

"26th June 1767. Rebecah, daughter of John Ellison, cutler (Rebecca in BTs)"

Although I don't understand why the entry should be in the name of Thomas Watson Creswick, I feel that this is the correct marriage that has eluded us over the years.  It is the right church and the right date. The story could be that young Thomas gets into trouble with slightly older Rebecca and marries her, with father there to see the deed done!  Susanna(h) is baptised six months later.

I myself have not found the Birmingham links that John Watson obviously found in the 1970s (did the information come from family?) and a Rebecca Hanson has been mentioned a few times as the wife of Thomas.  Has anyone any thoughts on this, as I am prepared to be put right?

Best wishes
Jonson1
 

[wilcoxon]

Hi. I am actually doing a "house history"
According to A N Palmer, King Street was laid out in 1828, it was the first residential street  formally built in Wrexham.   Two houses  belonged  to Captain Watson  which were called Wynnstay Place.
In Pigot & Co.'s Directory 1828-29.  There is no mention of King Street, but among the names listed is  Nobility, Gentry and Clergy - Captain Thomas Watson, New Street.

 I found nothing more until this. Wrexham Advertiser 15th April 1854
On the 9th, at King-street, Wrexham, Rebecca Watson, aged 89 years ,  widow of Thomas. Creswick Watson, Captain and Adjutant in the Denbighshire Yeomanry Cavalry.

Rebecca was 89 when she died (GRO) in her will she names son George and her grandchildren, but nothing about her effects and property.

Rebecca Watson : will, 1854
Watson, Rebecca, Wrexham, Denbigh, Widow

http://hdl.handle.net/10107/329924

If the person who has the portrait reads this, I would be delighted with a copy to add to my story. 

[wilcoxon]

https://goo.gl/maps/LpwMferKxqMNnTD3A

The building right on the corner is 1 King Street, a Harriet Sadler had a ladies school there for many years.
Pigot & Co.'s Directory of 1844,  King Street, at Wynnstay Place is Harriet Sadler who has a boarding school.
 it`s not a country house,  but close to the centre of Wrexham, but at the "posher" area of the town.

[Jonson1]

Hi Wilcoxon
Thanks! Great to read your two posts re my researches into the Watson family. I am answering this in somewhat of a hurry as I am away tomorrow.  I therefore am answering from memory, rather than from my paperwork.

I am updating a family history written by an Australian cousin in the 1970s and find that, although he had found the Wrexham connection, he got one or two things slightly wrong. Your information, especially the link to Rebecca Watson's Will, is a great help.  I have recently finished the text of my updated history, and will make some slight alterations as the Will makes certain things clearer.  I could never understand why I, as the gt gt grandson of Ellen Watson, should end up with Thomas Creswick Watson's portrait (or what we have always understood to be his portrait!) and his 1811 Commission promoting him to Captain.  Ellen was the youngest daughter of George Watson's first family.  The Will makes clear that Rebecca leaves her estate to the three surviving daughters of George Watson, Eliza being the eldest.  Clara was married and Eliza, with young Ellen, came back to England from Australia in the early 1850s (but after 1851 I think as I cannot find either of them in the census) so that Ellen could be educated in England.  They lived in Blackheath, Kent, and I wondered how they supported themselves, as George Watson would not have had spare funds. Reading the Will makes me think that Rebecca was supporting them before she died, and certainly her estate would have helped after her death in 1854.  Eliza died in 1858 of TB (occupation on death certificate is annuitant) and Ellen went back to Australia that year, meeting her future husband on the ship out.

I am certainly happy to let you have a copy of the portrait and you might be interested in some of the Watson history.  There is quite a lot on Thomas Creswick Watson.  I feel that he and Rebecca moved to Wrexham in order for him to take up his post with the Denbighshire Yeomanry Cavalry, as they didn't have any connection to that area before.  Is there a way to exchange emails?  I think there is, but I don't spend a lot of time on Rootschat.

It is good to know where Wynnstay Place is.  I took a group to Wrexham a couple of years ago in order to visit the church, and I would have liked to have visited the place.  Hopefully will visit again.

Best wishes
Jonson1

[wilcoxon]

Have sent a Personal message.