1898 Letter from Rev Thomas Norman Rowsell to his cousin Norman in India

[bbart]

  Parent  stem before the final
change of name to Rowsell -

THANK YOU.  That was driving me crazy!

Page 4... as best as I can make out:

I  was very sorry that when you were
last in England I saw with nothing of
you BUT owing to your numerous
engagements and my duties which were
 always at cross purposes  and al-
though you PROMISED TO COME OVER
AND see ME here it SOMEHOW (never?)
 come off - WE MUST manage
 better NEXT time you are in the
Old Country. I am glad to hear
 you can still keep up the good
old English sports I AM NOT
QUITE EQUAL now to the MORE VIO-
LENT  Of them. But have fallen
 back on Golf and find it as (trust-?)
INGLY fascinating, I am becoming
 a very fair player. WE have FINE
 (suites? duties?)  in my Parish -
I am afraid your POOR (mother?) is
much shaken by Aunt Julia’s
death . It is always a solemn
thing for the SURVIVORS when their

[mckha489]

a very fair player. WE have five
links in my Parish

[mckha489]

back on Golf and find it as (trust-?)
INGLY fascinating, I am becoming

I wonder if that word is astonishingly?.

[bbart]

back on Golf and find it as (trust-?)
INGLY fascinating, I am becoming

I wonder if that word is astonishingly?.

I believe you are correct! 

[wurding]

Thank you all very much! I have the letter as follows now:

My dear Norman

your letter to Herbert has been forwarded to me asking for information about the family history. I believe John Barry has a complete genealogical tree with all particulars but I have never seen it. I possess an old “coat of arms” which was given to my father long ago by an enthusiastic antiquarian Which proves to be identical with that of the Rosewells, and was said to connect us directly with them. When I was in the neighborhood of Bath, I discovered at Dunkerton somerset exist the Cradle of the Race. In the little village churchyard is an old Tomb with inscriptions almost obliterated, dating about


the beginning of the 17th century. On it I found ‘sacred to the memory’ of three generations, the first called Rosewell, the next Rowswell and the next Rowsell. It is very curious that the writers do not seem to have noticed that the name was under going a change. The record of the parish states that the Rosewells were the principal land owners of the district for many generations and the land finally passed out of their hands through failure of male heirs into a Family with which they intermarried. I have a curious old Book - the Trial of the Rev Thos Rosewell for High Treason: ie. for preaching against the King. In it he is described as of Dunkerton, Somerset, The son of a landowner of good position there who had been defrauded.


All this is amusing and interesting. I also found a queer little rhyme in the same church yard.
“Here is a bed of Roses: here doth lie “John Rosewell, Gent, his wife, nine children by”
I noticed that the favourite Christian names among them were Thomas and John. There Are still in Bath, a few survivors of the Rosewells and of Rowswells who broke away, no doubt from the Parent stem before the final change of name to Rowsell - and there is in Bath an ancient House with stone front on which the Coat of Arms. Roses around a Well. With lion’s head is carved known to have been the Rosewells -
I have nothing else in my possession to help your search but you could no doubt Le?? by writing to J. W. Barry Esq of Delaney? St Westminster

I was very sorry that when you were last in England I saw with nothing of you but owing to your numerous engagements and my duties which were always at cross purposes  - although you promised to come and see me here it somehow never come off - We must arrange better next time you are in the Old Country. I am glad to hear you can still keep up the good old English sports [ed. Norman was a rugby and tennis player]. I am not quite equal now to the more violent of them. But have fallen back on Golf and find it extraordinarily fascinating, I am becoming a very fair player. we have fine duties In my Parish -
I am afraid your mother is much shaken by Aunt Julia’s death. It is always a solemn thing for the Normans when their
contemporaries and old playmates are called away. Herbert and I took the funeral service at Streatham

With kind love - affectionate cousin

T Norman Rowsell

[bbart]

Thank you all very much! I have the letter as follows now:


I have nothing else in my possession to help your search but you could no doubt Le?? by writing to J. W. Barry Esq of Delaney? St Westminster

I think the missing part is "no doubt LEARN MORE by writing...."

[mckha489]

As before

we have fine duties In my Parish -

This is

We have five links in my parish.  (As in Golf links)

[mckha489]

And

back on Golf and find it as (trust-?)
INGLY fascinating, I am becoming

I wonder if that word is astonishingly?.

I believe you are correct!

[bbart]

From the York Herald 24 February 1894 I am going to guess the "Herbert" is a brother to the author of the letter:

From an article on recent wills:

The will (dated June 25, 1886), with two codicils
(dated December 12, 1889, and July 10, 1891), of
the Rev. Thomas James Rowsell, of Dean's-yard,
westminster, Canon of Westminster, who died on
January 23, at Newlands House, Tooting Bec--road,
was proved on february 8, by the Rev. Thomas
Norman Rowsell and the Rev. Herbert Rowsell,
the sons, the executors, the value of the personal
estate amounting to over £27,000.