Category: The Other Lot- beginnings of a One Name Study

 

Going back to Yorkshire-the Chelsea mob

I first posted about this family almost 12 months to the day.

While searching for other Roydhouse folk, I  found the marriage for Thomas Roydhouse to Mary Collins in Great Driffield, Yorkshire on the 4th of June, 1811.

The couple moved to London soon afterwards, as the birth of their first child William Collins Roydhouse in 1813 is registered in Mary-le-bone.

The Robson’s  London Directory of 1834 has the family living at 81 Seymour Place, Mary-le-bone.

This directory, street key, and conveyance list, particularising the residence of 60,000 establishments in London and its environs : also a list of coaches, waggons, vans, with the names of the carriers, their route, inn or calling house, and day and hour of their departure, coasting vessels, steam packets, and inland navigation : together with an alpahabetical list of public carriers  for 1834.

It is a handy document for researchers to discover the residences of people in Britain prior to the first formal census of 1841.

(Ancestry records)

(Google Maps street view 2020)

 

Another great-grandson of  plumber Daniel John Roydhouse (born 1752) was William Clark Roydhouse.

William was the eldest son of James (1822) and Ann nee Johnson, and brother to George Henry whose family line was developed in a previous blog post here:

https://wp.me/p9wfSj-gM

William was born in 1854, and married Elizabeth Harrison. 11 children were born to this couple.

1.Eva Jane  born 1876, married Albert Harrison (died 1913)

a son born William James 1908, married second George Levitt.

2.Gertrude Ann, born 1878, married Edward Dobson and had 4 children:

Marie 1908,Gladys V 1911,George 1913,Kathleen 1916

3. Emma 1880-1910 married William Dobson

4.William James 1882-1904

5. Marion 1884 married Charles Henry Simpson -Hare, second Roy Hodgson

6.Arthur 1886-1963,  married  Eliza Nicholson and had 10 children:

Alice 1908   Alvie 1909, Jessie 1910, Lewis 1911, Doris 1914, Arthur 1916,

Ida 1925, William 1929, and two others

7.Harold 1888-1915, married Eva Thompson, one son  Edwin born 1910, Harold died in Yorkshire in November 1915.

8.Alice 1890-1957,  married George Hunter. Her probate left 2,000 pounds to brother Tom.

9.Harrison 1892-1918,married Emily Cockerline,  a daughter Myra born 1913 Harrison died in  France.

10. Tom 1894-1982 married Kathleen Billany,  and had 2 daughters:

Kathleen 1916, Phyllis 1921

11. Charles Ernest 1896-1983 married Vera Stancer, one daughter Kathleen

William Clark Roydhouse died in November 1900, aged  45, and is buried in Keyingham Cemetery.

By the time Elizabeth died in 1932 age 77, she had lost 3 sons, 2 daughters,  a sister , her mother and her husband.

 

On the 11th of May, 1665, Francis Roydhouse married Ann Raynor at St Mary’s, Barnsley, Yorkshire.

Barnsley is a city in Yorkshire, between Leeds and Sheffield. Former industries included linen, coal mining, glassmaking and textiles.

The Domesday Book refers to Berneslai, and in 1086 has a population of 200.

I visited Barnsley as a part of my journey around Britain, and spent some time wandering around the churchyard cemetery at St Mary’s, looking for Roydhouse names on the mossy, faded gravestones, without finding any.

The next record for Francis and Ann shows the baptism of a daughter, Sara, at Royston in 1673, some 4 miles from Barnsley.

I have been unable to establish any more about this family- they have done a good vanishing act!

While in Barnsley I was interested in the history behind the monument pictured.

The history of mining, and in particular for coal, is unfortunately weighted with many fatalities.

Explosions and flooding were the main causes, although unsafe conditions also contributed.

Mines employed children for many tasks, and families needed the extra income that this provided.

The following statistics are recorded for the Barnsley area alone.

1805: died in an explosion

1809 :10 drowned

1838 Huskar Pit :26 children drowned

1847 :73 died

1852: 10 died in an explosion

1866 :Oaks Colliery 383 men and boys died in two explosions, the second explosion occurring as rescuers attempted to search for survivors the next day. The fatalities ranged in age from 10 to 67. The Oaks Colliery disaster remains the worst in an English coalfield.

1883 :20 men and boys died

1907 :7 died

1907: 4 died

1914 :11 died in an explosion

1942 :13 died in an explosion

1947: 9 died in an explosion

Over 500 lives were lost in the Barnsley area coal mines in 142 years.

John Roydhouse was born in 1725 to unknown parents.
However, a Court record indicates that John Roydhouse, a blacksmith of Hornsea, was indicted for assaulting Ralph Barchard in 1737.
It appears another son, Thomas, was born in 1727 and he married Alice Ombler on the 29th May,1751 in Kingston Upon Hull.

John married Ann Danby on the 16th April 1751.
The couple had 8 children, but at least 2 sons died young.
: Daniel John 26.2.1752 Hornsea
: Ann 7 November 1753 Hornsea
: Elizabeth 7 January 1755 Hornsea
: John 11 December 1757 Hornsea died before February 1759
: John 4th February 1759 Hornsea died before June 1763
: Nancy 2nd June 1760 Hornsea
: Thomas 5th August 1761 Hornsea- 7th November 1842 Hedon
: John 21 June 1763 Hornsea

Daniel was apprenticed to a plumber and glazier in 1764 aged 12 , and in his turn became the master to at least two apprentices in Hedon.

Daniel married Ann Duffield in Bramham on the 4th January 1773.
Daniel John and Ann had at least 5 children:
John 1774-1817
Thomas 1776 -1777

Thomas 1778-1858
Joseph 1780-1782
Betty 1782

All children were born at Thorngumbald.

Daniel died on 11th December 1785 at Hedon aged 33.
Ann died in 1790, leaving 3 children aged between 16 and 8 years of age.

His grandson,Thomas, son of Thomas born 1778, was born 1812, married Mary and they had at least 6 children:
Henry 1848
Roma 1851
Jane 1853
Ellen 1855
Edward 1858
Margaret 1860.

Grandson James born 1822, another son of Thomas born 1778, married Ann Johnson in Sculcoates in 1849, and at least 9 children were baptised and lived in Paull:
William Clark 1854-1900
Thomas 1857
Ann Eliza 1858
George Henry 1863
Elinor Mary 1865
Mary Jane
Louisa 1869
Lavinia 1871
Betsey Emma 1873

Great-grandson George Henry (born 1863)married Kate Ellen Turner in 1888, and recorded the births of 7 children in several different places.
Annie L 1890 Albrough married Arthur Atkinson
George H 1891 Sunk Island
Thomas Wilfred 1893 Preston
John T 1895 Marfleet
Alice M 1897 Marfleet married Harold Atkinson
Kate E 1900 Sandholme
Clifford S 1907 Sandholme

The 7 generations discovered here barely moved 100 miles between 1725 and 1900.
(John in Hornsea-John-Daniel-Thomas-James-George Henry-Clifford in Sandholme)

Link to William Clark Roydhouse :

https://wp.me/p9wfSj-hg

 

St Lawrences Church Sigglesthorne

Sigglesthorne is a small village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) west of Hornsea.
According to the 2011 UK census, Sigglesthorne parish had a population of 404. The village has around 175 houses.
There is also an ancient church dedicated to St. Lawrence that was designated a Grade II* listed building in 1966 and is now recorded in the National Heritage List for England, maintained by Historic England.
It is rumoured throughout the village that the settlement was given its name as a result of a Viking who lived there. This Viking leader was supposedly called Siggul, and since hawthorne is the predominant type of hedge around the village, it was given the name “Siggul’s thorne” → Sigglesthorne.

Matthew Roydhouse married Margaret Smith on the 4th August 1755 in Sigglesthorne, Yorkshire.
They appear to have had at least six daughters and one son Matthew. All children were baptised in Sigglesthorne.
Rachel was baptised on the 10th May 1756.
She married Luke Robinson at Atwick, 5 miles north aged 24 on the 8th May 1780.
Luke and Rachel had at least one son, Matthew.
In the census of 1841 there is an 85 year old Rachel Robinson in Riccall, Yorkshire, less than 50 miles from her birthplace.
Margaret was baptised on the 16th June 1758.
Katherine was baptised on the 13th March, 1760.
Ann was baptised the 21st March 1763.
Elizabeth was baptised 1st April 1766 and appears to have a twin sister Mary.
Matthew was possibly baptised prior to his parents marriage in 1751.
He married Rebecca Richardson in 1780 in Hornsea.
Elisabeth was baptised in October 1782 and the family lived on Bank and their son John was baptised in Leeds in 1785.
Mathew seems to have died in 1791 in Leeds, and Rebecca in 1796
His son John married Frances Parkinson in Beverly Yorkshire in 1814.
We can now assume these are the Roydhouse family who migrated to Burlington, New Jersey.

https://wp.me/p9wfSj-e8

In 1701 the 1st July Quarter Sessions were held at Wakefield in Yorkshire.
On the list of hearings for the sessions was the “Indictment of Dorothea Roydhouse”.

Th writing is difficult to read and mostly in Latin, but some facts can be made out.
Dorothea Roydhouse , spinster of Carleton.
Carleton is about 9 miles from Wakefield, and also close to Pontefract and Hemsworth.

It appears that Dorothy was being indicted for the theft of silk petticoats, silk linings and a hood.
A Katherine Talbut is mentioned in the indictment so she either helped steal or owned the items.

The records of that time indicate that Dorothy most likely was a part of the Hemsworth
Roydhouse clan. Hemwsorth is 6 miles from Carleton, and the type of articles stolen would indicate Dorothy
worked either as a dressmaker or in a position of trust in a wealthy household.

This particular family branch has been variously listed as Roidas, Roydous, Rhoidas, Rhoydas and
Roydhouse in the space of a few years.
William Roydhouse married Elizabeth Hunnington on the 11th November, 1679
Dorothy was baptised 5th Sept 1680

Elizabeth was baptised 5th February 1685 and was buried on 14th March 1685.
Prizile was baptised 14th Feb 1687, and was buried on the 5 April 1700
Margaret was baptised 1688.

Wakefield Prison was built in 1595, so it is more than likely Dorothy spent her prison time there,
although the records are not available to know the length of sentence and/or punishment handed
down to her. Any marriage after 1701 and/or her death have not been located.

Pontefract is about 6 miles from Hemsworth in the West Riding.

The Pomfret Castle was constructed in 1070, and is the place of the death of

King Richard II in 1400.

The  two churches in Pontefract were St Giles and All Saints ( c 1300’s)

There seems to have been only a few Roydhouse records in the history of Pontefract.

The close dates of events would suggest siblings:

• Thomas Roydhouse baptised a son Thomas in 1669, and buried him in 1670.
• William Roydhouse married Sara Haley in 1669
• Ann Roydhouse married John English in 1670

A Rachel Roydhouse married Richard Brook in 1690.

Another generation of Roydhouses in Pontefract included Mary who

married Thomas Cross in 1721 and John who married an Ann Walker in 1723.

Thomas Roydhouse married Elizabeth Pickup on the 2nd April 1716 and his

son Thomas was baptised in January 1718, and buried in 1719 at St Giles Pontefract.

This could be my great ,great ,great ,great, great, great grandparents

Thomas and Elizabeth who baptised Henry Roydhouse in London in 1730.

I can find no other baptisms or burials for this couple in Pontefract between

1719 and  1730, some 11 years later.

 

Wragby is a parish with a village and three townships, located about 5 miles, (8 kilometres) from Pontefract in the West Riding of Yorkshire. Originally here was an Augustine priory founded in 1105 by Robert de Laci.

The church of St. Michael and Our Lady, Wragby is dated to 1533 and less than seven years later the Roydhouse name appears in the records that have been transcribed and digitised.

St Michael and Our Lady Church, ( Flickr image, woodytyke)

Wragby can be seen just under the I in the word West Riding.

JOHN, also recorded as Johannis

1550 :: John, baptised and buried

1604 :: John baptised

1619 :: John, son of John, baptised

1620 :: Elizabeth, daughter of John, baptised

1621 :: Henry, son of John, baptised

1622 :: Elizabeth, daughter of John, baptised

Between 1646 and 1658 a John Roydhouse (likely born 1619) had the following seven records.

1646 :: John, son of John, baptised and buried

1649 :: Mary, daughter of John, baptised ( possibly married John Pell in 1668)

1651 :: John, son of John, baptised and buried

1652 :: Jane, daughter of John, baptised

1654 :: William, son of John, baptised and buried

1658 :: William, son of John, baptised and buried

1658 :: Allis, wife of John, buried

• Elizabeth also recorded as Elizabethae
• Henry also recorded as Henricus and Henrici
• Mary, also recorded as Maria, Marye and Marae

WILLIAM, also record as Guilamme

William the wheelwright baptised at least five children.

1641 :: William, son of William,  baptised

1646 :: Jane, daughter of William, baptised

1648 :: Susann, daughter of William,  baptised

1651 :: Joshua, son of William, baptised

1652 :: Elizabeth, daughter of William, baptised

In 1670 William (likely born 1641) buried Richard and in 1671 John was baptised and buried.

The will of William Roydhouse in 1656 illustrates the incompleteness of the records.

It mentions his wife, Rosamond, first son William(?1641) first daughter Mary,second daughter Sarah, third daughter Rosamond,fourth daughter Jane(? 1646) fifth daughter Susanna(?1648) and sixth daughter Elizabeth(?1652).

Perhaps the marriage of William and Rosamond, baptisms of daughters Mary and Sarah and the burials of Joshua and William senior are  yet to be transcribed.

RICHARD also recorded as Ricardi

Records of Richard Roydhouse with St. Michaels began in 1661.

1661 :: William , son of Richard, baptised

1664 :: John, son of Richard, baptised

1665 :: Richard, son of Richard, baptised

1666 :: Elizabeth, daughter of Richard, baptised

1669 :: Jennit, daughter of Richard, baptised

1671 :: Ginetta, daughter of Richard, baptised and buried

Richard ( baptised 1665) appears to have married Mary Broadhead in 1695. Her death as a widow was recorded in 1734.

 

SAMUEL also recorded as Samueli and Samuell

Samuel baptised at least two children.

1638 :: Margryt baptised

1641 :: Thomas baptised

As a Samuel Roydhouse appears about 30 years later baptising children, I believe he would also have been a son of Samuel senior.

In 1671 Samuel (junior) married Francisca Pease.

1672 :: Samuel, son of Samuel, baptised

1673 :: Elizabeth, daughter of Samuel, baptised

 

THOMAS

The name Thomas Roydhouse appears in the church records continuously over the time frame between 1540 and 1661.

1540 :: Thomas baptised

1574 :: John, son of Thomas ( likely born 1540) baptised

1578 :: William, son of Thomas, baptised

Given the naming patterns used at this time, a son Thomas would have been highly probable.

1593 :: Joan, daughter of Thomas, baptised

1604 :: Thomas baptised

1613 :: Thomas baptised

1628 :: Ellen, daughter of Thomas ,buried

1634 :: Alicia, wife of Thomas, buried

1646 :: Thomas buried

1651 :: Jane, daughter of Thomas,baptised

1651 :: Anne, wife of Thomas buried

1651 :: Thomas, yeoman, buried

1657 :: Thomas married Mary Benson

1658 :: Mary, daughter of Thomas, baptised and buried

1661 :: Thomas buried

ROBERT also recorded as Roberti

The name of Robert also appears between 1540 and 1661.

1540 :: Lawrans, son of Robert, baptised

1604 :: Robert, son of Robert and Mary, baptised

1619 :: Robert baptised

1621 :: Anna, daughter of Robert and Elizabeth, baptised.  (possibly married Richard Max in 1646)

1622 :: Elizabeth, daughter of Robert and Mary, baptised and buried

1623 :: John, son of Robert, baptised

1626 :: Elizabeth, daughter of Robert baptised and buried

1631 :: Dorothy, daughter of Robert, baptised (possibly married George Perkin 1648)

1632 :: Anna, daughter Robert and Anna, buried

1634 :: John, son of Robert, buried

1646 :: Robert, buried

1654 :: Robert baptised

1657 :: Robert, son of Robert and Mary, buried

1658 :: Frances, wife of Robert, buried

1658 :: Jennit , daughter of Robert and Mary, buried

1659 :: Allis, daughter of Robert and Mary, buried

1659 :: Mary, wife of Robert, buried

1661 :: Robert, buried

• Dorothy also recorded as Dorothie and Dorothea
• Jennit also recorded as Gennetha

HENRY also recorded as Henricus, Hennerie and Henrici

Henry as a name appears from 1604 through to 1743.

1604 :: Henry baptised

1620 :: Henry, son of John, baptised and buried

1622 :: Henry married Anna Foster

1623 :: Henry, son of Henry, baptised

1626 :: John, son of Henry and Anna, baptised

1626 :: Martina, daughter of Henry, buried

1631 :: Jane, daughter of Henry baptised

1632 :: Anna, daughter  of Henry, buried ( possibly Jane)

1635 :: Anna, baptised and buried

1646 :: Henry buried

1646 :: Mary buried

1648 :: Anna, widow of Henry married Richard More

1648 :: Anna More, wife of Richard, buried

1648 :: Henry ( likely born 1623) married Katherine Symson

1649 :: Mary, daughter of Henry, baptised

1651 :: Thomas, son of Henry, baptised

1653 :: Henry buried

1654 :: Henry, son of Henry, baptised

1655 :: Thomas, son of Henry, baptised and buried

1656 :: Henry, son of Henry, baptised

1657 ::John, son of Henry, baptised

1659 :: Elizabeth, daughter of Henry, baptised

1664 :: Jane, daughter of Henry and Katherine, baptised

1700 :: Henry, baptised and buried

1734 :: John, son of Henry, buried

1736 :: John, son of Henry, buried

1738 :: Joseph, son of Henry, baptised

1743 :: William, son of Henry, baptised

 

 

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER::::

These next blog posts in early Yorkshire are only my understandings and interpretations of the available remaining records for the time frame and exact place.

The records are in the main extremely hard to read, in bad handwriting, alternative spellings and/or mostly in Latin.

 

The record of interest as an example is one for “Jane fillia Henricus Roydhoufe et Catherine .. baptiz..”

The basic intent of this record is that Henry and Catherine Roydhouse had a daughter, Jane in April 1664.(Wragby)

I have not tried to trace the people beyond what I can glean from the records found in Hemsworth.

I believe that the locality with this surname is important to justify my theories- the surname not ever being very commonplace. I cannot extend the same beliefs to another locality due to the very common first names of the time.

Having said all that, I am enjoying trying to crack this extremely difficult puzzle, although I may not post every week while chasing these early families!!

Let’s start!!

The records for Hemsworth suggest that a Roydhouse family with at least three brothers Oursley, Francis and Thomas were living in the area in the early 1600’s. However, the men could have been cousins or one the father of the other two continuing his family, or even a father, uncle and son baptising children at the same time.

Oursley baptised a daughter, Faith in 1626.This document is only available “transcribed” and I have to accept not being able to read the original for myself- there are no other records for an Oursley anywhere. I can’t find any records of Faith in Hemsworth after her baptism.

Francis baptised Richard in 1627.

Thomas buried a son Roger in 1628.As Roger is listed as a son, he will most likely have been quite younger than 15.

Francis or Thomas also appear to have Edward and Thomas in their families. I would imagine they were born around 1635.

Edward baptised Rachell in 1662, Mary 1667 married Edward Huntingdon 1687 and possibly Eliza 1668(married Edward Milnor 1689)

Edward or Thomas has William circa 1665. His children included Dorothy 1680, Eliza 1685-1685; Margaret 1686; ,Prizile 1687-1700; William 1688,Mary 1694.Edward died 1705, a brother of the hospital.

Thomas and Ann baptised John 1663, Ann 1668 and Mary.

Ann the daughter married Robert Mitchell in 1685.

Mary the daughter married William Shepherd in 1695. John  1696; Edward  1699; Mary 1702; Margaret 1704

Ann the wife of Thomas died in 1693.

John the son of Thomas and Ann, married Ann Bayes in 1688.

Their children included:

William 1688; Marye 1689; James and John 1692; Ann 1695 (possibly married Joshua Clayton 1723); Thomas born and died 1697; Thomas 1698 m Elizabeth Bates 1720 ;Sarah 1699 and William 1700-1713.

Ann the wife of John died in 1704 and John appears to have died in 1709, recorded as a “brother of the hospital”

This form of classifying a person rose in the Middle Ages, when there were four types of hospital; for lepers, for poor pilgrims; for the poor and infirm and almshouses or bedehouses. The long term inmates were known as the brothers and sisters of the “house” and instructed to pray daily for the souls of the benefactors- “bede” being prayer.

Many old churchyards had yew trees growing, the surrounds encouraged growth and the tree made strong bows. The construction of St Helen’s in Hemsworth was recorded in 1022.

Hemsworth’s  Yew tree is said to be between 700 and 1,000 years old, the ancient tree no longer grows but stands, weighing several tonnes and a girth of over 4.5 metres. It would have been already been between 300  and 600 years old at the time these Roydhouse families were flourishing.

The first child to be born in America, and the eldest daughter of John Roydhouse and his wife Frances nee Parkinson, Lydia Ann Roydhouse was born in Burlington, New Jersey in 1819.

She married Aaron Wood about 1837, and the couple had 2 sons and two daughters.

1.Henrietta Wood was born on Christmas Eve, 1838 and married Benjamin F Lindsey in 1863
Nettie M 1868-1870; Frank Clinton 1872-1943 and Willam Tibbits 1875-1924. Henrietta died in 1909

2.Lydia A Wood born in 1845 married Joseph Steere
Amanda Steere 1864, Georgeanna 1866, Anna Mary Steere 1868

3.Jacob born in 1851 and died in 1867.

4.Alfred was born in 1856

Lydia died in 1889.

John’s second daughter Sarah B was born in 1820.

She married Thomas Parker Birkett on the 24th October 1839 in Mt Holly, Burlington Co. New Jersey.

1.Margaret F.Birkett was born on the 29th September 1840 in Kansas and married William Henry Pew.
Joanna Elizabeth Pew 1865-1920. Her father William died in 1869.She lived with her grandparents after her mother’s marriage to Thomas Atkinson Gaskill in 1871.
Margaret and Thomas had two sons John Coty Gaskill 1871-1933; Otto Gaskill 1881 Kansas-1900

2. John R Birkett 1842-1905

3. Sarah Birkett 1845-1874

4. James Birkett 1847-1887

5. Thomas Parker Birkett jr 1851-1933

6. Benjamin Franklin Birkett 1856-1935

7. Mary F Birkett 1858-1937 single 1900 census

8. Martha Watts Birkett 1861-married Reginald Thomas Whitcomb 1895
1. Arthur B Whitcomb was born in 1896

Sarah died on the 6th May 1914 in Burlington. She was 94.