I had some credits to spare at ‘Find My Past’ so I trawled the newspapers and found a death notice for George WREFORD’s daughter, Harriet in 1858.
Death Notice of Harriet WREFORD -1858
“April 29, at Witheridge, aged 7 years, Harriet, second daughter of Mr. George Wreford, Commercial Inn.”
It seems my WREFORDs may not have run the Hare and Hounds after all (see previous post, Pub Crawl). Although it is possible they could have run both during their life in Witheridge – this has been the only time I’ve found where the inn was named.
The Commercial Inn in Witheridge, Devonshire closed sometime after 1894. The Witheridge Historical Archive website has a gap between the 1850 and 1878 directories for the inn’s keepers and I’m still yet to find a directory for the area circa 1861.
Hare and Hounds TO LET notice Trewman’s Exeter Flying Post 22 April 1858
This notice was found on a visit to the Exeter Library a few years ago. It relates to the letting of the Hare and Hounds Inn of Witheridge in 1858 – only a few years before my WREFORDs inhabited it in 1861. Perhaps the WREFORDs took over this letting in 1858?
The text is very difficult to read but I have uploaded it here (with a transcription of what I could make out) in case anyone has any suggestions.
Trewman’s Exeter Flying Post
Exeter, Thursday, April 22,1858 (p1)
WITHERIDGE – DEVON
TO LET by Tender, for a Term of …… [years] from Midsummer next, all ……[establish]ment called the HARE AND [HOUNDS] [encompassing?] a dwelling-house, malt- …… and also a garden and two fields? … the occupation of Mr. William …
… [business is now?] being carried …
… be sent on or before the 1?th …. to Mr I M?H C?mins?, Solictor, …
Front page the above notice was ‘clipped’ from
UPDATE – I have found evidence that the family actually kept the Commercial Inn – see post here
After receiving an email asking whether Drusilla WREFORD (the 14 year old innkeeper originally mentioned in my post Pub Crawl) met her husband, Thomas WILLS on the voyage to NZ, I delved further into this family. It was a good question and one I hadn’t really thought of since she was not my direct ancestor and I have so much to research on my genealogical plate. However, my curiosity was piqued and I donned my detective cap to find out more.
After some apparent hard times, George & Harriet WREFORD, who had apparently run the Hare & Hounds Inn run the Commercial Inn in Witheridge, Devonshire (c1861), emigrated with their 8 surviving children to New Zealand aboard the Bombay on the 26 Nov 1864. Sadly, their youngest daughter, Mary Ann died on the voyage, aged 2.
My first step was to consult the 1864-5 passenger list for the Bombay voyage these WREFORDS took and funnily enough there was a Thomas WILLS on board aged 23. Drusilla was 17 at the time so quite possible they could meet and take a fancy to one another. Or perhaps they were already betrothed before leaving England? I diverted course to search for Thomas on the UK censuses but without having any more information about him abandoned that search and turned instead to the fabulous NZ Papers Past website.
Sisters Augusta, Drusilla and Sarah Grace nee WREFORD
Although I was initially searching for marriage notices, most of my day has since been spent reading the articles and snippets which mention my ancestors and their neighbours, revisiting old avenues of research and getting to know the other members of this family. My search also led me to the NZ Births, Deaths & Marriages online where I was able to locate the WREFORD sisters’ marriages (or at least their registration numbers).
WREFORD sister marriages including Drusilla’s to Thomas WILLS
So proof that 14 year old innkeep, Drusilla married somebody called Thomas WILLS. The 1865 marriage made it seem likely but there was still no real evidence to suggest it was the same Tom on the Bombay with the family.
Drusilla’s Death Notice (also mentions sister Sarah Grace)
Until… serendipity stepped in. Tweaking the newspaper search words to ‘bombay’ and ‘wreford’ led me to the obituary notice for Drusilla in the Auckland Star (Volume LXV, Issue 140, 15 June 1934, p3).
Obituary Notice for Drusilla WILLS (nee WREFORD)
The death occurred on June 13 at Onehunga of Mrs. Drucilla Wills, aged 89 years. She was a daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. George Wreford, and came to New Zealand with them when a child in the ship Bombay. Her late husband, Mr. Thos. Wills, was a passenger on the same vessel. They were married at St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Onehunga, by the late Rev. Dr. Purchas, and settled at Awhitu, where Mr. Wills engaged in the gum trade for many years. When he retired from business Mr. and Mrs. Wills went to reside at Onehunga. Mrs. Wills is survived by two children. Mr James Wills and Mrs. D. Evans, and 15 grandchildren, and 20 great-grandchildren.
After a long (unintentional) break from genealogy, I returned to ancestry to find some ‘wiggling leaves’ attached to Charles RICHARDS (b1851). There was a death and probate suggestion which seemed very likely and got me a bit excited until I actually checked the detail on the probate entry:
Although the places were apt, none of the names seemed familiar – my Charles married a Sarah MILLINGTON while this person’s widow was Ellen. The names Jesse and Florence Edith were unfamiliar too. So I searched and found a 1911 census record for this couple:
So with that probate ruled out, I went back to my hints page and looked at the other family trees containing Charles RICHARDS and his family. At least 3 of these trees (which were referring to my Charles -born 1851, married to Sarah, father to 11 children) had listed that particular probate record as a source!
I rechecked the probate record and also listed was a retired shipwright of Liverpool whose widow was Sarah Ann RICHARDS:
Perhaps this is where the confusion lay? However, Charles had appeared in every census from 1851 – always in Staffordshire and always related to the coal industry (particularly as a coal miner).
Although it IS possible that Charles may have remarried, a simple search of the 1911 census found Charles and Sarah still living in Walsall with four of their children:
1911 census record – Charles and Sarah RICHARDS
I left comments on two of the trees informing the owners of the mistake and am keen to hear back from them as they appear to have information (and PHOTOS!) of Charles’ parents and siblings.
In closing, dear fellow geneageeks, PLEASE remember the first rule of genealogy and do not attach information to your tree without confirming it – however much you may want it to be true. After a long hiatus, I was rusty and nearly fell into this trap – DON’T LET IT HAPPEN TO YOU!
Ancestry have now released the National Probate Calendar (1861-1941) which is almost like an index to wills. A distant relative who has worked with me on my STILING line gave me the heads up and I checked it out:
STILING John 9 October.
The Will of John Stiling late of Tiverton in the County of Devon Yeoman deceased who died 3 February 1862 at Tiverton aforesaid was proved at Exeter by the oath of Edward Stiling of the Parish of Tiverton aforesaid Yeoman the Son one of the Executors.
Effects under £600.
[handwritten underneath] Resworn at the Stamp Office Feb 1865 under £450.
I believe this to be my John STILING for the following reasons:
he dropped off the census after 1861
wife declared a widow on the 1871 census
recorded living at Tiverton since 1811 (son Edward’s birth)
has son Edward STILING
farmer (yeoman) since 1841 census
This is the first time I had even come close to a death date for John STILING so I was very pleased indeed to see this entry.
I used ancestry to look further into the son mentioned, Edward STILING and found what appears to be his will too. The entry contained: formerly of Barton but late of Tiverton Farmer died 16 Feb 1873 at Tiverton – Elizabeth Daw, widow, his sister executrix.
Not only do I have a death date but also a daughter of John that I was unaware of until now.
