Unravelling The Watts Family History
"...Tracing the Watts family background has not been very successful to date. There are only three firm pieces of information. One is that Ann’s father was named as James Watts on her marriage certificate, another is that they were both living in Beaminster Bottom at that time and lastly that later Censuses say that she was born in Beaminster perhaps around 1820 although she always seemed uncertain of her age.... In 2004 the Somerset & Dorset Family History Society found four marriage entries for James Watts but only one within a fifteen mile radius of Beaminster where Ann was born. This marriage took place in the village of South Perrott which is about four miles north of Beaminster.
21.06.1808 James Watts = Mary Cleall, Witnesses: William Watts and Rachel Watts."
The two witnesses William and Rachel are obviously family members but how are they related to Ann?
I have not so far located Rachel Watts. Quite probably she would have married between 1808 and 1841 when the first census records become available. It is likely that William Watts is James’s brother who I believe was born in about 1790. It is possible that Rachel is his sister.
In attempting to untangle the families in the region of Beaminster Bottom to pinpoint Ann’s family my considered opinion is that although her father is named on her marriage certificate it is most likely that he was actually deceased by the time she married in 1842. In support of this theory I have located a burial in St Mary’s Church Beaminster in 1840.
1840 9th November James WATTS 59 Beaminster Bottom
James Watts died in Beaminster Q4 1840 vol 8 page 1
If I have found the right person then his age would indicate a birth year of about 1781 putting him in the same generation as William Watts 1790 - 1874.
I think that her mother was still alive and living in Beaminster Bottom next door to her late husband’s two nephews William and Thomas who would therefore be Ann’s cousins. I have not been able to find any reference to her father James Watts in any census records. If as is believed he married Mary Cleall in 1808 then he would have been at least 17 at that time. This would give him a birth year of before 1791. When Ann married in 1842 he would have been in his mid to late fifties if he had survived and I would have expected him to be with his wife and family in 1841 but Mary Watts is on her own with Henry and Jane who presumably are her children. Two of the sons of William Watts are living next door to Mary Watts. I believe that they are nephews of Mary and that Ann’s father James is the older brother of William Watts who was born in about 1790.
In view of this I decided to research the family and descendants of William Watts in the hope that this may throw even more light on the situation.
21.06.1808 James Watts = Mary Cleall, Witnesses: William Watts and Rachel Watts."
The two witnesses William and Rachel are obviously family members but how are they related to Ann?
I have not so far located Rachel Watts. Quite probably she would have married between 1808 and 1841 when the first census records become available. It is likely that William Watts is James’s brother who I believe was born in about 1790. It is possible that Rachel is his sister.
In attempting to untangle the families in the region of Beaminster Bottom to pinpoint Ann’s family my considered opinion is that although her father is named on her marriage certificate it is most likely that he was actually deceased by the time she married in 1842. In support of this theory I have located a burial in St Mary’s Church Beaminster in 1840.
1840 9th November James WATTS 59 Beaminster Bottom
James Watts died in Beaminster Q4 1840 vol 8 page 1
If I have found the right person then his age would indicate a birth year of about 1781 putting him in the same generation as William Watts 1790 - 1874.
I think that her mother was still alive and living in Beaminster Bottom next door to her late husband’s two nephews William and Thomas who would therefore be Ann’s cousins. I have not been able to find any reference to her father James Watts in any census records. If as is believed he married Mary Cleall in 1808 then he would have been at least 17 at that time. This would give him a birth year of before 1791. When Ann married in 1842 he would have been in his mid to late fifties if he had survived and I would have expected him to be with his wife and family in 1841 but Mary Watts is on her own with Henry and Jane who presumably are her children. Two of the sons of William Watts are living next door to Mary Watts. I believe that they are nephews of Mary and that Ann’s father James is the older brother of William Watts who was born in about 1790.
In view of this I decided to research the family and descendants of William Watts in the hope that this may throw even more light on the situation.
Our starting point has to be the 1841 census which seems to show Ann’s mother Mary and her brother Henry and sister Jane living in Beaminster Bottom. The following map from 1890 shows the farm with a smithy and a Public House, the Three Horse Shoes which explains the occupancy as discovered in 1841 and 1851.
There is a three generation link with the Inn at Beaminster Bottom. We can locate William Watts 1790 there in 1861 with his son Thomas. In 1871 and 1881 Thomas David Watts can be found at the Three Horse Shoes he is the grandson of William Watts. By 1891 the Inn has changed hands and is now being occupied by the Swaffield family.
"...Because this Census does not give relationships it is not easy to determine who is living with who. It can be only guesswork but it looks as though Thomas is married, working with his brother as a Blacksmith and employs an Apprentice. In the other property the lady of independent means could be the mother of Thomas, William and Henry as they are all Blacksmiths. Jane may well be a daughter.
One significant factor in thinking that these families are related to Ann Watts is that the two witnesses at her wedding were Mary Watts and William Watts. Perhaps the 55 year old Independent lady above is Ann’s mother. Her age has been rounded down so she could be, say, 57 which gives her a birth date of about 1784 which in turn means that if she is the same lady who married in South Perrott in 1808 she was about twenty-four at the time. William Watts is probably Ann’s brother.
It was disappointing that Ann was not at home although this is not altogether surprising as most unmarried young women were working elsewhere as Servants...."
The 1841 census for Beaminster I believe does not show, as Nigel supposed, that Mary is the mother of Thomas, William and Henry but rather that she is Ann’s mother with her two children Henry and Jane and that Thomas and William are Ann’s cousins. My reasons for this assumption should become clear shortly.
I have not discovered yet who Susan Daubney is. Presumably she is a widow as there is no husband in evidence. She has with her a 7 year old son.
My first major success was in finding Ann Watts in Piddletrenthide with a Mary Watts who may be her sister or possibly a cousin. If the latter then she would be the sister of Thomas and William. I have not discovered any evidence of them having a sibling called Mary who would have been born in about 1816 but there is a five year gap between the birth of Thomas in 1811 and William in about 1817 so it is quite possible. As will be seen William and Amelia were quite prolific as I have found reference to eight children of whom I think Thomas is the oldest as he was born when his mother and father were both about 21 years of age
"...Because this Census does not give relationships it is not easy to determine who is living with who. It can be only guesswork but it looks as though Thomas is married, working with his brother as a Blacksmith and employs an Apprentice. In the other property the lady of independent means could be the mother of Thomas, William and Henry as they are all Blacksmiths. Jane may well be a daughter.
One significant factor in thinking that these families are related to Ann Watts is that the two witnesses at her wedding were Mary Watts and William Watts. Perhaps the 55 year old Independent lady above is Ann’s mother. Her age has been rounded down so she could be, say, 57 which gives her a birth date of about 1784 which in turn means that if she is the same lady who married in South Perrott in 1808 she was about twenty-four at the time. William Watts is probably Ann’s brother.
It was disappointing that Ann was not at home although this is not altogether surprising as most unmarried young women were working elsewhere as Servants...."
The 1841 census for Beaminster I believe does not show, as Nigel supposed, that Mary is the mother of Thomas, William and Henry but rather that she is Ann’s mother with her two children Henry and Jane and that Thomas and William are Ann’s cousins. My reasons for this assumption should become clear shortly.
I have not discovered yet who Susan Daubney is. Presumably she is a widow as there is no husband in evidence. She has with her a 7 year old son.
My first major success was in finding Ann Watts in Piddletrenthide with a Mary Watts who may be her sister or possibly a cousin. If the latter then she would be the sister of Thomas and William. I have not discovered any evidence of them having a sibling called Mary who would have been born in about 1816 but there is a five year gap between the birth of Thomas in 1811 and William in about 1817 so it is quite possible. As will be seen William and Amelia were quite prolific as I have found reference to eight children of whom I think Thomas is the oldest as he was born when his mother and father were both about 21 years of age
There is a record of the death of a Mary Watts in Beaminster Q1 1850 vol 11 page 61 which is possibly the independent lady from 1841 who I believe is Ann’s mother. The two children who were with her in 1841 are no longer resident at the same place. I have not managed to locate Henry in any census beyond 1841. There are however three recorded deaths of a Henry Watts in the Beaminster area between 1841 and 1851 which would account for him not being found in later censuses. Of these the following entry is consistent with the Parish records for St Mary’s Beaminster which shows the burial of a Henry Watts of Beaminster Bottom in 1842. It gives his age as 31 so it is possible that the age in the 1841 census is not correct.
1842 9th May Henry WATTS 31 Beaminster Bottom
Henry Watts died in Beaminster Q2 1842 vol 8 page 2
The elusive Watts family includes daughter Jane who has also disappeared from the census records. The only death occurrences between 1841 and 1851 are in Shaftesbury, Blandford or Wincanton with the exception of one death which is almost close enough to Beaminster to be a possibility. This is Jane Watts who died in Dorchester Q1 1847 vol 8 page 63. There is also a marriage in 1858 when Jane would have been 30, Jane Watts married Thomas Watts or Henry Rawls in Beaminster Q2 1858 vol 5a page 755. I don’t think this is her as subsequent census records indicate that this Jane was born in about 1833 not 1827 although given the possible age inaccuracy for Henry then perhaps this is her.
The information on the burials of Henry and James Watts were taken from entries in the Beaminster Parish registers as transcribed on www.opcdorset.com
In 1851 Mary Watts is still a servant at Doles Ash House, the census shows her birthplace as Corscombe which is only 1 mile from Beaminster Bottom. She has been joined by another visitor Mary Watts age 69 born in South Perrott. The age does not match exactly but this may be Ann’s mother assuming that she did not in fact die in 1850 but yet again she does not appear in any census after 1851. Also working in the same house is a Sarah Watts aged probably 32 who may well be the sister of the younger Mary This would mean we have an aunt and two nieces working together where ten years earlier it was two cousins in service together.
Henry Watts died in Beaminster Q2 1842 vol 8 page 2
The elusive Watts family includes daughter Jane who has also disappeared from the census records. The only death occurrences between 1841 and 1851 are in Shaftesbury, Blandford or Wincanton with the exception of one death which is almost close enough to Beaminster to be a possibility. This is Jane Watts who died in Dorchester Q1 1847 vol 8 page 63. There is also a marriage in 1858 when Jane would have been 30, Jane Watts married Thomas Watts or Henry Rawls in Beaminster Q2 1858 vol 5a page 755. I don’t think this is her as subsequent census records indicate that this Jane was born in about 1833 not 1827 although given the possible age inaccuracy for Henry then perhaps this is her.
The information on the burials of Henry and James Watts were taken from entries in the Beaminster Parish registers as transcribed on www.opcdorset.com
In 1851 Mary Watts is still a servant at Doles Ash House, the census shows her birthplace as Corscombe which is only 1 mile from Beaminster Bottom. She has been joined by another visitor Mary Watts age 69 born in South Perrott. The age does not match exactly but this may be Ann’s mother assuming that she did not in fact die in 1850 but yet again she does not appear in any census after 1851. Also working in the same house is a Sarah Watts aged probably 32 who may well be the sister of the younger Mary This would mean we have an aunt and two nieces working together where ten years earlier it was two cousins in service together.
In 1851 the Beaminster census shows that Thomas Watts is now widowed and living next door to William who appears to have married and had children..
There is a marriage between William Watts and Mary Ann Burridge in Beaminster Q2 1848 vol 8 page 2 which is probably him
There is a marriage between William Watts and Mary Ann Burridge in Beaminster Q2 1848 vol 8 page 2 which is probably him
"...The 1851 Census is not much help either, in establishing relationships. Thomas Watts is now a Widower living alone. His probable brother, William, is living next door with his family. However Mary Watts nee Cleall, our possible ancestor, aged 55 in 1841, is missing..."
In pursuit of the rest of the 1841 Watts families I have discovered the existence in 1841 of a William Watts born in 1790. I am certain that he is the father of William and Thomas and probably the brother of James. The intriguing fact which has emerged from these researches is the continuing absence of any firm details on James Watts and his descendants. I have succeeded in tracking down countless descendants of William Watts but the only descendant of James Watts is our ancestor Ann.
While searching for the history of William and Mary Ann Watts certain anomalies I encountered have produced evidence of another couple of the same names, similar ages and birthplaces. I set out to try and find out as much as possible of this other William Watts who was born about 1826. In order to do so I started with his parents and then extended my search to his other relatives and their descendants. On investigation it transpires that this William is the son of John Watts. I have no evidence to support the theory but as John was born in about 1790 it is possible that he is another brother of James and William. John Watts was born in Wraxall, William was born in Kingcombe, Toller Porcorum.
I do not know the birthplace of James, we only know that he probably married in South Perrott. Kingcombe and Wraxall are only two miles apart. It is possible that the the whole family migrated up the valley from the Toller Porcorum area to the villages around South Perrott some time between 1790 and 1808. Alternatively maybe the younger members gradually followed each other in that direction in search of work.
I have found one more Watts who could possibly be a sister of James. This is Elizabeth Watts aged 58 in 1851 who was born in Toller Porcorum and is shown in the census as working as an unmarried housekeeper in Kingcombe. I did not find her in the 1841 census.
While searching for the history of William and Mary Ann Watts certain anomalies I encountered have produced evidence of another couple of the same names, similar ages and birthplaces. I set out to try and find out as much as possible of this other William Watts who was born about 1826. In order to do so I started with his parents and then extended my search to his other relatives and their descendants. On investigation it transpires that this William is the son of John Watts. I have no evidence to support the theory but as John was born in about 1790 it is possible that he is another brother of James and William. John Watts was born in Wraxall, William was born in Kingcombe, Toller Porcorum.
I do not know the birthplace of James, we only know that he probably married in South Perrott. Kingcombe and Wraxall are only two miles apart. It is possible that the the whole family migrated up the valley from the Toller Porcorum area to the villages around South Perrott some time between 1790 and 1808. Alternatively maybe the younger members gradually followed each other in that direction in search of work.
I have found one more Watts who could possibly be a sister of James. This is Elizabeth Watts aged 58 in 1851 who was born in Toller Porcorum and is shown in the census as working as an unmarried housekeeper in Kingcombe. I did not find her in the 1841 census.
My investigations into the Cleall connection involved checking out the 1841 census records for Cheddington and surrounding villages to find Cleall families. At the same time I made note of any Watts families in the area who were not already included in the William Watts descendency and there are surprisingly few. Two of these actually turned out to be relatives of the other William Watts.
William Watts 1790 - 1874
(3rd great great uncle)
William Watts was born about 1790 in Kingscombe, Toller Porcorum.
In 1841 he heads an extensive family at the Winyards Gap Inn in Cheddington which is only 2 miles from Beaminster Bottom. His oldest child in 1841 is James who is 20 years old. It is unlikely that this is his first child as he probably married Amelia between 1810 and 1820. The 1841 census shows Amelia was born in Chideock. Given the results shown later it is quite possible that Amelia’s maiden name was Salisbury.
I have checked the 1841 census for Chideock and there are no families with this name still living there. There are however several occurrences of the name Salisbury in Powerstock and Loders, both of which are located between Chideock and Williams birthplace of Kingscombe. As will be seen we know William had two sons in 1811 and 1817. It is possible that there were other children but most of the possibles I have located were also born about 1811 which effectively eliminates them.
I have already said that I think Mary who is working in Piddletrenthide is probably a sister to Thomas and William and I suspect that Sarah who is in Piddletrenthide in 1851 is another sister.
In 1851 William and Amelia Watts are still running the Winyards Gap Inn at Cheddington with 5 of their children. I believe they have two older sons William and Thomas who were in the 1841 census with Mary Watts and who are still smithing in Beaminster Bottom.
There is a recorded death of Amelia Watts in Beaminster Q1 1853 vol 5a page 333
By 1861 Winyards Gap Inn has passed into the hands of the Rogers family. The publican is now Robert Rogers who was born in Piddletrenthide and who 10 years earlier was working as a groom in North Street Beaminster. Whether he was influential in finding the two Watts girls their places at Doles Ash farm is conjecture.
Following the death of his wife William has moved to Beaminster and is innkeeper at the Beaminster Bottom Inn where he is living with his oldest son William who is working as a smith with his brother Thomas who lives with his family in the cottage next door. The property only appears as an Inn during the 1861 census so I suspect that it was not a regular Inn but was set up by William in the cottage previously occupied by Thomas in 1841 to give himself some income. Given its location it would only have served as an Inn for the local farm workers who were very sparsely populated.
By 1861 Winyards Gap Inn has passed into the hands of the Rogers family. The publican is now Robert Rogers who was born in Piddletrenthide and who 10 years earlier was working as a groom in North Street Beaminster. Whether he was influential in finding the two Watts girls their places at Doles Ash farm is conjecture.
Following the death of his wife William has moved to Beaminster and is innkeeper at the Beaminster Bottom Inn where he is living with his oldest son William who is working as a smith with his brother Thomas who lives with his family in the cottage next door. The property only appears as an Inn during the 1861 census so I suspect that it was not a regular Inn but was set up by William in the cottage previously occupied by Thomas in 1841 to give himself some income. Given its location it would only have served as an Inn for the local farm workers who were very sparsely populated.
William Watts probably died age 84 in Beaminster Q4 1874 vol 5a page 254