Pre-1800 – Which is the correct Bee line (pun?)– Ancaster or Caythorpe?

 

Discussion Point One – Were the Bees from Ancaster before Barrowby?

 

On 16 May 1799 when William Bee married Elizabeth Johnson at Barrowby, to the west of Grantham, he is recorded as living in Somerby. Somerby is only four miles from Welby and in the period 1795/1802 two male Bee brothers appeared at Welby namely John and Edward. A third brother William born at Ancaster on 16 February 1772 may also have come through to Welby. 

 

William Bee, my great, great, great grandfather, at his death in 1842 at Barrowby was 68 years old. He was therefore born in 1773/74. The three brothers mentioned above were descended from John and Elizabeth Bee of Ancaster. However the birth date of the brother William is 16 February 1772. This would put him as 70 at his death not 68. As there were no formal records, this might be acceptable and he could be the William Bee we are looking for.

 

The sequence of events is that the first brother John Bee, born 5 February 1764 at Ancaster marries Alice Hollingworth on 13 May 1786 at Barkston four miles away and they set up home halfway between Barkston and Ancaster at Honington. They have two children after their own names at Honington and move to Welby in 1795. Here they have two more children, Edward and William both named after John’s two brothers. The  second  brother, Edward in 1795 is still living at Ancaster and going out with Bridget Cartwright born at Blankney. They marry in 1797 and between then and 1802 move to be with their brother John at Welby. Edward and Bridget’s first born, Elizabeth, in 1802 is named after his mother. Two biblical names are found for their two other sons as young John, Edward and William are already living in Welby as sons of John. The third brother William, born 16 February 1772 and christened at Ancaster may also have moved to the Welby area probably in 1795 with his brother John and might have taken employment at Somerby as a labourer. If he is our William Bee he meets Elizabeth Johnson and marries her at Barrowby on 16 May 1799 making him 27 when he married.

 

Discussion Point Two – Were the Bees from Caythorpe before Barrowby?

 

Was William Bee who died 25 August 1842 at Barrowby the son of Edward and Ann Bee of Caythorpe and if he was, how did he come to live at Somerby prior to his marriage in 1799 to Elizabeth Johnson at Barrowby?

 

We know that my great, great, great grandfather, William Bee was 68 at his death. His birth to Edward and Ann Bee of Caythorpe on 28 October 1773 is perfect and would make him 68 in 1842 on his death. It is the only record of a William Bee in Lincolnshire that agrees with his age at death. However, when he lived at Somerby in 1799 prior to his marriage, it is recorded that a Chris Bee was christened at Somerby church on 25 December 1798. He was the illegitimate son of Prudence Bee. The only reason for mentioning this is that because their is no record of Prudence Bee being born in Lincolnshire, William and Prudence could be brother and sister and my great, great, great grandfather could have come from outside the county i.e. Leicestershire, whose border is only eight miles away. This needs checking. Anyway back to the discussion on William Bee from Caythorpe.

 

Looking at the names of William Bees first three children to Elizabeth Johnson and comparing to Edward and Ann Bee of Caythorpe names for their first three children shows an exact fit with the first born Edward being named after William’s father Edward. Although I have not found any christening records for Edward Bee, William and  Elizabeth’s  first child, born 1801, in the 1841 Barrowby census he is recorded as being 40 and born in Barrowby. In the 1851 census he comes up in the next village, Great Gonerby, aged 50 an agricultural labourer born in Barrowby with his 50  year old wife Ann born in Melton, Leicestershire. In the 1881 records Edward is found living in Allington Lane, Barrowby with his daughter, Elizabeth Jarvis ( nee  Bee ) 51 years old. Edward is recorded as being 80. He died just after the 1881 census on 14 July 1881 and is buried in Barrowby. He was an uncle of my great grandfather Edward Bee of Somerby.

 

The only Bee family producing children in Barrowby in 1801 were William Bee and Elizabeth Bee ( nee Johnson ). There was another young family Edward Bee and Sarah Dawn who started their family in 1793 in the next village, Great Gonerby. Edward, although records do not show him to be christened in Barrowby definitely must be the eldest son of William and Elizabeth Bee, my great, great, great grandparents.

 

So as William who died in 1842 at Barrowby called his eldest son Edward after his father’s name and as his birth date is correct it looks as if William must have come from Caythorpe. If he came from Ancaster he would have been 70 on his death not 68 and his first born would probably have been called John after his father’s name rather than Edward.

 

With regards to the naming of William and Elizabeth’s children the sequence is Edward, John, William, Thomas, Ann, Elizabeth, George, Mary. This sequence and the reasons behind the names ties in better with William having Caythorpe roots rather than Ancaster roots. Edward and John are identical with William’s own elder brothers. Thomas is the name of his father in law and would be the same if he came from Ancaster or Caythorpe. However Ann, if he came from Caythorpe, is his mother’s name, which he has used prior to his wife’s name Elizabeth. If William came from Ancaster, Ann would be used as his mother in law’s name prior to his wife’s name, I think not! George is a new name anyway but Mary is the name of his sister if he came from Caythorpe, whereas it does not tie in with anything if he came from Ancaster. All in all the naming of his children ties in much better if William came from Caythorpe and not Ancaster.

 

So to recap, coming from Caythorpe means that William’s age at death is correct, he has called his first born after his father and his childrens’ names are more explainable. William’s older brother John married Alice at Welby and had Edward on 11 May 1796 and William on 28 September 1799’ no doubt named after our William his uncle! William’s older brother Edward married Sarah Dawn at Barrowby on 4 February 1790. They had Sarah 1790, Edward 1792, Robert 1793, John 1795, Ann 1797, Susanah 1803, Tabitha 1806, all at Great Gonerby, 

 

 

How did William come to be in Somerby?  With older brother John aged 23 marrying Alice at Welby in say 1795, William could easily be in the Welby/Somerby area in 1799. He also would have been visiting his elder brother Edward, who was 20 years old at his marriage to Sarah Dawn at Barrowby in 1790. On the 6 May 1799 when our William married Elizabeth Johnson in Barrowby he would have been 25 years old and from the age of 16 could have been visiting Great Gonerby near Barrowby to see his brother Edward. Ample  opportunity to meet Elizabeth Johnson at nearby Barrowby.

 

The Caythorpe Bees

 

If our William Bee originated from Caythorpe then the Caythorpe Bees needed to be researched. From the family tree it can be seen that Edward and Hannah Bee had their children christened at both Hough on the Hill and Caythorpe. It is believed that they were responsible for the move of the Bees from Hough on the Hill to Caythorpe. It is interesting to note that Edwd ( son of Edward and Hannah ) called their third child Hannah after his own mother. He also must go down in the records as coming up with the most original childrens’ names for twins born on 27 December 1773 – Mary and Joseph Bee!

 

The Hough on the Hill Bees

 

Edward and Elizabeth Bee had John 1681, Edward 1684 and Elizabeth 1683. It is interesting that John was chosen as the name of one of the children as it comes up in the previous generation. However, there is a 51 year gap between the birth of Edward 16 October 1630 and his first child John in 1681. This may be correct, however, it may be that there is a missing generation whereby John Bee 27 December 1633 has an Edward in say 1655 and it is this Edward Bee who marries Elizabeth and has John in 1681. I have put a dotted line in the family tree to signify this possibility.

 

With regards to Augustine Bee, born 13 May 1604 and his father Augustini Bee at Hough on the Hill, there is no mention in the records of any wives, except for Elinnor when Richard Bee was born in 1635. It is believed there was a monastery at Hough on the Hill, whether this gave rise to the names Augustini and Augustine is not yet known. Augustini Bee was born at the end of the 14th century around 1580 and is the earliest Bee to be traced in the Caythorpe line of Bees through Bishops Transcripts at Lincoln castle.

 

Conclusion

There is still a lot of work to do on this part of the family tree from 1600 to 1800 in the way of marriage and death records. Lincoln Archive Office here I come!

With regards to whether William Bee was born at Caythorpe or Ancaster or even outside the county, the answer will be found in the 1841 population census, which was the first to be done whereby the place of birth had to be given. Unfortunately, I have looked in Barrowby and all the parishes round Barrowby in the 1841 census but have not found William Bee who died in Barrowby in 1842. The only village that I could not study because the microfilm was so badly faded was Ropsley, which is the second favourite village that he would be in. I must look for another copy because if we can prove my great, great, great grandfather William Bee came from Caythorpe we can get back to Augustini Bee at the end of the 14th century!

 

 

 

 

 

ANCASTER LINE

 

 

LINCOLN                                                John Bee/Elizabeth Ostler

                                                 Married 14 February 1759 Lincoln St Mary Magdalene

                                                                             l

ANCASTER    __________________________l_________________________            

                     John                                          Edward                                      William

             5 February 1764                        7 December 1766                  16 February 1772

             Christened Ancaster                  Christened Wilsford        Christened Ancaster

                        l                                                   l                                             l

              John Bee married                        Edward Bee married                       l

              Alice Hollingworth                     Bridget Cartwright                          l

                                                                                                                           l

____________l________________________                                                  l

John               Alice          Edward          William                      WELBY          l

16 Jan 1792   1 June 1794   11 May 1796   28 Sept 1799                SOMERBY    l

Christened      Christened    Christened     Christened                                             l

Honington       Honington      Welby             Welby                                                l

                                                                            L                                                   l                 

                                                           Married Ann Bailey                                       l

                                                      28 July 1821 Barrowby                                      l               

                                                                            l                                                     l

                     ____________________________l______________                        l                      

              Elizabeth                           Abraham                              Issac                     l

            22 August 1806                2 January 1804                   1 May 1805              l

            Christened Welby             Christened Welby            Christened Welby      l

                                                                                                                        William Bee

                                                                                                                 Elizabeth Johnson

                                                                                                             Married 16 May 1799

                                                                                                                     At Barrowby  

                                                                                                                         

BARROWBY                                                                                                       l

      ____________________________________________________________l______

Edward        John        William         Thomas          Ann       Elizabeth       George      Mary

1801       24 March      27 July         13 Nov          8 Dec       15 May          6 Oct        19 Nov

                   1803             1806            1808            1811         1814              1816         1820

Died 14/9/80

Aged 80                       Great

                                     Great

                                     Grandad  

 

 

 

 

CAYTHORPE LINE

 

HOUGH ON THE HILL    1600

                                                          Augustini Bee

 

       _______________________________l___________________________________

Augustine          Dorothea          Johannes          Anna        Mathias          Mildreda     Robertus

13 May 1604    2 Jan 1605   18 Feb 1608   15 Dec 1610  18 Oct 1613  13 Feb 1614  2 Apr 1616

     Two different mothers                                                      Two different mothers

       l

Augustine ( no wife given)                                                                          Augustine and Elinnor

      l_________________________________________________________________l  

Augustine                  Anthonie                  Edward                     John                       Richard

8 July 1627             22 March 1628   16 October 1630     27 December 1633     2 April 1635

        Two different mothers

                                                                        l

                                                      Edward and Elizabeth

                                      _________________l___________________

                                   John                         Edward                       Elizabeth

                       13 September 1681     1684 (no month given)      March 1683

                                                                        l

                                                       Edward and Hanah

      _________________________________l_________________________

William                  Edwd                   Ann                       Joane                     Mary

19 March 1702   19 Nov 1704      16 April 1707      17 April 1709        3 March 1712

Christened            Christened          Christened             Christened         Christened

Caythorpe     Hough on the Hill   Hough on the Hill     Caythorpe         Caythorpe

                                     l

CAYTHORPE 1700    l 

                               Edwd and Ann

    _________________l_______________________________________

Ann                   Edwd                  Hanah                    Joseph                   Mary

29 Sept 1729   14 Oct 1730     13 April 1732           27 Dec 1733        27 Dec 1733

                              l

                      Edward and Ann

      ____________l_____________________________________________

Edward                    John                 William                   Mary                 Elizabeth

6 Oct 1770          26 Jan 1772        28 Oct 1773         4 Nov 1775         24 April 1781                                                  

                    Married Alice at Welby 1895   l

Married Sarah Dawn, Barrowby 4/2/90       l

BARROWBY 1800                 William Bee and Elizabeth Johnson (great, great, great grandparents)

                                                    Married 16 May 1799 Barrowby

      ________________________________l_____________________________________

Edward          John        William       Thomas          Ann          Elizabeth       George        Mary

180114 Oct 1803 27 July 1806 13 Nov 1808 8 Dec1811 15 May 1814 6 Oct 1816 19 Nov 1820

                                 Great

                                 Grandfather                                               There is a record of Augustine Bee

                                 Edward Bee born 7 September 1845         a yeoman aged 47 of Hough on the

                                                                                   Hill marrying Anne Jackson of Stowe Greene

 

BARROWBY/ SOMERBY/ROPSLEY/ BEES 1800 to 1900

                                                                           Thomas Johnson and Ann

BARROWBY

                     William Bee b.28.10.1773    married          Elizabeth Johnson b. 4.01.1778Barrowby

                                                        m. 16.05.1799 Barrowby

                                          d. 25.08.1842 Aged 69       l                                   d. 03.1823 Aged 45

Barrowby burials 1815 to 1875 Page 41 No 375         l      Barrowby burials Page 13 No 100

                            Buried 28/08/1842 Barrowby           l            Buried 05/03/1823 Barrowby

       ____________________________________________________________________                                   

                            (my  great, great, grandfather William)

Edward            John         William         Thomas        Ann        Elizabeth      George        Mary

1801        b.24.03.03     b .02.07.06   b .02.11.08   b.20.11.11   b.                  b.                  b.                          b          bap.29.03.03 bap.27.07.06bap.13.11.08bap.08.12.11bap.15.05.14bap.06.10.16bap.19.11.20

                        All births and baptisms are recorded as taking place in Barrowby

m.           m.01.02.31    m.26.10.27    m.1830       m.20.09.35   m.                m.09.42        m.06.38

Ann   Martha Ascough Sarah Jackson Elizabeth Fox                             Grantham14/502   X1V 608

d.14.7.81 d.12.74          d. 24.10.91    d.21.12.75   d.                 d.                 d.                   d.

                                          Aged 85                                              

                                                 l

SOMERBY                William and Sarah Bee

                                     m.26.10.27 East Allington

 ________________________l__________________________________________________

William    George     Mary       Sarah    William    Thomas      Mary      John    Edward    Elizabeth    George

c.9.12.27c.11.2.30c.25.3.32c.15.12.35c.03.01.36c.31.12.37c.25.12.39c.          c.28.9.45 c.7.2.47      c.11.4.50

 East                                                                                                                     b. 1841 b.07.9.45

 Allington all other christenings and births at Somerby                                             l

d.1835    d.7.1.46   d.4.9.34d.               d.             d.5.3.57    d.          d.13.5.56  d.17.3.10 d.                d.    

aged 12   aged 15     aged 2                                    aged 19                  aged 15   aged 64 Welby

                                                                                                                             m.6.6.71

                                                                                                                       Mary Ann Rumley

                ROPSLEY                                                                                           b.12.1850

                                                                                                                            d.7.10.1920 Welby

         ______________________________________________________________l__________

                                                                                                                   (my  grandfather Tom)

     Alice                George              Albert               Mary            Ernest              Tom               Ernest

b.2.1.73                 b.25.2.75          b.29.12.77        b.12.12.80     b.09.83          b.29.8.84        b.5.7.87                 Staveley                 Sheffield          Sheffield           Ropsley        Ropsley           Ropsley        Ropsley

m. Gash                m.Lucy             m.16.6.07         m.                  d.09.83          m.1.6.14         m.29.4.12

 5 offspring               Rawden       Sedgebrook       Swinton                                   Swinton         Welby

                             2nd m.23.5.21   Mary Jane North William Rawden           Hilda Thompson   Ellen Pearce

                      Mary Lizzie Kirk     b. 23.10 .84        b.                                          b.21.7.87        b.1883

 d.                           b.28.10.87         Albert                Mary                                     Tom              Ernest

                                George            d.3.11.39           d.                                          d.04.64          d.8.7.61

 Enfield                  d. 24.9.44         Griffith             Swinton                            Mexborough     Ontario

                                 Grantham         NSW              Yorkshire                           Yorkshire        Canada

                               Lincolnshire    Australia                                                         Aged 79

                                  Aged 69         Aged 61                                                                l            Aged 74

                                                                                                                    Ralph Bee b.18.8.1915 (my father)

       ________________________________________________________________I______________

         Barbara McGrellis 1942 (nee Bee)                Geoffrey Bee b.21.8.1945 (me)        John Bee b 14.2.1949

       ______________I ___________              ____________I___________          ________ I_________

Andrew McGrellis        Martin McGrellis       Caroline Bee    Graham Bee            Bhavani Bee   Satyam Bee

Record of the marriage of  William Bee and Elizabeth Johnson at Barrowby in 1799. Taken from the Marriage Register, Barrowby

 

William Bee of the Parish of Somerby and Elizabeth Johnson of this Parish of Barrowby both in the County of Lincoln were married in this Church by Banns this sixteenth Day of May in the Year One Thousand seven hundred and ninety nine by me Will Clifton, Curate.

This Marriage was William Bee, Elizabeth Johnson in the presence of Robert Johnston x , William Sharp normal signature

 

Narrative

 

Robert Johnson, brother of Elizabeth was born August 14 1785 and baptized August 14 1785

Elizabeth Bee ( nee Johnson ) was born 4th January 1778 at Barrowby and died March 1823 aged 45 at Barrowby. William Bee was born 28 October 1773 at Caythorpe and died 25 August 1842 at Barrowby aged 68. They had eight children. Edward, John, William (my great, great grandfather), Thomas, Ann, Elizabeth, George, Mary.

 

Although William Bee above was of the Parish of Somerby in 1799 there is no records in Bishops Transcripts for Somerby of any Bees married, baptized or buried in Somerby save for the baptism of Chris Bee the illegitimate child of Prudence Bee 25 December 1798. Prudence Bee could be the sister of William Bee.

 

Record of the marriage of  William Bee and Sarah Jackson at East Allington in 1827. Taken from the Marriage Register, East Allington 1/6 Page 10

 

Marriages solemnised in the Parish of East Allington in the County of Lincoln in the Year 1827.

 

William Bee of this Parish Batchelor and Sarah Jackson of this Parish Spinster were married in this Church by Banns with the consent of---------this Twenty Sixth Day of October in the year one thousand eight hundred and twenty seven by me Wm P. Thackney, Curate. William Bee, Sarah Jackson in the presence of Samuel Lovitt and George Jackson.

 

Narrative

 

As their first child, William Bee was baptized at East Allington on 9 December 1827, Sarah Jackson was seven months pregnant at her marriage. Her father George Jackson witnessed the marriage.

 

Sarah Bee ( nee Jackson ) was born on 29 January 1809 to George Jackson and Mary Jackson ( nee Wing ) who were married on 8 January 1798 at East Allington. Sarah Bee died on 21 December 1875 at 85, High Street Ropsley aged 66.

 

William Bee was born to William Bee and Elizabeth Bee ( nee  Johnson ) at Barrowby on 2 July 1806 and baptised on 27 July 1806 at Barrowby. William Bee died on 24 October 1891 at 85, High Street Ropsley aged 85. William Bee and Sarah Bee had eleven children, William, George, Mary, Sarah, William, Thomas, Mary, John, Edward (my great grandfather), Elizabeth and George. The first William, George and Mary died young. With the exception of William born in 1827, all the other children were born and baptised in Somerby.


SOMERBY BEES

 

Although in the 1851 census of Somerby I could see that William Bee and Sarah Bee (nee Jackson) had eight children, I now needed to look at the christening records for Somerby to see if they had more children than eight. I contacted the Reverend Basil Foster at Ropsley and he put me in touch with Mr Hough the churchwarden at Somerby, who had the records at home. I spent an interesting afternoon on his sofa.

 

The starting point is therefore the 1851 census of Somerby, which showed the following:-

 

1851 Census Film MF 10/16 Grantham Division HO 107/2102

Section 64  Somerby Bees

                   House No 10  Ann  Roberts        Head      50       Farmer’s widow   Wellingore

                                          Sarah Bee           Servant    17                                    Somerby

                                        ( Sarah  is the eldest daughter of William Bee below) 

Section 67   Somerby Bees

                   House No 32   William Bee         Head      45       Farm  Labourer  Lincs Barrowby

                                           Sarah    Bee         Wife       43                                Lincs Allington

                                           William   Bee        Son        15      Farm  Labourer  Lincs Somerby

                                           Thomas Bee         Son        13                 “                 “          “

                                           Mary    Bee   Daughter       11                                   “           “

                                           John      Bee          Son         9                  “                “           “

                                           Edward  Bee         Son         6        Scholar                “           “

                                           (My great grandfather)

                                           Elizabeth Bee Daughter       3             “                     “           “

                                           George   Bee         Son         1                                    “           “

 

In Somerby the Hall is house No1, the Rectory house No 2. With Sarah Bee a servant to Ann Roberts it can be presumed that William Bee may have worked on the Roberts farm at Somerby. What is interesting is that Edward’s uncle Thomas married Elizabeth Fox from Wellingore in 1830. It could be that she was visiting Ann Roberts, also from Wellingore and met 20 year old Thomas Bee at his brothers at Somerby.

 

What was found from the christening records for Somerby was that William and Sarah had eleven children in all. The first three, William (who Sarah was carrying at her marriage to William in1827), George and Mary all died before 1851. Of the ones shown in the 1851 census above, Thomas died aged 19 and John died aged 15. So when Edward Bee ( my great grandfather) left Somerby/Ropsley in the late 1860’s (say 1869) to be a lodger at House No 4 , Front Street, Staveley, Nottinghamshire, he was leaving behind his sisters Sarah(35), Mary(29) and Beth (Elizabeth 21) and brothers William (33) and George(19) plus mother Sarah (61) and father William (63). Edward himself was 24 years old and together with George (19) could have been the only ones left in the family home.

 

It is interesting to note that Edward’s father named his first son after himself and his second son George after his father in law George Jackson of East Allington. Unfortunately this first George born 11 February 1830 died when aged 15 years on 7 January 1846. At this time Edward, my great grandfather, was only four months old. So Edward grew up with the second George born 11 April 1850. Although Edward’s first born at Lowgates, Staveley in 1873 was Alice, Edward’s first son born 29 February 1875 at Sheffield was called George after his brother George, five years his junior, who he grew up with.


ROPSLEY BEES

 

As our Bees were living at Somerby in the 1851 census and there were no Bees at Somerby in the 1881 census, the question was, where had William and Sarah Bee of Somerby gone? The answer can be found in the 1881 census for Ropsley which also gave the clues as to where Edward Bee had journeyed to when he left Somerby/Ropsley in 1869.

 

1881 Census Film MF 13/9 Grantham Division RG 11/3227

Section 34 Ropsley Bees

No 85 High Street   William Bee        Head         74       Ag Labourer    Lincolnshire, Barrowby

                                (my great, great grandfather)

Section 29 Ropsley Bees

No 9 Rice Wood Rd    Edward  Bee     Head         35       Ag Labourer     Lincolnshire, Somerby

                                  (my  great grandfather)                                                           

                                   Mary Bee         Wife           30                                 Nottingham, Ollerton

                                   Alice    Bee   Daughter         8       Scholar              Derbyshire, Staveley

                                   George Bee       Son             6       Scholar              Yorkshire, Sheffield

                                   Albert Bee         Son            3                                  Yorkshire, Sheffield

                                   Mary Bee   Daughter           6 months                     Lincolnshire, Ropsley

 

Sarah Bee ( nee Jackson) was missing from the 1881 census because she died at No 85, High Street, Ropsley on 21 December, 1875 aged 66. She is also down  as  being  born in Ollerton, when in fact she was born in Sheffield as the illegitimate daughter of Caroline Rumley of Ollerton.  It is interesting to note that the address given for Edward Bee and family on their return from Sheffield was No 9 Rice Wood Road. This name is a break down of Rise Wood Road as Ropsley Rise was halfway between Somerby and Ropsley. So who knows Edward might have got his old job back at Somerby on his return from Sheffield. It is believed that he was a groom at Belton House in his later years and my grandfather Tom Bee was introduced to feeding and grooming horses at Belton House. Records of staff at Belton House will have to be studied. William Bee died at 85, High Street, Ropsley on 24 October 1891 aged 85.

 

Edward and Sarah Bee had Mary Bee (later Mary Rawden of Swinton) on 12 December 1880 and so she was 6 months old in the 1881 census ( see above). In September 1883 they had Ernest Bee who died at birth or shortly after. Tom Bee (my grandfather) was then born on 29 August 1884 at Ropsley, followed  by  Ernest Bee born 5 July 1887.

 

In the 1901 census of Ropsley we find that Edward Bee and remaining family had moved to No 1 Grantham Road, Ropsley aged 55 Ag Labourer born Somerby, Sarah Bee aged 50 wife born Ollerton, Mary Bee daughter 20 cook domestic living in Welby born Ropsley and Ernest Bee son 13 boy working on farm born Ropsley. It is an important point that Mary Bee (20) had moved over to Welby as a cook/domestic before her parents and Ernest Bee moved to Welby between 1901 and 1910 when Edward died in Welby on 17 March 1910. It may be that George Bee born in 1875 at Sheffield was already the Welby road mender and had married Lucy Rawden and was already living at Welby when Mary moved to Welby. It would be interesting to see if the Rawden family were a Welby family and both George and Mary Bee met their respective partners in Welby.

In 1901 Tom Bee would have been 16years old but he is not living with his parents at No 1 Grantham Road Ropsley. It could be that he had moved to Welby along with his sister Mary or he might have been a groom at Belton House, which I have visited and the grooms lived above the stables that were very modern for their time.

WELBY BEES

 

Sometime between 1901 and 1910, Edward and Mary Ann Bee moved from No1 Grantham Road, Ropsley to live at Welby. They probably lived in the alms houses, which were the old school rooms next to Ivy Cottage on Main Street, Welby. A look at the 1911 census for Welby would sort this out. In 1901 Mary Bee aged 20 was already working at Welby as a cook/domestic and George Bee also lived at Welby as on 8 July 1904 Kathleen Bee was born in Welby to George and Lucy Bee (  nee  Rawden). Kathleen Bee is recorded as a pupil at Welby School on 7 November 1912 aged 8. May be the birth of their granddaughter Kathleen at Welby, was the draw for Edward and Mary Ann Bee to move from Ropsley to Welby. What is known is that Lucy Bee, Kathleen’s mother died between 1915 and 1920 and George Bee her husband entered into his second marriage with Mary Lizzie Kirk (32) a widow, on 23 May 1921. Both George Bee and Mary Lizzie Kirk are recorded as living in Welby at the time of their marriage. On 6 July 1932 Audrey Ann Bee was born to George and Mary Bee. She was baptized on 10 August 1932 at the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Welby. At that time George and Mary Bee are recorded as living at Gipple, Syston, Grantham. With the help of Mervyn Lloyd (see later), I visited Audrey Monaghan ( nee Bee) at 14 Knepp Close, Pound Hill, Crawley, Sussex Tel 0293 516454. Audrey is a cousin of my father Ralph Bee.

 

Edward Bee, my great grandfather died in Welby on 7 March 1910 aged 64 and on the 29 April 1912 Ernest Bee, who went to Canada in 1926, married Ellen Pearce of Welby in Welby Parish Church. Mary Ann Bee died in Welby on 3 October 1920 aged 69. So George Bee of Welby lost his father, mother and his first wife between 1910 and 1920. Edward and Mary Ann Bee’s fallen gravestone is in Welby churchyard and was uncovered from the grass turf by my son Graham Bee in 1987.

 

We know that George Bee died on 24 September 1944 at 129, Oysant Road, Grantham aged 69 and was buried in Welby churchyard. His death was witnessed by his wife, Mary Lizzie Bee, who in 1944 was living in Welby, maybe at Ivy Cottage as the last Bee in Welby.

 

In 1956 Ernest Bee wrote from Canada to his sister Mary Rawden in Swinton, Yorkshire and said ‘We have nobody at Welby belonging to us now. Do you hear from anyone there? In a letter from Mervyn Robert Lloyd, the adopted son of Kathleen Lloyd (nee Bee) of Welby he records that in his teens (1961/1962) he worked at Manor Farm, Welby ( farmed by the Watson Family) in the summer months. Kathleen his mother lived in Grantham most of her life and probably visited Welby quite regularly from Grantham until her death on 7 October 1983 in Grantham aged 79. I am currently trying to trace Mary Lizzie Bee’s later life as she would be the last surviving Bee in Welby. She was born Mary Lizzie Watson, daughter of Robert Watson a farm labourer at Welby. The Watson Family continues to be a farming family in Welby with Michael Watson taking the tenancy of Lordship Farm in 1995 from his father Jim Watson.

 

Ivy Cottage, Main Street, Welby is important to the Bee Family as prior to the second world war, there is a photograph of my father’s brother Frank Bee, stood in front of the garden gate at Ivy Cottage, whilst visiting his Uncle George and Aunt Mary, who lived there. Ivy Cottage was owned by Welby Estates and was renovated in 1987 according to the booklet ‘Aspects of Welby’ ( See Appendix 2). It is now a private residence where Glen and Carol Powell live with their three children, Victoria, Richard, and Christopher.

 

 

 

EDWARD BEE AT STAVELEY, DERBYSHIRE 

 

 

The record of a visit to Derbyshire County Council Public Records Library 20/03/89

 

The objective of the visit was to find out where Edward Bee, my great grandfather, lived when he moved from Grantham to Staveley in the 1860’s.

Information  taken from the 1871 census. Enumeration Area Chesterfield, Enumeration District No18E Eckington, Sub-district  Staveley Village. Date 13 March 1871. 195 houses, 184 inhabited, 2 uninhabited, 3 being built. 491 males, 405 females, total people 896.

 

Boundaries of Staveley Village:-

Front Street commencing with the Hall, Mr Hollingworth’s, Church Street, Chesterfield Road to Common Spot (coke yard) taking in both sides to each street, lane, yard and also Mill Green, Colliers Row, Porter Lane and New Street.

 

Streets in chronological order of census:-

Front Street, Church Street, Taylor’s Yard off Church Street, High Street, Ebenezer Row, Porter Lane, Devonshire Arms, New Street, Crown Croft, Mill Green, Chesterfield Road, Belvoir Terrace, Pipe Lane, Collier’s Row.

 

Interesting information on Staveley taken from the book ‘Staveley my native  town’ by Arthur Court printed by JW Northend Ltd 1948.

From 1880 to 1890 Staveley had by far the finest village football team in the country. They reached the last eight of the FA Cup in 1881 being beaten by Blackburn Rovers.

There was a mill ‘Devonshire Mill’ to the south of Porter Lane.

In 1896 Staveley allowed the first mechanically driven vehicle on the roads in Staveley.

In medieval days the main road through Staveley seems to have been via Duke Street, the present Church Street being then a semi-private road to the church

 

1871 Census

No 3 Front Street    William   Hollingworth   Head    56   Farmer 30 acres Derbyshire, Staveley

                                Elizabeth Hollingworth   Wife    61   Farmer’s wife            “      Chesterfield

                                Ann         Hollingworth   Niece   24   Farmer’s niece           “        Staveley

                                Hannah    Higginbottom Servant 17   Domestic servant       “     Waggonworth 

No 4 Front Street    Tom Offer       Head         29       Labourer           Nottinghamshire, Grinsley

                                Eliza Wilsow   Daughter    9                                                “            Ornplow

                                Edward Bee     Lodger     26        Labourer                 Lincolnshire, Somerby

                                Charles Offer                   25        Labourer           Nottinghamshire, Norwell

It is not clear if Edward Bee, my great grandfather was a labourer on the Hollingworth farm or was a general labourer. Edward Bee was born on 7 September 1845 he would therefore have been 25 years old on 13 March 1871 and not 26 as recorded above.

 

Following the marriage of Edward Bee to Mary Ann Rumley at Ollerton Church on 6 June 1871 they had their first  born  Alice  Bee on 2 January 1873 at Lowgates, Staveley. On his marriage certificate Edward is down as being 24 years old when he was in fact 25. The rented house number in Lowgates should be on the birth certificate of Alice Bee reference Chesterfield March 1873 Vol. 7b page 607.

 


MARY ANN   RUMLEY AT OLLERTON

 

A record of a visit to Nottingham County Library 21/03/89

 

The objective of the visit was to find out more about Edward Bee’s wife Mary Ann Rumley and to confirm her birth at Sheffield in December 1850 (Sheffield Dec 50 Vol. XX11 Page 671)

The starting point is the marriage of Edward Bee, my great grandfather, and Mary Ann Rumley at Ollerton Parish Church on 6 June 1871. Edward Bee aged 25, although on the marriage certificate   it states 24 and Mary Ann Rumley aged 21, spinster, Ollerton. No father’s name for Mary Ann Rumley on her marriage certificate.

 

Information  taken  from the 1841 census for Ollerton  (Z 52). Ollerton is the fifth village after Edwinstow on Z52.

Wellow Green   Thomas Rumley          Head      49  Carpenter    born          Notts, Kelham

Houses               George Rumley            Son       14                                       Ollerton

                           Caroline Rumley     Daughter   12                                       Ollerton

                           Charles Rumley           Son       12                                       Ollerton

                           Anne Rumley           Daughter    5                                       Ollerton

                           Joseph Rumley             Son        2                                        Ollerton

                           William Scotman        Visitor   10                                       Oxford

                            Mary Scotman            Visitor    8                                        Oxford

 

Information taken from the 1851 census for Ollerton (Z46/2135/113) 7 April 1851

Wellow Road      Thomas Rumley         Head     59   Carpenter                     Notts, Kelham

                            Sarah Rumley             Wife     49                          Northampton, Pattishall

                            William Scotman  Son  in law  21                                        Oxford

                             Joseph  Rumley           Son     11   Scholar                        Ollerton

                             Mary Rumley Grand daughter 4 months            Yorkshire, Sheffield

Wellow Road runs from St Giles Church in Ollerton out towards Wellow.

From the above it can be seen that William Scotman has become son in law from being a visitor in 1841. The only daughter he could have married is Caroline Rumley who would have been 22 years old in 1851. It may be that after marriage Caroline Rumley had an affair resulting in Mary Ann Rumley 4 months old as her illegitimate daughter. Mary Ann Rumley is my great grandmother.

 

Information taken from the 1861 census for Ollerton (Z93/2473/9)

Wellow Green     Thomas Rumley      Head        68     Carpenter                    Notts, Kelham

                             Sarah Rumley          Wife        58                           Northampton, Ascote

                             Mary Rumley Grand daughter 10                            Yorkshire, Sheffield

Information taken from the 1871 census for Ollerton (Z323/3534/10)

Wellow Green      Thomas Rumley      Head        79    Former carpenter         Notts, Kelham

                              Sarah Rumley          Wife        69         (pensioned)  Northampton, Ascote

As this looks like a late 1871 census Mary Ann Rumley is not present at Ollerton because she married Edward Bee on 6 June 1871 and moved to Lowgates, Staveley, Derbyshire.

Conclusion

We need the marriage certificate for William Scotman to see if,  as  the  21  year old son-in-law to Thomas and Sarah Rumley, he married Caroline Rumley. Could the scenario be that Caroline and William Scotman got married. She has an affair resulting in Mary Ann Rumley. When she found she was pregnant the marriage splits and Caroline goes to relatives in Sheffield to have the baby. The grandparents agree to bring up Mary Ann Rumley. 

 

EDWARD AND MARY ANN BEE AT SHEFFIELD

 

A record of a visit to Sheffield City Library 22/03/89

 

The objective of the visit was to determine the circumstances of Edward and Mary Ann Bee surroundings when they left Staveley with their daughter Alice in 1874 to live at 58 Manor, Sheffield. It was here that George was born on 25 February 1875 and Albert was born on 29 December 1877. Their next born was Mary on 12 December 1880 back at Ropsley near Grantham. Edward and Mary Ann Bee, my great grandparents, therefore left Sheffield in 1878/1879. The   1881 census for the Manor and Sheffield Park would therefore not record the Bees living at 58, Manor but would show who their neighbours might have been before they left.

Definition of Sheffield Park:-

This district commences at Robinson’s Brickyard top of Duke Street, combining on the east side of Duke Street to the corner of Bernard Street, along the east side of Bernard Street to Weigh Lane, up to south east side of Bigod Street Weigh, come Bigod Street to St John’s Road up to Manor Laithe Farm. From there  to Robinson’s Brickyard again, comprising of Hampton Street, Bovis Street, Wave Street, part of Rough Bank and Park Hill Lane and all the courts therein. Sheffield Park was the registration district. The Manor on Manor Lane was two miles out in the countryside within the parkland.

 

1881 Census for Sheffield Park

56/57  Manor  uninhabitable. Therefore Edward Bee had no neighbours on the one side.

58 Manor        Tom Smith             Head          38

                        Mary Ann              Wife           36

                        Tom Charles           Son             8

                        Robert                     Son             6

                        Florence          Daughter            2 

             Tom Smith and family moved into 58 Manor after Edward Bee and family left.

59 Manor         Samuel Fell            Head          67        oil merchant       born Nottingham, Warsop

                        Mary Ann Fell        Wife          37                                            Yorkshire, Sheffield

60 Manor         John Hudson           Head         59        farm labourer                           Nottingham

                         Mary Ann               Wife          52                                          Nottingham, Worksop

                         Henry                      Son           21         coal miner                                Sheffield

                         Mary Ann          Daughter        19         coal miner                                Sheffield

                         Samuel                    Son           12         scholar                                      Sheffield

                         Elizabeth            Daughter        10 months                                             Sheffield

                         William Brown    Lodger         15                                        Derbyshire, Willinthorp

61 Manor          Frank Barker          Head      35  farmer, 200 acres 4 men Yorkshire Sheffield Park

                         June Barker             Wife        23                                     Warwickshire, Birmingham

                          Florence            Daughter        3                                         Yorkshire Sheffield Park

                          June Bailey   Mother in law    60                                   Warwickshire, Birmingham

                          John Brown         Lodger       49        farm labourer                 Notts, Calverton

                          William Gurnell   Lodger      15        farm servant            Lincolnshire, Gainsboro 

On the birth of George Bee in February 1775, Edward Bee is recorded as being a farm servant. It is quite possible he worked for Frank Barker on the 200 acre, Manor Grange Farm (see above). However, on  the  birth  of  Albert  Bee in December 1877, Edward Bee is recorded as being a  colliery banks man at the deep Nunnery Colliery C Manor Pit.  Sheffield Manor ruins on Manor Lane have been preserved.  Immediately opposite Sheffield Manor ruins is Manor Court and behind that the extensive City Road Cemetery which was well within the old parkland out of the city.

 

List of what people did on The  Manor   :-

 

21 John White -   boot  and  shoe maker

22 George Cowlinshaw - shopkeeper

24 James Bowden  - miner

25 Alfred Barnes  -   coal  dealer

35 Joseph Turner  -   beer   house

38 James Butcher - metal smith

39 William Cowlinshaw - coal dealer

49 Godrey Cowlinshaw -   wheelwright

49 Thomas Nixon - colliery banks man

58 Tom Smith - coke carter

59 Samuel Fell - oil merchant

61 Frank Barker - farmer

Nunnery Colliery C Manor Pit

Manager - Stephen Bacon

Road Contractor - George Fletcher    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meeting on 12 September 1986 with Richard Edward Rawden born 02/10/1906

Retired   boot maker of Swinton.

 

OBJECTIVE

 

To obtain as much information as possible about Mary Ann Rawden (nee Bee) born to Edward and Mary Ann Bee on 12 December 1880 at Ropsley, nr Grantham, Lincolnshire. To find out where my great grandfather Edward Bee,  father  to Mary Ann Rawden, is buried and to look through any old family artefacts that Dick may have. 

 

Dick was unable to tell me how William Rawden, his father and Mary Ann Bee met. They lived at 56, Rookery Road, Swinton, where William was the caretaker at the National School. Ralph Bee my father went to the National School at Swinton. William Rawden was his uncle. They had four children Marion, Florence, Richard and Charles (  known as Albert ).

 

Blind Billy

 

When W A Bill Robinson came over to Swinton each year to sell mats he had made at Welby, he always stayed with Dick’s mother, Mary Rawden. My father remembers Blind Billy. Dick mentioned that Blind Billy’s daughter in law, Nelly, now lives at Oasby near Welby.

 

Uncle George Bee (born 1875 Sheffield)

 

Dick can remember George Bee. He was a foreman road mender with Kesteven District Council and worked round Welby. He married Dick’s father’s sister, Lucy Rawden and had a daughter, Kathleen. When Lucy Bee died, George married again and had a daughter, Audrey, who lives in Crawley, Essex. George was knocked off his bicycle by a motor vehicle and was in the poor house in Grantham for five years prior to his death, He is buried in Welby churchyard. He is my father’s uncle George.

 

Kathleen Bee, daughter of George and Lucy Bee of Welby

 

Dick said that Kathleen Bee married a Lloyd and had a son, Mervyn, who is a police sergent  at Immingham. I must give him a call.

 

Welby Churchyard

 

Dick produced a postcard of the headstone of the grave of Edward and Mary Ann Bee that his mother had saved. It  read  :-  In loving memory of Edward Bee who died March 17 1910 aged 64 years also of Mary Ann wife of the above who died October 7 1920 aged 69. Peace perfect peace.

He gave me another postcard to keep and showed me where Edward Bee’s grave was in relation to the church porch. (This proved to be most useful as the gravestone had fallen and was buried under turf)

 

Family Photographs

 

Dick went to the sideboard and pulled out an old brown envelope with family photographs in that his mother had saved over the years.

Photo No 1 - A street scene dated 1894 of Main Street, Welby with school children gathered. The old school buildings are in the background with Ivy Cottage alongside. Ivy Cottage was the home of George and Mary Lizzie Bee in the 1930’s.

Photo No 2 - The same scene shot the other way from the village pond on Main Street with Rose Cottage, Ivy Cottage and the old Post Office in view as well as the old school.

Photo No 3 - Edward Bee, my great grandfather. Taken at F G Simpson and Co, 17 Wharf  Road,   Grantham. Edward Bee is sat on a chair holding his pipe. Probably 62 years old in 1907.

Photo No 4 - Mary Ann Bee ( nee  Rumley ) sat on a chair holding a booklet. Probably taken in 1907 when Mary Bee was 57.

Photo No 5 - A   picture of Kathleen Bee, daughter of George and Lucy Bee ( nee Rawden) stood by a chair probably taken in 1914 when she was 10 years old.

Photo No 6 - Another picture of Kathleen Bee sat in a window seat probably taken in 1921 when she was 16 years old.

Photo No 7 - A  picture  of the wedding of Nell Bee to Victor Irvine Robb in Australia 31 May 1939. Nell was 20 years old. In the picture are Vic Rob’s brother, Mary Jane Bee, Nell Robb (nee Bee), Victor Irvine Robb and Albert Bee (son of Edward Bee)

Photo No 8 -  A  picture of George Bee already discussed.

Photo No 9 -  A  picture of William Rawden and Mary Rawden ( nee Bee ) outside their backdoor at 56, Rookery Road, Swinton.

Photo No 10 - Tom Bee’s ( my grandfather ) Church Confirmation Certificate – Tom Bee, Baptized October 12 1884 at Ropsley Church. Confirmed March 13 1899 by the right Rev Bishop Auson of  Somerby.   First  Communion   Easter Day 1899 at St Peters Church, Ropsley. Signed Edmund H Outram, Rector of Ropsley.

Photo No 11 - A picture of Albert Bee in the Lincolnshire Riflemans Uniform. Albert Bee saw action in Dublin S. Ireland. He emmigrated  to Australia.

Photo No 12 - A picture of Albert Bee and Mary Jane Bee (nee North). They left England for Australia. They had one daughter,  Edith Ellen known as Nell, born on 28 June 1918.

Photo No 13 - A picture of Ernest Bee born 1887, died July 1961 aged 74.Ernest married Ellen Pearce at Welby and emmigrated   to Canada in 1926. They had two sons, Noel and Frank. Ernest was baptized and confirmed at Ropsley Church.

Photo No 14 - Tom Bee, my grandfather.

Photo No 15 - Albert Bee in uniform at the Boer War in S Africa.

Photo No 16 - A picture of  Mary Ann Bee (nee Rumley), my great grandmother, taken on 11 May 1872 when she was 21 years old. In this picture she is just over two months pregnant with Alice Bee but it doesn’t show!

 

Auntie Alice Bee – born 2 January 1873 at Staveley

 

Dick Rawden said that Alice Bee died young having had five children. She lived at Magpie Cottages, Barkston Warren. Apparently the story goes that Auntie Alice eloped and that George Bee got horses out of the stable at Gipple Cottage to help them get away. Dick thought that the names of Alice’s children were Rachel, Arthur, Ruth, Jack and George. I checked the Christening Register for Ropsley Church and found that because Alice’s first born was out of wedlock (the elopement) he was christened Arthur Bee  on 27 February 1892 when Alice was aged 19. Rachael, Ruth, Jack and George were all christened with the Gash surname. Dick said that all Alice’s children live in Enfield now.

 

Dick let me take the photographs so that I could copy them and return the originals to him. I could not believe my luck that I could obtain all this information and the photographs from Dick Rawden. We  set about doing the Rawden family tree, which I finished off when I returned the photographs.

Dick Rawden was also able to give me the birth certificates of George Bee, born 25 February 1875, certificate date 9 March 1875, Sub District Sheffield Park and Audrey Bee, born 10 June 1932, certificate date 23 July 1932, informant George Bee and Mary Lizzie Watson, born 22 September 1887, certificate date 29 October 1887. This was the real start to the family tree as the full birth certificate of George Bee gave me the names of my great grandparents, Edward Bee and MaryAnn Bee ( nee Rumley).

 

 

 

 

NELL’S STORY FROM AUSTRALIA

 

Albert and Mary Bee came to Australia on the motor vessel ‘Demothenes’ and arrived in Sydney on 21 January 1912. Albert’s first job was a green keeper at the Leura (Blue Mountain) golf links, the first in Australia. Albert and Mary then went to a little place called Crow Mountain near Burren Junction. Mary took sick in the heat so they moved to a farm at Braidwood (west of Batemans Bay) called ‘Larbet’. They stayed there for four years and moving up north to a farm at Manilla (north of Tamworth). Their only child Edith, Ellen (Nell) was born at Manilla on 28 June 1918. In 1929 they moved to Beresfield (near Maitland) and in 1929 moved to Griffith, where they remained for many years. Nell married Victor Irvine Robb at Griffith on 31 May 1939.

 

                                                  James North  -  Sarah Ann Hawkins

                                                             m. 17.12.1872

                                                 d. 1923                         d. 11.10.1887

      ________________________________ l________________________________

William                Fredrick             George            Thomas           Alfred                Mary Jane

b. 25.8.1874       b. 4.5. 1877        b. 23.12.1878   b. 25.3.1831   b. 11.8.1883    b. 23.10.1884

                                                                                                                              d. 13.5.1963                                         

                                                                 _____________________________________l                                                                                                          

                                                                 l

                                  Albert Bee                               Mary Jane North

                               b. 29.12.1877     m.16.6.1909      b. 27.10.1884

                               d. 3.11.1939      Sedgebrook        d. 13.5.1963

                                                             Lincs

                                                           ___l___        

                                                     Edith Ellen (Nell)

                                                         b. 28.6.1918

                                                         m. 31.5.1934 to Victor Irvine Robb