This replica of the gravestone of Samuel Long and his widow Mary was propped up just inside the door of the farmhouse on the site of Old Wood Pit during Doors Open Day.  Samuel Long was a clothier and also in the coal trade.  For ‘A “Long” Story (of Mill and Mine Owners)’ by David Hardwick see

http://www.gsia.org.uk/reprints/2002/gi200246.pdf

Samuel Long married Mary Stoner by licence at Kingswood (nr Wootton under Edge) 23.5.1812

Their son Samuel was born c1816, and was followed by Paul and Mary.

In the 1841 census Samuel and Mary were living at Tail brook (?) End, Cromhall. Samuel was 55, born Gloucestershire, of Independent Means. Mary was 45, born outside Gloucestershire (Kingswood was in Wiltshire) with their children Paul, a cloth manufacturer and Mary, both said to be 23, plus a servant, Mary Dauncey.

A third son, Rowland was aged 15, and away at school in Melbourne, Cambridgeshire.

In the June quarter of 1840 Samuel junior, a cloth manufacturer, married Eliza Bousfield at Newington in Surrey and when the census was taken in 1841 their son George was aged 3 months. The family had two servants and were living at Ellfield and Ellen Cross, near Wootton under Edge.

On 23 August 1845 the Bristol Mercury published  the elder Samuel’s obituary: “August 12, at his residence, Cromhall, Gloucestershire, aged 61, Samuel Long, Esquire for many years woollen manufacturer at Charfield Mills. The intimate friend and one of the trustees of the late Rev Rowland Hill.”

By 1851, Mary, Samuel’s widow was living at Long Street, Wootton Under Edge, with her niece Elizabeth Chapman as her companion. Paul was married to Mary Shaw Clarke (registered Wallingford Sept 1841) and Elizabeth to Stephen Parsloe Bendall (registered Dursley March 1846)

Prior to his marriage, Stephen Parsloe Bendall, a surgeon, was living at 66 Lambeth Walk in London, when he was called to give evidence on a James Brown, aged 33, who had shot himself whilst intoxicated. (See Morning Post, 9.10.1843)

In 1851 Paul Long and his family were living at Charfield Mill as follows:

Paul Long, Head Mar, 32 (1819) b. Kingswood, Wilts (Woollen trade as a partner employing 350 adults and otherwise as a partner employing 100 in the coal trade.)

Mary Shaw Long, wife, 30 (1821) b. Wallingford, Berks

Samuel C Long, 8, b Charfield

Mary P Long, 3, b. Charfield with a cook, housemaid and nurse.

Meanwhile his mother Mary, aged 57, an annuitant was living at Long Street, Wootton under Edge with her spinster niece Elizabeth Chapman aged 31 as her “companion”.  This dreaded occupation, shades of Jane Austen, was one of the few occupations available for gentle unmarried ladies. Elizabeth Bendall, nee Long, now “31” was at Bradley Street, Wootton Under Edge with her husband Stephen aged 32, a surgeon, born Sodbury, two sons, Stephen and Charles, aged 4 and 3, Stephen’s spinster sister Mary and two servants.

The death of Stephen Parsloe Bendall was registered at Dursley in the
March Quarter of 1857.

Another Stephen Parsloe Bendall, Corn and Grist Miller of Wootton-under-Edge gave notice of the dissolving of his partnership with John Bendall. See Bristol Mercury 9.2.1878.

Looking up stuff becomes addictive…….

I recently received the following email:

My name is Brian Sheen. I am researching a Walter Brain the son of William Brain and Sarah Tripp nee Edwards, William was a Farmer a Publican and also a Mine owner.

Walter was living at home in the 1861 census for Stapleton Gloucester. There is no trace of him in the 1871 census yet in the 1881 census he and his (wife) plus 6 Children all born in Bath are there, Walter’s occupation is a furniture salesman, their youngest Thomas William being born © 1866 as I said in Bath.

Walter’s wife puts her name on the birth certificate of their daughter, (the line I’m tracing) Leonora Tamar as Annie Pettigrove Brain formerly Howes.

I have a copy of the marriage certificate for Annie Pettigrove daughter of Daniel Pettigrove and Hester (Esther) Hudd; the marriage took place in St Philip and Jacob Church July 20 1840 after Banns. Annie at the time was a minor.

I can find no trace of a marriage between Walter Brain and Annie Pettigrove nee Howes what so ever. I searched through www.freeBMD.co.uk and www.ancestory.co.uk, trying all sorts of spelling combinations for Brain and Howes, all to no avail.

As I said Annie has put her name on the birth certificate as if she were married to Walter Brain.

From your information on the Brain family; would you by any chance have anything on this Walter and Annie Brain of Bath please?

Thank you.

I replied:

Dear Brian

The Brain papers were left to me by my friend, the late Walter Anthony Brain who I knew as Tony. His name suggests that he belonged to the branch of the Brain family that you are researching. (I am descended from Hugh Brain who also came from the Bitton area.)

I have looked through Tony's lists and there is no Brain/Howes marriage shown. (I think your marriage for Annie Pettygrove Hudd is a red herring. The name Pettygrove is not unusual in the Kingswood district.) I have also checked the Bath Register Office index of marriages - no luck - and the births index which unlike 19th century FreeBMD gives the mother's maiden name. All the children were registered at Bath 1866-81, all Brain/Howes.

Walter was missing somewhere in 1871, perhaps on the road as he was a salesman, but I have found Annie in Devizes. I used the most unusual name among those she chose for her children (Flora) to do a search and found the family as follows:

Thomas Howes, head, married, innkeeper, Black Swan, 25 Market Place, wife Ann, and children Thomas, Rhoda, Tamar and Lilly. All were born Bitton except Lilly who was born Melbourne, Australia!  Visiting were Annie Brain, daughter, 25, Thomas W. Brain, grandson, 4 and Flora L Brain, granddaughter, 2, plus several servants.

I can't throw any light on Walter's whereabouts in 1871 - or why (apparently) he and Annie did not marry. It would seem to suggest that one or other had a previous marriage, but so far I have drawn a blank on this too.  Could they have been in Australia at some time with Annie's family?

If you have not already done so, I would suggest you might it helpful to join the Bristol & Avon Family History Society where you are likely to find other Brain researchers as the name is common in our area and fairly localised to Kingswood. See also Brain and Howes in the alphabetical lists in my Kingswood Index. See top of this website.

I have received the following message from Averil Douglas who used the contact form at http://www.bristolfamilyhistory.co.uk/contact.

“I am descended from Lazarus Jacobs [b: abt. 1709 Frankfurt, Germany; d: 1796 Bristol) and Mary (nee Hiscock), his wife [b: 1725 Templecombe, Somerset; d: 1816 Bristol) through their daughter, Susannah (Sukey)[1759-1851] who married Joseph Moses Alman, thence through their son Mosley Moses Alman, then his daughter Leah Alman who emigrated to Australia 1853 aboard the ship "Cambodia" and married Abraham Barnett Simmons, a son of Rabbi Barnett Asher Simmons of Penzance, Cornwall and his wife Flora (nee Jacob) in Melbourne, Vic. Australia.

Isaac Jacobs was a brother of Susannah (Sukey, referred to above) and became a very famous glassmaker.  His portrait I understand is housed in the Bristol City Museum [Object Number K458), an oil painting by Isaac Pocock.  I am hoping you have access to a photograph or this portrait on file and may be willing to share it with me.  I live in Australia and do not plan to visit the UK at this point in time.

In addition, I would appreciate hearing from you with any other information you can provide or details of publications that would be of interest to me. I would also be happy to provide you with further information from my family tree should you be so interested. If you hold on file information about Joseph Moses Alman of Bristol, [1748-1835] and his family, including any siblings as well as his  descendants other than Mosley Moses Alman (1785-1852) I would appreciate hearing from you with this information.  Thanks.”

Unfortunately I have no information other than the items already posted but am endeavouring to find the portrait of Isaac Jacobs mentioned by Averil.