It’s a great name. Some time ago I tried to find the birth/baptism records of Alexander Falconbridge “born ca 1760 to a family with Bristol connections”.  According to the Editor of “The Narrative of Two Voyages to the River Sierra Leone During the Years 1791-1792-1793", (see below) he was, like his wife, born in Bristol. If this is the case I would be delighted if anybody could produce a baptismal record! Falconbridge is well known as an abolitionist and author (“An Account of the Slave Trade on the West of Africa” [1788]) and as Thomas Clarkson’s guide in Bristol when he came to the City to gather evidence for the abolition of the trade, but his ancestry to the time of writing remains elusive.

Valerie Price-Currer of New South Wales is a descendant of the Falconbridge family and would dearly like to make the connection between her ancestors and “the famous Alex”. She says “When Falconbridge gave evidence to the British Parliamentary Committee, it appears he had “spent a year studying medicine at the Bristol Royal Infirmary in 1779-1780, but financially unable to set up a medical practice he signed on as a slave ship surgeon and went on four voyages to Africa. Becoming increasingly disillusioned with what he saw and experienced Alexander left the trade in 1787 to work as a pupil with a Bristol Doctor. It was around this time that he met up with members of the growing abolitionist movement, and Thomas Clarkson seems to have held him in high regard. Alexander spent the year 1779-1780 at the Bristol Royal Infirmary, too poor at this time to start a medical practice, he signed on as surgeon on slave ships.  He left in disgust in 1787 and worked as a pupil with a Bristol Doctor. It was at this time that he became interested in the abolitionist movement and met Thomas Clarkson.”

I have been unable to find the primary sources for the above which is repeated over again in a number of books. To Clarkson he was able bodyguiard, describing him as "an athletic and resolute-looking man", (Clarkson 1.318.) Falconbridge’s book giving an account of the slave trade was presented as evidence in the Parliamentary Hearing into Slavery.

Alexander Falconbridge and Anna Maria Horwood were married at Easton in Gordano by banns on 16 April 1788, witnessed by one of Anna Maria’s sisters and George Falconbridge. (Apart from the appearance of Alexander himself, this is the first time I have found a Falconbridge in Bristol.) 

The Horwood family were local, well established in the Parish of All Saints, Bristol.

Charles Horwood, Anna Maria’s father was a silversmith and also a clockmaker. (A long case 8 day clock with his name can be viewed on line.)

The children of Charles & his wife Grace, nee Roberts, were baptised at All Saints Church as follows: Mary Anne, 24.11.1760, Grace, 5.4.1762, (bur 13.2.1773), Anne, 5.5.1763, Charles, 25.1.1765, (bur 1785), Christian Jane, 17.10.1766,and Anna Maria, 13.7.1769

Grace Horwood, the wife of Charles was buried 6.1.1774.

On 13.4.1779: Charles Horwood, junior, silversmith & Martha Cox were married, by licence, witnessed by Charles Horwood, senior, & Edith Bayley. The licence states: “Charles Horwood of All Saints, silversmith & Martha Cox, spinster of St James.” This is a puzzle as Charles cannot be the Charles baptised in 1765 above, as he would still be a lad of 14, so I am led to believe that there was Charles s.o. Charles s.o. Charles and both weddings refer to the same man, Anna Maria’s father!

Charles and Martha went on to have the following children baptised at All Saints: Martha, 7.5.1780, (inf. bur 11.1.1780), Martha, 4.4.1781, Elizabeth & Charles, 9.6.1783, (Charles bur 8.5.1788) Simeon, 9.3.1785, (bur 9.8.1785) Charles Bird, 25.4.1787 (bur 30.4.1787) 

A Charles Horwood senior was buried 4.8.1787 and Martha “from Dowry Square” on 16.3.1791

Alexander was supposedly 28 at the time of his marriage to Anna Maria who was nineteen. Valerie believes that the Horwoods were a well to do family and that they disapproved of the marriage, “possibly because they were involved in the slave trade and disliked the anti-abolitionist movement. It is known that Anna’s brother in law to be was the captain of a slaver”, and the location of the marriage, well out of town, may suggest a clandestine arrangement.

In 1791, Alexander was selected by the Anti-Slavery Society to sail to Sierra Leone with the intention of reorganising the settlement of freed slaves in Granville Town and the married couple, with William Falconbridge, presumably another brother, sailed for the colony on a slaver, “The Duke of Buccleuch” under Captain Maclean.  Alex signed an Inventory dated 1792, Sierra Leone, with other signatories, James Watt and Richard Pepys, Members of the Council.

Anna Maria must have been very brave and feisty and was obviously well educated as can be seen from the book she co-authored about her travels: “The Narrative of Two Voyages to the River Sierra Leone During the Years 1791-1792-1793", which was published in 1794. She writes with the benefit of hindsight “it was surely a premature, hair-brained and ill-digested scheme to think of sending such a number of people all at once to such a rude barbarous and unhealthy country before they were certain of possessing an acre of land.”

The Sierra Leone scheme was a failure, as was the marriage. The couple separated. Alexander fell out with his brother William who was also employed by the Sierra Leone Company. William moved to Bance Island where he became ill with a fever and died. Alexander, who had taken to drink, was dismissed by Mr Thornton of the Company, and very depressed died on 19 December 1792. Both he and William are believed to be buried in Sierra Leone but the site of their graves is unknown.

Within a few weeks, on 7 January 1793, Anna Maria married Isaac Dubois, in a private ceremony, requesting that the officiating clergyman keep the matter secret (for obvious reasons!) The marriage was probably Isaac’s second, for a man of this name married Jemima Blake at St Martin’s in the Fields, London on 17.11.1784. He also worked for the Company and kept a diary for Thomas Clarkson. Though some sources say he was a plantation owner from North Carolina, or a soldier in the American Revolutionary War, I wonder if either is correct and feel that his connections are more likely with London, and particularly St Martin’s in the Fields where an Isaac Dubois of the Strand, St Martin’s in the Fields, chaser and print seller, insolvent debtor, was imprisoned in The Fleet, 22.10.1748. (London Gazette). Perhaps he was Isaac’s father or grandfather?  The  newly weds celebrated aboard Anna's brother in law's slaver and later returned home to England via Jamaica.

Anna includes in her book details of meetings she had on her return with Thornton who had sacked Alexander. She mentions Alexander’s will which has never been located and alludes to a possible child. This is the only reference she makes to her dead husband apart from his bad temper and drinking habits.  She gave birth to a son Francis Blake Dubois on 27 December 1801 and died shortly afterwards probably from the complications of giving birth. She was just thirty three years old. Her son was christened at St Martin in the Fields in November 1802.

Sadly it seems that Anna Maria wavered when it came to the abolitionist movement and after Alexander's death she seems to have had doubts about the possibility of abolition coming about, she in fact questioned whether it was a good thing.

So what are the Bristol connections? As shown above George Falconbridge was a witness to the marriage of Alexander and Anna Maria.  On the 16 February 1791 he married at St Philip & St Jacob’s, Mary Hedges of Castle Precincts. The marriage was by licence, presumably because the bride was just eighteen and needed the consent of her father, Thomas Hedges, a hatter, of St P & J. George was  a bachelor and by trade a chymist, (sic). All parties signed.

The next Falconbridge on the scene is Samuel, a chemist, of the City of Bristol, who made his will on 10 February 1795. He leaves:

“to my son George Falconbridge, a house now occupied by Earl Pearce, potter, in Avon Street, St Phillips with £200 stock in 5% annuities, household furniture, books, my best black coat and all necessaries in my dwelling.”

“to my brother, William Falconbridge, if living at my decease, interest of £200 in stock &c and at his death one half to be paid to Samuel Falconbridge, his son and half to Mary Falconbridge, his daughter.”

“to my grandson Samuel Falconbridge, £50 in stock.”

“to my wife’s mother Susanna Boyd the interest on £100 in stock for life provided her son George Boyd give her £10 a year for her life, otherwise the legacy is void. And at her death to my grandson Samuel Falconbridge jointly with his brother and sisters, £30 to him and £70 between his brother & sisters.

”to John Griffiths, my wearing apparel except my black coat.

“to John Read £10 and any surplus money I may die professed (sic) of after my funeral expenses and debts discharged and deficiency to be made up by my son George Falconbridge. And the same John Read to direct my funeral and that he will have a flat grave stone put over my grave inscribed with my age and that of my dear wife; and John Read to be executor.”

Signed Samuel Falconbridge in the presence of Isaac Hill, Richard Pincott, William Seward.

The will was proved on the 20th May 1795.

Unfortunately, mysterious as usual, nobody by the name Falconbridge appears in the Bristol baptism & burial indexes 1754-1812 produced by Bristol & Avon FHS, nor does the gravestone appear in Ron Lewin’s index of MIs. It occurs to me that William named above “if living” may be the William who accompanied Alex and Anna Maria to Africa. If Alex is also Samuel’s brother then he is not mentioned in the will as it must have been known that he was already dead.  I have been unable to find a marriage between Samuel Falconbridge and ----- Boyd. 

So we are left with…………George.

George Falconbridge was married to Mary Hedges as noted above. They appear not to have had children and lived out their lives in St Philip & St Jacob. In the Bristol Mercury of 30.11.1830 George Boyd Falconbridge of St P & J appears named in a petition of ratepayers railing against “ruinous taxation”.

They appear in 1841 census at Lamb Street, aged 70 and 65 respectively. (I had some difficulty in finding them - “Find My Past” indexes them as “Fatcombridge”!) George died in 1845 and in the 1851 census Mary is is living at 92 Lamb Street St P  J, widow, 79, funded proprietor & house, born Bristol, with Esther Baker, 21, servant, born Gloucestershire.   In 1861, Mary is living at 40 Wade Street, still with the faithful Esther Baker, now “28”. It was probably Esther who put her mistress’s obituary in the newspaper in 1865:  November 12, at Lamb Street, after a long illness, Mary Ann, widow of Mr G. Falconbridge, aged 94, (Bs Merc 18.11.1865)

I am looking for the birth and death of Captain William Dungey, supposed born circa 1754 who died prior to 1841. Can anyone help?

                                                                                                               WILLIAM DUNGEY

An obituary appears in the Bristol Mercury of 7 Dec. 1844 as follows: At Merchants Almshouse, much regretted, Elizabeth, widow of Captain William Dungey, late of this port, aged 72. Elizabeth died on 1 December and according to her death certificate she was 68. (Which shows we always have to be wary of the age given at death or on gravestones, for this was supplied by other people!) There was an inquest and the City Coroner, J.B. Grindon, decided there were no suspicious circumstances and brought in a verdict of “Visitation of God”. 

The Merchants Venturers Almshouse in King Street was built as a home for old sailors and their dependents and I passed it every day during the short time I worked next door in the 1950s at the now defunct “Northern Assurance”.

On the wall is a plaque with the following lines:

"Freed from all storms the tempest and the rage
Of billows, here we spend our age.
Our weather beaten vessels here repair
And from the Merchants' kind and generous care
Find harbour here; no more we put to sea
Until we launch into Eternity.
And lest our Widows whom we leave behind
Should want relief, they too a shelter find.
Thus all our anxious cares and sorrows cease
Whilst our kind Guardians turn our toils to ease.
May they be with an endless Sabbath blest
Who have afforded unto us this rest."

“Elizabeth Dungee” aged 66, born in the county of Gloucestershire, was among the inmates of the Almshouse in 1841 from which it is evident that she was widowed by this time.

Records show that William Dungey married Elizabeth Eadye at St Augustine’s, Bristol in 1800, and as according to family lore, William was born in 1754, he would have been 46 at the time from which it is supposed that this may have been his second marriage.  The marriage was by banns and both signed the register. The couple lived at various addresses in Pipe Lane between 1814 and 1829 according to Rates’ Books and Matthews’ Bristol Directory. From 1830 the rates at 10 Pipe Lane were paid by their son in law, James Fedden.

For many years William was Captain of the Viscount Palmerston a packet ship which left Bristol for Cork every Thursday and Saturday. When steam replaced sail about 1823, it appears that William retired. I have been unable to find any burial or obituary for him though his death is assumed to have been between 1830 and before 1841.  (The William Dungey buried at Temple aged 62 in 1836, is another man of the same name, a glass blower by trade.)

William & Elizabeth’s children were

Mary,  perhaps baptised St Mary Redcliffe, 1801. A notice of her marriage appears in Bristol Mercury on 7 Feb. 1820: “February 3rd, at Westbury on Trym, Mr. James M. Fedden to Mary, eldest daughter of Captain William Dungey of the Government Packet Establishment of this City & Cork.”

(The fact that she was “the eldest daughter” implies that there were at least two more!)

In 1841, the Feddens were at Lewis Buildings, Orchard Lane, Temple:

James Fedden, accountant, 40, Mary Fedden, 35, with children Charlotte, 15, George, 14, Charles 12 and Alfred, one month. All were said to have been born in Gloucestershire. The deaths of a James Fedden and a Mary Fedden were registered in Bristol in 1846. A James Fedden appears in a list of insolvent debtors, 22.7.1837 and may be “our” James, whilst two other entries re T. Edgar who was charged with the theft of a cloak from Mr James Fedden of Brandon Street, 12.11.1836 and James Fedden, landlord of a pub the Duke of York in Brandon Street, 1839 appear to refer to a different man. 

William, who married Ann Caroline Lovell at Westbury on Trym in 1825. He was a carpenter and left Bristol for London.

and possibly John, whose marriage was announced 14.1.1837 in Bristol Mercury: “Dec. 28th at Trinity Church, Captain John Dungey to Mary Ann daughter of Mr Francis Vincent of Stapleton Road.” This couple were living at Tubal Place, St Mary Redcliffe in 1861, when he was aged 62, born Bodmin, Cornwall, and Mary Ann, 52, born Isle of Wight.  His death is announced in 1871: Nov. 20, Mr John Dungey, late Captain of this Port, aged 76.” (Bs Merc. 2.12.71)

See blog 24th June 2010.

I was asked to find out as much as I could about the site and belatedly, for what it is worth, this is the result.

I understand the deeds of the property show that it was sold by James Sinnott, Edward Stockley Sinnott & George Stanley Sinnott to St Anne’s Board Mill Company in 1923 and the Company sold it to private occupiers in 1982.

The Sinnott family, James, his wife Mary Ann and their sons were living on a farm at Higham Hill, Walthamstow in 1851.  Between 1851 and 1861, George, the eldest son, aged 29, arrived at Langton Court in Brislington where he was joined by his parents and three younger brothers, Henry, James and Edward

The marriage of James, third son of James and Mary Ann to Emily, 2nd daughter of Mr William Vowles of Totterdown was announced on June 9, 1866 in the Bristol Mercury.   He was a solicitor and appears to be the same person who, with his two sons sold the Woodside Road property in 1923.

By 1871, George Sinnott, now 38, a bachelor and still residing at Langton Court had acquired a considerable estate of 300 acres. The older Sinnotts still lived with him, as did brother Edward, along with a number of live in servants and others who had cottages on the estate. Edward Sinnott advertised a thoroughbred gelding for sale on July 18, 1874.

In 1881, George Sinnott, aged 48, was at “the Farm House, Langton Court”, still single, he had retained the 300 acres and employed 20 labourers. The rest of the family were no longer there. 

Until 1883, it appears that James Sinnott had leased the Langton Court property from Mr Gore-Langton, the Lord of the Manor, but it seems from newspaper reports (see Bristol Mercury 30.6.1888 & 18.6.1890) that he had subsequently purchased the property. This is confirmed by a letter of May 14, 1883 in Bristol Mercury from “Civis” who deplores “the closing of St Anne’s Wood, Brislington” which was then to be sold at auction and stating that “all pleasure seekers like myself can do is lament.” The property included St Anne’s Woods, (and therefore the Chapel ruins) as indicated  in a Court case which took place between James Sinnott and the Bristol Footpaths Society in 1890. (For details of this matter see Bristol Record Office Pamphlet 4728 : St Anne’s Chapel, St Anne’s Ferry & paths through St Anne’s Woods” and similarly BRO P StLB/PM/1 – 1891 “Account of Footpath Dispute”. )

It is interesting to see the array of witnesses called to court (Bristol Mercury 25.6.1890), among them Alfred Henry Brown of Brislington’s famous Brown family who was visiting from Australia. (So beloved was our parish to these emigrants that they named their property in Australia, “Brislington”). Anne Williams, aged 85, of Unity Street, Bristol, a Roman Catholic, first knew of St Anne’s when she was 18, and recalled a pilgrimage to the Chapel ruins when she was 25. A Mr Joseph Cool, “a decrepit old man, aged 98 or 99” recalled using the Ferry in old times.  

On September 8, 1886, George Sinnott married Catherine Septima Roberts, the daughter Joseph Roberts of the Shrubbery, Paxford, Worcestershire (announced in Worcester Journal 18.9.86)  On February 20, 1888, a letter in Bristol Mercury refers to land near Netham Lock. In 1891 the couple are living at Langton Court Farm House, Wick Lane, aged 59 and 46, respectively.  George Sinnott died aged 61 in the September Quarter of 1892. No doubt his will would give further information.

It does seems from the above that at the time of the arrival of the Sinnott family, the site was part of the Langton Court Estate.  

However, in 1657, (ref DD\BR\tb/1 – Somerset R.O.) a house called St Anne’s House, formerly St Anne’s Chapel was conveyed by Rowland Lacy to George White, draper and John Willoughby, merchant, both of Bristol.  I am intrigued by the turning up of the name John Willoughby as the Willoughby family of Brislington were Roman Catholics. In the early 19th century they sold land in Brislington to Dr Edward Fox of lunatic asylum fame. It seems likely to me that John Willoughby is a possible link and should be investigated further.

The Lacys were Lords of the Manor prior to the Langtons at the time of the Reformation when they would have come by the Chapel lands. Prior to this I believe it was la Warre property, particularly as the la Warres fought on the Lancastrian side in the Wars of the Roses and apparently invited their Lord and King Henry VII to come to their local shrine. 

The object of the dig was to try to find objects which might prove that the St Anne’s Shrine was nearby what is now Woodside Road. Unfortunately no such artefacts were recovered.

In 1978, shortly after I began researching my family history I was contacted by a gentleman called Bert Gay in response to a newspaper advertisement. Mr Gay lived at Alma Road, Kingswood, which runs into Holly Hill Road

Having discovered that many of my paternal ancestors had earned their living toiling underground in the former mines of the Kingswood district, I was anxious to talk to anyone with first hand experience.

Bert Gay had not worked in the mines himself but his grandfather, Robert King had told him many times of how at the age of seven he had gone down the mine “sitting in a bucket, on a miner’s lap, carrying a candle.”  Bert went to the workshop at the back of the house and returned with a t-shaped iron candlestick that had once belonged to his grandfather.  Bert placed this precious artefact in my hands.

The Kingswood mines were not considered fiery and the men worked by the light of candles held in these candlesticks either in their hat bands or with the pointed end stuck in the wall of the shaft.

The stub of candle was added by me, though now it is also more than 30 years old. I used to give talks with the assistance of my son Kevin, then about eight, dressed as a child miner for many young boys of six and above worked in the mines. When I “lit him up”, the candle stuck in his round hat, an audible gasp would go round the room. But that’s another story.

Robert King worked at Parkfield Colliery, Coalpit Heath and made the daily journey on foot from Holly Hill Road, along the Dram Road  which ran from the Chequer’s Inn on Hanham River to Britton, Warmley, Mangotsfield, Shortwood and Coalpit Heath – a distance of some six miles. The coals were taken by horses from the pits to the river, via the Dram Road where they were loaded on to barges. Robert King was a very strong man, said Bert and he recalled him “tossing around two hundredweight sacks of barley mow as if they were nothing.”

In 1841 Robert King then aged four lived with his father and mother, Samuel and Hester and various siblings in Warmley. His father was, of course, a coalminer. I was able to track Robert’s life through various censuses and addresses in the Kingswood area and his work as a miner, until 1891 by which time he had retired. He married Mary Ann Britton from the numerous local family of that name in 1862. Mary Ann died at the early age of 40 in 1879 leaving him a widower with five daughters and two sons between 17 and six years old. The youngest, Florence would stay with him and when she married Alfred Gay in 1906, Robert lived with them at Holly Hill Road. In the house in 1911 were Florence and Alfred, and Robert aged 73.  You can imagine my joy, for also there, aged 3, was my friend Bert Gay!

Crail is a small seaside town in the Kingdom of Fife. We were there principally for the golf but I couldn't resist the churchyard, of course. The first Monumental Inscription (MI) which caught my eye read "Sacred to the memory of George Slate of Caithness, late light keeper on the Island of May who was lost on the night of 28 September 1852 aged 30 years. His remains were found and interred here. He was sincerely regretted by all who knew him." Scottish MIs are a dream for family historians, in most cases far more comprehensive than English ones, often stating the maiden names of the wives: i.e. "In Memory of Bailie William Murray, Betty Logan his wife, Euphemia, Eliza and Catherine, their daughters, James Bowman their son-in-law, husband of Euphemia, died 25 October 1872 aged 86, William Murray Bowman, their grandson died 27 August 1887 aged 37, Mary Georgina Inglis, his wife, died 27 September 1865." Some graves were enclosed by a surrounding wall and could easily accommodate 20 or so relatives and friends. I imagined them sitting on the grass, perhaps with a picnic, discussing the merits or otherwise of the deceased. One of these enclaves held the remains of "John Scott of Crail, died 15 April 1822 aged 84, Marjory Bell, his spouse, died 8 March 1795 aged 30, Robert, their son, died 3 September 1786 aged one, Betsey, their daughter, spouse of David Kirk, died 13 April 1818 aged 28, John, their son died 17 April 1843, aged 51, George Scott Kirk, their grandson, died at sea, 5 August 1839, aged 21." Another held no frippery, but what a tragic story it told: "Erected by John Law and Mary Law, his spouse to the affectionate memory of John William Law, their grandson who was born in New Zealand and died at Crail aged one year and 7 months, 24 June 1865. Also their beloved son who died at Rio de Janeiro, 1852, aged 22 years, much lamented. John Law, my beloved husband who departed this life 10 July 1870 aged 73 years and the said Mary Law, died 9 October 1873, aged 82." The earliest MI I noticed was dated 1683, erected to Bailie Thomas Young, his spouse Isobel and several of their children. Much later, the bereaved of David Ayton Lindsay, died 3 May 1872 had erected a "chapel", now roofless, to accommodate his plaque. It was, as an informant told me gravely (no pun intended!) "built without planning permission". So they were around with their clip boards then as well. I am always pleased by references to British India and Crail did not disappoint. A monument to John William Maillardet, esquire, described him as "late deputy Inspector hospitals, Madras Army". (East India Company, surely?) He "fell asleep in Jesus 19 December 1862 in the 57th year of his age. He was a kind and affectionate husband and father, a sincere friend and a gentle and Christian spirit." Mary Ann his widow survived him for nearly 30 years, until 30 October 1892. John William Maillardet and Mary Ann Foley were married at Madras in 1831. An Elizabeth Maillardet, perhaps their daughter, also married there in 1852. The name is French. Huguenot? Why did they end up in Crail? Who knows?