MY FARGUS FAMILY - Archived

Last reviewed on 29 August 2014

Note that this was written in 1991 and is included for historical reasons only. To be honest, I do not want to lose it for its sentimental value and as a reminder of the early days of my Fargus research. Front Page 2000 does not like it lurking in my file without being included in the Navigation Structure!

Anne Owen married James Fargus at Nettleham, Lincs in 1856. Her parents were Richard Owen and Elizabeth Bromay (according to the Birth Certificate). The Archivist at St Catherine's House informs me that it is spelt as BROMLEY on the original certificate.

James Fargus was born in Jurby, Isle of Man, about 1831, according to the 1851 census for 33 Alfred Street, Hull. His father was William Fargus, and it is thought that William's first wife may have died, as there is a gap after the first two children before a second group of children were born, after he had married in Hull in 1833, to Eleanor Wilson. I have not yet found where William came from, but I would like to link him with the Bristol Farguses, who were auctioneers and chandlers, and with Fargus of Woodlands, near Chepstow. (See L G Pine's History of the Landed Gentry-1952) so if anyone has any further information, I would be most interested to receive it. Family legend says that the family 'lived in Wales in the early 1800s and there is a grandfather clock in the family of Ted Fargus, made by David Jones. G H Baillie's Watchmakers and clockmakers of the World (NAG press 1963) records several David Jones, of which one in Amlwich, Cardiff (1824), is a possible contender.

ELIZABETH BROMLEY

In 1837 Richard Owen and Elizabeth had a son Richard, whp was born at Nettleham, near Lincoln. Richard Owen senior was an Inn Keeper in Lincoln.

A search of the parish registers at Lincoln CRO in 1988 revealed an Anne Owen, baptised December 1835 at St Peter at Arches, of Richard Owen, Inn Keeper, and Elizabeth. There are no other Owens in this book between 1813 & 1837. The reference for the Bishop's Transcript is BT Lincoln 1837

Richard Owen died of heart disease, and was buried on October 13th 1843 at St Peter at Arches, Lincoln, aged 55 years. Therefore he was born about 1788. A lodger, Thomas Plummer was present at the death. Richard was the Inn Keeper of the George Inn on Saltergate, Lincoln. In 1990 this was a Berni Inn. He was also landlord of the Duck Tavern, which is at the rear of the George and had a separate entrance.

The 1851 census for Lincoln finds Elizabeth, aged 41, married to James Cook, aged 47, another publican at no.77 Saltergate. Mary Owen, aged 23, house servant, and Ann Owen, aged 16, dress-maker, live with them as do James and Joseph Cook, aged 4 and 1 respectively. An Elizabeth Huggins, dress-maker, is visiting them. She was born at Timberland, which is a few miles ?SW of Lincoln.

A search in the 17 microfiches of the Parish Register for East Stoke, Notts at the Society of Genealogists for the years around 1820 did not reveal an Elizabeth BromAY. However there was a BrOmley family and also a BrAmley family in the village. The only Elizabeth mentioned in the births section was an Elizabeth Bromley, baptised 7.11.1818, dau. of Robert-Howe and Anne Bromley of Stoke Hall, Baronet. This is on no. 6 microfiche.

It should be mentioned that the BrAmley family were blacksmiths and the like and this seems a far more likely background for the daughter of an Inn Keeper, but there is no sign of an Elizabeth.

The main evidence for Elizabeth Bromley not being our ancestor is an entry in the Parish register (microfiche no 8) for 31.3.1850, when there was a presentation of a crimson communion cloth to the church of East Stoke by the Miss Bromleys - Elizabeth and Sophia. And also of two cushions, 2 hassocks and two chair covers in worsted work, together with a crimson floor cloth, executed by themselves. Elizabeth would have been 32 and Sophia 25 at this date . Presumably neither were married. Could one perhaps argue that the presentation had been made 12 or 13 years earlier before Elizabeth had moved to Lincoln? I doubt it. A pity, as it would have added an interesting ancestor to our records - a descendent from an illegitimate daughter of Prince Rupert of the Rhine and a kinsman of the first Lord Carrington.

SRW October 1991