The first part of this account begins on the
cholera page and
tells how Richard Colenso and wife Martha moved
from Breage in Cornwall to Swansea in South Wales.
There they joined thousands of migrant workers
swelling the population numbers and unwittingly
adding to the conditions which helped the return of
the 1848/9 cholera epidemic.
After the birth of my ggrandfather Joseph in
1852, the family moved to Llanwrst in North Wales
for a couple of years, before returning to
Cornwall. Their eldest daughter Elizabeth married
in 1856 and remained in Cornwall while the rest of
the family were on the move again back to Wales,
but this time to Abergavenny in Monmouthshire.
The last record found so far of Richard Colenso
is on the death certificate of his youngest son
John in 1858. This page follows the events
surrounding the rest of the family from 1856.
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Richard
Colenso
1820 -
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Martha
Pascoe
1819 - 1899
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Elizabeth 1839
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Rosina 1846 -
1849
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John 1850
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Mary Jane 1853
- 1853
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Richard 1840 -
1927
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Martha 1842 -
1887
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Mary
Ann 1847 -
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Joseph 1852 -
1917
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Sarah
1854 - 1857
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Ann 1848 - 1881
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John 1853 -
1855
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John 1856- 1858
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Rosina 1844 -
1845
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For some reason, as yet unknown,
Richard Colenso and wife Martha with
children Elizabeth, Richard, Martha, Ann,
Joseph, John and Sarah returned to
Cornwall about 1855 and stayed for about a
year.
Their son John died in the workhouse from
a condition that had been present since
birth.
Then, almost simultaneously at the end of
1856, daughter Elizabeth married John Jory
and gave birth to a son John, while her
mother Martha also gave birth to another
son whom they also called John.
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Elizabeth Colenso
was just 17 when she married John Jory
on 15 December 1856 at the Chapel of Helston in the
parish of Wendron. He was the third of nine
children of Simon Jory (1805 - 1886) and Eliza
Ralph (1811 - 1892) and was born on 7th December
1836. He became a stone mason following in his
father's profession.
John and Elizabeth Jory had the following
children
John Jory 1856, Edwin Jory 1858, Richard Colenso
Jory 1862, William Jory 1865, Mary Jory 1870, Caty
Jory 1872, Elizabeth Jory 1874, and Ellen Jory
1877.
John Jory died 28 March 1917 registered in
Helston.
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Richard Colenso
is assumed to have returned to Cornwall
with the rest of the family. He has yet to be found
on any census returns between 1861 and 1891.
Initial thoughts were that he was perhaps a
seafaring man, but the acquisition of his death
certificate gave a different story.
He died as Richard Colenzo age 83 on 4th April
1927 at St Peters Hospital Stepney Whitechapel
London. His profession was cited as shoemaker and
his last known address as 963 Brick Lane.
In the 1901 Census, a Richard Colenso is found age
57 as a sick pauper in Whitechapel Infirmary Mile
End Old Town London, profession shoemaker.
Therefore it can be assumed that he was known in
this area for at least 27 years.... but what
happened in the interim years?
I discovered through further research
that this area of London was very poor and
run down. The area around Brick Lane
historically has been an immigrant area -
starting way back with the Hugenots - but
largely Jewish at the time Richard was
there.
Also that the
Whitechapel
Workhouse became Whitechapel Infirmary
(infamous for its links with the 'Jack the
Ripper' murders) which in turn became St
Peter's Hospital
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Martha Pascoe
appears to have married William Williams
in Abergavenny 1859 ( date to be verified). William
Williams was born in Rhymney in 1831 and was a
cinder feller and later a coal miner by trade.
Why would Martha remarry as a Pascoe? Had she and
Richard divorced? Had Richard died?
Further records only add to the mystery as you will
see.
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Martha Colenso
married George Buttery in Bedwellty
Registry Office on 14th November 1863. George was
the son of George Buttery who, like Richard
Colenso, was an agent but in the mine works.
Neither father is described as 'deceased' - is this
a clue that he is still alive at the time of this
wedding in 1863?
In contrast Martha Clenso later
married Charles Willacombe 21st September 1881 at
Wesleyan Chapel Pontrypridd. He was born in Bristol
1846 the son of farmer Thomas Willacombe and
Caroline Brimble. Richard is described here clearly
as 'Mineral Overman (deceased)'.
Charles and Martha Willacombe had the following
children
Charles Willacombe 1869, William John Willacombe
1871 and Richard Willacombe 1873.
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Ann Colenso
was just 15 when she married Joseph
House on 5th July 1863 at a Wesleyan Chapel in
Bedwelty even though the records say 16. The
wedding was witnessed by her mother Martha and
stepfather William Williams. Once again father
Richard is described as agent in Ironworks but not
'deceased'. Surely this must mean he was alive in
1863....
Joseph House was born the fourth of nine
children towards the end of 1837 at Emborough
Somerset, the son of agricultural labourer John
House (1806-1872) and his wife Ann (1812-1890). By
1861 Joseph had made the move to South Wales on his
own where he met his future wife.
Joseph and Ann House had the following
children
Martha Ann House 1864 - 1893, Elizabeth House 1867,
William J House 1870, Henry House 1872, Ann House
1874, John House 1876, Joseph House 1878 and
William House 1880.
Ann died on 7th September 1882 and Joseph died
20th February 1894.
They are both buried at Rhymney St David.
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Joseph Colenso
is thought to have been born at Murton
on the Gower as this was the location of the family
at the time of the 1851 Census. As yet no birth
record has come to light. In Census records both
Swansea and Gower are recorded as place of birth.
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Richard Colenso
1820 -
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Martha
Pascoe
1819 - 1899
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Owen
Davies
1821 - 1895
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Elizabeth Maria
Williams
1829 -
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Joseph
Colenso
1852 - 1917
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Elizabeth Davies
1852 - 1929
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Joseph Owen
1874 - 1884
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Joseph Owen
1885 - 1885
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Owen 1887 -
1958
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Margaret
1891
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George
1880 - 1963
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Mary
Jane 1886 - 1887
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Martha1889 -
1895
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Joseph
1893 - 1893
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Elizabeth Ann 1883
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After some years moving around Joseph
spent his later teenage years growing up
and going to school in Gelligaer. In 1861
he is in Weir Street with his mother
Martha and step father William Williams.
Joseph was a puddler in 1871 but by 1881
he was a coal miner and remained so for
the rest of his working life. Joseph
married Elizabeth Davies on 11th October
1873 at Bedwellty Parish Church.
Elizabeth was born in 1852 Pontlottyn
Glamorgan the eldest of seven surviving
children of Owen Davies and Elizabeth
Maria Williams.
Joseph and Elizabeth had nine children
but only four survived into adulthood.
They spent most of their married life in
the Rhondda just south of the centre of
Ferndale in
Union
Street and Regent Street
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Sarah Colenso
was born in 1854 in Llanwrst North
Wales.and must have been with the family when they
returned to Cornwall. Sadly, Sarah
Colenza's death in New Tredegar and
registered in Abergavenny in 1857 is the reason we
know the family had moved again.
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John Colenso
was born in Helston Cornwall towards the
end of 1856 during a time of great excitement. The
wedding of his eldest sister Elizabeth and birth of
his nephew John Jory happened at much the same
time. John's short life ended in New Tredegar in
1858 and his death certificate provides the last
currently known piece of information regarding his
father Richard Colenso.
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