Great x3 (Half?) Aunt Ann Cobley (formerly Edworthy; nee Harris)

My Great x3 (Half ?) Aunt (also my Great x4 Aunt by marriage) Ann (1841 - 1882) was a housewife, mother of three; the eldest (possibly half) sister of my Great Great Grandfather William Edworthy (1852 - 1911), and the first wife of my Great x4 Uncle Samuel Cobley (1829 - 1916).

Ann was born in Apr/May/Jun in 1841 in Lapford, Devon, the illegitimate daughter of Mary Harris (about 17).

On 13th June 1841, Ann was baptised as Ann Harris, in Lapford. Her mother's name is listed, but not her father's.

Ann's father may have been Mary's future husband William Edworthy (about 20), a farm labourer. 

Around 1841, William's older brother George lived for some time with the Harris family in Lapford (as shown on the 1841 Census) and would soon marry Ann's older sister Mary, meaning it was likely younger siblings William and Mary knew each other in 1841, if not earlier.

Ann is recorded on the 1851 Census as being William's daughter and has his surname of Edworthy; however, when she later married in 1860, she was once more calling herself Ann Harris and her father's name not listed.

1841 Census:

On 26th September 1844, when Ann was three years old, her mother Mary (about 20) married William Edworthy (about 24), in Lapford. At the time, Ann's mother Mary was around seven months pregnant with her second child, a son called John.

Ann had ten younger (half?) siblings:

• Ann  1841 - 1882  (41)
• John  1844 - 1910  (65)
• Elizabeth  1849 - 1917  (about 68)
• William  1852 - 1911  (about 59)
• George  1854 - 1876  (22)
• Samuel  1856 - 1920  (64)
• Ellen  1858 - 1934  (75)
• Lewis  1861 - 1943  (82)
• Frederick  1863 - 1943  (79)
• Frank  1866 - 1929  (63)
• Mary Harris  1869 - 1939  (69)

1851 Census:

Though Ann Edworthy on the 1851 Census, by 1860 Ann was once more going by Ann Harris.

On 31st March 1860, Ann (about 18) married Samuel Cobley (about 30), an agricultural labourer, in East Worlington. The name of Ann's father is not recorded. But a witness to the marriage was an Elizabeth Edworthy - probably an aunt or cousin, rather than Ann's younger (half?) sister Elizabeth, who would have only been eleven or so at the time.

Samuel (1829 - 1916) is also my Great x4 Uncle. He was the youngest brother of Great x3 Grandmother Grace Nott (nee Cobley) (1828 - 1890). Hopefully this tree explains the link...

Ann and Samuel had three daughters:

• Mary Ann  1863 -
• Emily  1870 -
• Jessie  1876 -

They would bring up their young family in East Worlington.

1871 Census:

1881 Census:

In Oct/Nov/Dec 1882, Ann passed away, aged about forty-one, in the district of Crediton, Devon. She was buried on 27th December 1882 in East Worlington.

Ann shares a gravestone with her mother Mary and younger (half?) brother George, at St Mary's Churchyard, East Worlington. (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/207067738/ann-cobley)

...

Ann left behind a widower, Samuel (about 53), and three young daughters, Mary Ann (about 19), Emily (about 12) and Jessie (about 6).

Her daughters seem to have first found work as domestic servants. Ann's middle daughter Emily, a domestic servant, would live with her paternal Uncle William Cobley and his family, at the Black Dog Inn, in Washford Pyne, where Uncle William was the innkeeper/publican. Emily later married her first cousin Walter Cobley. 

Ann's daughter Emily passed away in 1939; at that point the Cobley family had reportedly run the Black Dog Inn for 150 years (so since approximately 1790) and were directly descended from Uncle Tom Cobley! 

Well at least according to the Exeter and Plymouth Gazette of 12th May 1939:

...

Back to the 1880s, and the years directly following Ann's death...

Two years after his wife's death, Samuel remarried. In September 1884, Samuel (about 54), a widower and agricultural labourer, married Elizabeth Bennett (nee Crossman) (about 47), the widow of agricultural labourer George Bennett, and mother of four:

• Henry Crossman  1857 - (an illegitimate son born before her first marriage)
• John Bennett  1871 -
• Mary Ann Bennett  1874 -
• Clara Bennett  1876 -

Mary Ann and Clara, some fifty plus years later, attended the funeral of their step-sister Emily Cobley (they are listed under their married names of Mrs H Petherick and Mrs J Saunders).

1891 Census: 

1901 Census:

By 1901, Samuel, in his early seventies, was working as the caretaker of Affeton Castle, East Worlington. Though it has castle in its name, the building is in fact a restored late medieval gatehouse, and in the late Victorian period was used as a hunting lodge by the knighted Stucley family.

Affeton Castle, near East Worlington

In the 1900's, Samuel's second wife Elizabeth passed away.

By 1911, an elderly and twice-bereaved Samuel was living with his daughter, Emily and her family at the Black Dog Inn, Washford Pyne, Devon. By this time, Emily's husband (Samuel's son-in-law and nephew) Walter, following his own father's death, had taken over as innkeeper (and farmer).

1911 Census:

On 30th December 1916, Samuel passed away, aged about eighty-seven, at the Black Dog Inn, Washford Pyne, Devon. He outlived his first wife Ann by nearly twenty-five years.

Black Dog Inn, Washford Pyne, was run by the Cobley/Rattenbury family for several generations.

(...William Cobley, brother of Samuel and Grace, had married his employer's daughter, Sarah Rattenbury. Upon his father-in-law's death, William became innkeeper. Upon William's death, his and Sarah's son Walter took over. Walter married his Uncle Samuel's daughter, his first cousin Emily. Walter and Emily's son then took over...)

A Quick Note From the Researcher

Hello my lovely little corner of the internet,

First I must thank you for your patience and apologise for what turned out to rather a long step back from family tree research. The pandemic affected everyone in different ways. And due to additional personal issues, I had a especially challenging year or so. However, I am glad to say my life is much more settled now. Sporadic research I did last summer, I am now compiling together and will post soon. I will also endeavour to reply to any comments/emails/messages you were kind enough to send in the interim. 

All the best, Jane xx

Great x3 Uncle Gilbert James

My Great x3 Uncle Gilbert (1889 - 1972) was a head farm carter, farm labourer, father of five, and the youngest brother of my Great x2 Grandmother Lucy Vernon (nee James) (1868 - 1897).

Gilbert was born in 17th August 1889 in Morchard Bishop, Devon, to Henry James (about 49), an agricultural labourer, and Louisa James (nee Edwards) (about 37), a housewife.

On 15th September 1889, Gilbert was baptised, in Morchard Bishop. At the time of Gilbert's baptism, the family resided at Knightstone [likely cottage, or farm].

Gilbert was the youngest of eight children (four daughters and four sons):

• Lucy  1868 - 1897  (29 years old)
• Bessie  1869 - 1945 or 1956  (77 or 86 years old)
• Edwin  1875 - 1896  (21 years old)
• Louisa  1878 - 1966  (87 years old)
• Emily Maude  1880 - 1967  (86 years old)
• Charles  1883 - 1965  (82 years old)
• Francis Robert  1886 - 1962  (76 years old)
• Gilbert  1889 - 1972 (82 years old)

Gilbert and his siblings grew up in Morchard Bishop.

1891 Census:

1901 Census:

1911 Census:

When Gilbert was about twenty-six/twenty-seven, his father Henry passed away, aged around seventy-nine, in Jul/Aug/Sep 1916. Gilbert, the youngest James child and only one still living at the family home, likely became the breadwinner, supporting his elderly widowed mother, Louisa. Thankfully, though a young man during the First World War, Gilbert was given exemption from serving (at least for six months after the introduction of subscription in 1916) due to his being head horseman on his farm and deemed 'essential'.

From the Western Times of 20th October 1916:

In Jan/Feb/Mar 1922, Gilbert (32), the head horseman at Brownstone Farm, married Minnie Evelyn Edwards (20), in the district of Crediton. 

At the time of their wedding, young Minnie was seemingly somewhere between 7 and nearly 9 months pregnant, as the couple's eldest child Louie was born on 3rd March 1922.

Gilbert and Minnie had 5 daughters:

• Florence 'Louie' Louise Bessie  1922 - 
• Marjorie Muriel  1924 - 
• Phyllis Rosalind  1926 - 
• Patricia 'Pat' I  1938 - 
• Brenda S  1942 - 

From 1936, when eldest Louie first joined, into the 1940's, when 'Major Pat' and 'Captain Brenda' contributed, Gilbert's daughters were members (described as 'nieces and nephews', and given ranks) of the 'Uncle Fred's Young Folk's League' - a children's club, which took up a small section of the Western Times newspaper. Thus at Brownstone Cottage, Morchard Bishop, in the early twentieth century, maybe after their father had finished the newspaper, a small gaggle of girls poured over stories, games and contributions, marvelling at seeing their names in print. They may have had a rural hard-working up-bringing, but these girls read, wrote and had fun. Partially Pat, with younger sister Brenda, whose names appear most. 

By 1939, Gilbert and Minnie's eldest daughter Louie, in her late teens, lived at and worked as a domestic help at Brownstone Farm. Whilst her parents and younger sisters lived next door at Brownstone Cottage.

1939 Census:

On 11th June 1970, when Gilbert was eighty, his wife Minnie passed away, aged sixty-eight, in Devon. Less than two years later, on 14th January 1972, Gilbert himself passed away, aged eighty-two, also in Devon. 'Our Dear Parents' - they are buried together in St Mary's Churchyard, Morchard Bishop.

Great x3 Uncle Francis Robert James

My Great x3 Uncle Francis (1886 - 1962) was a cow boy, rabbit dealer, farm carter, step father of 1, father of 2, and a younger brother of my Great x2 Grandmother Lucy Vernon (nee James) (1868 - 1897).

Francis was born on 30th August 1886 in Morchard Bishop, Devon, to Henry James (about 49), an agricultural labourer, and Louisa James (nee Edwards) (about 37), a housewife.

Francis was the seventh of eight children (four daughters and four sons):

• Lucy  1868 - 1897  (29 years old)
• Bessie  1869 - 1945 or 1956  (77 or 86 years old)
• Edwin  1875 - 1896  (21 years old)
• Louisa  1878 - 1966  (87 years old)
• Emily Maude  1880 - 1967  (86 years old)
• Charles  1883 - 1965  (82 years old)
• Francis Robert  1886 - 1962 (76 years old)
• Gilbert 1889 -

Francis and his siblings grew up in Morchard Bishop.

1891 Census:

1901 Census:

As a teenager, Francis worked with cattle on a farm, meaning he is amusingly recorded in the 1901 Census as a cow boy. 

As a young man, Francis was working as a rabbit dealer. His older brother Charles - the sibling closest to Francis in age - worked as a rabbit trapper/catcher/dealer his whole life. I wonder if Charles inspired Francis to follow him in his work and/or trained up Francis in catching rabbits.

In Jan/Feb/Mar 1910, Francis (about 23), a rabbit dealer, married young single mother of one Mary Squire(s) (about 20), in the district of Torrington.

Mary was only seventeen and an inmate of Crediton Workhouse, when she gave birth to her illegitimate son, Henry Harris Squire(s) in 1907. The father was one Joseph Noyes, a stableman, whom she summoned to court for child maintenance. Though Noyes failed to appear - purportedly working away in Hampshire - he was ordered to pay '2s a week, and payment of the usual expenses, in addition to advocate's fee'.

By the time of the 1911, the young couple, with three-year-old Henry, were living at Bolts [farm or cottage?] in Ashreigney. Francis dealing in rabbits, Mary looking after her young son.

1911 Census:

With Francis, Mary had two more children (one son and one daughter):

• Charles  1915 -
• Margaret E  1931 -

By 1939, Francis had changed job and was now working as a farm carter.

1939 Census:

Francis' stepson Henry Harris Squire served as a seaman in the navy. He enlisted, aged eighteen, in 1925, for a period of twelve years. His service records gives a brief physical description: as a young man, Henry was 5'7'', with dark brown hair, grey eyes and a fresh complexion. His character is repeatedly given as 'very good'. He served until 1938, but was either called up to serve again or volunteered to serve in the Second World War. He was a Petty Officer Telegraphist, when he was killed at sea, on 8th June 1940, aged thirty-two, when the ship he was serving on - HMS Glorious - was lost to enemy action.

Francis passed away in Oct/Nov/Dec 1962, in the district of Barnstaple, aged seventy-six.

His wife Mary outlived Francis by two years, passing away in Oct/Nov/Dec 1964, in the district of Barnstaple.

Great x3 Uncle Charles 'Charlie' James

My Great x3 Uncle Charles 'Charlie' (1883 - 1965) was a rabbit catcher/trapper/dealer, father of two, and a younger brother of my Great x2 Grandmother Lucy Vernon (nee James) (1868 - 1897).

Charles was born on 1st April 1883 in Morchard Bishop, Devon, to Henry James (about 46), an agricultural labourer, and Louisa James (nee Edwards) (about 34), a housewife.

Charles was baptised on 13th May 1883 in Morchard Bishop. At the time of Charles' baptism, the family lived at Watcombe/Whatcombe [farm or more likely cottage].

Charles was the sixth of eight children (four daughters and four sons):

• Lucy  1868 - 1897  (29 years old)
• Bessie  1869 - 1945 or 1956  (77 or 86 years old)
• Edwin  1875 - 1896  (21 years old)
• Louisa  1878 - 1966  (87 years old)
• Emily Maude  1880 - 1967  (86 years old)
• Charles  1883 - 1965  (82 years old)
• Francis Robert  1886 -
• Gilbert 1889 -

Charles and his siblings grew up in Morchard Bishop.

1891 Census:

When Charles was a young teen, two of his older siblings passed away in their twenties. In July or August 1896, Charles' older brother Edwin passed away, aged only twenty-one, in East Worlington. Less than a year later, in March 1897, Charles' eldest sister Lucy passed away, aged twenty-nine, of TB, in Kennerleigh. I wonder if brother and sister both succumbed to the same disease.

By his late teens, Charles was working as a rabbit trapper. He lodged with the Gale family, headed by butcher Charles Gale, in Lapford.

1901 Census:

Charles may have been close to his sister closest to him in age, Emily, for it was him - rather than their father Henry - who gave Emily away at her wedding in Exeter in 1904.

Alas Charles came up against the law an several occasions...

Firstly, on Christmas Eve (24th December) 1901, he was fined 11s, at Chumleigh, according to the ground game act. Was he catching rabbits when/where he shouldn't have been?

Secondly, he was found not guilty of unlawfully and maliciously wounding (with a piece of glass) one Arthur Ash, with intent to do him grievous bodily harm, at North Tawton, on the 27th July 1904. 

What had happened? 

Essentially it was a pub brawl. 

On the evening of 27th July, Charles was sat drinking at the bar of the Gostwyck Arms in North Tawton. Three lads had been there: Charles James, somebody Moore and Sidney Ash. Another, a witness called Skinner, later became involved. 'Chaffing remarks' were exchanged, which resulted in Charles offering to fight Moore and Sidney Ash. He struck Sidney Ash, knocking him against the wooden partition. Sidney then said he would fetch his brother Arthur Ash, though he did not. Yet soon after in the road they met Arthur Ash, who asked Charles why he had hit his brother. Arthur then stuck Charles in the face. A fight ensued. Later to the court, Arthur showed off cuts to his person and coat that the piece of glass had made. Yet Charles, the defence argued, had not one single cut to his hand, which would have been expected if he was holding tight to and using a piece of glass as a weapon. Charles denied ever having the glass, let alone using it, though he admitted to using his fists after Arthur Ash first struck him. Everyone had been drunk and fighting each other and it was dark. The rumour going around was that it was in fact Skinner (remember him) who was striking Arthur Ash with the glass, having mistaken Arthur Ash for Charles. 

'There was a great degree of confusion and they were fighting one across the other'. So it was argued in their drunken haze, on that dark country road, Arthur Ash and whatever-his-christen-name-was Skinner each believed they were fighting Charles James, but they were in fact fighting each other. And sure drunken brawls were one thing, but bringing a shard of glass to a fist fight was considered beyond the pale. [I'm a pacifist and a teetotaller, I've no idea of the unwritten rules of drunken fights in or outside of pubs. Are there any?]

From the Western Times of 29th July 1904:

From the Western Times of 5th August 1904:

From the Western Times of 21st October 1904:

Interestingly his crime record of 1904 gives Charles' 'degree of instruction' (Can the prisoner read and/or write? N (No), R (Only read), Imp (Imperfectly) or Well)) as 'well'. Though only a poor rabbit trapper, he could read and write well.

In September 1906, before the bench at the Moretonhampstead Petty Sessions, Charles summoned a young man called Henry Long for stealing six of his rabbit traps from Cocktree Farm. Long pleaded guilty and was fined £1.

From the Western Times of 26th September 1906:

By 1910, in his late twenties, Charles was sometimes going by his birth name of Charles James and sometimes under the alais of Charles Scott James or Scott James. He also seems to have knocked a couple of years off his age - giving his age as 25 in 1910, when he would have really been 27. He is also giving his profession not simply as rabbit catcher or trapper but a dealer of rabbits.

By 1910, he had been convicted twice under the Game Law and once the Highway Act (between 1901 and 1908).

In 1910, Charles was again arrested and this time for a more serious offence. He was found Guilty of sending a threatening letter accusing one James Henry Hutchings of an infamous crime to extort money (eg give me x amount of money or I'll tell the police what I saw), on 15th February 1910, and sentenced to 12 months imprisonment with hard labourer. 

From North Devon Journal of 24th March 1910:

Charles' 1910 Prison record:

The 1911 Census shows Charles, a prisoner in Exeter prison on New North Road.

1911 Census:

In Oct/Nov/Dec 1915, Charles (about 32), rabbit trapper, married Alice Maud Brend (about 26), a domestic maid and housekeeper, in the district of Barnstaple.

Charles and Alice had two children (one son and one daughter):

• Victor Charles  1920 -
• Beatrice Hazel Valentine  1922 -

(The name Victor grew in popularity after the victories of WWI. The few Victors I have in my family, great uncles and distant cousins, were born in the 1920's.)

At some point around the 1910s/1920's, Charles and his family moved to Saunton, Braunton, on the North-West coast of Devon, where they would live for many years. Charles' older sister Louisa Tonkin(s) and husband Walter also lived in Braunton for a few years around 1939.

In June 1928, Charles found the body of commercial traveller Henry George Gilbert on Braunton sands, near the lighthouse. Gilbert had been out sailing, there had been some sort of accident, and he had drowned. 

(Somewhat eerily, Charles' nephew Leonard James Tonkin(s) (younger son of Charles' sister Louisa) would also find the body of a drown victim. In 1938, Leonard found the body of of 21-year-old Alfred Channon in the River Otter, at the Honiton Swimming Club Headquarters. In this case, the coroner gave a reluctant verdict of suicide by drowning.)

Charles and Alice's marriage may not have been one made it heaven. Charles put a notice in the North Devon Journal of 16th April 1931 that he would 'not be answerable for any Debts incurred by [his] wife':

However, they still appear together on the 1939 census, and by the time of Alice's death in 1948.

1939 Census:

By the early 1940's, Charles and Alice's young adult daughter Beatrice had married and was living in London - where she would live until her death, aged ninety-two, in 2014. And at some point their son Victor it seems may have moved to live in Scotland. However both children returned to Devon in 1948 to attend their mother's funeral.

In January or February 1948, Charles' wife Alice passed away, aged about 58. Her funeral took place on 19th February 1948 at St Brannock's, Braunton. It was attended by family and friends, including Charles' sister Emily and her husband Sam Trigger, and Charles' brother Francis and his wife.

From the North Devon Journal of 26th February 1948:

In Oct/Nov/Dec 1965, Charles himself passed away, aged eighty-two, in the district of Barnstaple.