Records consistently give Bessie or Betsy as her first name, leading me to infer she may have gone by both, and so I refer to her as Bessie/Betsy in this post.
Elizabeth 'Bessie/Betsy' Brownscombe was born in January 1843 in Bratton Fleming, Devon, to Thomas Brownscombe (about 23), a sawyer, and Maria Brownscombe (nee Popham) (about 23), a charwoman and later a domestic cook.
Bessie/Betsy was baptised on 8th January 1843 in Bratton Fleming.
Bessie/Betsy was the eldest of three daughters:
- Elizabeth 'Bessie/Betsy' 1843 -
- Mary Ann 1846 -
- Katherine 'Kitty' 1850 -
Betsy and her younger sisters grew up in their native Bratton Fleming.
1851 Census:
In Oct/Nov/Dec 1859, when Bessie/Betsy was sixteen, her father Thomas passed away, aged about forty, in the district of Barnstaple. Bessie/Betsy's widowed mother Maria found work as a domestic cook for the household of Rev. Humphrey Senhouse Pinder, the generous Rector of Bratton Fleming, whilst her young daughters worked as domestic servants on local farms.
As a young woman, Bessie/Betsy worked as a house and general servant for farmer Philip Dovell at East Middleton in Parracombe, about six miles south Bessie/Betsy's native Bratton Fleming. Also living and working there was Bessie/Betsy's future husband carter Richard Fisher.
1861 Census:
On Christmas Exe 1863, Bessie/Betsy (20) married Richard (18) in Parracombe. At the time of their marriage, both still resided at East Middleton. Both were able to sign their name on their marriage certificate.
 |
| Bessie/Betsy Brownscombe's Signature, 1863 |
Bessie/Betsy had three children (two daughters and one son):
- Mary 1865 -
- John 1866 -
- Alice Brownscombe 1868 - 1929 (60 years old)
Bessie/Betsy's mother-in-law Frances Fisher, after being widowed in 1866, moved in with Bessie/Betsy and her son Richard Fisher and their young family.
Around 1866, Bessie/Betsy and her family moved a few miles south from Parracombe to Challacombe. There the family lived at Westland Cottage. Westland Cottage would be a real home. The family would live there for over sixty years!
1871 Census:
1881 Census:
1891 Census:
In Oct/Nov/Dec 1899, when Bessie/Betsy was fifty-six, her mother Maria passed away, aged about eighty, in the district of Barnstaple.
1901 Census:
1911 Census:
Sadly illness kept Bessie/Betsy's husband Richard to his bed in for the last six years of his life, from about 1923 to 1929. He was cared for by Bessie/Betsy.
On 26th May 1929, Bessie/Betsy's widowed daughter Alice passed away, aged sixty, at Westland Cottage.
From the North Devon Journal on 30th May 1929:
Less than three months later, Bessie/Betsy's husband Richard passed away, aged eighty-four, on 5th August 1929, at Westland Cottage.
From the North Devon Journal on 8th August 1929:
His funeral, held on Saturday 10th August 1929 at Challacombe, was reported on. An short eulogy in the newspaper gives a lovely description of Richard's character and career. This was the man Bessie/Betsy married and lived with for over sixty years: a bright, happy, smiley, kind, friendly and hardworking man.
From the North Devon Journal on 15th August 1929:
Bessie/Betsy passed away three years later, aged eighty-nine, in Jan/Feb/Mar 1932 in the district of Barnstaple.
No comments:
Post a Comment