Chapter
Four
The
Hard Years
Research
for this and following Chapters by Yvonne Cottman and Christine
Verrall
Richard
was a very popular name amongst the various Verrall lines in Sussex
around this time with a couple even marrying Marys to add even
greater confusion for
researchers.
Thomas' Will below helps to sort the wheat from the chaff.
Richard
Verrall
1 Richard
Verrall
was
born Abt. 1680 in England.
Richard
married Mary
in
Eastbourne, Sussex, England. Mary was born Abt 1684 in England.
They
had the following children:
i Edward Verrall was
born Abt 1708 in Sussex, England.
ii Thomas Verrall was
born Abt 1710 in Sussex, England. He died Bet. 1 - 28 Jan 1766.
Thomas married Elizabeth
Jenner 26 Sept. 1748 in Bishopstone, Sussex, England.
iii. John Verrall was
christened 27 May 1711.
iv. Elizabeth Verrall was
christened 18 Aug 1714.
v. Richard
Verrall was
born 10 Mar 1716. He died 19 Jan 1783.
The
last Will and Testament of Thomas Verrall (above)
I,
Thomas Verral of Excett in the parish of Seaford in the County of
Sussex, shepherd, being weak in body but of sound mind and memory
thanks be given to God for the same, do this first day of January in
the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and sixty six make
and publish this my last will and testament in manner and form
following, that is to say.
Fist
I give and bequeath unto brother Edward Verrall,the sum of one
guinea, also to my brother John Verral the sum of one guinea also to
my brother Richard the sum of one guinea, also to my sister
Elizabeth, the wife of John Sutton of Eastbourne in the county of
Sussex one guinea which legacies I give to them and their heirs for
to be paid within six months after my decease.
I
also give unto my three brothers and sister aforesaid all my wearing
apparel to be equally divided among them.
All
the rest of my stock of sheep, household goods and all things
whatsoever I...or after my just and lawful debts are paid, I give
unto Elizabeth my beloved wife and to her heirs for ever whom I also
make my wife Elizabeth full and sole executrix to this my last will
and testament, utterley revoking.....all other wills before me at any
time made allowing this and only this to be my last will and
testament in witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the
day and year first above written.
The
mark of Thomas Verral
Signed,
sealed, published and declared by the testator to be his last will
and testament in the presence of those whose names are under written:
Thomas
Acton, David Boys, James Cooper
Will
proved in Lewes Archdeaconry Court 28 Jan 1766 (Archdeaconry of
Lewes will A61/291)
Richard Verrall (1716
- 1783)
2 Richard
Verrall (Richard) was born 10 Mar 1716 in Eastbourne, Sussex, England. He was
christened 19 Mar 1716 in Eastbourne, Sussex, England. He died 19 Jan
1783 in Eastbourne, Sussex, England.
Richard
married Mary
Marden daughter
of John Marden and Mary 27 May 1740 in Eastbourne, Sussex, England.
Mary was born 3 Oct 1713 in Eastbourne, Sussex, England. She died 25
Nov 1789 in Eastbourne, Sussex, England.
They
had the following children:
i. Anne
Verrall was born 30 Mar 1741. She died 22 Jan 1822.
ii. John
Verrall was born 19 Feb 1742.
iii. William
Verrall was christened 13 Jun 1747 in Eastbourne, Sussex, England. He
died 6 Aug 1748 in Eastbourne, Sussex, England.
iv. Thomas
Verrall was born 26 Mar 1748. He died 20 Oct 1797.
v. William
Verrall was
christened 30 Jan 1752. He died 27 Jan 1822.
vi. Edward
Verrall was born 1753 in Eastbourne, Sussex, England. He died 30 Jan
1755 in Eastbourne, Sussex, England.
vii. Martha
Verrall was born 5 Jun 1756 in Eastbourne, Sussex, England. She died
28 Dec 1756 in Eastbourne, Sussex, England.
viii. Martha
Verrall was born 2 Jul 1758 in Eastbourne, Sussex, England.
ix. Edward
Verrall was christened 2 Jul 1758 in Eastbourne, Sussex, England.
William
Verrall (1752 - 1822)
3 William Verrall (Richard, Richard)
was christened 30 Jan 1752 in Eastbourne, Sussex, England. He died
27 Jan 1822 in Hailsham, Sussex, England.
William
married Ann Michel daughter of Richard Michel and Anne Bennett 5 Apr
1772 in Ninfield,
Sussex, England. Ann was christened 15 Oct 1752 in Ninfield, Sussex,
England. She died 29 Jan 1844 in Hailsham, Sussex, England.
William
and Ann had the following children:
i. William
Verrall was christened 5 Jun 1772. He was christened 9 Oct 1798.
ii. Richard
Verrall was born 23 Jan 1774.
iii. John
Verrall was born 5 Jul 1778 in Ashburnham, Sussex, England.
iv. Thomas
Verrall was born 28 Jan 1781 in Ashburnham, Sussex, England. He died
28 Jul 1819.
v. Charles
Verrall was christened 1 Jun 1783.
He died 21 March 1867.
vi. Mary
Verrall was born 19 Jun 1785 in Ninfield, Sussex, England. She died
14 Feb 1857.
vii. Samuel
Verrall was born 20 May 1787 in Ninfield, Sussex, England. He died 17
Nov 1855.
Samuel
married (1) Elizabeth Allen 2 Dec 1816 in Hailsham, Sussex, England.
Elizabeth was born Abt 1778. She died 15 Dec 1829 in Hailsham,
Sussex, England.
Samuel
married (2) Mary Rich 6 Nov 1832 in Hailsham, Sussex, England. Mary
was born Abt 1785 in Hailsham, Sussex, England. She was buried 14
Feb 1857 in Hailsham, Sussex, England.
viii. Elizabeth
Verrall was born 16 Aug 1789 in Ninfield, Sussex, England.
ix. James
Verrall was born 8 Apr 1791. He died 17 Dec 1857.
x. Harriet
Verrall was born 29 Sep 1793. She died 1844.
xi. Maria
Verrall was christened 14 May 1797 in Hailsham, Sussex, England.
William
Verrall
From
Sussex Family Historian Vol 3 No 1 June 1977
Verrally
Relieved!
William
Verrall, the subject of this short paper, was probably born at the
end of 1751 and was baptised at Eastbourne
30 Jan 1752, one of the younger children of Richard Verrall (Born
1717, son of Richard and Mary Verrall of Eastbourne by his wife Mary
Marden whom he had married in 1740.
It
seems likely that William's early life was spent at Eastbourne, the
family subsequently moving to nearby Hailsham,
and when in his late teens William went to work at Ashburnham. Among
the parish records at Ashburnham
is an acknowledgement of settlement 17 Apr 1771 given by the parish
officers of Hailsham and owning him as an inhabitant of Hailsham. He
may have been a labourer on the estates of the Earl of Ashburnham
and he was still there on 5 Apr 1772 when he married Anne, the 20
year old daughter of Richard
and Anne Michel (Nee Bennett). The marriage had been necessitated by
the birth of William and Anne's
son William some nine months earlier: Indeed, the churchwardens and
overseers of Ashburnham probably
"obliged" the couple to get married for there survives no
order for the child's maintenance.
Nine
days after the marriage a removal order was obtained for both William
and Anne, ordering their removal to Hailsham, but does not seem to
have been carried out although there is a long gap between the birth
of their first child William, and their second John in 1778. The last
baptism of the family at Ashburnham was that in 1778 of a son John
and sometime within the following eighteen months the family moved to
Ninfield, a neighbouring parish where it stayed until 1791 and
produced five more children. However, by 1793 they had all returned
to Hailsham, later events indicating that he move was enforced, due
no doubt to the large and still increasing family which William was
desperately trying to support.
Back
at Hailsham the family immediately went on parish relief, and in 1793
and 1797 produced two more children,
making 10 and thus completing the family. By 1802 six of the children
had left home and the family still on parish relief consisted of
William and Anne, a boy aged 12 (James), a girl aged 13, (Elizabeth),
a girl aged 7 (Harriet) and another girl aged 4 (Maria). During 1801
the family had cost the parish 33 pounds 2shillings and 1 and a half
pence in relief and there survive detailed accounts of assistance
given until 1821.
From
the accounts we learn for instance that the rent of William's house
was 4 pounds per year and with further
research it should be possible to locate where it was. Elizabeth the
daughter was, in 1802 in service with
Mr. Parks and received money for clothes but by 1804, when she would
have been about 15, was able to
earn enough to support herself. In 1806 Harriet received 1shilling
and 3 pence for a pair of mittens and the
boy frequently was supplied with shoes. It is clear such shoes as
were supplied over the years were of poor
quality, frequently needing mending as the accounts show.
A
detailed account is given below and is typical of each year's entry:
only in 1807 does the total begin to fall, and this can be explained
by the children leaving home for good.
Expenses
from Easter 1802
June
15 Flour from Easter to May 17th 11s 5pence halfpenny.
June
15 Cloth from Mr. Kings 6s 8pence
June
25 ditto for his boy at Mr. Bodys 12s 1pence
Jul
19 Relieved with 6s
Wood
from Mr. Currys 1pound 14s
Half
a years rent due Oct 10th 2 pounds
Mending
his boys shoes 3s 2pence
Nov
12 A great coat for Samuel 16s
A
pair of Boot Shoes for Samuel 15s
one
shirt for Samuel 5s
one
quarter of barley 1pound 10s
Dec
6 a pair of shoes for the girl
at
Parks 6s 6pence
1803
Jan
12 Relieved for the purpose of
Clothing
the girl 10s 6 pence
one
overcoat for his girl 4s
Feb
9 one pair of stays for girl 7s 6 pence
one
petticoat for girl 3s 9 pence
2
changes for girl 7s 10 pence halfpenny
Mar
31 2 shirts for Samuel 10s 10 pence
Apr
4 1 sack of oats 11s
1
pair of breeches for the boy 8s
Doctor
1 pound 10s
Half
a years rent due Lady day 2 pounds
____________
Expense
Last Year 15pounds 19s 4pence
Expenses
from Easter 1803
Jul
20 Shoe mending 6pence
Aug
2 One bed gown & pair of stockings
for
Elizabeth at Master Parks 5s
One
Tuck Apron for Elizth 2s 6pence
2
changes for the Girl Elizth
at
Parks 7s 6pence
Nov
1 1 sack of peas 1 pound 4s
Dec
1 " '
1 pound 4s
1804
Jan
24 one pair of shoes for the girl
at
Mr Parks 6s 6pence
one
pair of Stocking for girl 2s
Rent
4 pounds
one
load of wood 1 pound 12s
Expenses
last Year 9 pound 4s
During
the period 1801 - 1822 William Verrall received a total of 207 pounds
16shillings and tenpence from the parish by way of grants and relief;
when he died in 1822 his widow Anne was allowed 2s 6pence a week and
she survived until the beginning of 1844 and died at Hailsham aged
96.
William
Verrall their eldest child is probably the man referred to in the
following extracts. It seems likely that he served in the Sussex
Militia: (see below)
Money
received on Parish Account
1802
Aug 29 Recd of the parish of Ewhurst for young Verrals Family 46
weeks at 4s 6p per week from
the
7th of June 1801 to the 24th of April 1802 (the time the Sussex
Regiment was
disbanded
which cancel'd the order from any reimbursement from Ewhurst 10pound
7s
1804
Oct 23 paid for young Verralls child at Catsfield 20 weeks from 2nd
June to the 21st of October
2pound
10s
1804
Dec 27 paid for young Verralls child at Catsfield 9 weeks from
October 21st to December 23rd
1pound
2s 6p
What
could have happened was that young William was balloted to serve for
Hailsham parish, took his wife and child with him to camp at first
Ewhurst, for a short time before being disbanded, was able to support
his family for a year or more, and then possibly rejoined as a
regular soldier leaving his family to survive on relief. It seems
likely that his son, another William was the same as:-
1804
Aug 6 Children put out - William Verrall to Thomas Sharpe of
Eastbourne Memorandum - Mr Sharpe hired the boy for a year, from the
6th August 1804 to the 6th of August 1805, and the Parish agreed to
pay Mr.Sharp for the year -3pounds 18s
In
1809 yet another of William and Ann's sons was " on the parish".
Charles Verrall, born in 1783 at Ninfield, married in 1805 Lydia,
daughter of William and Sarah Crowhurst. At Easter 1809 the family
consisted of one girl aged 4, one boy (George) aged 2 and an infant
(possibly Sarah who was not baptised until December of that year).
Between Easter 1809 and Easter 1826, Charles received 234 pounds 13s
and 9 pence in relief from the parish!
So
between them, over about 20 years, William Senior, William and
Charles his son, had over 500pounds for support. It is small wonder
that Hailsham parish was enthusiastic about emigration - for about 15
pounds each person, it could dispose for good of this regular drain
on the parish rates.
Sources
Hailsham
parish records at the East Sussex Record Office. Acc1333.
Information kindly supplied by Lady Teviot.
Eastbourne
Male Census of 1803 - Eastbourne Men at War - A Census of all
males aged 17 - 55 in 1803
On
the 18th May 1803, Britain declared war on Napoleon and France and
the adult male population of Eastbourne together
with all other Parishes in Sussex was called upon by a Variety of
Defence Acts to defend their country. These lists
of men provide a virtual census of the resident adult male population
at that time. Under those defence acts, the Lord
Lieutenant was responsible for recruiting men for the services
(especially the Militia) and Parish Officials were required
to compile and return to him lists of all men in the Parish between
17 and 55.
Codes
Used
1.
Men aged 17 to 30, unmarried, no children under 10
2.
Men aged 31 to 50, unmarried, no children under 10
3.
Men aged 17 to 30, married, or with two children under 10
4. Remaining men
aged between 17 and 55 years
Verrall
H Servant Voluntary Infantry (1)
Verrall
John Labourer (1)
Verrall
Samuel Labourer Voluntary Infantry (4)
Verrall
Thos Labourer Voluntary Infantry (3)
Verrall
Wm Husbandman (1)
Verrall
Wm Husbandman Voluntary Infantry (4)
Verrall
Wm Labourer Voluntary Infantry (1)
http://www.rootschat.com/history/hastings
- 1066 Genealogy Powered by Mambo Open Source Generated: 24 June,
2008, 08:17
Charles
Verrall
(1783 - 1867)
4 Charles
Verrall
(William,
Richard, Richard) was born in Ninfield, Sussex, England. He was
christened 1 Jun 1783 in Hailsham, Sussex, England. He died 21 Mar
1867 in Hailsham, Sussex, England.
Charles
married Lydia
Crowhurst daughter
of William Crowhurst and Sarah Roberts 26 May 1805 in Hailsham,
Sussex, England. Lydia was christened 21 Aug 1785 in Hailsham,
Sussex, England. She died 21 May 1861 in Hailsham, Sussex, England.
They
had the following children:
i. Martha
Crowhurst was born 23 Mar 1805 in Hailsham, Sussex, England.
Martha
married Frederick Jones 10 May 1825 in Hailsham Sussex England.
ii. George
Verrall was christened 5 Apr 1807.
He died 12 Apr 1879.
iii. Sarah
Verrall was christened 24 Dec 1809 in Hailsham, Sussex, England. She
died 22 Feb 1879 in Hailsham, Sussex, England.
iv. Jane
Verrall was born 9 Jul 1812 in Hailsham, Sussex, England. She died 13
Aug 1832 in Hailsham, Sussex, England.
v. Anne
Verrall was born 26 Dec 1814. She died 23 Feb 1895.
vi. Mary
Verrall was born 27 Apr 1817 in Hailsham, Sussex, England.
vii. William
Verrall was born 23 May 1819. He died 28 Sep 1906.
viii. Caroline
Verrall was born 11 Oct 1821. She died 18 Aug 1904.
ix. Charles
Verrall was
born 7 Dec 1823. He died 1 Feb 1904.
x. Lydia
Verrall was born 8 Feb 1828 in Hailsham, Sussex, England. She died 3
Dec 1833 in Hailsham, Sussex, England.
Charles
Verrall
From
Sussex Family Historian Vol 3 No 1 June 1977
In
1809 yet another of William and Ann's sons was " on the parish".
Charles Verrall, born in 1783 at Ninfield, married in 1805 Lydia,
daughter of William and Sarah Crowhurst. At Easter 1809 the family
consisted of one girl aged 4, one boy (George) aged 2 and an infant
(possibly Sarah who was not baptised until December of that year).
Between Easter 1809 and Easter 1826, Charles received 234 pounds 13s
and 9 pence in relief from the parish!
From
the County Archivist Mar 2000
The
Hailsham parish register, as you have noted, records the baptism on 4
June 1805 of Martha Crowhurst, who
was born on 23 March 1805. The parents are not stated. Unfortunately
marriage entries before 1837 do not record the names of parents.
However,
a document among the Hailsham parish records (PAR 353 34/2/3), dated
18 May 1805, is a warrant
for the arrest of Charles Verrall, who, on the examination of Lilly
(sic) Crowhurst of Hailsham spinster,
was adjudged to be the father of the female bastard child delivered
of Lilly on 23 March last at the house
of her father William Crowhurst of Hailsham. No doubt 'Lilly' is an
error for Lydia.
This
seems to resolve the matter: the child was Charles's, and he married
the mother of his illegitimate child
Charles
and Lydia's three lads, first George, then, William and Charles escaped England
and emigrated to Australia in 1844 and 1849 respectively, never to
return. George settled in Queensland, William and Charles in South
Australia.
May
I see England,Though years go by
Before I realise my
dream; before I die
May I see English cities, English
towns,
Green fields and meadows, the sweeping Downs,
The
village of my dreams, flowers in spring,
Quiet country
lanes, hedgerows. May I see everything
That I have dreamed
of. Should you ask me why
I long so much for these. I will
reply:
"I have roots in England. Old though they
be,
They are not dead, but rise and live in me."
Author Unknown
|
This
poem is an excerpt from the book:
'Charles & Sarah Verrall &
Their Descendants'
Compiled by D. Adams & G. Green
(This Charles is George's brother)