The Long Way Round – Part One (England to Connecticut)

Time for a different family and their ‘Adventurous Ancestors’!

Introduction

England to the Isle of Man is a short trip over the Irish Sea. Some families took the long way round!

Born in Liverpool, sailor, Silas Samuel Richards (1833-1897) moved to the Isle of Man during the 1850s.

Not too far for a seafarer like Silas, but his paternal ancestors had sailed from England to America and been in Connecticut for generations before his grandparents came to Liverpool.

Hope Beardsley and Silas Richards

In 1804, at St Peter’s Church in Liverpool, Silas’s grandmother, Hope Beardsley (1786-1869), daughter of a United Empire Loyalist banished to New Brunswick, married Cotton Broker, Silas Richards Esq (1762-1822), descendant of a Revolutionary War hero.

St Peter’s Church, Liverpool, England

William Beardsley

Hope Beardsley’s 3rd great grandfather was English Stone Mason, William Beardsley, (1605–1661) from Ilkeston in Derbyshire. He emigrated to “The Colonies” and was a founder of Stratford, a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, North America.

English Puritan Protestants, like William Beardsley believed the Church of England remained too similar to the Catholic Church. To escape persecution, entire congregations left England to establish colonies in North America, with approximately thirty thousand emigrating before the English Civil War (The Great Migration).

In April 1635, William Beardsley, his wife Mary (nee Harvey) and three children, including baby Joseph (Hope Beardsley’s second great grandfather), joined this migration, boarding the small wooden sailing ship, “Planter” with 116 other Puritan passengers and sailed from London. After two months crossing the Atlantic Ocean, they arrived in Boston, Massachusetts on 7th June 1635.

William Beardsley took the oath of a freeman of Massachusetts Bay Colony in December 1636. This was a pledge of loyalty to the colony’s government.

In 1639, the Beardsley family left Boston to become one of the first settler families in the Pequonnocke Plantation, on Long Island Sound, at the mouth of the Housatonic River. Later becoming the Cupheag Plantation, then renamed Stratford, Connecticut.

William Beardsley was active in judicial matters in the colony, being deputy to the General Court at Hartford from 1645 to 1659. He was also a founder of the First Congregational Church of Stratford.

From 1636-1646, William and Mary Beardsley had six more children in America. William Beardsley died in Stratford in 1661 and is buried in Union Cemetery.

In 1939, (the 300th anniversary of the settlement of Stratford), a plaque was placed at the cemetery by William’s descendants.

Beardsley settlement of Stratford anniversary plaque

“To honor the memory of William and Mary Beardsley and the other first settlers of STRATFORD who landed near this spot in 1639. Erected by the Beardsley Family Association 1939”

Joseph Beardsley

William’s son, Joseph Beardsley, (Hope Beardsley’s second great grandfather) was born in 1634 and only six months old on their Atlantic crossing aboard the “Planter” Immigrant Ship. He clearly retained his “sea legs” as later Joseph inherited half the estate of his father, on condition that he leave seafaring life and care for his mother.

Joseph Beardsley married Abigail/Phoebe Dayton (historians’ opinions vary) and their son John Curtiss Beardsley (Hope Beardsley’s great grandfather) was born in 1668 in Stratford. Joseph exchanged his own property in Stratford for a property of Andrew Gibb in Brookhaven, Long Island in 1684.

As well as Abigail/Phoebe Dayton’s disputed identity, it is still debated whether her mother Medlen ‘Wilhemina’ Harcre was an indigenous Montauk woman, native to Long Island.

Joseph Beardsley later returned to Stratford and died there in 1712. His inventory, dated 29th May 1712, amounted to £782.06. which now equates to hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Beardsley family cenotaph, Union Cemetery

John Curtiss Beardsley

Joesph’s son, John Curtiss Beardsley (Hope’s great grandfather), born in 1668 was a blacksmith and around 1690 he married Abigail Wakelee. He died in 1735 at Fairfield, Connecticut.

In his will, to his son, John (Hope’s grandfather), John Curtiss Beardsley left

“one iron pot, one plowshare, collar and chain”

Next time

The Long Way Round – Part Two (Connecticut to New Brunswick), will cover John Beardsley born 1702 (inheritor of the iron pot) and his son, the Loyalist Reverend John Beardsley 1732-1809 (father of Hope Beardsley).

Gaol sentence for gloves : Florence Amelia Grose (1855-1879)

BIRTH

FLORENCE AMELIA GROSE was born on Tuesday 13th November 1855 in Rushen, Isle of Man (most likely at Ballacorkish) and baptised on Wednesday 28th November 1855 at Kirk Rushen.

Florence was the youngest daughter of Mine Captain, Matthew Grose junior (1819-1887) and his first wife, Annie Weston Grose (nee Read) (1818-1868). Matthew Grose did have other daughters with his second wife, Elizabeth (nee Qualtrough/Luff), but Florence was the youngest daughter with Annie.

CHILDHOOD

At the age of five, Florence appeared on the 1861 census, living at Ballacorkish, Rushen with her parents and siblings.

Her father, Matthew Grose was listed as “Lead & Copper Mine Agent” and mother, Annie, an “Agents wife”.

There were also Florence’s siblings, Matthew John (age 17), Emma (age 15), Walter Henry (age 14), Francis (age 8), Clara (age 6), Albert (age 3) and Horace (9 months). Her brother Alfred Matthew has not yet been found on the 1861 census.

In May 1868, when Florence was 12 years old, her mother, Annie, passed away. On 22nd September of the same year, her father, Matthew Grose remarried, a Butler’s widow, Mrs Elizabeth Luff (nee Qualtrough) at Bishopscourt. On the 12th October 1868, two of Florence’s older brothers (Matthew John and Alfred Matthew) were sentenced to two months hard labour for grand larceny (theft) of apples and peaches.

On the 1871 census, Florence was living on Ballakilpatrick Road (more commonly known by the Manx version Ballakilpheric -thanks Robert and Catherine!) as a fourteen year old scholar with her father, Matthew Grose, step-mother, Elizabeth and siblings, Matthew, Clara, Francis, Albert, Horace and half-sister, Beatrice.

A YOUNG WOMAN

By October 1879, Florence was 23 years old and working as a domestic servant.

On Wednesday 21st October 1879, she appeared at the Court of Criminal Inquiry, before His Honour, Deemster Drinkwater, charged with stealing wearing apparel – a cloth jacket, pair of gloves and other articles from 21 year old, Emily Mona Clegg (Clague), who resided with her parents at 9 Christian Road in Douglas.

Deemster William Leece Drinkwater is remembered as a judge whose record was..:

“…one of which any man would have had good reason to be proud. His profound knowledge of both English and Manx law, his common sense and his impeccable impartiality made him almost the perfect judge.”

The Manx Sun newspaper reported Florence’s court case on Saturday 25th October 1879 in a section called ROBBERIES BY SERVANTS (there were many that week – perhaps a common occurrence). Florence Grose pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to three months imprisonment with hard labour in Castle Rushen gaol.

Courtesy of imuseum.im

IMPRISONED

Upon her incarceration she was unwell for many weeks

“We who live in prison, and in whose lives there is no event but sorrow, have to measure time by throbs of pain, and the record of bitter moments.”

Oscar Wilde

In 1879, Castle Rushen Gaol was no place for a young, sick woman.

The gov.im website describes how

“Unless prisoners were too ill they were expected to work and produce a set amount each day. Goods produced included mats, matting and scrubbers, stone breaking and oakum picking (picking out fibres from old rope so they could be re-used).”

On 26th February 1879, a writer reported on Castle Rushen Gaol and Manx Police in the Mona’s Herald newspaper …

“It is said there is even a time when the cat takes compassion on the captured mouse, but the law or its officers seem insensible to mercy.”

and continued…

“How little the world cares for the unfortunate waifs and strays.”

In 1900, “History of IOM” described how prior to 1891…

“The only prison was the old Castle Rushen, where it was impossible to adopt the system of solitary confinement in its full extent; and, indeed, it had been palpable for many years past, that the state of things existing there was, from the point of view both of humanity and of the maintenance of proper prison discipline, intolerable.”

DEATH

24 year old Florence Amelia Grose died in Castle Rushen Gaol on Tuesday 16th December 1879.

Courtesy of imuseum.im

An inquest was held the following day and the outcome was described in the newspaper on Saturday 20th December 1879.

DEATH IN THE GAOL.—On Tuesday last one of the prisoners, a young woman, died in the Gaol of Castle Rushen. An inquest was held on Wednesday, and from the evidence given it appeared that she had been in a weak state of health when lodged in gaol, and had received constant medical attendance and proper care. A verdict of "Death from natural causes" was returned.

Courtesy of imuseum.im

Death from natural causes? Would Florence and others have died if they hadn’t been incarcerated in a prison with INTOLERABLE conditions and gaolers “INSENSIBLE to mercy”?

An article in the Isle of Man Times, the following February questioned the conditions in the Gaol.

It would be satisfactory to know what are the sanitary arrangements of Castle Rushen Gaol and tbe military barracks at Castletown, for although tbe more direct and palpable effects of overcrowding and deficient ventilation may be unrecognisable, there are certain other conditions, perhaps equally grave though not so well pronounced, which should not be overlooked.

The gov.im website describes how…

By the 1880s it was obvious that Castle Rushen was not adequate to house in good conditions the number of prisoners in custody. There was no possibility of separating prisoners and it was very hard to keep order. The first inspection by the chairman of the Commissioners for Prisons in England and Wales took place in 1885. His report recommended that a new prison should be built.

Florence Amelia Grose was buried at Rushen on Thursday 18th December 1879.

“Physical ills are the taxes laid upon this wretched life; some are taxed higher, and some lower, but all pay something.” – Lord Chesterfield

From Isle of Man hotel to Nevada mines: Matthew John Grose 1843 – 1905

Birth:

Born on the Isle of Man, Matthew John Grose (1843-1905) was the second son of Captain Matthew Grose junior (1819-1887) from Cornwall and Annie Weston Read (1818-1868) from Winchester, England.

With generations of mining in his veins, Matthew John Grose inherited the enterprising spirit of his forefathers and lead an intrepid life through the economic turbulence of the nineteenth century.

Mining prospects had brought his grandfather (Matthew Grose senior, 1788-1849) and family from Cornwall to the Isle of Man in 1828. However the decline of the Manx mining industry meant that Matthew John Grose and many others would now have to venture even further overseas to make a living.

…

Childhood:

Matthew John Grose was born on the Isle of Man and baptised at Kirk German on New Years Eve, 31st December 1843.

Image of church: http://www.isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook/parishes/peel/peel.htm#StPeter

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At the age of seven, Matthew John Grose appeared on the 1851 census. He lived at Ballagawne, Rushen, Isle of Man, with his parents (father, Matthew, an “Agent of Mines” and mother, Anne) and three of his siblings – Emma (age 5), Walter (age 3) and Frederick (age 1).

There was also a female servant, Mary Bawden.

His older brother, Alfred Matthew Grose, does not appear in this household, but is with his maternal grandparents, John and Anne Read at Glen Maye.

…

Teenage years:

At the age of seventeen, Matthew John Grose appeared on the 1861 census living at Ballacorkish, Rushen. His father, Matthew was listed as “Lead & Copper Mine Agent”. His mother, Annie, an “Agents wife”.

There were also his siblings Emma (age 15), Walter Henry (age 14), Francis (age 8), Clara (age 6), Florence Amelia (age 5), Albert (age 3) and Horace (9 months).

There was also a female servant, Mary Gallagher.

…

Marriage in 1867:

Isle of Man Weekly Advertising Circular, Tuesday, October 08, 1867; Page: 3

…

At the age of twenty three, Matthew John Grose gave his profession as “Mine Agent” when he married nineteen year old, Louisa Adie, on 21st September 1867 at Braddan, Isle of Man.

His bride, Louisa Adie (1848-1931), was born in Rushen, Isle of Man. She was the daughter of the late James Shaw Adie (1816-1865), Agent of Kentraugh, who originally hailed from Dunipace, Stirlingshire, Scotland. Louisa’s mother was Sarah Turner (1807-1894), from Stourbridge, Worcestershire, England.

The witnesses to the marriage were Mona Shaw Adie (Louisa’s sister) and William Clarke Dawson (Matthew John Grose’s brother-in-law). William Clarke Dawson (1839-1914) had married Emma Mary Grose (1846-1920) a year earlier in 1866.

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Starting a Family:

Less than three weeks later, the newlyweds Matthew John and Louisa Grose had their son, Matthew Herbert Adie Grose, who was born on 12th October 1867 in Braddan, Isle of Man. Unusually, a baptism record has not been found (Please contact if you find this!).

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Troubled times in 1868:

In May 1868 his mother, Annie Weston Grose (nee Read) died.

Mona’s Herald, Wednesday, May 13, 1868; Page: 7

Later that year, in September 1868, Matthew John Grose and his older brother, Afred Matthew Grose were trouble and committed for trial for stealing apples and peaches.

Isle of Man Times, Saturday, September 19, 1868; Page: 5

Three days after this newspaper report, on 22nd September his widower father, Captain Matthew Grose married the widow Mrs Elizabeth Luff (nee Qualtrough).

Isle of Man Times, Saturday, October 03, 1868; Page: 5

Soon afterwards, in October 1868, Matthew John Grose and his brother, Alfred Matthew Grose, appeared in a crowded court charged with stealing the fruit.

12th October 1868

Both were sentenced to two months hard labour for grand larceny (theft).

Mona’s Herald, Wednesday, December 09, 1868; Page: 6

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Leaving the island:

“Because of the failure of mines on the Isle of Man, the 1870s proved to be the most dynamic period for Manx immigration to Nevada.”

The Manx in Nevada: “Leaving The Dear Little Isle of Man” RONALD M. JAMES

Matthew John Grose does not appear on the Isle of Man census in 1871. There is a strong probability that he was silver mining in Lincoln County, Nevada in the United States of America with his brother, Alfred Matthew Grose.

On the 1871 census, Matthew John’s wife, Louisa and toddler son, Matthew Herbert Adie are at 70, Bucks Road, Onchan, Isle of Man along with Louisa’s mother, Sarah Adie (nee Turner) who is a “Lodging House Keeper” and Louisa’s sister, Mona Shaw Adie, a “House Keeper”.

Records have not yet been found for the Grose brothers in Nevada in the 1870’s, but there are clues on later entries on the USA census.

Alfred Matthew Grose  was naturalised on 15th Sept 1872, at Lincoln Co, Nevada, USA.

Two years later, in 1874, Matthew John Grose was naturalised on 1st October 1874, also at Lincoln Co, Nevada.

Given where they were naturalised, it is possible that Matthew John and Alfred Matthew Grose were both silver miners around Pioche in Lincoln County, Nevada 1872-1874.

“Located about one hundred and seventy-five miles north of Las Vegas near the Utah border, it is one of the Silver State’s more remote communities.

The discovery of silver ore in the vicinity in 1869 attracted the usual mining camp rush for the next three years.

The regional press called it one of the richest, wildest, and most promising camps in the West.

Pioche became the county seat in 1871 when the mining bonanza was approaching its apex.

In the extravagance of the period, it built a courthouse, paid its contractors and county officers lavishly, and found itself deeply in debt when the boom ended.”

http://www.onlinenevada.org/articles/pioche

Business district, possibly Pioche 1870-1879     https://library.unr.edu/DigiColl/Item/spphotos/6253

“By the early 1870s, it had grown to become one of the most important silver-mining towns in Nevada.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pioche,_Nevada

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Back to the island in 1877, but not for long:

With the principle mines shutting down in Lincoln County, Nevada in 1876, Matthew John Grose may have decided to return home to the Isle of Man.

“The fortunes of Pioche diminished in the 1880’s due to the shutdown of the principle mines in 1876.”

http://lincolncountynevada.com/discover/towns/pioche/

Matthew John Grose reappears on the Isle of Man in 1877.

He would have found mining still on the decline in the Isle of Man too, but tourism was on the increase in Douglas and beyond.

“…the opening of the steam railway lines from 1873 to 1879 enabled resorts outside of Douglas to flourish.”

https://www.gov.im/categories/travel-traffic-and-motoring/bus-and-rail/heritage-railways/steam-railway/history/

In April 1877, Matthew John Grose applies to the Licensing Court to sell intoxicating liquor at the Derby Hotel in Douglas. He did this via the transfer of a licence from Robert Pascoe, who had acquired it from a Mrs Gold, a widow whose husband (John Gold) had been shot dead in the bar in 1870!

Isle of Man Times, Saturday, July 23, 1870; Page: 7

By July 1877, Matthew John Grose appears on a list of people holding Public House licences and his premises is listed as the ‘Derby Arms’ at 10 Castle Street, Douglas, Isle of Man.

The following year, it appears in the newspapers that Matthew John and Louisa Grose were the victims of a robbery at their premises in May 1877. The culprit was George Dakin who stole a woollen plaid shawl, a shooting coat and a boys Ulster jacket.

Matthew John Grose was probably a keen hunter as in September 1877 he appears in a List of Persons licensed to kill game

…

His second son, Percy Heywood Grose was born at the Derby Hotel, Castle Street in 1877 and baptised at Braddan on 20th September, 1877. Matthew John Grose’s occupation is given as ‘Hotel Keeper’.

However, a year later Matthew John Grose had decided to return to mining in America and the lease of the Derby Hotel was put up for sale. Coincidentally, his wife, Louisa, was now pregnant with their third son.

Isle of Man Times, Saturday, August 24, 1878; Page: 16

His third son, Eden Hildesley Grose was born in Douglas, Isle of Man on 10th January 1879.

Isle of Man Times, Saturday, January 18, 1879; Page: 5

In 1879, Matthew John Grose donated a bottle of wine as a prize in the Douglas Annual Rifle Competition.

Eden Hildesley Grose was later baptised on 4th April 1880 at St John’s the Baptist in the Parish of German. His father’s occupation is given as Mining Overseer, suggesting that Matthew John Grose is now mining again.

But where?

…

Back to the USA:

By June 1880, Matthew John Grose is listed on the census as a silver ore miner at Adams Hill and Albion at Eureka, Nevada, USA.

“In the 1880’s, water began to creep into some of the mines and ore supplies began to run out.”

http://www.forgottennevada.org/sites/eureka.html

In 1881, his wife Louisa is on the Isle of Man census as a Tobacconist at 61, Athol Street, Douglas.

By 1882, Matthew John Grose appears on the California Voters Register as a resident in Mono, California, USA.

In 1886 he is still a resident in Mono, California.

His second son, (back home in the Isle of Man), Percy Heywood Grose (age 12), passed away at 10, Grafton Street, Douglas on 12th November 1889.

In 1892, his eldest son, Matthew Herbert Adie Grose married Elizabeth Jane Lawson in the Parish of Lonan, Isle of Man and gave his emigrant father’s occupation as a ‘Prospector of Mines’.

Courtesy of iMuseum via FamilySearch

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In 1900, Matthew John Grose is a resident in Pine Grove Precinct, Esmeralda, Nevada. He lives alone in a house that he owns (no mortgage) and his occupation is Miner of gold ores.

Courtesy of Ancestry https://www.ancestry.co.uk

Photograph of Pine Grove Hotel, Lyon County, circa 1895.

Photograph courtesy of https://unrspecoll.pastperfectonline.com/photo/9FEDBCDD-7944-41B2-99CC-231941693865

“After the demonetization of silver in 1893, the Pine Grove mines were only worked intermittently.”

http://silverstateghosttowns.com/pinegrove.html

“Work started again in the mines between 1900 and 1910, but production never reached the activity of the 1870s and 1880s. There was limited prospecting in the area in the early 1900s…”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pine_Grove,_Nevada

Photographs courtesy of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pine_Grove,_Nevada

…

Matthew John Grose died in Nevada in 1905

Mona’s Herald, Wednesday, April 11, 1906; Page: 5

At Court held at Douglas 9th day of April 1906
Matthew John Grose formerly of 16, Castle Street
In the High Court of Justice of the Isle of Man
We, the undersigned next of kin of Matthew John Grose
formerly of Castle Street in the Borough of Douglas
& late of Goldfield Nevada in the United States of
America miner deceased who died on or about the 21st
day of May 1905 intestate hereby authorise Llewellyn
Kneale advocate or any person authorised by him to
appear for us at any court after this date & consent
to administration of the estate & effects of the
said Matthew John Grose being granted to Louisa Grose
our mother & widow of the said Matthew John Grose
This 5th day of April 1906
– Matthew Herbert Adie Grose       Eldest son
– Eden H Grose

…

In the goods of Matthew John Grose formerly of
16 Castle Street in the Borough of Douglas &
late of Goldfield Nevada in the United States
of America miner deceased Know all men by these presents that we Louisa
Grose of No 28 Farrant St in the Borough of Douglas
widow, William Thomson of Atholl St in the said
Borough auctioneer and Eden Hildesley Grose of
28 Farrant St in said Borough tramcar driver are
jointly and severally & any two of us jointly
bound unto our Soveriegn Lord the King in the
sum of 5 pounds to the payment whereof well &
truly to be made to our Sovereign Lord The King
his heirs & successors & any two of us jointly,
our Executors & Administrators firmly by these
presents. As witness our subscriptions the twenty-fourth
day of March in the Year of our Lord one thousand
nine hundred and six.

http://www3.telus.net/lawson/twill/1906_005.html

…

Conclusion:

He never returned home from the USA and many of his descendants remain on the Isle of Man. No burial record or grave marker has been found in Nevada for Matthew John Grose 1843 – 1905.

His last known residence was Pine Grove Precinct in 1900, which is over 200 miles from where he died in Goldfield, Nevada USA.

Please comment or use the contact form if you find anything else about him!

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Life, how uncertain! Death, how sure!

This post will look at the ancient parish church of St Runius in Marown, Isle of Man… and an interesting grave marker for members of the Grose family in the churchyard there.

In the previous post we looked for the graves of the Mining Engineer, Matthew Grose junior (1819-1887) & his second wife, Elizabeth nee Qualtrough (1835-1918), both buried at Kirk Christ, Rushen, Isle of Man.

Some questions remain…

Where is his first wife (Anne Grose nee Read, 1818-1868) buried?

Where is his father (Matthew Grose senior, 1788-1849) buried?

Photo © Phil Catterall (cc-by-sa/2.0)

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Sketch of 1834. Old Kirk Marown with seats for 250. Courtesy of A Manx Note Book

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Photo © Richard Hoare (cc-by-sa/2.0)

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The Old Church:

The Old Church has been written about by many people, in the past and present day… with various versions of how it got it’s name:

St. Runius, also known as Old Kirk Marown, is a very quaint old church which still has candles for lights instead of electricity.

It is known as Old Kirk Marown because a new church was built in its place in 1853 on the main Douglas to Peel road.

St. Runius is a simple structure dating from the 12th century with alterations and extensions from 1750 to 1755 and in the late 1790’s.

It is called St. Runius as it is dedicated to St. Ronan of Lismore in Ireland and Marown also takes its name from this Saint “Ma-Ronan”, Marown.

From the IOM Photography website, 2014.

…

The original building was from approximately 1200 AD and was enlarged in 1754 AD.

Three bishops are possibly buried here; Lonnan, Connaghan, and Runius.

The old church was replaced around 1860, when a new church was opened. Old St Runius continued to be used occasionally for special services.

From the Isle of Man Guide website

…

According to a note by the late Professor Sir John Rhys, in “Mannin” (No. 2) :” the Parish Church of Marown, spelled variously Marown, Maronne, and Maroon. Skeeley Maroon is dedicated to a Saint called Maronog, in the Irish Calendar; and in the Scottish Calendar, Ronan.”

In the Manx Doomsday Book, or Manorial Rent Roll, of 1511, A.D. , the parish is styled St. Runii—St. Runy was evidently one of the Columban missionaries who came to the Isle of Man probably about the 7th Century, and it is in the Old Churchyard of Marown where his remains, with those of St. Lomanus and St. Onca are supposed to be buried, ” and these for ever lie un-molested.”

From A Manx Note Book

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Why was a new church built?

With the improvement of the Douglas/Peel main road in the early 19th Century population growth focused on Crosby and the old church became too small and too far from the congregation.

In 1844 Phillip Killey, owner of a brewery in Douglas, gave land from his estate adjoining the main road between Crosby and Glen Vine for a new Church.

Tynwald approved the scheme in 1847, the foundation stone was laid by Bishop Auckland in 1849 and the Church consecrated in 1859.

From A Manx Note Book

…

Many years later on the 5th Oct., 1924, A.E. CLARKE wrote about this event at Marown Vicarage…

Needless to say that , this gift was accepted. and in a few years time from this date, the Old Church, so far as public worship was concerned, was forsaken for the new.

It was not so, however, with regard to burials.

The people of Marown still clung tenaciously to the old ground, where the remains of their forefathers lay for generations.

…

Photo of Marown Old Church courtesy of Andy Stephenson [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

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The ‘Grose’ Obelisk:

In the churchyard of St Runius, Marown, Isle of Man there is a granite obelisk and two fallen headstones surrounded by railings. The granite is possibly from ‘the fine granite quarry’ that the Grose family opened at Foxdale.

Photo © Robert Cannell

…
Over the years there have been discussions (and confusion!) about the individuals buried there.
By studying a combination of hard-to-read memorial inscriptions and incomplete burial records, this is our best interpretation of the burials. If any further information comes to light, then it will be corrected and shared on the blog.

 

Photo © Richard Hoare (cc-by-sa/2.0)
…

Who is buried there?

The Grose family used St Runius as their main local church for baptising, marrying and burying for many years. There was a track from their home at Cornelly/Jones Mine (part of Foxdale Mines) to the church. Other churches were used too (eg, Patrick), but there is a lot of activity at St Runius.

It is likely that three generations of the Grose family are buried at St Runius, Marown… Matthew Grose senior (1788-1849) with both of his wives, his daughter-in-law and perhaps five of his grandchildren.
The first ‘Grose’ burial was likely Matthew Grose senior’s first wife, Mary Grose (nee Wearn) buried 1839. She doesn’t appear in the burial records, but the inscription on the headstone (see section below) and newspaper obituary indicates this.

Manks Advertiser, Tuesday, January 08, 1839; Page: 3 (Via iMusuem)

…
An infant, John Grose, was buried in Marown in 1845. This is likely, John Matthew Grose the son of John Grose and Charlotte (nee Clucas).

Via iMuseum

…
Matthew Grose senior was buried in 1849

Manx Liberal, Saturday, June 23, 1849; Page: 3

(Via iMusuem)

…
Frederick William Grose (Matthew junior’s son) buried 1858

Mona’s Herald, Wednesday, June 16, 1858; Page: 3

(Via iMusuem)

…

Matthew Grose senior’s second wife Mary Grose (nee Tregonning) buried 1864

Mona’s Herald, Wednesday, November 23, 1864; Page: 3

(Via iMusuem)

…
Matthew Grose junior’s wife, Anne Weston Grose (nee Read) was buried 1868

Mona’s Herald, Wednesday, May 13, 1868; Page: 7

(Via iMusuem)

…

From Isle of Man, Burial Index, 1598-2003 via Ancestry UK

…

Additionally, 3 children of Matthew senior’s daughter, Jane Powning (nee Grose) are buried at Marown.

From Isle of Man, Burial Index, 1598-2003 via Ancestry UK

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In the Press…

The ‘Grose’ obelisk at Marown has been written about in the newspapers…

From the Isle of Man Weekly Times (1 Oct 1932)…

Comparatively few of the gravestones in Marown are used to point the moral of the shortness of life at its longest and the possible suddenness of death.
Captain Matthew Grose [junior] of the Ballacorkish mine, Rushen, erected a monument to his son [Frederick] in the form of an obelisk, bearing on its four sides the words,

Time, how short! 

Eternity, how long! 

Life, how uncertain!

Death, how sure!

http://www.isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook/gazateer/gyards/mn.htm

…
Analysing the Memorial inscriptions:

There are inscriptions on the fallen stones and obelisk.

From a long discussion on a Manx genealogy forum (from 2006) we can see the following incomplete inscriptions were recorded…

http://www.isle-of-man.com/genealogy/messageboard/index.pl/md/read/id/509238

In memory of Ann Mary Grose the beloved wife of Capt Matthew Grose …………….mines…………..January 8th 1839

Weep not for me my ………..

My children dear my ……………

Prepare yourselves………

also the above named capt Matthew Grose who died on the 19th Jun 1848 1849 aged 62 years

Thanks to Rob Cannell for cleaning the headstone, so the ‘Ann’ above could be corrected to ‘Mary’ which corresponds to Mary Grose (nee Wearn).
…

In memory of Frederick William son of Capt Matthew Grose [junior] and Ann Weston his wife of Ballacorkish Parish of Rushen

Born March 15th 1850 died June 2nd 1858

…

Conclusion:

Confusion reigned for a long time because there was an 1839 obituary for a Mary Grose, but it seemed her burial was recorded in 1864. Turns out they were both right – they’re two different people! Both wives of Matthew Grose senior and both called Mary!

Add to the mix a memorial inscription from 1839 transcribed as Ann Grose instead of Mary Grose! Then it turns out that there are actually two Mary Groses… and an Anne Grose buried there too! Anne being a wife of a Captain Matthew Grose too… no not that one – his son!

We got there in the end (hopefully!). It’s a reminder to check as many sources as possible and see the originals, not transcriptions where possible.

Originally erected by the mining engineer, Matthew Grose junior, mourning his young son Frederick, the granite obelisk is a fine monument to the generations of the Grose family buried at St Runius, Marown and elsewhere on the Isle of Man.

Matthew Grose junior may now be in an unmarked grave at Rushen, but the monument he created for others in his family has stood for almost 160 years.

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Thanks and Further Reading:

I must thank Rob Cannell for providing plenty of information and some of the great photos for this post. Also for cleaning up that headstone!

A Manx Note Book

Ellan Vannin Volume 1

IOM Photography

Isle of Man Guide

 

Finding Grose Graves at Kirk Christ, Rushen, Isle of Man

Locating the graves of Captain Matthew Grose (1819-1887) and his second wife Elizabeth nee Qualtrough/Luff (1835-1918) has been a challenge.

I am extremely grateful to the people who have helped.

Over the years, fellow researcher, Rob Cannell, has hunted throughout the graveyards at Kirk Chist Holy Trinity Church (Rushen Parish Church) several times. We concluded that Matthew and Elizabeth Grose were most likely buried in unmarked graves, or their headstones were now illegible.

Image of Kirk Christ Holy Trinity Church © (Posted with permission of image owner: Rob Cannell, Isle of Man)

Rob and I even discussed whether they were buried at Rushen at all, when certain records mentioned the place of death as ‘Arbory’.

Could they be at Arbory Parish Church and not Rushen? To confuse myself further, I realised that Arbory Parish Church and Kirk Christ were both in the sheading of Rushen!

A breakthrough!

When Rob found original images of the burial records we studied them closely for clues.

Matthew Grose, buried 14th October 1887

Courtesy of Manx National Heritage via FamilySearch

On the same page, (for other burials) the Vicar’s name was fairly easy to transcribe – a ‘Blundell Browne’ who was easily traced as the Vicar of Kirk Christ, Rushen from 1887-1893. So it was Rushen, not Arbory Church!

The Curate’s name was more difficult to transcribe, but eventually got it as D.M. Jenkyus. This was confirmed with some further online searching which showed there was a Curate at Rushen in 1886, called David Melbourne Jenkyus.

Then there was a code ‘K21‘ the margin. Could this refer to his burial plot?

Rushen Church has several churchyards.

• The Rushen Old Yard (Southside)
• The Rushen Old Yard (Northside)
• The 1899 Old Yard
• The 1899 Yard
• The Ashes Plots (in the 1899 Yard)
• The 1926 Yard
• The 1967 Yard

Initially, the dates and plots seemed to indicate that Matthew Grose would be in the Rushen Old Yard (Southside) where a row K appeared… but there was no plot 21!

Luckily, I spotted that ‘The 1899 Old Yard’ near the Vicarage garden was probably an extension from 1869.

I’d assumed it was from 1899 onwards, which would have been too late for Matthew Grose’s burial in 1887. However, if ‘The 1899 Old Yard‘  opened in 1869, his grave could be there. Also, a plot ‘K21’ was listed there. It was promising!

Found!

After contacting the very helpful Claire at Rushen (who organised a search), I received the superb photo below of Matthew Grose’s burial plot. Many thanks to Andy Knight for locating & photographing this.

Image of burial plot at Rushen Churchyard © (Posted with permission of image owner: Andy Knight, Isle of Man)

As we’d predicted, there isn’t a headstone or marker here for Matthew Grose junior (1819-1887). Claire advised that few survive – many stones were damaged or lost from this particular churchyard.

Perhaps he had a headstone in the past? Either way, the plot has been found so another mystery SOLVED!

…

Elizabeth Grose, buried 19th June 1918

We undertook a similar investigation in the hunt for Elizabeth Grose’s headstone, using her burial record found online by Rob.

.

Courtesy of Manx National Heritage via FamilySearch

The curate’s name was transcribed as W.R. Cannell. We discovered he was the Rev. William R. Cannell after finding his name online associated with the erection of the Lychgate at Kirk Christ in 1921.

Code 697 appears in the margin and again this was assumed to be the burial plot.

The maps of the churchyards at Kirk Christ indicated that plot 697 was likely to be in ‘The 1899 Yard’.

Claire and Andy did a great job of researching this – locating & photographing her exact plot too.

Image of burial plot at Rushen Churchyard © (Posted with permission of image owner: Andy Knight, Isle of Man)

No headstone or marker here for Elizabeth Grose (1835-1918) either, but another mystery SOLVED!

…

In the next post we’ll look at some Grose graves at St Runius, Marown, Isle of Man where there is MOST DEFINITELY something special to see!

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‘Thanks’, Resources and Further Reading:

Many thanks to Rob, Claire and Andy for all your help with locating and photographing these plots.

• Rushen Churchyard Maps http://www.rushenparish.org.uk/content/pages/documents/1461321572.pdf

 

• History of Kirk Christ http://www.rushenparish.org.uk/about-our-churches/kirk-christ/

 

• Lychgate and tablets https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/190482/

 

 

“Desperate People in Desperate Times”: Christian Grose and Richard Angove

The Younger Sister:

Christian Grose (1773-?) was the younger sister of Cornish Mine Captains, Matthew Grose (1761-1824) and Samuel Grose (1764-1825).

Her brothers worked at mines in Somerset and Cornwall and have already been written about on the ‘Adventurous Ancestors’ blog here and (in more detail) here.

Christian Grose was baptised at St. Uny in Redruth, Cornwall on 12th April 1773 to parents Matthew Grose and his wife Mary (nee Davey).

At the age of nineteen, Christian Grose married Richard Angove (1772-) on 15th October 1792 at St. Uny, Redruth. Both were likely illiterate as they marked (did not sign) the marriage register. The witnesses of their marriage were John Angove and Benjamin Davey (likely relatives of the bride and groom).

Interesting that, (unlike Christian Grose), her brothers had been educated as both signed their marriage registers, (Matthew in 1783 and Samuel in 1786).

After marriage, Christian (nee Grose) and Richard Angove encountered drama and troubles in 1795. I contacted their descendant, Peter Gardner, about the incidents I’d read about in his fantastic essay “A Convict in the Family”:

Peter commented that Christian and Richard Angove were…

“Desperate people in desperate times.”

This moving and meaningful interpretation inspired me to share their story here (mainly extracts from Peter’s essay and other sources).

1795 certainly epitomised  “desperate people in desperate times”. It was the year of bread riots across England – wheat shortages meant starving people and a country on the brink of famine.

…

The Angoves of Plain-an-Gwarry:

Richard Angove was baptised in Redruth, Cornwall on 22nd March 1772 to parents John Angove and his wife Elizabeth (nee Launder).

Richard Angove (1772-?) and his ancestors hailed from Plain-an-Gwarry, near Redruth

“Plain-an-Gwarry (Cornish: Plen an Gwari) is a hamlet in the west of Redruth, Cornwall… It is entirely surrounded by the town of Redruth… The name derives from Cornish plen an gwari (meaning “playing place”), an open-air performance area used historically for entertainment and instruction.”

via Plain-an-Gwarry – Wikipedia

In this case, Plain-an-Gwarry is a residential hamlet, but elsewhere in Cornwall the term refers more generically to an outdoor entertainment space…

A plen-an-gwary, also known as a playing place or round (Cornish: Plen an Gwari), is a medieval Cornish amphitheatre. A circular outdoor space used for plays, sports, and public events, the plen-an-gwary was a Cornish variant of a construction style found across Great Britain. Formerly common across Cornwall, only two survive nearly complete today…

The theatre area could be used for local gatherings, sports events, and production of plays. Cornwall culture had a type of play called miracle plays, written in the Cornish language, that would were meant to spread Christianity. To capture the attention of the audience, “the plays were often noisy, bawdy and entertaining.”

via Plen-an-gwary – Wikipedia

Peter Gardner writes about Plain-an-Gwarry in his essay:

“Plain An Gwarry was built early in the Eighteenth Century to house miners for the nearby North Downs tin and copper mines. The conditions in this and other similar villages by today’s standards were appalling. In 1833 when Plain An Gwarry was over 100 years old it was reported that there were just 11 privies for over 130 dwellings. These houses were overcrowded with large, extended families and lodgers being taken in to supplement incomes. Streets were given names like Dirty Court and Poverty Court.”

…

Christian’s ‘ill-behaved husband’:

Mining Consultant, William Jenkin wrote a letter to Samuel Grose (Christian’s ‘Mine Captain’ brother) on 21st March 1795 which mentions Christian and other relations:

Thy Aunt Kate has behaved unkind to the little Alice Richards whom I have this day fixed with thy Uncle Richard Nicholls of Michell -who has taken her home with him and promised to take good care of her, and I believe he will do so. I am pleased with him from the little I have seen of him. Little Mary still lies on hands – but as she seems a well behaved industrious girl, and is in constant employ, I hope she will not stand in need of much assistance.

All these family members require further research. The letter continues about Christian…

Thy sister Kitty [Christian] and her ill-behaved Husband [Richard Angove] vexed me much one day this week by laying wait at thy Father’s door in the morning, and as the little girl opened it, they rushed in and seized the bed and bolster which he lay on while he lived, and carried it away, and then brought back an old bed of theirs in it’s stead. The little Girl [Mary] came up to me in a great surprise to tell me of it. I immediately went down, and by threatening them got back the Bed and bolster again–and I think it will be well, if I don’t hear from thee soon, to take all the goods to my House

Via ‘News From Cornwall’, by A.K. Hamiliton Jenkin

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Severe Whipping:

Another letter followed from William Jenkin to Samuel Grose, on 16th October 1795

A strong rumour prevailed here yesterday that Kitty’s [Christian’s] husband [Richard Angove] was dead, and that Dug [Launder – a relative] was dying – and the Hill [A poor quarter of Redruth, near Plain-an-Gwarry] was in an uproar. It was asserted that their death was owing to the severe whipping they had last week. But on enquiry today I find it was a false report. I believe they had a pretty close trimming. I am sorry for thy sister [Christian] who I understand is far gone with child, and must unavoidably suffer by her husband’s misbehaviour.

Via ‘News From Cornwall’, by A.K. Hamiliton Jenkin

Peter Gardner writes more about this event in his essay :

In 1795 Richard Angove… was sentenced, with a relative, to 2 years in Bodmin prison for the theft of 4 pence worth of tin ore. His young wife Christian (nee Grose) was pregnant.

• Wendy Angove in her history of the Angove family wrote:
  “William Launder of Redruth, tinner, and Richard Angove of Redruth, tinner, were convicted of taking 20lbs of ore, value 2d, 20lbs of tin stuff, value 2d, the property of Sir John St Aubyn and others, adventurers of Wheal Peevor. Sentenced to hard labour for 2 years, and to be publicly whipped until their backs are bloody, in Bodmin, at the beginning and end of their punishment.” [Angove, Wendy. The Jigsaw Puzzle Tree, The Author, Brigend Wales, 2003 p.78]

This was an extremely severe punishment in troubled times. Launder and Angove were either cousins or uncle and nephew and appear to have been ‘tributers’ (contract miners) in Wheel Peevor.

An estimate of the theft in today’s values (2015) is difficult and the 4d could have been as low as $40. Estimates of earnings of tributers about this time averaged from £2 to £3 per month so 4d would equal at least 1/120th of a monthly wage. However if their pitch (contracted area of the mine) turned poor or they had a poor contract they may have earned very little or nothing. Some prices of foodstuffs about this time (1801) included butter at 8d per pound, bacon 8d per pound and barley 6s bushel.

The crime almost certainly was one of ‘kitting’ – taking ore from another part of the mine away from their own ‘pitch’ or designated place and presenting it at as their own. This practice was generally frowned upon by miners and definitely so if the ore was stolen from another group of tributers’ pitch – in other words stealing from mates. However in this instance it appears that the ore was removed from a part of the mine not being worked by their fellows – in other words they were stealing from the company.

This and the harshness of the punishment meant they had strong support amongst the community

Peter also writes insightfully about the riot:

The riot that followed this cruel punishment was typical Cornish behaviour to injustice and in desperate times. It followed on from food riots in Redruth at the market earlier in the year. From this behaviour we can conclude that those being punished had the support of the community and that the spirit of revolt was very strong.

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Children of Christian (nee Grose) and Richard Angove:

On 6th October, 1793, a daughter, Alice Angove was baptised at St Uny, Redruth.

In October 1795, Christian was pregnant when her husband was whipped (no baptism record found yet).

A son, Richard Angove baptised on 21st October, 1798 at St Uny, Redruth who likely died as an infant.

On 26th April, 1801, they baptised another son, Richard Angove at St Uny, Redruth.

…

Conclusion and Further research:

These letters of William Jenkin again show the close association that he had with the extended Grose family.

Other family members are mentioned in ‘News from Cornwall’ by A.K. Hamilton Jenkin who can be researched:

• Assuming ‘Aunt Kate’ is an aunt of Matthew, Samuel and Christian Grose – she is either a sister (or sister-in-law) of their parents Matthew Grose (1732) and Mary Davey.
• The same theory can be applied for ‘Uncle Richard Nicholls’ meaning he’s likely a brother-in-law of Matthew Grose (1732) or Mary Davey.
• It is unknown whether Alice Richards is a family member, or perhaps a servant. The Richards/Grose family connections have been mentioned in other letters of William Jenkin and these will be looked at on another post.
• Mary is likely a younger sister, cousin or niece of Matthew, Samuel and Christian Grose.

Further research is required for Christian (nee Grose) and Richard Angove and their descendants. Currently have not found a death or burial record for them.

…

Resources and ‘Thanks’:

Sincere thanks to Peter Gardner for giving permission to use extracts of his essay on the blog.

Marriage witnesses: Mary and William Davey… and the mystery of Jane Grose

Recap:

A few weeks ago we looked at the Marriage Record in 1839 (in Halkyn, Flintshire, Wales) for Matthew Grose senior (1788-1849) and his second wife, Mary Tregonning.

Initially, we wondered what he was doing in Flintshire if he lived in Foxdale, Isle of Man. Then we figured out there was a family connection to the particular location, Halkyn…

Matthew Grose’s younger sister, Eliza lived there with her husband, Absalom Francis who was the Mine Agent at Halkyn lead mines.

via Matthew Grose and Mary Tregonning, married 1839 in Halkyn, Flintshire – Adventurous Ancestors

One of the remaining mysteries were the marriage witnesses…

The witnesses are Mary and William Davy (or Davey?)
I think their surname looks like ‘Davy‘ – what do others think?
These witnesses need further research to see if there is any family connection. Matthew Grose’s grandmother’s maiden name was ‘Davy/Davey’. Also, his sister’s (Eliza’s) mother-in-law’s maiden name was ‘Davy/Davey’.

via Matthew Grose and Mary Tregonning, married 1839 in Halkyn, Flintshire – Adventurous Ancestors

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One mystery solved… & another ‘can of worms’ opened!

From further research of the Grose and Francis family connections in Halkyn, Flintshire it has been possible to identify these witnesses. As suspected there is a family connection, but not one that was expected!

Before we look at the marriage witnesses – a reminder of the parents & siblings of Matthew Grose (1788-1849) is useful:

Parents:

Matthew Grose (1761-1824) and *Jane/Jennifer (nee Williams) (1762-1841).

*The mother, Jane, is recorded as ‘Jennifer’ on some of the children’s baptisms. Note that on the following list of their children, there is no daughter called Jane (or Jennifer) which is unusual as it was traditional naming convention to name a daughter after the mother… (We’ll come back to this point shortly!)

Their children (those in bold are discussed in this post):

• Mary Grose (1784-likely died as infant before 1786)
• Mary Grose (1786-1847) married Henry Francis
• Matthew Grose (1788-1849) married Mary Wearn & Mary Tregonning
• John Grose (1793-1842) married Jane Jennings
• Elizabeth Grose (1797-) married Obadiah Ash
• William Grose (1801-1818)
• Grace Grose (1801-1818)
• Eliza Grose (1807-1864) married Absalom Francis (1792-1860) 

…

What’s this got to do with the witnesses?

The marriage record and further research shows the marriage witnesses are Mary Davey (nee Francis) and her husband, William Davey. Research shows that they resided in Halkyn, Flintshire and several records show them baptising their children there.

This witness, Mary Davey (nee Francis), is the daughter of Absalom Francis (1792-1860) and his first wife, Jane (nee Grose) (1790-1829). Absalom and Jane married in Gwinear, Cornwall on 23rd January, 1812.

Their daughter, Mary Davey (nee Francis) was baptised in Gwinear, Cornwall on 17th May 1812.

This makes Mary Davey (nee Francis), the step-daughter of Eliza Francis (nee Grose) (Matthew’s sister). Eliza was Absalom Francis’s second wife.

So the marriage witness, Mary Davey (nee Francis) is the step-niece of the groom, Matthew Grose (1788-1849).

…

Straightforward? Not quite!

It is interesting to note that Absalom Francis’s first wife, Jane Grose (1790-1829), is possibly a sister of Eliza Grose (1807-1864) and Matthew Grose (1788-1849)!

On the 1812 marriage entry for Jane Grose and Absalom Francis in Gwinear, the witnesses are a Matw (Matthew) Grose and Henry Francis.

The signature closely matches that of the witness Matw (Matthew) Grose on the 1809 marriage record of Mary Grose and Henry Francis.

It is slightly different to the groom’s signature on the 1809 marriage record of Matthew Grose and Mary Wearn, so possibly the signature of their father, Matthew Grose (1761-1824).

What about the 1835 Marriage Act?

Absalom Francis married his second wife, Eliza Grose, on 6th June 1837.

Image courtesy of Shropshire Archives © via FindMyPast

…

This is two years after the 1835 Marriage Act. This legally prohibited a man from marrying his deceased wife’s sister. Prior to this, it was just the concern of ecclesiastical law:

Before 1835, the church would annul the marriage of a man with the sister of his late wife if reported, but if no one reported the situation, then the marriage was legal. It was a voidable marriage not a void one.

via A Voidable Marriage in History: Marrying the Sister of One’s Late Wife or the Brother of One’s Late Husband | ReginaJeffers’s Blog

If the deceased Jane Grose (1790-1829) was Eliza’s older sister, then Eliza Grose and Absalom Francis had married secretly and illegally in Shrewsbury in 1837, but then  announced it in a Cornish newspaper!

Lately, at Shrewsbury, Capt. Absalom Francis, of Halkin, in Flintshire, to Miss Grose, of Goldsithney, in this county.

West Briton newspaper, Friday 14th July 1837

Eliza Francis (nee Grose) is definitely the sister of Matthew Grose because they are both mentioned in the will of their brother from Goldsithney, John Grose (1793-1842).

“Mary, wife of Mine Agent, Henry Francis”…
“Elizabeth wife of Mine Agent, Obadiah Ash”…
“Eliza, wife of Mine Agent, Absalom Francis.” …
“the children of my brother Captain Matthew Grose as shall be then living.”…

via Graves at St Gwinear: part 2: John Grose (1793 – 1842) – Adventurous Ancestors

…

Why would Eliza and Absalom have married?

Were there really so many brothers- and sisters-in-law who wanted to get married? Not really, but it was more common than it is now. Women often died in childbirth, and their unmarried sisters, who had few other options to support themselves besides marriage, would step in to care for the family. For convenience, and sometimes developing love, remarriage seemed like the thing to do.

via The 65 Year Battle over the Deceased Wife’s Sister’s Marriage Act | Mental Floss

Marrying the sister of the deceased wife remained illegal until 1907.

The Deceased Wife’s Sister’s Marriage Act finally passed in 1907. By that time, the prohibition had long been lifted in most of Europe, the United States and the colonies. At the same time, society was changing in a way that meant fewer women were dying in childbirth and single women had more opportunities to support themselves. Not as many people wanted to make this kind of marriage. But if they did, they finally had freedom to choose it.

via The 65 Year Battle over the Deceased Wife’s Sister’s Marriage Act | Mental Floss

Conclusion:

We’ve discovered that the marriage witnesses for Matthew Grose and Mary Tregonning in 1839 are Mary Davey (nee Francis) and William Davey. Mary Davey (nee Francis) is unquestionably the step-niece of the groom Matthew Grose because she is the step-daughter of his sister, Eliza Francis (nee Grose).

However, Mary Davey (nee Francis) is Matthew Grose’s actual niece, if her mother Jane Francis (nee Grose) is his sister.

…

Further research:

A matching signature of “Matw Grose” as marriage witness on Jane Grose and Absalom Francis’s 1812 marriage record (and Mary Grose and Henry Francis’s 1809 marriage record) gives circumstantial evidence, but not conclusive proof that he is the father of both brides.

A baptism record for Jane Grose (1790-1829) would be more useful to prove that she is the daughter of Matthew Grose (1761-1824) and Jane Williams (1762-1841).

However, in 1790, Matthew Grose (1761-1824) was working as Mine Captain in Loxton, Somerset and the church records are badly worn. We are still seeking the baptism records for two of his other children John Grose (1793-1842) and Elizabeth Grose (1797-?).

Bonus! Family History Clues in “Two Men of Very Different Minds”

In the previous post, the mining careers of brothers, Matthew Grose (1761-1824) and Samuel Grose (1764-1825) were covered. Info was studied in four books containing extracts of their correspondence with William Jenkin (1738-1820).

All three men were from Redruth, Cornwall. Jenkin looked after mining interests for the Marquis of Buckingham. He appointed Matthew and Samuel Grose as Mine Captains in Cornwall and Somerset.

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Family History Clues:

Mine Captain!

From Jenkin’s letters, we see Matthew Grose (1761-1824) was Mine Captain at Loxton, on the Mendip Hills in Somerset.

We’d previously discovered that his son (Matthew Grose 1788-1849) and niece, Mary (1788-?) were baptised here at the Parish Church of St. Andrew in Loxton:

 © Image courtesy of Somerset Heritage Service; Taunton, Somerset, England; Somerset Parish Records, 1538-1914; Reference Number: D\P\LOX/2/1/1 (Somerset, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1531-1812 via Ancestry.co.uk)

…

Initial research suggested it was a brief, unsuccessful copper mining venture, but Jenkin’s letters show it was a long captaincy.

…

Missing baptisms, children John and Elizabeth Grose:

With baptism records missing for two of Matthew Grose’s children – John Grose (1793-1842) and Elizabeth (1797-?), we can check again for misspelled records – focusing on Loxton and surrounding area.

From Jenkin’s letters we know that Matthew Grose (1761-1824) was still in Loxton in 1794.

1794: Josiah Holdship comes to Somerset seeking the mineral ’emery’. He approaches Matthew Grose at Loxton first, who sends him on to Samuel Grose in Dodington.

via “Two Men of Very Different Minds”… – Adventurous Ancestors

This bodes well for finding John and Elizabeth Grose’s baptism records nearby… unless for some reason they were baptised elsewhere!

There is also the following challenge:

“The early Loxton parish registers were badly worn, thus many entries on the fiche are illegible and others are taking a considerable amount of time to transcribe…

…before 1800 many surnames of similar sound were spelt in a variety of ways, now referred to as variants. There was not the standardised spelling that we have today and few people could write. Many churchwardens couldn’t spell and educated clergyman had to enter a written name that best fitted the sound of the name. It was open to misinterpretation particularly when one considers the various dialects around the country.”

via Loxton Baptism Registers…. – Somerset Village of Loxton

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 Son, Matthew Grose and grandson, Thomas Grose:

We know Matthew Grose (1761-1824) was back in Dodington, Somerset by 1820, installing a pumping engine in the Beech Grove House.

By 1821, his son, (Matthew Grose, 1788-1849) and daughter-in-law, Mary (nee Wearn) are with him. They baptise their son, Thomas Grose at Dodington, Somerset.

(© Image courtesy of Somerset Heritage Service; Taunton, Somerset, England; Somerset Parish Records, Church of England Baptisms, 1813-1914 (via Ancestry.co.uk)

…

Matthew (1788-1849) is listed as a ‘Miner’ on son Thomas’s baptism. Was Matthew working in the Dodington area too, or visiting his bold father, or perhaps en-route to another mine?

Work ceased at the Dodington (Buckingham) mine in 1821 and equipment was sold off in 1822.

…

20 July 1822 – Royal Cornwall Gazette – Truro, Cornwall, England (© Image courtesy of The British Library Board accessed via FindMyPast)

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Grose family in Sticklepath, Devon?:

In the 1823 newspapers, at Okehampton, Devon, (approximately 50 miles southwest of Dodington, Somerset), we see a Mine Captain called Matthew Grose at the Sticklepath Copper Mine.

Could this be one of our Cornish Mine Captains – either Matthew Grose (1761-1824), or his son ‘Foxdale‘ Matthew Grose (1788-1849)?

12 June 1823 – Exeter Flying Post – Exeter, Devon, England (© Image courtesy of The British Library Board accessed via FindMyPast)

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Check for Clues!

Near to Sticklepath in Devon are the villages of South Zeal and Belstone.

We see Elizabeth Ash (nee Grose) (1797-?) and her miner husband Obadiah Ash in South Zeal around this time because there are baptism records for their children here.

eg, Obadiah Ash junior baptised in 1822.

 © Image courtesy of  The National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; General Register Office: Birth Certificates from the Presbyterian, Independent and Baptist Registry & Wesleyan Methodist Metropolitan Registry; Class Number: RG 5; Piece Number: 172 England & Wales, Non-Conformist and Non-Parochial Registers, 1567-1970 via Ancestry.com

The mother on the baptism record Elizabeth Ash (nee Grose) is the daughter of Matthew Grose (1761-1824), so the younger sister of Matthew Grose (1788-1849).

…

On 18th March 1824, we see a baptism in Belstone, Devon for a John Grose, son of Matthew and Mary Grose. Their abode is Sticklepath and the profession of the father is Miner.

 © Images courtesy of South West Heritage Trust and Parochial Church Council (Accessed via FindMyPast)

…

All this evidence points to the Mine Captain of Sticklepath, Devon being ‘Foxdale’ Matthew Grose (1788-1849).

This is just four years before he migrates to the Isle of Man.

There is a slim chance that his father is the Mine Captain at Sticklepath, with Matthew just a miner, but unlikely.

His father, Matthew (1761-1824), passes away this year in August 1824 and from extracts  in “Men & Mining on the Quantocks” (Second Edition, Hamilton & Lawrence, 2008) he stubbornly resided in Dodington, (trying to attract new investors for the Buckingham Mine) and died there in grinding poverty.

Was Matthew Grose (1761-1824) alone when he died a pauper in 1824? Were his wife (Jane/Jennifer nee Williams) and youngest daughter, Eliza (1807-1864) still in Somerset at that time too?

To be resnearched another time!

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Mining Career Clues:

Only a few gaps remain in the career timelines for the Redruth brothers, Matthew and Samuel Grose. With further analysis of the information from Jenkin’s letters, this will now be easier to research.

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CONCLUSION:

Found!

From reading a few books about mining and further online research, we’ve been able to solve other family history mysteries…

‘Foxdale’ Matthew Grose (1788-1849) was a miner at Dodington, Somerset in 1821 because he was baptising his son Thomas Grose (1821-1882) there.

This date ties ‘Foxdale’ Matthew to working in Dodington with his bold father, because Matthew Grose (1761-1824) is installing an engine at Beech Grove (and subsequently upsetting the Marquis by moving it to the Glebe House!).

Also, from connecting a random newspaper clipping about Sticklepath Copper Mines in Devon to the Grose family, we’ve discovered ‘Foxdale’ Matthew Grose (1788-1849) was likely Mine Captain there by 1823.

His abode was Sticklepath and he baptised his son John Grose at nearby Belstone in 1824.

Interesting to note that ‘Foxdale’ Matthew Grose (1788-1849) chooses a ‘Church of England’ church to baptise his son, John (1824-1888), in Devon.

His sister Elizabeth Ash (nee Grose) (1797-?) chooses the nearby Methodist Church to baptise Obadiah Ash junior (1822-?).

The connection between the siblings, Elizabeth Ash (nee Grose) and Matthew Grose,  is of particular interest because BOTH migrate to the Isle of Man.

This will be looked at more closely in a future post.

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Still to find!

Be nice to find the baptisms for two children of Matthew Grose and Jane/Jennifer Williams:

• John Grose (1793-1842)
• Elizabeth Grose (1797-?)

Unless the Loxton Parish Registers are just too badly worn!

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Thanks for reading. Please comment or contact if you’re enjoying the blog, or if you have any info or ideas that might help with some of the mysteries!

 

 

“Two Men of Very Different Minds”: Escapades of Cornish Mine Captain brothers, Matthew and Samuel Grose, from 1786 to 1824

This post covers the mining escapades of two brothers, Matthew and Samuel Grose born in Redruth Cornwall in the 1760’s and worked at mines in Somerset and Cornwall. They were first written about here.

Recap:

Matthew Grose (1761-1824) is the father of Matthew Grose (1788-1849) who moved to be Captain at Foxdale Mines, Isle of Man.

His brother, Samuel Grose (1764-1825) is the father of ‘the famous engineer’ Samuel Grose junior (1791-1866) who was a pupil of Richard Trevithick and designer of the Cornish engine.

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Introduction:

After reading these four fantastic books, extra info has been gathered:

• “Men & Mining on the Quantocks” (Second edition) by J.R. Hamilton and J.F. Lawrence
• “News from Cornwall” by A.K. Hamilton Jenkin
• “Mines and Miners of Cornwall (Hayle, Gwinear & Gwithian)” by A.K. Hamilton Jenkin
• “The Historic Landscape of the Quantock Hills” by Hazel Riley (free: here)

The details about Matthew and Samuel Grose in the books are mostly sourced from letters written and received by William Jenkin of Redruth in Cornwall (1738-1820).

William Jenkin looked after the mining interests of the Marquis of Buckingham in Cornwall and developed mining on the Marquis’s Dodington Estate in Somerset.

William Jenkin had a close friendship with Samuel Grose, but an antagonistic relationship with Matthew Grose and this is reflected in his letters. The books interpret this accordingly – hailing sensitive Samuel Grose ‘a Cornish artisan’  whilst outspoken Matthew Grose is deemed the ‘less reputable, impulsive brother’!

Most of the ‘quotes in italics’ in the following timeline are brief extracts from their extensive correspondence with William Jenkin.

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“Two Men of Very Different Minds”: 1786-1824

CORNWALL TO SOMERSET:

1786: At the age of 25, Matthew Grose leaves Cornwall for Somerset, boldly claiming he is ‘the first miner introduced to seek for Copper at Dodington’ [in recent times]. Matthew begins mining work with a few Cornish Miners on Dodington Common in Somerset. He is then established at the Garden Mine at Dodington in a supervisory capacity.

Relations between the Cornish Miners and locals of Somerset are delicate. Jenkins writes that the local ‘inhabitants seem quite disposed to be offended’.

Matthew’s staff now consists of coal miners from Radstock, Somerset, but he finds them unmanageable and wishes to replace them with Cornishmen, but William Jenkin refuses.

Matthew Grose is overly enthusiastic and unwisely gives the Marquis of Buckingham an exaggerated impression of the value of the veins discovered in Dodington. This annoys William Jenkin and his opinion of Matthew wavers.

1788: Matthew Grose moves sideways to be Captain at the Marquis of Buckingham’s Mine at Loxton, on the Mendip Hills. (His son, Matthew Grose (1788-1849) – is baptised at the Parish church of St. Andrew’s here).

Parish church of St. Andrew’s, Loxton © Copyright John Baker and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

1791: Whilst Matthew is in Loxton, his brother, Samuel Grose is appointed senior Mine Captain at Dodington. Some Cornish miners in his employ return to Redruth and it is difficult to attract others to Somerset because ‘the spirit of Mining is high in Cornwall’. Jenkin asks Samuel Grose to give any remaining Cornishmen proper encouragement to stay, or ‘get some of the Somerset young men to become handy’.

Samuel’s ‘famous engineer’ son, Samuel Grose junior (1791-1866) is born at Nether Stowey, Somerset.

1793: The French First Republic declares war on Britain.

1794: Josiah Holdship comes to Somerset seeking the mineral ’emery’. He approaches Matthew Grose at Loxton first, who sends him on to Samuel Grose in Dodington.

1795: Samuel Grose resides at Newhall, near Dodington which has a:

‘colony of unpleasant neighbours… the most profligate and abandoned part of mankind’.

Matthew Grose is still at the Loxton Mine and similarly writes about the:

“…ill-natured prejudice in the behaviour of the inhabitants at Loxton and it’s vicinity against suffering any but themselves to inhabit the county.”

Matthew seems at his wits end about:

“…tenants as could accommodate Shippam Miners with lodging and would not do it.”

1796: Spain declares war on Britain.

1797: A French invasion of Britain is rumoured. Samuel Grose writes that:

‘I cannot think that the French will come here, but I think they will ruin our country by threatening to come.’

The French briefly invade at Fishguard.

1798: William Jenkin holds shares in Wheal Alfred Mine in Cornwall (named after his son).

1799: There is crisis in the copper trade as prices fall.

1800: Samuel Grose’s spirits fall too. Partly due to the imminent failure of the Dodington mine (a pump is desperately required) and also due to the ‘enormous advanced price of the necessities of life’. Poverty has become extreme in Somerset and Cornwall for working people, including miners.

After a woman (about to be arrested for theft) hangs herself in Samuel Grose’s garden, he writes:

“Glad should I be if circumstances should alter so that my removal was nigh from such bad people and such a disagreeable house as Newhall is at this time. I do not believe we can live there. Let the consequence be what it will.”

and

“I would not have my children frightened by this shocking affair, not for all the Gold in the Universe.”

Ruined building at New Hall. © Copyright Nick Chipchase and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

Samuel desires to move to the Counting House in Dodington (the mine company’s headquarters), but understands ‘it would require £20 to fit it for a dwelling’. Also the mine is unprofitable and closure inevitable.

1801: Jenkin writes to a friend about Samuel Grose:

“…poor Capt. Grose appears to be falling back again. His doctors seem to think that his native air might be of service to him. In that case I could take him back to Cornwall with me, after going to Dodington to supervise the closure of the mine.”

Jenkin also writes directly to Samuel:

“Thou shall not want for anything that I can command or procure – therefore write me freely as one Friend should to another”

Jenkin makes plans to install Samuel as Captain at Wheal Alfred Mine back in Cornwall.

He writes to Samuel (about Wheal Alfred Mine and Matthew Grose):

“Thy brother Matthew had set his mind on this appointment for himself but the preference is given to thee. I hope for the sake of his Family that a place will be found by and for him also, but I am sorry to observe that poor Matthew does not make many friends amongst those who would be most likely to have power to serve him. He is too great a talker and too full of himself. A little disappointment may probably be in the ordering of Providence…”

and

“The mine which Matthew is in is likely to go down. I wish he had so good an opening for future employment as thou hast – but he has not thy abilities to recommend him.”

…

After fourteen years, mining at Dodington ceases in 1801, with Samuel Grose and a dozen men departing. William Jenkin laments about the ‘scattered bunches of rich ore’ and supposes that at a deeper level it will be more ‘regular and collected’. A powerful steam engine is required to work the deeper, richer veins, but no investment is forthcoming.

Also in 1801, change is afoot internationally as the fighting with France dwindles and a peaceful conclusion draws near. Jenkins writes:

“After the scourge of War and famine which has long threatened the inhabitants of this land, this is the method that they take to manifest their thankfulness for so great a deliverance. Illuminations, Shouting, Bawling, Huzzaing, Cursing, Drinking, Squibbs, rockets and fire balloons are poured out and scattered through Earth and Air, while the poor and needy are neglected and forgotten.”

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BACK IN CORNWALL

1802: The Treaty of Amiens temporarily ends hostilities between the French Republic and Britain.

1803: Now back in Cornwall, Samuel Grose is in better spirits as Captain at Wheal Alfred Mine with an engine. “The water is very quick… but I believe we shall be able to endure… I have now a better opinion of Wheal Alfred than I ever had.”

1804: Spain declares war on Britain (again)

1805: Thomas Poole from Nether Stowey in Somerset considers promoting a reopening of the Buckingham Mine at Dodington. (Thomas Poole is a great friend of the poets Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth and for some time they reside closely) .

1806: The eminent inventor and chemist, Humphry Davy is approached for capital and geological advice regarding the peculiar shell limestone formations in Dodington. He responds advising that:

‘Miners from Alston Moor and Derbyshire would understand your Country [mines] better than Cornish miners.’

Humphry Davy declines to ‘adventure’ (invest in the mines) because he is saving to embark on a scientific expedition to Norway, Lapland and Sweden.

Pottery mogul Josiah Wedgwood II is also approached to invest, but he’s averse to adventuring money on Somerset Copper mining.

However, the high price of copper attracts interest from other investors and mining again at the Buckingham Mine in Dodington becomes a possibility.

1807: Thomas Poole meets with William Jenkin and Samuel Grose for advice on mining matters. Samuel won’t be persuaded back to Somerset as he is now the Mine Agent at ‘a truly great copper mine’ (Wheal Alfred in Cornwall). Jenkin advises that Samuel Grose might be able to give direction by travelling to Somerset three or four times a year. Jenkin does not get directly involved either, however remains as an active well-wisher and helps recruit Cornish miners for the venture in Somerset.

1808: Thomas Poole travels to Cornwall again to see ‘the mines and gigantic machinery employed about them.’  Jenkin doesn’t meet with him – now weary of the Somerset men merely talking about mining, with no action.

1810: Sweden declares war on Britain

1811: Ardent Methodist, Samuel Grose and John Davey (Mine Agents) begin a Sunday School at Wheal Alfred for 250 to 300 children after observing the:

“…profligacy of the Children of many Labourers in that Mine, -and particularly of those who cannot read.”

1812: William Jenkins writes:

“There is too much Copper bringing to Market for the demand”

and of the Anglo-American war of 1812:

“The American War is a great Evil to the Mining Interest in Cornwall. The price of Copper has been gradually declining as the prospect of Peace receded.”

1814: Proposals are made for reworking Herland Mines near Gwinear. According to William Jenkin, his old nemesis, Matthew Grose, has written “a great, blown-up prospectus” .

“Matthew Grose does not, in my opinion, possess that solid Judgement nor that thinking deliberate turn of mind which I consider an essential ingredient to make a Captain fit to direct so weighty an undertaking. One who can indulge himself in what he calls good living so as to become even now unable to go to the bottom of Wheal Alfred, shall not be the Captain of my choice. I do not think he is truly careful of speaking honestly and truly so as to give his employers clear and honest answers to their enquiries – in short he is not Sam, but Matthew Grose – two men of very different minds.”

1815: Matthew Grose and Richard Nicholls proudly return from London with a long list of Adventurers prepared to invest in the Herland Mines. They specify certain conditions about how they are to be paid. They’ve also discovered a shallow level of Silver in the mine that was overlooked in the former working.

William Jenkin grumbles:

“How it may turn out is past my judgement to say – but I don’t feel very sanguine [optimistic] about it.”

Whilst things are possibly looking up for Matthew Grose, his brother Samuel Grose has been under pressure and has run up a debt of £12,000 on Wheal Alfred because…

“…willing to comply with the clamorous demands of some of the Adventurers, [he] kept out of sight some heavy bills for coals, timber, and other articles in order to make dividends.”

Jenkin ‘trembles for the consequences’… should this mine go down’ with 1200 men, women and children employed there. He suggests it is the secret wish of some for Wheal Alfred to go down because it would cause copper prices to rise again.

1816: In February, Richard Trevithick’s famous, powerful pole-puffer engine is set to work at Herland Mines.

However, by October, Jenkin writes that:

“The Herland business has been so badly managed that the Mine has been stopped for want of money.” 

200 labourers are turned idle.

“I wish it may be the last time that London adventurers become directors and managers of Cornish Mines.”

Meanwhile, Samuel Grose is called to write an account of the Buckingham Mine in Dodington, Somerset for newly interested adventurers, attracted by Thomas Poole again.

Also, 1816 was the year without a summer, with crop failure and food shortages across Britain and beyond. Welsh families became refugees, travelling and begging for food. Global temperatures had decreased by around 0.5°C, possibly due to a volcanic eruption in the East Indies the previous year.

…

1817: Things seem to have gone from bad to worse in Cornwall. Jenkin writes that:

“The two Parishes of Phillack and Gwinear are very populous, chiefly Miners, and are, I believe, more distressed than any other district in this County, for there is not now one Mine in either of the parishes to give employment to them.”

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BACK TO SOMERSET

1817-1820 A new shaft is sunk and an engine-house is erected at Beech Grove, behind Dodington House in Somerset.

 Beech Grove Engine House © Copyright Nick Chipchase and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

1820: After an absence of twenty seven years, Matthew Grose returns as Mine Captain to Dodington. He supervises the installation of a Boulton & Watt engine in the Beech Grove house.

Shortly afterwards, Matthew requests that the engine be removed from Beech Grove and re-erected at the Sump (Glebe) Shaft to cope with an influx of water.

Matthew Grose writes to John Price on 25 February 1820…

“I am happy to inform you for his Lordship’s information that our prospects in the mine is very good…”

and

“The great increase of water is not a bad symptom, its generally found in all mines the more water, the more ore. I believe shares in this mine may be got at a very easy rate as the pockets of some of the adventurers is very much exhausted, and will not well be able to encounter the expense of removing the engine.”

Disputes arise between various shareholders with the Marquis of Buckingham pressing for a revision of terms and other Adventurers wanting to suspend operations as costs mount. Thomas Poole exercises proxy votes for his friends, forcing the minority to continue. He remains in control for another year.

The engine is moved to the Glebe Engine House as per Matthew Grose’s request. Although good quality copper ore is raised, the mine remains unprofitable.

Glebe Engine House © Copyright Chris Andrews and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

The Marquis is offended. He strongly opposed the moving of the engine because it would no longer be on his land, so in the event of closure he will find it harder to secure new adventurers (investors). He blames Matthew Grose (as Mine Captain) for orchestrating the manoeuvre.

Matthew Grose now faces impending closure of the uneconomical mine, loss of earnings and the wrath of an antagonistic Marquis.

Matthew writes to the Estate Steward:

“I have learned with some concern that I am discredited with you… for removing the engine without his Lordship’s leave for doing so… I hope no blame can possibly be attached to me.”

Matthew Grose then goes onto explain his many technical and economic reasons for moving the engine from Beech Grove to the Glebe House and the unavoidable costs involved.

The Marquis’s wrath continues as he expresses more displeasure – he’d been told there were manganese deposits in his mine at Dodington, but these have proved non-existent.

Matthew Grose tries to explain a convoluted catalogue of errors (including an adventurer dying en-route to the mines). He insists the lack of manganese isn’t his fault and blames Richard Symes for mixing up samples of ore:

“Mr Symes says now, the samples he sent must have come from Loxton” [not Dodington]

In August 1820, Matthew tries to restore relations with the Marquis by sending him a box of mineral specimens:

“…esteemed valuable acquisitions…. better collected for a grotto than the cabinet.”

1821: Work ceases at the uneconomical Buckingham Mine in Dodington after an expenditure of £20,000 and paltry sales of ore of £2,500.

Matthew Grose writes to the Marquis, saying he recommended the:

“Company to stop the mine altogether rather than continue to work with it in a paltry way. “

He also says:

“I believe that no company that was engaged in mining business was so completely ignorant of the principles of mining, as the Buckingham Mining Company, nor no mine was ever worked in such a shily-shaly way.”

Matthew’s comments about his employer result in his dismissal from the company. He laments:

‘…this extraordinary and unexpected event originated from the belief that I am more inclined to serve his Lordship than the company; though what produced this belief, I know not’

Matthew Grose is instructed to leave the house where he and his family live. No wages are to be paid until he’s complied.

Stubbornly, he remains in residence and becomes captain at a small mine 25 miles west of Dodington (likely Luccombe, or similar in the Alcombe-Wootton Courtenay district).

Matthew Grose writes letters to Thomas Crawford, pleading for employment at the Dodington Mine:

‘no person knows the mine as well as myself’

Crawford responds that:

‘You were the company’s servant and as they have suspended working the mine and do not choose to continue you in their service, I do not know in what way I could help you.’

Matthew Grose is not easily silenced and in June 1821, he indignantly writes to Thomas Crawford again:

‘what right has the company to sell gravel from the mine and carry off so much without making acknowledgement to his Lordship?’

and

‘I keep the keys of the counting house, the office and materials house… A small stipend [salary] with the little I receive from the mine in the west will serve to keep my head above water. I ask no more till it is settled.’

In September, five months after his dismissal, Matthew is offered his wages, only payable up until when the mine had ceased work. He rejects the offer, demanding his salary right up until September. He also rejects their demand that he pay rent on the house.

1822: In August the company surrenders the mining lease. Some adventurers remain interested and want to continue some operations. The Marquis obtains a new report on the mine from Alfred Jenkin and Captain Francis, but it is unfavourable and deters investors.

Matthew Grose remains steadfast and faithful to the mine, despite failing health and an empty pocket. He writes a new prospectus, desperately trying to promote for a new company to rework the Dodington mine. Refusing to return to Cornwall, he lingers on in poverty at Dodington.

1823: Matthew wins the interest of Charles Carne of Exeter who liaises with Matthew Grose’s son John.

Carne applies for a mining lease at the Buckingham Mines, Dodington, but struggles to agree terms.

1824: In February, Charles Carne arranges a meeting with interested parties at the Royal Inn in Bridgwater to raise capital for a new engine for Dodington. Unfortunately the meeting does not happen because Charles Carne has been imprisoned in Exeter ‘by means of a most unlucky adventure in a tin mine in Cornwall.’

According to the book, “Men & Mining on the Quantocks (by J.R. Hamilton and J.F. Lawrence)”, Matthew Grose dies as a ‘starving pauper’ in ‘grinding poverty’ and is buried at Dodington Churchyard on 11 May 1824.

This date concurs with Matthew’s burial record in 1824 and the information from his Memorial which was erected in Gwinear, Cornwall.

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Conclusion:

Matthew and Samuel Grose’s mining adventures (and misadventures) show the struggle between the reality of mining economics and the optimism of miners.

In the book, “The Historic Lanscape of the Quantock Hills”, Archaeologist, Hazel Riley pays tribute to Matthew Grose’s final bold project:

“The Glebe engine house survives virtually intact to its original roof level. The scatter of red tile fragments around its base shows that it originally had a tiled roof. A large infilled shaft, some 16m in diameter, lies to the south of the engine house and spoil heaps lie to the east. The thick bob wall was on the southeast, the cylinder opening, with a brick arch, was in the northwest wall. Some good quality copper ore was raised from these deeper levels: 100 tons of ore from the Buckingham mines was sampled and shipped from Combwich in 1820 when it was described as ‘rich and of prime quality’ (Hamilton and Lawrence 1970, 62). The engine houses are remarkable testaments to the business acumen of Tom Poole and the practical enthusiasm of Matthew Grose, the mine captain. The Glebe engine house is the oldest intact beam engine house in southwest England (Stanier 2003).”

Glebe Engine House and ruined Miners’ Store © Copyright Nick Chipchase and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

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Resources and Further Reading:

Books:

• “Men & Mining on the Quantocks” (Second edition) by J.R. Hamilton and J.F. Lawrence
• “News from Cornwall” by A.K. Hamilton Jenkin
• “Mines and Miners of Cornwall (Hayle, Gwinear & Gwithian)” by A.K. Hamilton Jenkin
• “The Historic Landscape of the Quantock Hills” by Hazel Riley (free: here See pages 148-150)

Websites:

• History of the Counting House
• Dodington Copper Mine
• Dodington village and mine
• Thomas Poole
• Photos of Dodington Copper Mine

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As always, please comment or make contact about this post!