BURCHETT Family History

Page 6

WHEN DID JABEZ KEMP DIE?

Lucy Ann Burchett married a Jabez Kemp on 10 June 1882 in the Parish Church at Crowhurst in Sussex. She gave her age as 30, although she was born in May 1847 and so would actually have been 35. She was a Spinster with no occupation and, at the time of her marriage, lived in Bexhill. She signed the register with her name. Her father was William Burchett and his occupation was given as a Farmer.

Jabez Kemp gave his age as 27 so would have been born about 1855. He was a Bachelor and his occupation was given as a Labourer. He was living in Crowhurst at the time of the marriage. He signed the register with his mark. His father was Traiton Kemp and he was a Higler.

I traced through the censuses and the Birth Index and the only Jabez Kemp I could find with a father called Traiton (or Trayton) was born in Heathfield on 26 December 1860. The discrepancy between this birth date and the date on the marriage certificate could be due to the fact that Lucy Ann was 13 years older than Jabez, so perhaps he wanted to appear older in order to reduce the age gap. In later censuses Jabez does declare an age much closer to that of his registered birth.

These are the details of Jabez's birth:

Birth:

Registered Jan-Mar 1861. Kemp, Jabez. District: Hailsham. Vol 2b Pg 63

Birth Certificate:

Registration District: Hailsham. Sub District: Hellingly, Sussex

No 483

26/12/1860 at Cherry Clack, Heathfield

Jabez Kemp, boy.

Father: Trayton Kemp. Occupation: Huckster (A huckster is a seller of small articles, usually of cheap or shoddy quality, or one engaged in haggling or making petty bargains, that is, a certain type of peddler or hawker)

Mother: Alice Kemp, formerly Parsons.

Informant: Alice Kemp who signed with her mark, mother, Cherry Clack, Heathfield.

Registered: 15/1/1861

I then traced the family through the 1861 and 1871 censuses. The following show the census details:

1861 Census (7/4/1861) RG9/569

Parish of Heathfield

Address: No of schedule 71, Blackdown, Heathfield

Trayton Kemp, Head, Married, Age 31 (b abt 1830), Agricultural Labourer, born Heathfield, Sussex

Alice, Wife, Married, Age 27 (b abt 1834), born Heathfield, Sussex

James, Son, Age 9 (b abt1852), Agricultural Labourer, born Heathfield, Sussex

George, Son, Age 7 (b abt1854), born Heathfield, Sussex

Jabes,  Age 3 months (b abt 1860), born Heathfield, Sussex 

1871 Census (2/4/1871) RG10/1045

Parish of Heathfield

Address: No of schedule 54, Great ?Greenwood, Heathfield

Trayton Kemp, Head, Married, Age 40 (b abt 1831), Agricultural Labourer, born Heathfield, Sussex

Alice, Wife, Married, Age 38 (b abt 1833), born Heathfield, Sussex

James, Son, Age 19 (b abt1852), Agricultural Labourer, born Heathfield, Sussex

Jabez,  Son, Age 12 (b abt 1859), Agricultural Labourer, born Heathfield, Sussex 

Julia, Daughter, Age 8 (b abt 1863), Scholar, born Heathfield, Sussex

Isaac, Son, Age 5 (b abt 1866), Scholar, born Heathfield, Sussex

Leonard, Son, Age 2 (b abt 1869), born Heathfield, Sussex

Jabez does not appear in the family home for the 1881 census. However, in the 1881 census I traced a Jabez Kemp, with sufficient similarities to assume the connection to the Kemp family of the 1861 and 1871 censuses. By then he was living in Crowhurst, which is where he was residing just 14 months later when he was married to Lucy Ann.

These are the details of the 1881 census:

1881 Census (3/4/1881) RG11/1032

Parish of Crowhurst, Sussex

Address: No of schedule 11, Crowhurst Street, Crowhurst, Sussex

Jabez Kemp, Lodger, Unmarried, Age 21 (b abt 1860), Occupation Farm Labourer, born Heathfield, Sussex. Lodging with Mr and Mrs Pocock; also lodger Frederick Fellowes aged 40. 

Then, 14 months later Jabez married Lucy Ann Burchett. The following are the details of the marriage certificate:

Marriage Certificate:

Registration District of Battle in the Church in the Parish of Crowhurst, Sussex

No 144 on 10/6/1882

Lucy Ann Burchett, age 30 (b abt 1852). Spinster with no profession. Residence at time of marriage: Bexhill. She signed with her name ‘Lucy Ann Burchett’. Father William Burchett. Occupation: Farmer

Jabez Kemp, age 27 (b abt 1855). Bachelor. Occupation: Labourer. Residence at time of marriage: Crowhurst. He signed with his mark. Father’s name: Traiton Kemp. Occupation: Higler

The 1891 and 1901 censuses show Jabez and Lucy Ann living in Punnets Town, Heathfield. The following show details of these censuses:

1891 Census (5/4/1891) RG12/777

Civil Parish: Heathfield

Address: No of schedule 80, Punnets Town Road, Heathfield 

Jabez Kemp, Head, Married, Age 32. Bricklayer’s Labourer. Born Heathfield Sussex

Lucy A, Wife, Age 40, no occupation. Born Heathfield, Sussex

1901 Census (31/3/1901) RG13/889 

Civil Parish: Heathfield

Address: No of schedule 85, Cottage, Punnet Town, Heathfield

Jabez Kemp, Head, Married, Age 43. Bricklayer’s Labourer. Born Heathfield Sussex

Lucy A, (shown as Gary A in transcription) Wife, Age 49, no occupation. Born Heathfield, Sussex

Lucy Ann died 28 December 1905 at Square House in Heathfield. In the 1901 Census "Square House" is shown as unoccupied.

The following show the details of the death certificate:

Death Certificate of Lucy Ann Burchett:

Registration District: Hailsham. Sub-district: Hurstmonceux, Sussex. No 241.

When & where died: 28/12/1905 at Square House, Heathfield.

Name & Surname: Lucy Anne Kemp. Sex: Female. Age 58 years

Occupation: Wife of Jabez Kemp, a General Labourer

Cause of death: Morbus Cordis  (Means no more than heart disease. Probably used by doctors when they didn't know the exact cause of death but were sure it was natural causes  www.mckechnies.net/family/_references/medical.htm) and Cirrhosis of liver 2 years.

Informant: Jabez Kemp who signed with his mark, widower of the deceased, present at the death, Square House, Heathfield.

Registered: 29/12/1905.

It is at this point that a further mystery creeps in to the Burchett family history. An assumption could be made that, when Jabez died, he would be buried in the same grave as Lucy Ann. However, this does not prove to be the case. 

The records from All Saints Church in Heathfield show the following:

Church Records - Parish Church of All Saints, Heathfield

The Church record book, which shows the graves in the churchyard, shows that Lucy Ann is buried in Plot B Row 4 No 18.

The book states “DOUBLE GRAVE. KEMP ANN LUCY DIED JAN 1 1906 AT SQUAR HOUSE, HEATHFIELD AGED 58 YEARS, SHIELL WALTER ALEXANDER DIED NOV 1 1931 AT ST CATHERINE NURSING HOME HEATHFIELD AGED 63 YEARS". 

So rather than Jabez being buried with Lucy, there is a complete stranger in the grave instead! (Please go to page 7 to help me solve this mystery). 

I have searched the Death Index from 1906 to 1950 and can only find one death for a Jabez Kemp who was born about 1860 in Heathfield. However, at first I could not be sure this was the correct Jabez as during my research I found another Jabez Kemp, and this truly confuses matters.

Both were born about 1860 in Heathfield.

"Mine" was born to Trayton Kemp and Alice Parsons on 26 December 1860 at Cherry Clack, Heathfield. He married Lucy Ann Burchett on 10 June 1882 at the Parish Church in Crowhurst.

For the "other" Jabez Kemp the following shows the information I’ve found.

1861 Census, Jabez age 2, parents Henry and Lucy Kemp
1871 Census (family name transcribed as Remp) Jabez age 11, living with parents. Father was a farmer.
1881 Census, Jabez age 21, living with parents.

Jabez and Kate (Knight) were married in the October quarter in 1888 in the Hailsham district.
1891 Census, Jabez age 31, Head of household, wife Kate age 28
1901 Census, Jabez age 41, Head of household, wife Kate age 38

 I have a copy of a Jabez Kemp's death certificate which shows he died on 30 May 1931 at Oakdene, Broad Oak, Heathfield, aged 71 (so born about 1860). His occupation is given as retired farmer.

An internet contact has given me details that a Jabez Kemp who died on 30 May 1931 at Oakdene, Broad Oak, Heathfield left to his wife Kate £566, and money also to John Barchett Newnham, a miller. However, I have not been able to find out from my contact if the details about the will are definitely linked to the Jabez Kemp who died on 30 May 1931. If they are, then this would not be "my" Jabez.

Also, the Jabez whose death certificate I have was a "retired farmer". "My" Jabez was a labourer right through to his wife's death in 1905, so could he have changed his occupation in the last 26 years of his life?

A further, slight problem is that some contacts have told me that Jabez died in September 1917. Research into this shows that this was 19 year old Jabez Kemp who was killed in the first World War (see www.roll-of-honour.com - go to drop-down menu for "England N-Z", click on "Sussex", scroll down to "World War 1 & 2 - Sussex" and then click on "Heathfield").

So, on balance, it appears that the Jabez Kemp, whose death certificate I have, is probably not the Jabez Kemp who was married to Lucy Ann Burchett.

Why, then, can't I find another death certificate for the second Jabez Kemp?

DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY DETAILS OF WHAT HAPPENED TO JABEZ KEMP AFTER LUCY ANN DIED?

DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY DETAILS OF WHEN THE JABEZ KEMP, WHO MARRIED LUCY ANN BURCHETT, DIED AND WHERE HE IS BURIED?

or

DOES ANYONE HAVE DETAILS OF THE WILL FOR THE "OTHER" JABEZ WHICH LINKS HIM TO THE ONE WHO DIED IN 1931?

IF YOU HAVE ANY ANSWERS OR SUGGESTIONS AS TO HOW I CAN SOLVE THIS MYSTERY, PLEASE E-MAIL ME AT:

FamilyHistoryReplies@btinternet.com

PLEASE NOW GO TO PAGE 7 TO TRY TO HELP ME FIND OUT WHY ALEXANDER SHIELL IS BURIED IN THE SAME GRAVE AS LUCY ANN BURCHETT