Genealogy Miscellanea

A well-known, and well-documented, ACTON family is that of the Lords Acton. It was the first Baron Acton, the historian, who coined the phrase “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” A family rumour has it that we are related to Lord Acton. That surely couldn’t be true. Or could it?

Some books written by a William ACTON, MRCS, that sound absolutely fascinating (no, I haven't read them!):
‘Prostitution, considered in its Moral, Social and Sanitary Aspects, in London and other Large Cities’ - William Acton. London. 1870.
‘Functions and Disorders of the Reproductive Organs in Youth, in Adult Age, and in Advanced Life, Considered in their Physiological, Social and Psychological Relations’ - Dr William Acton. 1857.

Thomas BARDWELL (1704-1767) was an English painter and writer. He began his career as a painter of decorative panels. By about 1738 his brother Robert took over the family decorative painting business, based in Bungay, Suffolk. By then Thomas was producing conversation pieces and portraits. Amongst his works were portraits of William Henry, 4th Earl of Rochford; of Elizabeth, Lady Lloyd; of the Earl and Countess of Pumfret; and of Dr Ward relieving his sick and lame patients. In 1756 he published the ‘Practice of Painting and Perspective made Easy’.

Serving in General Meagher’s Irish-American Brigade in the Federal Army during the American Civil War was a Major G H BARDWELL. Major Bardwell, of the 116th Pennsylvania Infantry, was badly wounded in the Battle of Fredericksburg.

How many spellings of a surname can there be? For the name DOUSBERY I have collected numerous possible variants. Here are what I have so far - can you add yet more?
DAWBEY, DE BARRI, DE LA BERE, DEABERY, DES BARRES, DESBURY, DEUSBERRY, DEUSBERY, DEUSBURY, DEWBERRY, DEWBERY, DEWBEURY, DEWBOURY, DEWBREY, DEWBURY, DEWBY, DEWESBURY, DEWISBURY, DEWKESBURY, DEWSBERRY, DEWSBERY, DEWSBERYE, DEWSBEURY, DEWSBEY, DEWSBREY, DEWSBUREY, DEWSBURRY, DEWSBURY, DEWSBY, DIDSBURY, DISBERY, DONSBERRY, DOUSBERG, DOUSBERRIE, DOUSBERRY, DOUSBERY, DOUSBURY, DOUSBY, DOUSBYE, DOUSEBERRY, DOUSEBERY, DOWBERRY, DOWSBERRY, DOWSBERY, DOWSBURY, DOWSBY, DOZBURY, DUBERY, DUESBERG, DUESBERRE, DUESBERRY, DUESBERY, DUESBURY, DUEXBERRY, DUNSBEY, DUSBERRY, JEWSBURY, JEWESBURY

There have been three Lord Mayors of London by the name of HANSON. In 1672 Sir Robert Hanson. In 1886 Sir Reginald Hanson. And in 1917 Sir Charles Augustin Hanson.
In 1672 the Lord Mayor’s procession for Lord Mayor Robert Hanson, a grocer, was led by a negro riding a camel scattering fruit to the crowd, with Plenty and Concord on either side of him. There was also a throned Indian emperor with Princes of Peru and Mexico at his feet. “Two extra great giants each of them 15ft high were drawn by horses in two separate chariots, moving, talking and taking tobacco as they ride along to the great admiration and delight of all the spectators.”

Did you know that the first person to be elected American President was John HANSON (pictured here), of Maryland, in the year 1781. This was eight years before the Constitution of the United States came into being in 1789, and the election of George Washington.

In Southwark, and later Lambeth, were Hedger’s Almshouses. Founded by James HEDGER in 1805, the inmates were women over 50 years of age. An extract from the regulations stated: “They shall attend service at the Parish Church twice on each Sunday, unless prevented by illness, and prayers at the matron’s house on Wednesday and Friday of each week. The harbouring of strangers is prohibited, and provision is made for locking the gate of the court-yard. Misconduct, such as drunkenness or stealing and other breaches of the rules are to be punished by penalties ranging from forfeiture of a week’s pay to expulsion. A copy of the rules is to be hung up in the matron’s house.”

Frederick William LILLYWHITE (usually known as William Lillywhite, and later as “old Lilly” or the “Nonpareil” bowler), was born on June 13th, 1792, at Westhampnett, near Chichester, Sussex, adjoining the seat of the Duke of Richmond, Goodwood. He was never more than 5ft 4in in height and weighed about 11st 8lb. By trade he was a brickmaker, having been taught by his father, who then managed two large brick-fields belonging to the Duke of Richmond. Lillywhite was married on July 15th, 1822, and on December 12th next went to live at Brighton and shortly afterwards moved to Hove, where he became foreman over a large number of brickmakers. He also begat twelve children, which would have made a full team of cricketers, with a twelfth man. But there may have been ten daughters, and we hear of only two sons becoming well-known cricketers. Hoping to make money out of his fame, he became landlord of the Royal Sovereign Inn, Preston Street, Brighton, and proprietor of a cricket ground. But he lost money, a fact he put down to the conduct of his landlord. As that gentleman was supposed to be a patron of the Game, Lillywhite swore that he would never play for Sussex so long as his landlord retained an interest in the ground. Instead, he left his inn and his ground and carried off the Lillywhite family to 10 Princes Terrace, Caledonian Road, Islington, London. This was in 1844, and the remarkable thing about it all is that Lillywhite was now “old Lilly”. He was fifty-two years of age. In addition, he was as good as bankrupt. Such a man would not live with his head in the clouds and Lillywhite neglected no chance of making money by his cricket. He ran a shop for cricket gear at home, with the help of his sons. He set up his own Scoring Tent, where score-cards were printed, and published Lillywhite’s Hand-book of Cricket for about nine years. It was stated to cost “1s with a Portrait of Lillywhite, 2s with Portraits of 4 Players and 3s 6d with Portraits of 4 Gentlemen and 4 Players.” He was taken ill with cholera at his home in Islington early in the morning of August 21st, 1854, and died at 7 O’clock in the evening.
The inscription on his grave in Highgate Cemetary reads thus:-

LILLYWHITE
born June, 1792 - died August 21, 1854.
A Name to be remembered as long as
THE NATIONAL GAME OF ENGLAND,
By the practice and tuition of which for years he earned
An honest livelihood.
Rarely has Man received more applause in his Vocation.
Few have ministered to more happy hours,
From a humble station he achieved
A WORLD-WIDE REPUTATION,
Teaching both by precept and example
A SPORT
In which the blessings of youthful strength and spirits
May be innocently enjoyed
To the exercise of the mind, the discipline of the temper,
and the General Improvement of the Man,
This Monument
Testifies the respect of the Nobleman and Gentlemen of the
Marylebone Cricket Club, and of many private friends,
TO ONE WHO DID HIS DUTY
In that state of life to which it had pleased God to call him.

The last High Constable for Southwick, Sussex was Richard LONGHURST. He died on 31st October 1865, aged 86 years, and is buried in the churchyard of St Michael’s. The office of high constable was one of the most ancient in local government, appointed by the Court Leete; these appointments were made from 1284 to 1842.

Another Richard LONGHURST was a clockmaker of Steyning, Sussex from 1777 to 1795. He was a member of the Clockmakers Company. Would you believe that a longcase clock of his turned up in a San Francisco antique shop and is now in the possession of a family member.

John OLLIVER ‘the Mad Miller of Highdown’ (near Worthing, Sussex) had his coffin, which ran on wheels, ready for 25 years before he died. He is supposed to be buried upside down, so that on Judgement Day, when the world turns upside down, he will be the only one ready to meet his maker. He was buried on 22 April 1793. In accordance with his wishes, the mourners (all two thousand of them) were dressed in colourful clothing. According to his will, his daughter Owena would only get her share “on condition that from time to time, and at all times hereafter keep in good repair, and the inscription thereon plain and legible.”

William RANDELL (1794-1844) seemed to be something of a leading light in Hurstpierpoint, Sussex. William was affectionately named ‘William the Great’ by the family, possibly because he was an astute businessman having several business interests in the town. As a young man he was a cordwainer and employed a number of men at his shop in the High Street. He later became a builder and built for himself three houses. Other business interests that belonged to William were a grocery store, a library, and two printing presses. One of his further ventures was a carriers business. At the end of his life William was Postmaster at the Hurst Post Office, his wife Sarah was Postmistress, and his daughters also worked there. His sons were placed in each of the other family businesses around the town.

Lord RANDAL or RANDALL, whoever he (or they) may be, has an eponymous Pudding and Ballad to his credit. It would be interesting to know something of the history of these.

The surname RANDOLPH was, rather improbably, pronounced ‘Randall’. A number of inter-related Randolphs were settlers in Virginia and were influential in the history of the United States. Peyton RANDOLPH (1721-75) was a notable member of the Virginia House of Burgesses. He was appointed to the first Continental Congress at Philadelphia and was unanimously elected as its president. The Peyton Randolph house is situated in the historic area of Williamsburg. Edmund Jennings RANDOLPH (1753-1813) played a leading role in the federal Constitutional Convention and was later the nation’s first attorney general. A cousin of Edmund was John RANDOLPH of Roanoke (1773-1833). He was elected to the US House of Representatives and later served in Congress. The mother of the 3rd president of the USA, Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), was Jane RANDOLPH who was born in Shadwell, in London’s east-end.

© Trevor Hanson 27-Sep-2009 E. & O. E.