Peasants to Puddles
My Family History - By Nicky Rowberry

The James Family
Page 2

Thomas James 1854-1923	Emma Lowth 1858-1919

My 2xgreat grandparents were Thomas James & Emma Lowth, shown in the photos above. Thomas James was born 1854 in Nottingham in Independent Hill. He was the 6th child born to Charles James and Hannah Leaver. Charles & Hannah had married on 11th June 1839 at Radford in Nottinghamshire. Their first child, Sarah Ann James, must have been born shortly after as she was present with them by the 1841 census. The table below gives a transcription from the 1841 census (HO 107/869/6 Page 23) and shows Charles & Hannah living with his parents Richard & Elizabeth James in Freeman Street, Nottingham.

Both Charles James & his father Richard were frame-work knitters - a very common occupation in Nottingham at that time, often abbreviated just to FWK on the census returns. In the 1851 census Charles James was still living in Freeman Street, with his wife and children and widowed mother Elizabeth. Charles's wife Hannah seems to have been recorded as Ammer, but I'm pretty sure it's still her and that it was just a mis-hearing of her name by the enumerator. The table below gives the details from the 1851 census. (HO107/2132 folio 672 page 44)

By 1861 the family had moved to Independent Hill, where they remained until Hannah's death in 1893. Charles was described there as a "Frame-worker (Drawers)". I think that means he knitted knickers !! The table below gives the details from the 1861 census. (RG9/2461 Folio 83 page 28)

In the 1891 census, Charles & Hannah are still living in Independent Hill, all their children having left home by then. Hannah died at Independent Hill in 1893, her death being registered by her son-in-law Henry Wilson. In the 1901 census, Charles was described as a widower and was living in some form of Institution aged 82. It seems a shame none of his family could have taken the old man in. Charles died on 20th March 1904 at Nottingham workhouse. The informant on his death certificate was A. Fletcher described as his grand-daughter, so at least the family hadn't abandoned him totally. I don't know yet what the A. in A. Fletcher stands for, but Charles' daughter Sarah Ann James married Frederick Fletcher, so presumably A. is one of her children.

Charles's father was a Richard James, who was also a framework knitter. In 1841 Charles, his wife and young daughter Sarah, were living at Freeman Street, Nottingham, as were his father and mother Richard & Elizabeth and his brother Thomas. There were also a couple of children called Mary Dewey and Alfred Riley. I believe Alfred Riley was the son of Elizabeth James and Samuel Riley and was therefore Richard James's grandson. There was a Mary Ann Dewey born in 1824 to a Mary James & Thomas Dewey. But I don't know whether this mother, Mary James, was a previously unknown daughter of my Richard James or perhaps a sister. As the 1841 census gives no indication of family relationships, I don't know whether Mary Dewy was a grandchild or perhaps a niece of Richard.

Unfortunately the 1841 census only told me that Richard James was born in some county other than Nottingham. As Richard died before the 1851 census, which would have given a proper place of birth, I have been stuck with this line for a while. However, Richard's death certificate from 1850, describes his occupation as a Pensioner. It seems likely that this means he was a "Chelsea Pensioner" rather than just the modern meaning of the word pensioner. This means he would have served in some kind of armed force, for which there should be records. With a bit of luck I should therefore be able to find out a bit more about his origins in the near future. His wife Elizabeth did live long enough to appear on the 1851 and 1861 censuses and it appears that she was born in Lincoln, so perhaps Richard came from there as well, but for the moment I cannot tell.

The family tree below summarises what I know about the James family. It is hopefully reasonably accurate, but if you spot any errors, or any relatives, please feel free to E-mail me

Please click on one of the red links on the tree to move to a different page.

If any of the above is of further interest, please feel free to contact me at: n.rowberry@btinternet.com

Peasants to Puddles - My Family History. By Nicky Rowberry