The first reference to a Nurse family living in the Hanham Abbots area of Hanham was the baptism of William Dolman (Nors) son of Samuel Nors on 12th April 1778 at St. George's Hanham, a chapelry of the parish of Bitton. [1][2]
As mentioned in the previous article, Samuel and his wife Rachel (nee Dolman) were married in the neighboring parish of Keynsham on the 11th October 1772. [3][4] It has not been completely proven that this Samuel was the same Samuel that was baptised in Compton Dando, but a review of the evidence indicates that it was very likely.
During the period 1754-1790 there were 9 Nurse marriages in N. Somerset. Of these 4 were in Compton Dando, 1 in Keynsham (Samuel and Rachel), 1 in Dundry, 1 in Chew Magna[5] and 2 in Bedminster, so Compton Dando appears to be the most likely birthplace.
In addition, Robert Nurse[6], who also witnessed the marriage of Sarah Nurse to Robert Ashley, six months later in Compton Dando, witnessed Samuel and Rachel’s wedding.
The chances of there being another Samuel Nurse, married to Rachel, with a brother Robert is very slim indeed. As further proof of the connection, Samuel and Rachel gave their eldest son the middle name Dolman – Rachel’s maiden name. This was quite a common practice for the time.
Figure 1 – Pickwick House, Hanham Mills (c1890) |
 |
Samuel moved to the area, with his brother Robert, sometime between 1774 and 1778. According to my great-Aunt Nell’s notes[7][8] Robert and Samuel moved into Pickwick House at Hanham Mills.
It appears that Robert initially took a job as a servant to Henry Creswicke of Hanham Court. The Creswickes were the main land owning family in the area, and when Samuel Creswicke died in September 1778 he left Robert 5 guineas in his will – “to Robert Nurse (late servant of my said brother Henry Creswicke) - 5 guineas”.[9]
Robert learnt the trade of malting and rented a house called “Strattons” on Hanham Green, where he established a Malting business[10]. He was quite involved in the life of the local church, acting as Chapel Warden many times between 1794 and 1811.[11]
Meanwhile, Samuel worked as a quarryman in a large quarry at the back of their premises called “Sam Nurse’s Quarry”. He already had one child – a daughter, Rachel – when he moved to Hanham. She was baptized in Keynsham on 3rd July 1774 [3] and she was the first to marry in 1795, to John Couch.
Over the course of the next fourteen years eight more boys were born to Samuel and his wife Rachel (see Figure 2), all of whom were baptized at St. George's Hanham.
Figure 2 – The Family of Samuel and Rachel Nurse |
 |
Although there is no direct evidence, it appears that at least two of Samuel and Rachel's children, the second son and the last but one son, died in infancy. This conclusion is drawn from the fact that it is unusual to give two children the same name but it was quite common in those times to name the next child of the same sex after a recently deceased child.
In addition, only Rachel, Robert, Joseph, Samuel and William stayed in the area, married and had their own family. While the fate of the other three children is unknown, given the mortality rate of that time it is quite probable that none of them survived childhood. [12]
Rachel, William, Samuel and Robert were all married at Bitton Parish Church - apparently the chapelries of Hanham and Oldland were not licensed for weddings or burials. [1]
Figure 2 – The River Avon from Sam Nurse’s Quarry |
 |
Rachel being the eldest was first to marry on 2nd February 1795 to John Couch,[13] the son of Jonathan and Betty Couch.[14] John Couch was a Stone Quarryman.[15],[16],[17] This occupation was very common in the Hanham area. Rachel Couch died in 1834 and was buried at St. Mary Bitton on 29 August 1834.
Robert Nurse, my great-great-great-grandfather married Salley Couch at Bitton Parish Church on the 15th March 1803.[1]
While there is no direct evidence, it does appear that John and Salley (or Sarah) were brother and sister. John Couch was born in late 1774 or early 1775 to Jonathan and Betty Couch[18] and baptized on the 8th January 1775. One other child was baptised in the parish, Ann on the 4th February 1776. She died in infancy being buried at Bitton on the 4th May 1777. The first reference to Salley[21] was her marriage, but the evidence suggests that she was from the same family as her and Robert's eldest son was baptised Jonathan Couch Nurse (after her father).
William Nurse married Mary Willis on 20th July 1800. The registers of Hanham Church are full of references to the Willis family - there appears to have been 4 or 5 branches of the family living in the area in the late 18th century. Mary died in 1826 and was buried at St. Mary Bitton on 3 Sep 1826. Two years later William married Ann Selman, the half-sister of John and Salley Couch.16 William died in 1839 and was buried at St. Mary’s Bitton on 5 Mar 1839.
Samuel married Lucy Bishop on 17th November 1818 at the ripe old age of 33. They had nine children over the next 13 years. Samuel was also a Quarryman,[1][22][23] and three – at least – of his sons were Stone Masons.[22][23] Samuel died in 1857 and was buried at Christ Church, Hanham on 30 Dec 1857. Samuel and Lucy lived at Hanham Mills, in the house that Samuel inherited from his uncle Robert Nurse.[20]
The other child of Samuel and Rachel, Joseph was not married in the parish, but he and his wife Martha had a large number of children (seven) baptised in Hanham Church (between 1810 and 1832). Joseph’s occupation is not known, but he was probably also a Quarryman, as two of his sons were both Quarrymen.[22][23] Joseph died in 1839 and was buried on 15 December 1839 at St. Mary Bitton.
Martha outlived her husband for almost 30 years, dying in 1869. She was buried at Christ Church, Hanham on 17 Dec 1868. Martha was a launderess [23] – she probably took up this occupation when her husband died. The family, at least from 1841 on lived at Riverside.[22][22]
Samuel Nurse died and was buried at Keynsham[24] on 13th September, 1810. He must have been considered somebody of some importance in the area as he was buried in the church itself, rather than in the churchyard. His wife Rachel, died some 21 years later and was also buried at St. John’s Keynsham on 9th August 1831.
Samuel apparently died without a will[25] and his share of the malting business passed to his son Robert. Samuel’s brother, Robert died a few years after him and was buried at St. Anne’s Oldland on 14th December 1819. His will[20] also gave his share of the malting business to his nephew Robert, so Robert became the sole owner of the business, on his uncle’s death.
Bibliography and Notes
[1] Parish Register for the Parish of St. Mary, Bitton, including the chapelries of Hanham and Oldland, 1571 - 1934. Microfiched by the Bristol Record Office, Bristol.
[2] Bishop's Transcripts for the Parish of St. Mary, Bitton, including the chapelries of St. George, Hanham and St. Anne, Oldland, 1578-1813. Microfilmed by the Church of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints, Film No. ??????.
[3] Parish Register for the Parish of St. John, Keynsham, 1750 - 1807. Microfilmed by the Church of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints, Film No. 1526662
[4] Bristol and Avon Marriage Index 1754-1837, Bristol and Avon Family History Society. Microfilmed by the Mormon Church, Film No. 1565996.
[5] Although the marriage of William Nurse and Ruth Sage occurred in Chew Magna on 5 Jan 1761, the Banns were read during the previous November and December in Compton Dando, as William Nurse was a resident of that parish.
[6] Whether this Robert Nurse was Samuel’s father or elder brother is not mentioned.
[7] Personal Notes of Francis Ellen Nurse (Nell), transcribed by Francis Edward Charles Nurse (Frank).
[8] My great-aunt Nell - Francis Ellen Nurse – was the sister of my grandfather William Richmond Nurse. Both of them appeared to have had a considerable interest in the history of their family. Aunt Nell’s work is in the possession of my second-cousin Frank, and he and his wife have transcribed much of what she recorded.
[9] GENUKI, The Wills of Gloucestershire - http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng /GLS/ProbateRecords/WillsC.html
[10] The malting house at Strattons is still standing today.
[11] ChurchWarden Accounts for the Parish of Hanham, Bristol Record Office.
[12] The parish register of Keynsham lists the burials of John as well as two unnamed children of Samuel Nurse of Hanham.
[13] I have a pewter tankard that was made in 1765, and has the letters “JRC”, inscribed on the side. I believe that this belonged to Jonathan and Rachel Couch, and was given to them, probably as a Wedding present. According to John Couch’s Will20 all of his plate, china, glass etc. were bequeathed to his half-sister Ann Nurse (nee Selman). As she died, with no heirs, it is possible that she left the tankard to her half-sister Salley and brother-in-law Robert.
[14] Jonathan Couch and Betty Rawbone were married at St John’s Keynsham on 22 Feb 1773. Jonathan Couch died 6 years later on the 11 Aug 1779, and his widow Betty remarried three years later to William Selman (18 Dec 1782) at St. Mary’s Bitton. William and Betty Selman, had a daughter Ann who would later marry William Nurse (see Figure 3)
[15] The Will of John Couch, dated 15 May 1865; Bristol Wills, vol. 29, Bristol Record Office.
[16] 1841 National Census. Microfiche copy held at the Bristol Reference Library.
[17] 1851 National Census. . Microfiche copy held at the Bristol Reference Library.
[18] Jonathan and Betty Couch are mentioned in the Land Tax records for Keynsham[19] as the occupier of a piece of property owned by William Dolman (who was probably the brother of Rachel Nurse (nee Dolman)). Also John Couch (the younger) was the executor of Robert Nurse’s will.[20] Thus there are multiple connections between the Couch, Dolman and Nurse families which taken together provide strong evidence for our deductions.
[19] Land Tax Records for the Parish of Keynsham, Somerset, 1766 – 1831. Microfilmed by the Church of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints, Film No. 1526847.
[20] The Will of Robert Nurse, dated 24 March 1819; Gloucester Record Office .
[21] My grandfather’s notes indicate that Salley was born on 2 Feb 1781. However, Jonathan Couch died on 11 Aug 1779. In the burial register for her death in Jan 1843 she is listed as being 63 years old, which would mean that she had been born between Feb 1779 and Jan 1780, so I believe that she was born on 2 Feb 1779, six months before her father died.
[22] 1841 National Census. Microfiche copy held at the Bristol Reference Library.
[23] 1851 National Census. . Microfiche copy held at the Bristol Reference Library
[24] Parish Register for the Parish of St. John, Keynsham (1808 – 1837). Microfiched by the Taunton Record Office, Taunton, Somerset.
[25] No record of a will has been found in Bristol Record Office, Gloucester Record Office or at the Public Record Office in London.