Nurse Family History – Samuel Nurse of Hanham (Born 1809)

In the previous article in this blog series I described the life of Robert Nurse (my great-great-grandfather).  Robert was the youngest child and his older brother Samuel, was also my great-great-grandfather, as Robert’s son Robert Francis Nurse married Samuel’s daughter Sarah Elizabeth Nurse.

Samuel married Dinah Willis on Christmas Day 1848.

Figure 1 – Samuel Nurse (c 1860)		Figure 2 – Dinah Nurse

Dinah was the eldest of six children (5 daughters and one son) of Robert Willis and Dinah Leonard.[1],[2]

Willis [3] is quite a popular name in Hanham, most of the Willises being labourers or quarrymen. [5] Robert however, was quite well off, being classified, as a Yeoman in both the 1851 and 1861 [5], [6], [7] censuses and his will,[8] where he leaves most of his estate to his daughter Dinah Willis, Samuel Nurse’s wife.

Figure 3 – The Family of Samuel and Dinah Nurse

While both Samuel and his brother Robert had inherited the family malting business, it was Samuel who operated the business. Samuel and Dinah had three children a boy Robert Willis and two daughters Sarah Elizabeth and Frances Willis.

Bibliography and Notes

[1] Personal Notes of William Richmond Nurse, 1882-1937.

[2] Parish Register of St. Nicholas Church, City of Bristol, 1754-1812. Microfiched by the Bristol Record Office, Bristol.

[3] Due to the number of Willis families in the Hanham/Bitton area it has proven quite difficult to trace the Willis line back very far. Robert Willis and Dinah Leonard were married 24 Jun 1810 at St. Nicholas Church in the city of Bristol.

Robert, born 28 Feb 1777, was the one of eleven children (6 boys and 5 girls) of Samuel Willis and Sarah Rawbone, who were married on 1 May 1774 at St. Mary, Bitton. [4]

Samuel Willis was the son of Thomas Willis and Elizabeth Hicks and Sarah Rawbone was the daughter of John and Jane Rawbone (and the sister of Betty Rawbone who married John Couch and was the mother of Salley Couch).

[4] 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.

[5] 1851 National Census. Microfiche copy held at the Bristol Reference Library.

[6] 1841 National Census. Microfiche copy held at the Bristol Reference Library.

[7] 1861 National Census. Microfiche copy held at the Bristol Reference Library.

[8] The Will of Robert Willis, dated 19 Jun 1863; Bristol Wills, vol. 26, Bristol Record Office.