PART FORTY-FOUR

 

The Malmesbury District Line (incorporating Broughton Gifford)

Updated January 2010

 

 

This is the family line of Maureen Collett (Ref. 44R15) of Cardiff who kindly provided the basic information to establish the line, together with the details for the January 2010 update which takes the line back an amazing six generation.  In addition to which it now has a positive link to Part 35 – The Melksham Line

 

 

 

 

 

Its primary focus is the villages of Norton and Hullavington, although the inclusion of the earlier generations also incorporates Broughton Gifford, as does Part 35 – The Melksham Line

 

 

 

 

Earlier information suggested that Thomas Collett who previously started this family line may have been linked to the Collett families of Kempsford in Gloucestershire as detailed in Part 1 – The Main Line.  However, the information received from Maureen Collett dispels this theory

 

 

 

There may be another (much later) connection with Part 28 – The Faringdon Line.  Within this line there is a Lawrence Collett (Ref. 28N13) who married Mary Salter at Norton in 1836.  Seven months earlier Lawrence Collett and Sarah Salter had been the witnesses at the marriage of Henry Collett (Ref. 44N1) and Hannah Tanner

 

 

 

Furthermore, six years after Lawrence and Mary were married, Henry’s sister Lucy Collett (Ref. 44NN3) married Caleb Salter at Norton and he was very possibly the brother of Mary and Sarah Salter, although there is a possibility that Mary and Sarah were one and the same person

 

 

 

There is another possible link to Part 28, in that Aaron Collett (Ref. 28O28) who was born in 1838 at Westport in Malmesbury was living in the nearby village of Easton Grey in 1879 where William Collett (Ref. 44O1), who was born at Norton in 1837, was also living at that time.  They may have been cousins, since Aaron was the nephew of Lawrence of Abingdon, while William was the son of the aforementioned Henry and Hannah Collett

 

 

 

Not yet tied into this family are William Collett and Mary Pearce of South Wraxall who were married in the Church of St Peter & St Paul in Bath during February 1656.  This couple may well be the William and Mary included in the list below, since South Wraxall is the next village to Broughton Gifford.

 

 

 

Other Collett records which have been found that specifically relate to Broughton Gifford but which have so far not been included in the main body of this file are:

 

 

William and Mary Collett whose son William was baptised on 20.08.1671

 

 

Edward Collett whose son Edward and daughter Jane were baptised on 15.10.1666

 

 

John Collett whose son Nicholas was baptised on 22.03.1666 whose own daughter Edith was baptised on 02.12.1694

 

 

John Collett whose son John was baptised on 19.02.1670

 

 

Robert and Mary Collett whose daughter Anne was baptised on 28.12.1686

 

 

Robert and Mary Collett whose daughter Mary was baptised on 23.12.1688

 

 

 

44F1

ANTHONY COLLETT was born around 1594 and he married Katherine who was also born around the same time.  The couple are known to have lived at Great Chalfield where their son was born.

 

 

 

44G1

DANIEL COLLETT

Born in 1618

 

 

 

 

44G1

DANIEL COLLETT was born in 1618 in the very small hamlet of Great Chalfield, just one mile from Broughton Gifford where he was baptised on 17.01.1619.  He was the only known child of Anthony and Katherine Collett of Great Chalfield.

 

 

 

Daniel was married and is known to have had at least two sons who were born and baptised at Broughton Gifford, although no record of his wife’s name has so far been discovered.

 

 

 

44H1

WILLIAM COLLETT

Born in 1638

 

44H2

Luke Collett

Born in 1640

 

 

 

 

44H1

WILLIAM COLLETT was born at Broughton Gifford in 1638, the son of Daniel Collett.  He is known to have married Elizabeth at Broughton Gifford in 1663, and it was also there that Elizabeth presented William with eight children.  It would appear that William Collett lived at Broughton Gifford well into his eighties, since it was there that he was buried on 18.04.1725.

 

 

 

44I1

William Collett

Born in 1665

 

44I2

WILLIAM COLLETT

Born in 1666

 

44I3

Elizabeth Collett

Born in 1667

 

44I4

Thomas Collett

Born in 1671

 

44I5

Daniel Collett

Born in 1673

 

44I6

William Collett

Born in 1677

 

44I7

Francis Collett

Born in 1682

 

44I8

Edward Collett

Born in 1687

 

 

 

 

44H2

Luke Collett was born at Broughton Gifford and most likely between 1640 and 1645.  He was the son of Daniel Collett of Great Chalfield and Broughton Gifford.

 

 

 

Prior to the January 2010 update of the Collett Family History website, Luke Collett was the first member of the family listed in Part 35 – The Melksham Line.  As a result of this update Part 35 and Part 44 are now known originate from the same family.  However, the task of combining these two large files would be a major logistical exercise so, for the time being at least, they will be retained as separate files.

 

 

 

Further details of the extension of this family line from Luke Collett

can therefore be found in Part 35 – The Melksham Line

 

 

 

 

44I1

William Collett was born at Broughton Gifford in 1665, the son of William and Elizabeth Collett, and it was there also that he was baptised on 11.06.1665.  The fact that the couple’s next child was also baptised William probably suggests that this William died shortly after he was born.

 

 

 

 

44I2

WILLIAM COLLETT was born at Broughton Gifford in 1666, the son of William and Elizabeth Collett, and it was on 10.09.1666 that he was baptised at Broughton Gifford.  William was in his late twenties when he married Sarah, with whom he had five known children.

 

 

 

44J1

John Collett

Born in 1694

 

44J2

JOHN COLLETT

Born in 1697

 

44J3

William Collett

Born in 1700

 

44J4

Sarah Collett

Born in 1703

 

44J5

Isaac Collett

Born in 1705

 

 

 

 

44I3

Elizabeth Collett was born at Broughton Gifford in late 1667 and was baptised there on 27.01.1668, the only known daughter of William and Elizabeth Collett.

 

 

 

 

44I4

Thomas Collett was born at Broughton Gifford in 1671 and it was there that he was baptised on 10.01.1672, the son of William and Elizabeth Collett.  Thomas married Alice Brind at Marlborough in Wiltshire on 29.07.1694.

 

 

 

 

44I5

Daniel Collett was born at Broughton Gifford in 1673 and baptised there on 15.09.1673, the son of William and Elizabeth Collett.  He later married Jane and all of their children were baptised at Broughton Gifford.

 

 

 

44J6

Jane Collett

Baptised on 01.04.1694 at Broughton Gifford

 

44J7

Ann Collett

Baptised on 01.11.1696 at Broughton Gifford

 

44J8

Margaret Collett

Baptised on 19.05.1701 at Broughton Gifford

 

44J9

Mary Collett

Baptised on 25.07.1704 at Broughton Gifford

 

 

 

 

44I6

William Collett was born at Broughton Gifford in 1677 and was baptised there on 27.07.1677.  The baptism record confirmed that his father was William Collett.  This has been included for completeness, but there is a possibility that he was not the son of William and Elizabeth Collett since they already had a son named William who was born eleven years earlier who survived into the next century.

 

 

 

 

44I7

Francis Collett was born at Broughton Gifford in 1682 and was the son of William and Elizabeth Collett.  He was baptised at Broughton Gifford on 17.11.1682.  It was also at Broughton Gifford that he married Joan Hutton on 06.04.1702.  And it was at Broughton Gifford that all of their children were baptised.

 

 

 

44J10

Elizabeth Collett

Baptised on 01.01.1705 at Broughton Gifford

 

44J11

Ann Collett

Baptised on 21.10.1711 at Broughton Gifford

 

44J12

Thomas Collett

Baptised on 31.03.1714

 

44J13

Daniel Collett

Baptised on 23.11.1718 at Broughton Gifford

 

44J14

Sarah Collett

Baptised on 27.05.1722 at Broughton Gifford

 

 

 

 

44I8

Edward Collett was born at Broughton Gifford before the summer of 1687.  He was baptised there on 24.07.1687, the youngest son of William and Elizabeth Collett.  In 1687 William would have been nearly fifty years old, so his wife Elizabeth may have been much younger, or Edward may have been born some years before he was baptised.

 

 

 

 

44J1

John Collett was born in 1694 at Broughton Gifford, where he was buried following his death around three or four years later.

 

 

 

 

44J2

JOHN COLLETT may have been born around 1697 or 1698, although it is known that he was baptised at Broughton Gifford on 22.11.1698, the son of William and Sarah Collett.  Around 1715 he married the slightly older Eleanor who was also born in Wiltshire around 1695.

 

 

 

44K1

Martha Collett

Born in 1716

 

44K2

Sarah Collett

Born in 1720

 

44K3

JOHN COLLETT

Born in 1722

 

 

 

 

44J3

William Collett was born at Broughton Gifford around the latter part of 1700 and was baptised there on 08.02.1701, the son of William and Sarah Collett.

 

 

 

 

44J4

Sarah Collett was born at Broughton Gifford around 1703 and was baptised there on 07.06.1703, the only known daughter of William and Sarah Collett.

 

 

 

 

44J5

Isaac Collett was born at Broughton Gifford towards the end of 1705 was baptised there on 07.01.1706, the son of William and Sarah Collett.

 

 

 

 

44J12

Thomas Collett was born at Broughton Gifford in 1713 where he was baptised on 31.03.1714, the son of Francis Collett and Joan Hutton, although the baptism record only recorded the name of his father.

 

 

 

Thomas was around twenty-five years old when he married twenty years old Jane Woodman at Melksham on 25.04.1739.  It was at Melksham that the couple settled and it was there where all of their children were born and baptised.

 

 

 

44K4

Thomas Collett

Baptised on 30.03.1740 at Melksham

 

44K5

Henry Collett

Baptised on 20.12.1741 at Melksham

 

44K6

Sarah Collett

Baptised on 18.09.1743 at Melksham

 

44K7

William Collett

Baptised on 02.07.1745

 

44K8

Thomas Collett

Baptised on 26.10.1746 at Melksham

 

 

 

 

44K1

Martha Collett was born at Broughton Gifford in 1716 and was baptised there on 29.04.1716, the eldest daughter of John and Eleanor Collett.

 

 

 

 

44K2

Sarah Collett was born at Broughton Gifford in 1720 where she was baptised on 01.07.1720, the daughter of John and Eleanor Collett.

 

 

 

 

44K3

JOHN COLLETT was born at Broughton Gifford in 1722, the only known son of John and Eleanor who was baptised at Broughton Gifford on 10.12.1722.  He later married Ann with whom he had five children who were all born at Broughton Gifford.

 

 

 

Although not proved, it would appear that Ann died after 1750 and that ten years later John married Sarah at Broughton and this married provided a further son for Henry.

 

 

 

44L1

Mary Collett

Born in 1743

 

44L2

William Collett

Born in 1745

 

44L3

Mary Collett

Born in 1748

 

44L4

JOHN COLLETT

Born in 1749

 

44L5

Sarah Collett

Born in 1750

 

44L6

Henry Collett

Born in 1761

 

 

 

 

44K7

William Collett was baptised at Melksham on 02.07.1745, the son of Thomas Collett and Jane Woodman.  He later married Hester Redman at Melksham on 28.03.1780.  Hester, the daughter of John and Elizabeth Redman, was born at Melksham where she was baptised on 10.03.1762.

 

 

 

Jane Redman, the older sister of Hester Redman, had married William’s cousin Joseph Collett (Ref. 35K16) eight years earlier at Melksham in 1772.

 

 

 

William and Hester are known to have had a son William who was born at Melksham in March 1785, but he was not baptised there until 09.01.1786.  They also had two other children who were born at Melksham, these being Betty born in 1780 and John born in 1787.  This family initially moved to London, prior to later generations emigrating to New Zealand.

 

 

 

Further details of the continuation of this family line can be found in

Part 31 – The Wiltshire to New Zealand Line

 

 

 

 

44L1

Mary Collett was born at Broughton Gifford in 1743 where she was baptised on 11.09.1743, the daughter of John and Eleanor Collett.  It would seem highly likely that she died before she was five years old, as a later child of John and Eleanor was also baptised as Mary Collett.

 

 

 

 

44L2

William Collett was born at Broughton Gifford in 1745 and was baptised there on 19.04.1745, the son of John and Eleanor Collett.

 

 

 

 

44L3

Mary Collett was born at Broughton Gifford in 1748 and was the second daughter of John and Eleanor Collett to be given the name Mary.  She was baptised at Broughton Gifford on 04.04.1748.

 

 

 

 

44L4

JOHN COLLETT was born in 1749, the son of John and Ann Collett, and was baptised at Broughton Gifford on 11.09.1749.  He was married to Elizabeth Knapp and the couple is known to have been living at Trowbridge in Wiltshire when their marriage was blessed with the birth of three children.

 

 

 

Elizabeth Knapp was the eldest of six child of John Knapp and Mary Tucker, and was baptised at Trowbridge on 16.08.1749.  At the time of her marriage to John Collett at St James’ Church in Trowbridge on 09.05.1774 she was recorded as being Betty Knapp.  Betty would have been with-child on their wedding day.

 

 

 

The Ahnentafel Report confirms that John Collett and Elizabeth Knapp were the parents of the three children listed below.

 

 

 

44M1

John Collett

Born in 1774

 

44M2

THOMAS COLLETT

Born in 1777

 

44M3

Mary Collett

Born in 1780

 

 

 

 

44L5

Sarah Collett was born at Broughton Gifford in 1750, and it was there that she was baptised on 26.12.1750, the daughter of John and Eleanor Collett.

 

 

 

 

44L6

Henry Collett was born at Broughton Gifford in 1761 and was baptised there on 05.07.1761, the only child of John Collett and his second wife Sarah.

 

 

 

 

44M1

John Collett was born at Trowbridge in 1774 where he was baptised on 11.09.1774, the son of John Collett and Elizabeth Knapp who were married only four months earlier.

 

 

 

 

44M2

THOMAS COLLETT was baptised at Trowbridge on 10.08.1777, the son of John Collett and Elizabeth Knapp.  It is known that he later married Elizabeth around 1813, with whom he had at least three children.  From Elizabeth’s burial record it is established that she was born in 1780. 

 

 

 

At the time of the birth of Thomas’ daughter, his wife Elizabeth was referred to in the baptism record as Betty Collett.

 

 

 

All of their three known children were born at Norton near Malmesbury in Wiltshire, and it was there within the Cirencester, Chippenham, Malmesbury & Tetbury registration district, that the couple were still living at the time of the first national census in June 1841.  Living with them on that occasion was their daughter Lucy and their son Joseph. 

 

 

 

Thomas’ rounded age was 60, while his wife was 55, and their two children were 22 and 20.  Six years later Elizabeth Collett of Norton was buried at Hullavington on 12.12.1847 aged sixty-nine.  It was less than three years after this that Thomas died at Hills Hayes in Hullavington in 1850.

 

 

 

In addition to the confirmed members of the Collett family included in this family line, they are others with the Collett name listed in the Hullavington Parish Register for the Church of St Mary Magdalene who, so far, have not been directly linked to this family.  So for completeness the details of these individuals are contained in an appendix at the end of this file.

 

 

 

44N1

HENRY COLLETT

Born in 1814

 

44N2

Arthur Collett (not confirmed)

Born in 1816

 

44N3

Lucy Collett

Born in 1819

 

44N4

Joseph Collett

Born in 1821

 

 

 

 

44M3

Mary Collett was born at Trowbridge in 1780 and it was there also that she was baptised in April that year.  When she was twenty-one, Mary married John Watts on 05.08.1801 at St James’ Church in Trowbridge.

 

 

 

 

44N1

HENRY COLLETT was born at Norton where he was baptised on 27.02.1814.  It was also there that he married Hannah Tanner on 18.10.1835.  Hannah was the daughter of William Tanner and Ellenar Hilliar and was baptised on 02.03.1817 at Grittenham near Brinksworth, midway between Chippenham and Swindon.  Her father was described as a labourer of Grittenham at the baptism.

 

 

 

Within the appendix at the end of this file there is listed the Hullavington marriage of Mary Collett to William Tanner of Grittleton (Grittenham?) and, although no date for this event has been found, it would seem that this took place around or just after 1809.

 

 

 

Mary Tanner nee Collett may have died within the next few years leaving William to marry (2) Ellenar Hilliar with whom he had the daughter Hannah who married Henry Collett.  Therefore Henry may have been the nephew of Mary Collett.

 

 

 

There were two witnesses at the wedding ceremony for Henry and Hannah and these were Lawrence Collett and Sarah Salter.  Lawrence (Ref. 28N13) was a Collett of the Faringdon family who was born at Abingdon in 1808, while Sarah was born at Norton around 1814. 

 

 

 

Seven months after the marriage of Henry and Hannah, Lawrence married Sarah at Norton.  It seems likely Lawrence and Henry were cousins but the positive link still needs to be made.

 

 

 

By the time of the 1841 Census the marriage had been blessed with two children.  The parents on that occasion were Henry and Hannah, both with rounded ages of 20 when in reality they would have been 26 and 24 respectively.  Their two children were William aged 4 and Mary aged 1, both of them having been born at Norton where the family was living at that time.

 

 

 

During the next ten years at least one more child was added to the family, although there may have been others.  So the census of 1851 recorded the family living within the Malmesbury Eastern registration district comprising Henry aged 36, Hannah 34, and their children William 14, Mary 10 and Charles aged 6 years.  Also living with them was Henry’s unmarried brother Joseph (below).

 

 

 

It would appear that their daughter Mary was married by 1861 since she was missing from the family and was not listed in the census as Mary Collett anywhere in the UK.  The remainder of the family were Henry 46, Hannah 44, and sons William 25 and Charles 16.

 

 

 

Ten years later and both sons had married and had left the family home leaving Henry aged 56 and Hannah 54 still living at Norton within the Malmesbury Western registration district.

 

 

 

According to the 1881 Census, Henry was an agricultural labourer who had been born at Norton  Rather strangely, neither Henry’s nor his wife’s age corresponded with previous census records in that they were given as 63 and 62 respectively, although Hannah’s place of birth being confirmed as Grittenham.

 

 

 

At that time they were living at an unspecified address in Norton Coleparle which today is simply referred to as Norton in Wiltshire.  Living with Henry and Hannah was their 20 years old grandson William Punter who, as an agricultural labourer, was probably working with his grandfather.

 

 

 

William was the oldest of the eight children of Henry’s daughter Mary and it was very likely the lack of living space that had prompted Henry to take in his grandson, that and the fact that Mary had only one month previously given birth to the family’s eighth child.

 

 

 

It should be noted that William Punter’s family was living only three doors along the road from his grandparent’s house.  In addition to which, the family of Henry’s son eldest William Collett was also living in the same road just four doors in the opposite direction.  It is also worth noting that there was a total of only twenty-three dwellings in Norton Coleparle at that time in April 1881, including the Royal Oak Inn.

 

 

 

Also in the village were just two farms, Maidford Farm of 200 acres employing four men and two boys, and the 304 acres Manor Farm which employed three men, one women and one boy.  It is possibly at one of these farms that Henry and his grandson were gainfully employed.

 

 

 

Hannah died at Norton aged 70 and it was there that she was buried on 17.02.1887.  Four years later Henry was aged 76 and in April 1891 he was living with his married daughter Mary Ann Punter and her family at Norton.

 

 

 

Henry survived for just over four years beyond that date before he died and was buried at Norton on 19.11.1895 at the age of seventy-nine.

 

 

 

44O1

William Collett

Born in 1837

 

44O2

Mary Ann Collett

Born in 1840

 

44O3

CHARLES COLLETT

Baptised on 20.10.1844

 

 

 

 

44N2

Arthur Collett (?) may have been born around 1816 and may have been another son of Thomas and Elizabeth Collett of Norton.  Although the name has not been found in any census, it would appear that he married Jane after the June census of 1841.

 

 

 

At the time of the census of 1851 Jane was living within the Malmesbury Eastern registration district with her first three children.  These were Mary 5, Arthur 3, and James who was one year old.

 

 

 

During the next ten years a further two children were added to the family, after which it would appear that Jane’s husband died.  The census of 1861 listed the family at Malmesbury Western as Jane 43, and her children Mary 15, Arthur 13, James 11, Caroline 9, and John who was six.

 

 

 

No record of Jane has been found in 1871, by which time she may have died.  So far the only members of her family found in the later census records are her three sons; her two daughters presumably were married with different surnames.

 

 

 

From these later records it is apparent that Arthur and Jane were living in the village of Foxley, just two miles to the west of Malmesbury, when each of their children were born, although the births were very likely registered at Malmesbury.

 

 

 

44O4

Mary Collett

Born in 1845 at Foxley

 

44O5

Arthur Collett

Born in 1847

 

44O6

James Collett

Born in 1849

 

44O7

Caroline Collett

Born in 1851 at Foxley

 

44O8

John Collett

Born in 1854

 

 

 

 

44N3

Lucy Collett was born at Norton in 1819 and was baptised at the parish church there on 14.11.1819.  The parish records confirm that her parents were Tom and Betty Collett.  Lucy was still living with her parents in June 1841 at the age of twenty-two. 

 

 

 

The IGI for Wiltshire listed the baptism of Lucy Collett, the daughter of Thomas and Betty Collett, as taking place at Norton-Coleparle on 04.11.1820.

 

 

 

Lucy married Caleb Salter in late 1842, the marriage being registered at Malmesbury during the fourth quarter of that year.  Caleb was a few years younger than Lucy, having been born at Norton around 1823.  It is also likely that Caleb was the younger brother of Mary Salter who was born at Norton in 1814 where she married Lawrence Collett (Ref. 28N13) of Abingdon in 1836.

 

 

 

After they were married Lucy and Caleb continued to live at Norton for a few years and it was there that their first two children were born.  In the late 1840s the family moved south less than two miles and settled in the village of Hullavington where their remaining five children were born.

 

 

 

By 1861 the family at Hullavington comprised ‘Calip’ aged 37, Lucy aged 41, Emma 17 and Caroline 15, all four confirmed as born at Norton.  The other four children were all born at Hullavington and these were Henry aged 9, Emily 6, William 3 and Mary Ann who was not yet one year old.

 

 

 

Twenty years later the address at which they were living was given as Newtown Hullavington where ‘Calib’ was working as a carter aged 60 (sic), his wife Lucy was aged 60, and still living with them was their unmarried son Henry aged 28 who was employed as an agricultural labourer.

 

 

 

Also listed as living with Caleb and Lucy was their grand-daughter three years old Fanny Jones born at Malmesbury and the child of their eldest daughter Emma.  Their daughter Emily Jane Salter aged 26 was working as a cook for Augustus Strong, the Rector of St Paul’s in Langley Burrell on the outskirts of Chippeham.

 

 

 

The couple’s youngest daughter Mary Ann Salter aged 20 was working as a cook and domestic servant for 63 years old spinster Margaret A Goldney at her home in the High Street in Chippenham.

 

 

 

Their son Henry married Caroline who was born at Great Elm near Frome in Somerset in 1857.  By 1901 Henry was aged 49 and was still living at Hullavington where he was working as a carter.  Caroline was 43 and their five children were all born at Hullavington.  These were William 13, Helen 11, Elsie 9, Majorie 6 and Winifred aged two.

 

 

 

Lucy Salter died at Hullavington in 1892 aged 72 and by the end of March 1901 Caleb aged 78 and a general labourer was living with his unmarried dressmaker daughter Mary Ann Salter aged 39.  Caleb lived for another six years before he died at Hullavington in 1907.

 

 

 

44O9

Emma Salter

Born in 1843

 

44O10

Caroline Salter

Born in 1846

 

44O11

Elizabeth Jane Salter

Born in 1850

 

44O12

Henry Salter

Born in 1852

 

44O13

Emily Jane Salter

Born in 1855

 

44O14

William Salter

Born in 1858

 

44O15

Mary Ann Salter

Born in 1860

 

 

 

 

44N4

Joseph Collett was born at Norton in 1821.  As a bachelor in 1851 Joseph was recorded as living with his older brother Henry (above) at Norton within the Malmesbury Eastern registration district.

 

 

 

It was at Malmesbury during the second quarter of 1852 that Joseph married Ann Brewer.  Ann was the daughter of Henry and Mary Brewer and was born at Hullavington in 1831.  During his life Henry Brewer had been an agricultural labourer and the proprietor of the beer house in Norton Coleparle.

 

 

 

At the time the couple were married they were living at Hullavington where their first child was born.  During 1855 the family moved to Norton where the next three children were born.  Then around 1860 they made their final move to Westerleigh which lies midway between Mangotsfield and Chipping Sodbury, where their last two children were born.

 

 

 

This was confirmed in the 1861 Census which listed the family as Joseph aged 40, his wife Ann aged 30, and their children Thomas 8, John 6, Henry 4, William 2, and the latest edition addition to the family, who on the day of the census was simply referred to as ‘infant Collett’.

 

 

 

The family living at Westerleigh in 1871 had increased by one, the new arrival having been born there.  This comprised Joseph aged 50, Ann aged 40 and their sons Thomas 18 of Hullavington, John 16, Henry 13 and William 12 all of Norton, and their Westerleigh born daughters Elizabeth 10 and Mary Jane aged five years.

 

 

 

According to the 1881 Census for Westerleigh, Joseph at the age of 60 was employed as a farm labourer.  His wife Ann was aged 50 and living with the couple were sons Thomas a 27 years old coal miner and John a 26 years old railway fireman, together with their 15 years old daughter Mary who was a general domestic servant. 

 

 

 

Joseph and Ann’s son William and daughter Elizabeth had both left the family home and were working in nearby Bristol, while there appears to be no record of son Henry in 1881 perhaps indicating a premature death or that fact that he had emigrated.

 

 

 

With the death of her husband Joseph at Westerleigh in 1888, Ann was recorded as being a widow living at Westerleigh in the Chipping Sodbury registration area in early April 1891.  It was also there that she was working as a domestic charwoman and was aged 60 and her place of birth was confirmed as Summerford.

 

 

 

44O16

Thomas Collett

Born in 1853

 

44O17

John Collett

Born in 1855

 

44O18

Henry Collett

Born in 1857

 

44O19

William Collett

Born in 1859

 

44O20

Elizabeth Collett

Born in March 1861

 

44O21

Mary Jane Collett

Born in 1866

 

 

 

 

44O1

William Collett was born at Norton in 1837 and was four years old in the 1841 Census for Norton.  The next two censuses his age was recorded as 14 and 25.

 

 

 

It was at the age of twenty-five in 1862 that he married (1) Emma Garland at Norton, the marriage being registered at Malmesbury in the second quarter of that year.  Emma was born in 1834 at Hankerton to the east of Malmesbury and was the daughter of Job and Charlotte Garland of Hankerton.  It may be of interest to note that Job Garland was born at Easton Grey.

 

 

 

The marriage produced six children for William and Emma.  It would appear that the couple lived the whole of their lives at Norton where the first five of their children were born.  Their sixth child was born when Emma was 46 years of age (?) and the child’s place of birth was Easton Grey. 

 

 

 

This was the next village north of Norton and the birth place of Emma’s father.  Rather bizarrely Easton Grey was also the village where William’s second wife was born – see later notes.

 

 

 

By the time of the 1871 Census for Norton the family was made up of William 34 and Emma 35, and their three children Henry aged 8, Elizabeth aged 4 and Catherine aged 2.

 

 

 

Ten years later the census for Norton Coleparle, no dwelling given, the larger family comprised agricultural labourer William aged 44 and of Norton and his wife Emma 47 and of Hankerton, together with five of their six children.

 

 

 

These were Henry aged 18 who was also an agricultural labourer presumably working with his father, Catherine 12, William 10, Philip 6 and Frederick aged one who was born at Easton Grey, when all of the other children were confirmed as having been born at Norton.

 

 

 

Missing daughter Elizabeth had left the family home and was living and working in Tebury.

 

 

 

Five years later Emma died in 1886 at Malmesbury aged 52 leaving William with sole responsibility for bring up his young family.  Three years later in the third quarter of 1889 he married (2) Fanny Beak, the event being registered at Malmesbury.

 

 

 

Fanny was born in 1846 and was just one of the many children of agricultural labourer Charles Beak, all of whom were born at Easton Grey.  As a spinster aged 37 and working on a farm at Easton Grey, Fanny was the only member of the Beak family still living at Easton Grey in 1881 as everyone else from her family had moved to Thornbury near Bristol.

 

 

 

In census of 1891 William’s wife was confirmed as being Fanny and living with the couple at Westport in Malmesbury were William’s two youngest sons Philip and Frederick.  Rather oddly though, all of the ages they gave did not correspond with their dates of birth.  Only Fanny at the age of 45 accurately reflected the year she was born. 

 

 

 

William was aged 58 although this may have been a misinterpretation of 53, while Philip was 18 instead of 16, and Frederick was 15 instead of 11.  What was correct was that the place of birth recorded for both William and Philip was Norton.

 

 

 

Sadly for William and Fanny their marriage only lasted for eighteen months and ended shortly after the census day when Fanny passed away.  Following the death of his wife William eventually left Norton and moved to Woodchester in Gloucestershire where he lived with his married daughter Catherine.

 

 

 

The 1901 Census placed William of Norton, then aged 66, living with his daughter’s family and employed as a carter on a farm at Woodchester.  It is very likely that he worked on the same farm where his son-in-law Sidney King was employed as a shepherd.

 

 

 

And it was while at Woodchester that William died, although the actual date is not known at this time.

 

 

 

44P1

Henry Collett

Born in 1862

 

44P2

Elizabeth Collett

Born in 1866

 

44P3

Catherine Collett

Born in 1868

 

44P4

William Collett

Born in 1871

 

44P5

Philip Collett

Born in 1875

 

44P6

Frederick Collett

Born in 1879

 

 

 

 

44O2

Mary Ann Collett was born at Norton in 1840 and it was in that village that she lived and died.  She married William Punter in 1860 with whom she had ten children, all of whom were born at Norton.  William was born at Westport in Malmesbury in 1837 although in 1901 he gave his place of birth as Corston where his first and eldest son was born.

 

 

 

According to the 1881 Census for Norton Coleparle, William was an agricultural labourer aged 42 and his wife Mary Ann was 40.  At that time the couple’s two oldest children were living and working away from the family home in Norton.  Also missing was son Thomas who later reappeared in 1891 so he was not subject to an infant death as first thought, although his actual whereabouts has not been determined.

 

 

 

The seven remaining children were Richard 14 and Arthur 13 who were both working as an agricultural labourers, Alfred 9, Francis 8, Harriet 5, Rose 1, and one month old Maud.

 

 

 

Some of the ages in 1881 varied greatly from those given in 1891 and 1901, which also differed from the individual’s actual year of birth.  In 1891 William was 54 and Mary 50, with their children Arthur 28 (?), Frederick 25, Thomas 17, Harriet 15, Rose 11, and Maud aged 10.

 

 

 

Also in 1891 Mary Ann and William had Mary Ann’s widowed father Henry Collett staying with them, which he did until he passed away in 1895.  The final member of the Punter household at that time was one year old grand-daughter Lillian Punter who was born at Birmingham.

 

 

 

Just after the turn of the century Mary Ann Punter aged 65 was living with her husband William aged 67.  And living with the couple at Norton were their two bachelor sons Arthur aged 30 and Frederick aged 26, both working as ordinary agricultural labourers like their father. 

 

 

 

The couple’s youngest daughter Maud aged 20 was still living with her parents, although her place of birth was then listed as Birmingham rather than Norton, the same as for their twelve years old grand-daughter Lillian who was also still living with the family at Norton.

 

 

 

44P7

William Punter

Born in 1861

 

44P8

Louisa Ann Punter

Born in 1863

 

44P9

Richard Punter

Born in 1866

 

44P10

Arthur Punter

Born in 1868

 

44P11

Alfred Punter

Born in 1st quarter 1871

 

44P12

Frederick (Francis) Punter

Born in 1873

 

44P13

Thomas Punter

Born in 1874

 

44P14

Harriet Punter

Born in 2nd quarter 1876

 

44P15

Rose Punter

Born in 1879

 

44P16

Maud Punter

Born in March 1881

 

 

 

 

44O3

CHARLES COLLETT was born at Norton in 1844 and it was there that he was baptised on 20.10.1844.  He was an agricultural labourer and he married (1) Matilda Webb on 02.04.1866 at the parish church in Norton.

 

 

 

The marriage produced just one child for the couple before Matilda’s untimely death around 1870.  Curiously neither Charles nor his son James, have been located in the 1871 Census.  From the later census records it would appear that James was born in 1870.  It therefore seems more than likely that his birth may have coincided with the death of his mother, the two events being inextricably linked.

 

 

 

Charles later married (2) Sarah Deborah Wicks at Hullavington parish church on 08.11.1873.  However, it would appear that shortly after they were married Sarah gave birth to the first of their twelve children, the birth being registered at Hullavington during the first quarter of the following year.

 

 

 

Sarah was the daughter of John Wicks and Elizabeth Goulding and was baptised at Hullavington on 04.06.1848.  In 1871 Sarah was still living with her parents aged 22 and was referred to as Sarah Debra Wicks.  It seems likely that she entered into the marriage with Charles Collett with a base born son John William Wicks who would have been three years old at the time of the wedding.

 

 

 

By 1881 the family was living at Gibbs Lane in Hullavington where Charles was aged 36 and was employed as an agricultural labourer.  His wife Sarah was aged 33 and the children listed living with them were John Wicks 12, Helena 6, Hannah 5, Charles 3, and Jane who was just ten months old.  All of the children had been born at Hullavington except Hannah who was born at Foxley near Malmesbury.

 

 

 

Charles and Sarah’s daughter Jane was one half of a pair of twins, the missing child being Frances Ellen who had died at Hullavington in June 1880 when she was only one month old.  Sadly Jane followed her twin sister when she died five days after the census day in 1881.

 

 

 

At that same time in April 1881 Sarah was expecting her sixth child by Charles.  This child was born three months later in July and was named after the dead twins.  However, it would appear that she too did not survive since no further record of her has been found.

 

 

 

Over the next couple years the family moved closer to Bristol perhaps to be reunited with Charles’ uncle Joseph who had been living at Westerleigh since 1860.  It was while Charles and Sarah were living at Westerleigh that two of their last five children were born, and in between one of their sons was born at Downend near Mangotsfield less than three miles from Westerleigh.

 

 

 

The last but one child was born at Stoke Gifford before the family moved again, this time to Latteridge.  This move seems to have taken place just after the death of uncle Joseph in 1888.  Latteridge, where they settled lied within the Iron Acton & Chipping Sodbury area which was where they were living in 1891.  Also in the mid 1880s the family suffered the loss of their son Henry, resulting in the same name being given to a subsequent child born into the family.

 

 

 

The census for that year included many errors regarding the ages of some family members.  Charles was listed as 42 and his wife Sarah D Collett as 40, while the children with them at that time were Elena E Collett 18, Charles 13, William 7, Henry 5, Tom aged 3, and Alden aged 2.

 

 

 

Sarah was pregnant with the couple’s twelfth child on the day of the census, and twenty days later she gave birth to her ninth son and her last child.  Two daughters were not listed with the family in 1891, so it is possible that Hannah, who would have been 15, and Jane who would have been 10 had died shortly after 1881. 

 

 

 

In March 1901 Charles Collett was recorded as being fifty-six and a farm labourer who had been born at Norton, and his wife was confirmed as Sarah aged forty-eight and from Hullavington.  At that time the couple were living at Westerleigh Hill in Westerleigh with their sons William 16, Tom 13, Alden 10, and Arthur who was nine years old.

 

 

 

Missing son Henry was living and working in Bristol on this occasion.  Nine years later Charles and Sarah were living was at Winterbourne Road in Hambrook near Mangotsfield, where Sarah died on 13.01.1910. 

 

 

 

The death was registered by her son William Collett of Winterbourne who was at her bedside when she died.  The death certificate recorded that she was Sarah Deborah Collett, wife of Charles Collett an agricultural labourer.  The cause of death was given as cerebral haemorrhage.

 

 

 

Just over a year later, according to the census of 1911, widower Charles was 68 and was living with his son Henry (referred to as Harry) and his new wife Florence at their home in Station Avenue in the Fishponds district of Bristol.

 

 

 

Sometime later, possible when Henry’s and Florence’s children were born, Charles moved out of their Bristol home and moved to Chipping Sodbury where he died on 07.02.1919.  At that time he was living in the Chipping Sodbury Union Workhouse in Yate Road. 

 

 

 

The death certificate recorded that he was 75, a farm labourer of Winterbourne Road.  The informant was A Pethrick, the Master of the Union Workhouse, and the cause of death was bronchitis and syncope.

 

 

 

44P17

James Collett

Born in 1870

 

44P18

John William Wicks (not Charles’ son)

Born in 1870

 

44P19

Elena Elizabeth Collett

Born in 1873

 

44P20

Hannah Collett

Born in 1875

 

44P21

Charles Collett

Born in 1878

 

44P22

Jane Collett

Born in May 1880

 

44P23

Frances Ellen Collett

Born in May 1880

 

44P24

Ellen Jane Collett

Born in July 1881

 

44P25

Henry Collett

Born circa 1883

 

44P26

William Collett

Born on 07.10.1884

 

44P27

Henry Collett

Born in 1886

 

44P28

Thomas Collett

Born in 1887

 

44P29

Alden Collett

Born in 1888

 

44P30

ARTHUR COLLETT

Born on 25.04.1891

 

 

 

 

44O5

Arthur Collett was born in 1847 and this may have been at Foxley near Malmesbury.  During his younger days he lived within the Malmesbury area where in 1851 he was 3, and in 1861 he was 13.  On both occasions he was living with his mother Jane Collett, his father being absent on both dates.

 

 

 

Within the next ten years Arthur left Wiltshire and moved north to Yorkshire, and in 1871 was recorded as being at Idle near Shipley.  It was while in Yorkshire that he met and married Margaret who was born at Bradford in 1852.  From the date of birth of their first child, the wedding must have taken place around shortly after the census day in 1871.

 

 

 

On the next ten years the couple was blessed with the arrival of four children and all of them born at Eccleshill in Bradford.  And it was at 16 Wellington Street in Eccleshill that the family was living in 1881.  Arthur was recorded as Arthur Collitt 34 of Malmesbury and his occupation was that of a coachman.

 

 

 

His wife Margaret of Bradford was 28 and their children were Annie 8, Emily 7, Minnie 5, and John who was two years of age. 

 

 

 

Although no record of the family has been found in 1891, in 1901 they were still living at Eccleshill in Bradford, but by that time the four older children had left the family home.  Arthur of Malmesbury was 53 and a draper and carpet planner, his wife Margaret was 48, and their daughter Maud was aged 10.

 

 

 

Their son Reginald was 13 and was living and working not far away at Batley, where he was employed as a chemist’s errand boy.

 

 

 

During the next ten years Arthur, Margaret and Maud left Eccleshill and moved to the south side of Bradford and in April 1911 they were living at North Bierley.  Arthur was 63, Margaret was 59, Reginald was 23, and Maud was twenty years old.

 

 

 

It is also worth noting that Henry Collett (Ref. 44P1) and his family was also living at North Bierley in 1911, having previously been a lodger in 1891 with Arthur’s brother James (below).

 

 

 

44P31

Annie Collett

Born in 1872 at Eccleshill

 

44P32

Emily Collett

Born in 1873 at Eccleshill

 

44P33

Minnie Collett

Born in 1875 at Eccleshill

 

44P34

John Collett

Born in 1878 at Eccleshill

 

44P35

Reginald Collett

Born in 1887 at Heckmondwike

 

44P36

Maud Collett

Born in 1890 at Eccleshill

 

 

 

 

44O6

James Collett was born at Foxley near Malmesbury in 1849 and was one year old in March 1851.  He was still living with his family in the Malmesbury area in 1861 when he was eleven.  No record of James has been found in 1871 but it seems very likely that he was married at Malmesbury before following his brother Arthur (above) to Yorkshire.

 

 

 

Certainly by 1881 he was married to Elizabeth, who was born at Norton in 1850, and was living with her at 45 Sedgwick Street in Bradford.  James was recorded as James Collett 31 of Foxley in Wiltshire and at that time he was a carter and parcel delivery man.  His wife Elizabeth was thirty years old.

 

 

 

Living with the couple was their daughter, around whose name there is a mystery.  In April 1881 she was listed as Ada A Collett aged four years.  Ten years later the family was still living at Bradford in the parish of St Judes when James was 41 and Elizabeth was 39, while their fourteen years old daughter was stated as being Harriet M Collett.

 

 

 

Living with the family as a boarder at that time was twenty-seven years old Henry Collett from Norton in Wiltshire.  He is believed to have been the nephew (one step removed) of James Collett and he and his family details can be found under Ref. 44P1.

 

 

 

Sometime during the following decade the family of three left Yorkshire and returned to the south-west where they settled in Colwall in Herefordshire, midway between Ledbury and Great Malvern.  James of Malmesbury was 51 and was working as a general labourer. 

 

 

 

His wife Elizabeth was 50, and their daughter Harriet was a dressmaker at the age of 24.  Both ladies were listed as having been born at Malmesbury.  The three of them were still living at Colwall in April 1911.  James of Foxley was 61, Elizabeth of Norton was 60, and their spinster daughter Harriet was 34 and also born at Norton.

 

 

 

44P37

Harriet M (Ada A) Collett

Born in 1876 at Norton

 

 

 

 

44O8

John Collett was born at Foxley in 1854 and was six years old in 1861 when living in the Malmesbury area with his mother and brothers and sister.  It would appear that his father died shortly after he was born, followed by his mother Jane Collett prior to 1871.

 

 

 

This may be the reason that no record of the family has been located in the census of 1871 when John would have been sixteen.

 

 

 

Around the time that he was twenty John married Margaret who was a local girl who has also been born at Foxley.  Once married the couple moved to Bristol where their first three children were born, before moving on to Worcester where they were living when their fourth child was born.

 

 

 

According to the 1881 Census, John Collett of Foxley was 26 and he was employed as a carman with the Midland Railway Company.  His wife was Margaret aged 27 and of Foxley, while their children were John H A Collett 4, Mary E M Collett 3, Ernest P W Collett 2, and baby Francis C L Collett who was just three weeks old on the third of April 1881.

 

 

 

At that time the family was living at 21 Bowling Green Terrace in the Blockhouse area of Worcester.

 

 

 

Just after the end of the century the family was still living in Worcester when John was 46 and was still working as a railway carman.  By that time Margaret was 47, and born were confirmed as having been born at Foxley.

 

 

 

Living with the couple at Worcester was John 24 who was a tailor’s cutter, Maud 23 who was a dressmaker, and Ernest 22 who was a telegraph labourer, and all of them born at Bristol.  No record of son Francis has been found in 1901 or 1911, but also living there in 1901 were four further children.

 

 

 

These were Arthur 14, who was an errand boy, James 12, George 10, and Stanley who was nine.  All of these children had been born at Worcester.

 

 

 

Ten years later the majority of the family was still living in Worcester.  John of Foxley was 57 and Margaret was 58.  Of their eight children, six have been identified in the 1911 Census, and all bar two of these were still at Worcester.  Their son Arthur was the exception, in that he had moved to Aston in Birmingham where he was 25 and from Worcester.  However, no trace has been found of son George.

 

 

 

Of the remainder, John H A Collett was 34, unmarried daughter Maud was also listed as 34, Ernest Percy William was 32, James was 23, and Stanley was nineteen.

 

 

 

A more detail review of the census of 1911 will probably reveal that some of these had married and already had families of their own.

 

 

 

Five years later in October 1916 John and Margaret were informed that their son Arthur had been killed in action in the Great War during the Battle of the Somme.

 

 

 

44P38

John H A Collett

Born in 1876 at Bristol

 

44P39

Mary E Maud Collett

Born in 1877 at Bristol

 

44P40

Ernest Percy William Collett

Born in 1878 at Bristol

 

44P41

Francis C L Collett

Born in January 1881 at Worcester

 

44P42

Arthur Collett

Born in 1885

 

44P43

James Collett

Born in 1887 at Worcester

 

44P44

George Collett

Born in 1890 at Worcester

 

44P45

Stanley Collett

Born in 1891 at Worcester

 

 

 

 

44O16

Thomas Collett was born at Hullavington in 1853.  Shortly after he was born he and his parents moved to Norton where three of his brothers were born before the family moved again in 1860 to Westerleigh.  In the 1861 Census for Westerleigh Thomas was aged 8.

 

 

 

Ten years later he was listed as being aged 18 and born at Hullavington while still living with his parents at Westerleigh.  And it was there in 1881 that he was still living with his parents as a 27 years old bachelor who was working as a coal miner.

 

 

 

It is not known what happened to Thomas as he has not been located in either the 1891 or the 1901 Census.  Likewise no trace has been found of any of his siblings below beyond 1881.

 

 

 

 

44O17

John Collett was born at Norton in 1855 and by 1861 he was 6 years of age and 16 in 1871, on both occasions living with his family at Westerleigh.  At the age of 26 John’s occupation was that of a railway fireman and he was still unmarried and living with his parents at Westerleigh.

 

 

 

 

44O18

Henry Collett was born at Norton in 1857 and was aged 4 and 13 in the censuses of 1861 and 1871 for Westerleigh where he was living with his family.  Henry, who would have been 23 in 1881, has so far not been located anywhere in the UK at that time.

 

 

 

 

44O19

William Collett was born at Norton in 1859 and was aged 2 and 12 respectively in the 1861 and 1871 census records for Westerleigh.

 

 

 

Once he was old enough William left Westerleigh and made the short journey to Bristol to find work.  And it was in the parish of St Philip & Jacob Without in Bristol that he was living alone in 1881. 

 

 

 

The census recorded him as aged 21 of Westerleigh and living at 11 Hemmings Parade from where he was working as a porter.  Although listed as head of the household and was also noted as a lodger so perhaps the property came with the job.

 

 

 

 

44O20

Elizabeth Collett was born at Westerleigh in 1861 just immediately prior to the day of the census 7th April.  So recent had been her birth that on that day her parents had not even had time to choose a name so she was simply registered as ‘infant Collett.  In 1871 she was aged 10.

 

 

 

By 1881 she too had left the family home in Westerleigh and at the age of 20 was working as a domestic servant at the lodging house run by George Wildbore and his wife at 7 Sion Hill in the Clifton area of Bristol.

 

 

 

 

44O21

Mary Jane Collett was born at Westerleigh in 1866 and was living there with her family in 1871 aged 5.  Ten years later Mary was working as a general domestic servant while still living with her parent’s home in Westerleigh.

 

 

 

 

44P1

Henry Collett was born at Norton in 1862 and was aged 8 in early April 1871.  He was still living at the family home in Norton ten years later when he was 18 and employed as an agricultural labourer, probably alongside his father William.

 

 

 

As with other members of this family line, Henry was drawn to the north of England, probably through working on the railways, since by 1891 he was lodging with one of the Collett families that had already moved to Bradford.

 

 

 

According to the census of 1891, Henry was aged 27 and was still a bachelor.  At that time he was working as a railway signalman and was living as a boarder with James and Elizabeth Collett at their home in the St Judes parish of the Bradford West End registration district. 

 

 

 

James Collett (Ref. 44O6) was Henry’s ‘distance’ uncle from Foxley near Malmesbury.

 

 

 

Shortly after the census date in 1891 Henry met and married Louisa who was born at Pangbourne in Berkshire in 1866.  The couple lived for a time in Bradford where their daughter was born, before moving to Keighley where their son was born.

 

 

 

Just after the turn of the century the family was living at Skipton from where Henry was continuing his occupation as a railway signalman.  He was aged 36, Louisa was 34, and their two children were 8 and 3 years respectively. 

 

 

 

During the year following the 1901 Census the family returned to Bradford where their third and last child was born.  According to the census of 1911, the family had settled in North Bierley on the outskirts of Bradford where Henry was 48, his wife Louisa was 44, and their children were ‘Flossie’ 18, Clement 13, and Maggie who was aged nine.

 

 

 

44Q1

Florence Collett

Born in 1892 at Bradford

 

44Q2

Clement Collett

Born in 1897 at Keighley

 

44Q3

Margaret (Maggie) Collett

Born in 1902 at Bradford

 

 

 

 

44P2

Elizabeth Collett was born at Norton in 1866 where she was living with her family in 1871 aged 4.  Ten years later she had left the family home in Norton and was 14 and was working as a general domestic servant for 59 years old maltster and brewer Isaac Witchell in his home at Church Street in Tetbury.

 

 

 

 

44P3

Catherine Collett was born at Norton in 1868 and was aged 2 and 12 years respectively in the 1871 and 1881 censuses for Norton.

 

 

 

Sometime during the next eight years she met Sidney King whom she married at Malmesbury in 1889 between April and June.  Sidney was born at Beverston near Tetbury in 1864.  At the time of their wedding, away from her home village of Norton, Catherine was referred to as Kate.  The reason for these two rather odd aspects to her marriage may have been because she was with child. 

 

 

 

Immediately following the wedding the couple left Wiltshire and settled at Woodchester in Gloucestershire where their first child was born later that same year. Two years later Catherine and Sidney were confirmed as living at Woodchester with their son Frederick aged 2 and over the next ten years the couple had a further four children all of whom were born at Woodchester.

 

 

 

It was also at Woodchester that they were still living in 1901.  Sidney was 38 and his occupation was that of a shepherd on a farm and living with him and Catherine aged 37 and their five children was Kate’s widowed father William Collett.  Catherine’s place of birth was confirmed as Norton.

 

 

 

The children at that time were Frederick aged 12, Florence aged 10, George aged 8, Adeline aged 4 and Philip aged 2.

 

 

 

 

44P4

William Collett was born at Norton in 1871 but after 2nd April as he did not feature in that year’s census.  By the time of the 1881 Census he was aged 10 and was living at Norton with his family.

 

 

 

At the age of 29 William was living at house number 89 in the main street through Hullavington, while right next door to him at number 88 lived his brother Fred (below).  William was working as a general labourer on the construction of a line of the Great Western Railway.

 

 

 

 

44P5

Philip Collett was born at Norton in 1875.  Whilst his aged was listed as being 6 years of age in the Norton census of 1881, ten years later he was listed as being 18 years old, but this may have simply been an error in transcribing, as 15 years would have been correct.

 

 

 

However, according to the 1901 Census, bachelor Philip was aged 25 and at that time he was living as a lodger at the home of George and Ann Cordy in Mangotsfield from where he was working as a railway porter.

 

 

 

 

44P6

Frederick Collett was the odd one of the Norton family as he was born at Easton Grey in 1879.  Like his brother Philip there were discrepancies in his age in the 1881 and 1891 census records.

 

 

 

The first of these placed him living with his family at Norton and he was one year old.  Ten years later his aged was recorded as 15 when he was still living at Norton.

 

 

 

Just after the turn of the century Fred was working as a wagon tipper on the construction of a line of the Great Western railway while living at house number 88 in the main street in Hullavington.  It seems very likely that he was working with his brother William (above) who also lived next door at number 89.

 

 

 

 

44P7

William Punter was born in 1861 at Corston just south of Malmesbury.  Shortly after he was born he and his parents move to Norton where his mother had been born and where her parents still lived.  Just before the census day in 1881 William’s mother gaven birth to her eighth child so overcrowding in the Punter house in Norton may have been a problem. 

 

 

 

Therefore it seems likely that William, as the oldest child of the family, was offered accommodation with his grandparents Henry and Hannah Collett to ease the situation.  The census recorded that William was aged 20 and of Corston, and that he was working as an agricultural labourer, probably alongside his grandfather.

 

 

 

During the year following the census date William married Matilda Evans who was born in the next village of Sherston in 1859.  Shortly after they were married the couple were living at Easton Grey where their four children were born, of which only Lilian, the second child, survived to adulthood.

 

 

 

William who was born in 1883 died that same year, Elsie Blanche born in 1886 died in 1889, as did Ada Gertrude who was born in 1888.  The births and deaths of all three children were recorded in Malmesbury.

 

 

 

Just after the turn of the century the family of three were living at Swindon where forty years old William Punter was employed as a striker with the Great Western Railway, while his wife Matilda was forty-two, and their daughter Lilian was sixteen.

 

 

 

 

44P8

Louisa Ann Punter was born at Norton in the third quarter of 1863.  The closeness in the age of Louisa and Elizabeth Collett (above), both of whom were brought up in Norton, might indicate that they were good friends as well as being first cousins.

 

 

 

And this may therefore be the reason that both girls were living in Church Street in Tetbury at the time of the 1881 Census.  Louisa was seventeen and a general domestic servant as was Elizabeth, living and working at the home of retired brewer Mary Warn who was eighty years old.

 

 

 

Even the occupation of her employer was similar to that of Elizabeth’s employer Isaac Witchell, who was a maltster and a brewer, so there were many parallels in the two girl’s lives.

 

 

 

It is in the third quarter of 1891 that Louisa married Albert Baker at the Chippenham Registry Office.   The marriage produced one son for the couple, Frederick Henry George Baker who was born at Chippenham on 05.07.1897.  Over forty years later, and under the name George H Baker, he married Annie Ayres, the daughter of Alfred William Ayres and Rhoda Harris, at Chippenham during the second quarter of 1939.

 

 

 

 

44P9

Richard Punter was born at Norton during the second quarter of 1866.  He was aged 14 in 1881 and was living at the family home in Norton from where he worked as an agricultural labourer.

 

 

 

Just after he passed his twentieth birthday at Sherston Magna on 25.12.1888 Richard married Dora Kate Neal who was known as Kate.  She was born at Sherston in 1864 and it was at Sherston where they lived and had five children before the end of the century.

 

 

 

Herbert James Punter was born circa 1889, Arthur William Punter circa 1891, Ethel Punter circa 1893, Jesse Punter circa 1897, and Gertrude Punter circa 1900.

 

 

 

According to the 1901 Census for Sherston, Richard was aged 36 and was employed as a railway navvy.  His wife Kate was 37 and their children Herbert 12, William 10, Ethel 8, son Jesse 4, and baby Gertrude who was not yet one year old.

 

 

 

In the years immediately following the start of the new century two further children were added to the family while they continued to live at Sherston Magna.  These were Alfred Punter (1903-1976) who married Kathleen Edith Jane Carter on 21.12.1935 at Malmesbury, and Alice Punter (22.07.1905-1993) who married Gilbert Smith.

 

 

 

 

44P10

Arthur Punter was born at Norton in 1868 and was 13 in 1881 and was employed as an agricultural labourer, probably working with his older brother Richard (above).

 

 

 

By 1901 Arthur had not married and was aged 30 and was an ordinary agricultural labourer still living with his parents at the family’s home in Norton.  Living with them was Arthur’s younger brother Frederick (below) with whom Arthur was probably working.

 

 

 

 

44P12

Frederick Punter was born during the last quarter of 1873.  In 1881 he was referred to as Francis when aged 8 and living with his family in Norton.  However, this seems to be an isolated incident since was referred to in 1901 as Frederick.

 

 

 

At that time he was aged 26, was unmarried and an ordinary agricultural labourer living and working with his brother Arthur (above) at their parent’s house in Norton.

 

 

 

 

44P17

James Collett was believed to have been born at Charlton near Malmesbury in 1870.  His birth happened around the same time that his mother Matilda died.  However, to date no positive record of the birth has been found.

 

 

 

So far no record of his or his father’s whereabouts has been found within the 1871 Census, nor has James been identified within the 1881, by which time his father had remarried.  By 1891 James, then aged 19, was living at Highworth near Swindon.

 

 

 

In 1895 when James was twenty-five he married Mary Jane Eyles and the marriage was registered at Barton Regis in Bristol.  Barton Regis does not exist today and was renamed Clifton in 1904.  It is also interesting to note that James’ half-sister Elena Elizabeth Collett (below) was living within Barton Regis during 1894 and it was there that she too was married.

 

 

 

The marriage of James and Mary Jane produced two children for the couple before the end of the century.  According to the 1901 Census James was aged 30 and was living at Dursley in Gloucestershire with his wife Mary Jane aged 32 and their two children aged 4 and 2 respectively.

 

 

 

James’ occupation was that of an assistant overseer and his place of birth was Charlton in Wilshire.  Mary Jane had been born at Wotton-under-Edge not far from Dursley where both of their children had been born.

 

 

 

And it was at Dursley that the family of four was living in April 1911.  James was 39, Mary Jane was 43, and their two children were 14 and 12 respectively.  Some years after the family appear to have moved to Painswick.

 

 

 

James’ niece Nora Millicent Collett (Ref. 44Q8) who was born in 1913 remembers visiting him when he lived at Painswick some eleven miles north of Dursley.  She also recalls that there was a rift between James and his half-brothers and sister, which resulted from a disagreement over the funeral expenses for their father who died at Chipping Sodbury in 1919, with James not waiting to contribute.

 

 

 

It also seems that James and Mary Jane and their family were later living in the Bristol area since that was where their daughter Amy was married in 1921.

 

 

 

44Q4

Amy Louise Collett

Born in 1896

 

44Q5

Francis James Collett

Born in 1898 at Dursley

 

 

 

 

44P18

John William Wicks was born at Hullavington in 1869 and was the base born child of Sarah Deborah Wicks.  In November 1873 John’s mother married widower Charles Collett whose first wife had died around 1869.

 

 

 

According to the 1881 Census John was aged 12 and was listed as ‘son’ and eldest child in the family of Charles and Sarah Collett.  However, this was presumably said for propriety sake only, as he was certainly not the birth son of Charles Collett. 

 

 

 

Nine years later in the first quarter of 1890 John married Minnie Curtis.  She was the daughter of Henry and Ruth Curtis and had been at Stoke Gifford in 1871 where she and her family was living in 1881.

 

 

 

Once they were marriage John and Minnie lived all of their life together in Stoke Gifford where all nine of the children were born.  At the time of the 1901 Census John was confirmed as living with his family at Stoke Gifford where he was working as a general labourer.  His place of birth was confirmed as Hullavington.

 

 

 

According to the census John was 30, Minnie was 29, and their first three children were sons Jesse A Wicks 10 and George F Wicks 5, and daughter Ruth E Wicks who was three years old.

 

 

 

When John died he was living at Westerleigh not far from Stoke Gifford.

 

 

 

 

44P19

Elena Elizabeth Collett was at Hullavington in 1873, her birth being registered during the first quarter of 1874.  The Bishop’s transcript of her baptism gave her first Christian name as Helena as it was in the 1881 Census when she was aged 6 and living with her family who living at Gibbs Lane in Hullavington and again in 1891 when she was 18 and living at Iron Acton.  In between these times she and her family had lived at Westerfield.

 

 

 

Around the time of her twenty-first birthday she married Arthur Stone while living in the Barton Regis area of Bristol where the marriage was registered during the second quarter of 1894.  Arthur was born in 1870 at Fishponds where it appears that the couple lived all of their life and where all of their nine children were born.

 

 

 

By 1901 Alena E Stone of Hullavington was aged 28 and her husband Arthur of Fishponds was 30.  The couple were living in Bristol where Arthur was working as a cycle mechanic.

 

 

 

And it was at Fishponds that Elena and Arthur both died.  At the time of her marriage and for much of her life thereafter she was referred to as Bessie and auntie Bessie.

 

 

 

The children of this marriage were Lillian born in 1895, Ethel born in 1897, Rose born in 1898, Hilda born in 1900, Grantly born in 1906, and Arthur born in 1910.  There were three other children for whom the dates of birth are not known, and these were Cissy, Harold and Ronald.

 

 

 

Elena’s son Arthur Stone married Vera Sophie England at Downend on 06.04.1939 with whom he had two daughters.  His wife Vera, who was born in 1914, died in 1999 in South Gloucestershire.

 

 

 

 

44P20

Hannah Collett was born at Foxley in 1875 although the birth was not registered until the first quarter of 1877.  She was aged 5 and was living with her family at Gibbs Lane in Hullavington in 1881 but thereafter no trace of her has been found and she was not with her family in 1891.

 

 

 

 

44P21

Charles Collett was born at Hullavington in early 1878 and was aged 3 and was living with his family at Gibbs Lane in Hullavington in 1881.  Ten years later in the 1891 Census for Latteridge he was still living with his parents and was confirmed as their son but was listed as ELT C Collett aged 13.  So far no record of him has been found after this event.

 

 

 

 

44P22

Jane Collett was one half of a set of twins born at Hullavington in May 1880.  She was privately baptised at Hullavington on 25.05.1880 in a joint ceremony with her twin sister Frances (below).  Privately baptised means that the two sisters were baptised at home due to their poor health.

 

 

 

Jane was ten months old by the time of the census of 1881 and was living with her family at Gibbs Lane in Hullavington.  Her twin sister Frances had died within three weeks of their private baptism and Jane passed away five days after the census day aged eleven months. 

 

 

 

She died at Hullavington on 08.04.1881 and was ‘received into the church’ on 17th April 1881.

 

 

 

 

44P23

Frances Ellen Collett was one half of a set of twins born at Hullavington in May 1880.  She was privately baptised at Hullavington on 25.05.1880 in a joint ceremony with her twin sister Jane (above).  Tragically she only survived for one month and was buried at Hullavington on 14.06.1880

 

 

 

 

44P24

Ellen Jane Collett was born at Hullavington in July 1881 and was named in honour of her late twin sisters Jane and Ellen (above).  She was baptised at Hullavington on 24.07.1881.  No further trace of her has been found, so it seems very likely that she suffered an infant death like her siblings.

 

 

 

 

44P25

Henry Collett may have been born at Hullavington around 1883 before the family moved to Westerleigh.  Alternatively he might have been born after the move to Westerleigh and it was certainly there that the family was living when he was baptised on 03.06.1884.

 

 

 

Shortly after he was baptised it would appear that he suffered an infant death.  This must have taken place after the birth of the next male child, William Collett (below), resulting in the following male child being given the name Henry in his honour.

 

 

 

 

44P26

William Collett was born at Westerleigh on 07.10.1884 and was aged 7 in 1891 when living with his family at Latteridge.  Ten years later, at the age of sixteen, William was working as a general labourer while still living with his family at Westerleigh Hill in Westerleigh.

 

 

 

Just over five years later William married Dorothy Pullin on 22.12.1906 at the White Hill Chapel in Winterbourne in South Gloucestershire.  Dorothy was born in 1883 at Winterbourne and was the daughter of Arthur and Nellie Pullin who were witnesses at her wedding.

 

 

 

It was William who was the informant of the death of his mother Sarah Collett in January 1910 at Hambrook.  Her death certificate confirmed that William was present at her passing and that he lived at nearby Winterbourne.

 

 

 

Fifteen months later William and Dorothy were still living at Winterbourne with their first two children who were born there, as were all of their other children. The 1911 Census recorded William as 27, Dorothy as 28, and their two children as Alden aged 3 and Leslie aged 2.

 

 

 

It would appear that William and Dorothy remained living at Winterbourne for the rest of their life together, since it was there that they both died, with William passing away on 23.03.1962.

 

 

 

44Q6

Alden George Charles Collett

Born on 12.10.1907

 

44Q7

Leslie Collett

Born on 10.02.1909

 

44Q8

Nora Millicent Collett

Born on 13.02.1913

 

44Q9

Jesse Collett

Date of birth not revealed

 

44Q10

Wilfred Collett

Born circa 1919

 

44Q11

Wilfred Collett

Born on 05.07.1920

 

44Q12

Henry John Collett

Born on 06.02.1922

 

44Q13

Ellen Edna Collett

Date of birth not revealed

 

44Q14

Reginald Collett

Born on 25.02.1925

 

44Q15

Thomas Collett

Born on 13.08.1927

 

 

 

 

44P27

Henry Collett, who was known by the family as Harry, was born at Downend near Mangotsfield in Bristol in 1886.  It was as Henry that he was listed in the 1891 Census living with his family at Latteridge within the Iron Acton & Chipping Sodbury registration district.

 

 

 

He was five years old at that time and additional information in the census record referred to the fact that he was a cripple.  This coincided with the family story that he was either born with only half a leg, or that he had suffer the loss due to an accident and used a wooden stump to get around.

 

 

 

In the census return for 1901 he was referred to as Harry Collett who was born at Downend in Bristol.  His age was given as being fourteen and his occupation was that of a shoemaker.  By that time he had left the family home in Westerleigh Hill and was living with a family in Bristol.

 

 

 

At some later time during the third quarter of 1910 Harry married Florence E Tovey at Bristol.  And it was at Station Avenue in the Fishponds area of Bristol that the couple were living in April 1911.  Henry was 25 and Florence was 24, and with them was Harry’s father Charles Collett who had gone to live with them following the death of his wife at the start of 1910.

 

 

 

The marriage of Harry and Florence later produced two children for the couple, the exact details for which are not available at this time.

 

 

 

44Q16

Gilbert Collett

Date of birth not revealed

 

44Q17

Gladys Collett

Date of birth not revealed

 

 

 

 

44P28

Thomas Collett was born at Westerleigh in 1887 and was aged 3 in the Latteridge census of 1891 in which he was referred to as Tom Collett.  His birth was registered during the second quarter of 1887.

 

 

 

By 1901 his family was living at Westerleigh Hill in Westerleigh where Thomas was recorded as Tom Collett of Westerleigh aged thirteen and still attending school.

 

 

 

According to the next census in April 1911, Thomas was twenty-three and had moved to Brentford in Middlesex where it is known that he was married six years later.

 

 

 

In 1917 he married Emma at St Faith’s Church in Windmill Road at Brentford.  It would also appear that the couple lived all of their marriage life together in Middlesex where their eight children were born. 

 

 

 

Only the dates of birth of the couple’s first three children are known at this time, so the order in which the remaining children were born may be subject to change once their birth dates are established.

 

 

 

44Q18

Doris May Collett

Born on 17.12.1919

 

44Q19

Thomas Collett