From the Gloucestershire Chronicle July 1844
FIVE GENERATIONS. - On Sunday last there were present at the baptism of an infant child, at Woodchester church, his mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, and great-great-grandmother, that is, his grandmother's grandmother, which last had walked no small distance twice to church on that day, hale and strong, and had attended the Lord's table.
The baptism in question took place 7 July 1844.
John William son of Jacob and Sophia Seymour of Stroud - father's occupation groom.
The presence of five generations was unusual enough to be recorded in the parish register alongside the baptism entry. Indeed, it was so rare, the Chronicle's report was picked up by newspapers as far away as Bradford, Stirling, Bangor, Durham and London.
Who were these people? In particular, who was the very lively great-great- grandmother? The families appear to be recent arrivals in Woodchester and even with the help of several websites, I can't be certain. I have established that they are not in a direct daughter to mother line as Sophia's mother died in 1839. Jacob's mother, Sarah (nee Rogers) was still around and living with Jacob and Sophia in 1851 so she is the grandmother. Her grandmothers appear to be Mary Rogers (nee Allen) and Mary Brown (nee Wathen). A Mary Brown, aged 85 was living in Lower Street, Stroud in 1841 but whether she is the right person is impossible to say. As for the missing generation, I haven't found a living candidate but she may be in the line that I can't follow.
What the newspapers (very kindly) didn't point out, was that on 25 April 1844, Jacob Seymour, Nurseryman of Woodchester, son of Thomas Seymour, Gardener, married Sophia Cousins of Woodchester, daughter of William Cousins, Brewer. Now, my calculations make that about 10 weeks not 9 months!
FIVE GENERATIONS. - On Sunday last there were present at the baptism of an infant child, at Woodchester church, his mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, and great-great-grandmother, that is, his grandmother's grandmother, which last had walked no small distance twice to church on that day, hale and strong, and had attended the Lord's table.
The baptism in question took place 7 July 1844.
John William son of Jacob and Sophia Seymour of Stroud - father's occupation groom.
The presence of five generations was unusual enough to be recorded in the parish register alongside the baptism entry. Indeed, it was so rare, the Chronicle's report was picked up by newspapers as far away as Bradford, Stirling, Bangor, Durham and London.
Who were these people? In particular, who was the very lively great-great- grandmother? The families appear to be recent arrivals in Woodchester and even with the help of several websites, I can't be certain. I have established that they are not in a direct daughter to mother line as Sophia's mother died in 1839. Jacob's mother, Sarah (nee Rogers) was still around and living with Jacob and Sophia in 1851 so she is the grandmother. Her grandmothers appear to be Mary Rogers (nee Allen) and Mary Brown (nee Wathen). A Mary Brown, aged 85 was living in Lower Street, Stroud in 1841 but whether she is the right person is impossible to say. As for the missing generation, I haven't found a living candidate but she may be in the line that I can't follow.
What the newspapers (very kindly) didn't point out, was that on 25 April 1844, Jacob Seymour, Nurseryman of Woodchester, son of Thomas Seymour, Gardener, married Sophia Cousins of Woodchester, daughter of William Cousins, Brewer. Now, my calculations make that about 10 weeks not 9 months!