A trove of Taunton folk .. find the link!

A cople of weeks ago, I re-constructed a nineenth-century photo album and identified a goodly number of the Devonshire folk therein. It was great fun, rather like doing a 10,000 piece jigsaw with no edges.

So today, while the frost lay crunchily on the lawns, and Wendy stoked up the logfire ... I thought I would try the same thing again. Same ebay dealer. In France. But wholly English content .. and also from Devon. Could the two albums be related? How did they find their way to France? So many mysteries.

This one isn't from Exeter, however, and it's not full of church dignitaries. It seems to be related to the town of Taunton, where most of the photos were taken at the studios of Mr Webber. And instead of vicars and bishops we have socialites, Esquires and (groan) a dollop of Indian army.

We have Badcock, Chapman, Malet, Dawson, Surtees, Coleman ... which is the key that binds them together? Well, it's cocktail time, so I'm going to put down what I've found and we'll go from there. Oh, one warning. These photos are inscribed (all in the same hand) from the time of their taking. But somebody, considerably later, has written names (rather more clearly) on the back in pencil. Is this someone with personal knowledge, or did the pages of the album have information on them which has been transferred? I wonder. So here goes.

BADCOCK. Three photos. 

(1) Caroline (b Wilton 1841; d Dormy Cottage, Winchester 30 September 1913) 
(Mrs John Hepburne Merriott). The pencil tells us that the photo is from 1862, so she is still a maiden. Daughter of Robert Gibson Badcock, banker. Husband a vicar and a schoolmaster. 

(2) Henry Jeffries (b 1838; d 13 April 1927). Her cousin. Son of another banker and magistrate, who became another banker and magistrate ...  look at the photo, you can see it coming!

(3) unnamed Badcock ladies. Though the pencil says 'Mrs' Badcock. Which Mrs Badcock? Robert G's wife died in 1950 and he remarried ... maybe ..?  But who is the other?

Is that an 'H'?  Maybe Caroline's sister, Henrietta?

Anyway, I don't think the Badcocks are the plaque tournant of this collection. So lets move on to what looks like M A E Chapman:

Yes. It is. Mary Ann Elizabeth CHAPMAN (b Madras 1800; d Taunton 17 February 1869). Wife (7 July 1840) of Richard Chapman (d 3 January 1861) of the Ordnance Department, youngest son of General Chapman of the Royal Artillery at Tainfield House and brother to the Governor of Bermuda. 

Here's another Chapman. Caroline CHAPMAN (née Pyke). Mother of the Richard above.

And here's her second husband (following the demise of the General), Mr William Edward Surtees (d 18 February 1889) barrister of Seatonburn, Northumberland ...

No connection that I can see ...

MALET. Oyyyyyyy. Lots of these around ... often with the same prenoms. This time I have four photos, and by dint of archeology I have found out which Malets they are. The first is the widow of the baronet (see below), Susanna ...

Yes, I'm afraid, Indian army again. But what to do with all these youngest sons of youngest sons?

Well, this is is son, Alfred Augustus MALET, Captain in the 8th Foot. He voyaged a bit and married Eleanor Anne PASSOW (b Jamaica) in Nova Scotia in 1840. 

They had a son, Charles Frederick (b 11 May 1843; d Pachmarthi, India 22 November 1877). Also a Captain in the 8th Foot. For him, the Indian thing was fatal.

Well, no family connections yet. Or have I missed something? 

Last try. Dawson. Three .. and two duplicates ..

Yes, the same lady. Unnerving. She looks like a more prepossessing version of New Zealand's for-the-meanwhile Prime Minister.

Martha DAWSON was the wife of Thomas Dawson (magistrate and barrister), who I suppose is this fellow

and among her offspring were Martha Beatrice DAWSON

 

and sister Sophia

Well, I have one or two left over, but time's run out ...

Wilmott?

William Coleman?

And a lady of 108 years old ...  who don't seem to appear in the censi or death records ..

Well, I've devoted a good few hours to these folk. Someone else, carry on from here.  I'm back to my Victorian Vocalists for a bit!