Jesse Hicks (nee ROUSE)

[Ted Carpenter]

My wife's grandmother, although born in Kngston Lisle in Wilts/Oxon/Berks (not sure which county it was in at the time?!!) on June 1st 1916, was born into the agricultural community in that area but it was always a family tradition that her side of the family were of a Romany background.
I know it's a bit vague, but I wonder if anyone can shed any light.
Ted

[Geoffers]

I believe Kingston Lisle was Berkshire up t 1974 (I'd stand to be corrected).

With the birth certificate of your wife's grandmother providing parents names and father's occupation, you may be able to then trace the parents marriage using the GRO index (do remember to try freebmd.........as its name suggests, it's free) and possibly find where they were in the 1911 census. This may then confrm the tradition of a romany background.

For tracing romany background, the Romany and Traveller Family History Society

www.
rtfhs.org.uk/

may be able to assist with advice

[Lizzy9]

Ted, do you have any other details eg. Jessie's siblings names, or her parents given names.

I cannot find a Jessie Rouse registered in Faringdon which was the reg district for Kingston Lisle. There is however a Bessie Rouse which could be a mistranscription, or a name misheard.

Bessie's mother's maiden name was Pearce and I have found a possible Rouse/Pearce marriage: Henry Rouse also indexed Sarah Pearce, Dec qrt 1897, Faringdon, 2c/610.

If you think this could be the right pairing it should be possible to trace them back through census returns.

[Ted Carpenter]

Hi Lizzy,
I'd be interested if you could forward the general details of the Rouse/Pearse marriage so that I could follow up the lead, wherever it may go to. I'll try and find out some more details about jessie's siblings. All i can remember fro now is that she had a brother who was names Bill (William) and he died in the sixties and is buried in Milton-Under-Wychwood (Methodist Chapel graveyard)

[Lizzy9]

Hi Ted,

I posted details of the marriage from the GRO index in my first post.

Here they are in 1901, all born Faringdon. RG13; Piece: 1128; Folio: 28; Page: 21 (Crown copyright, in care of TNA)

Henry Rouse 36 Gen. Labourer
Sarah Rouse 25
Albert H Rouse 1

[Lizzy9]

Milton-Under-Wychwood registration district in the 60's was Chipping Norton. I cannot find an appropriate death for William in the 1960's. Maybe he died elsewhere but was buried in Oxfordshire?

[Lizzy9]

For now we do not know if Henry Rouse and Sarah Pearce are your wife's ancestors. If you can establish Jessie's siblings names we can take this further.

Ideally as Geoffers mentioned, you need Jessie's birth certificate, but we cannot be certain Bessie is a mistranscription for Jessie which is why siblings' names could be useful, particularly siblings born 1912 onwards as the mother's maiden name will be on the GRO index.

[Lizzy9]

Ted, do you have some details for Jessie Rouse's marriage to Mr Hicks? As in when it took place, where, Mr Hick's first name, I have been unable to find a marriage ref in the GRO indexes.

[Ted Carpenter]

I'm absolutley certain that he died whilst sweeping up leaves at the gateway to the large house at the end of The Sands in Milton under Wychwood, as my wife, although a young girl at the time, was there when they found him. He's buried in the Methodist chapel grave yard in Milton, which is at the other end of the village and we tend his grave along with Jessie and Ted Hicks' at least once a year. my wife still has one relative in neighbouring Shipton under Wychwood, so we're going to try to find out anything that she might remember before it's too late (she's getting on a bit). of course it is possible that his first name wasn't actually William, as my wife only remembers him as Uncle Bill. Perhaps that was his middle name. it all needs a lot more research, but thanks for the help, it is greatly appreciated
Ted

[Ted Carpenter]

I'm having to suffer the Mother-in-Law tomorrow, so I'll glean what info I can out of her when I see her. Who knows, she might turn up some gems of information. Here's hoping.
thanks for your help
Ted