Black teacher in rural Herefordshire.

[Monty Stubble]

Bit of a long shot really.

There is a family story that, in the 19th century, a female family member was employed as a seamstress in the trans-Atlantic shipping trade. In this occupation she met with and married a black guy. His name may have been Tobias Gordon.

They returned and settled in the Michaelchurch Escley area but do not appear in any census, although his wife, unusually called Muline does appear in the 1891 census as Muline Gordon, widow.

The story is that he was employed as a schoolteacher at Goff's Endowed School in Lower Maescoed.

There was, as you might expect a good dose of racism here and the story goes that on their return when married they had to get off the train in Dorstone to avoid a family 'lynch' mob in Peterchurch.

They were cut out of the family and even in my mothers youth she was forbidden to speak of Aunt Muline.

Muline later went on to marry a local farmer in Llanrosser, finally dying in 1922. They are buried together in Michaelchurch. No sign of Tobias though.

Does anyone have any information on this or on Lower Maescoed school? If the story is correct I would have thought having a black teacher in the 1880's would have been noteworthy.

[christanel]

Welcome to British-Genealogy

1881 RG11 Piece 2598 Folio 73 Page 3
School House
Michaelchurch Escely
Alexander S. Gorden 53 School Master Certified born Kincardineshire, Scotland
Mulina B. Gorden 43, Assistant In School, born Peterchurch, Hereford

[christanel]

On same page FreeBMD

Marriages December 1/4 1879
Mulina Bowyer
Alexander Sherratt Gordon
Hereford vol 6a page 987

[Monty Stubble]

Thank you.

I've just found that was his name. He died in 1890 worth the princely sum of £64 it seems. Are you saying he was the school teacher at Michaelchurch?

If so another dead end as Michaelchurch school burned down in 1938 taking its records with it!

[christanel]

Hello
Yes he was a school teacher and residing in the Schoolhouse at Michaelchurch Escely so safe to say he was the school teacher
there.

I have just found the probate record also which says there is a will which can probably be found on the National Archives site.


His death registration on FreeBMD has him as age 72 so born 1818 not 1828 as he says in the 1881 census.

Christina

[christanel]

I wonder if this is your Alexander S Gordon. His birth date here is 1818
1861 RG 9 piece 1824 folio 86 page 1
Bridge Farm Michaelchurch Hereford
Alexander Gordon 43 single farmer of 80 acres born Scotland
Mary Gordon 70 Mother widow Scotland
David Gordon 27 brother single Scotland
Wm Hughes 14 servant Herefordshire

[Monty Stubble]

I wonder if this is your Alexander S Gordon. His birth date here is 1818
1861 RG 9 piece 1824 folio 86 page 1
Bridge Farm Michaelchurch Hereford
Alexander Gordon 43 single farmer of 80 acres born Scotland
Mary Gordon 70 Mother widow Scotland
David Gordon 27 brother single Scotland
Wm Hughes 14 servant Herefordshire

Looking very unlikely the guy was black. I wonder where that came from then? Mum, who is still alive (83) is quite sure about that.

Maybe she had another man before that...?

Chris

[NicoUK]

In case it's helpful and you don't already have it, there is a public tree on A******* for a Malina BOWYER Birth 1839 in Herefordshire, England that shows the following Censuses, some badly mis-transcribed, but could this be Muline? There is no further info for her after 1861 on the tree.

1841 Mullina Bowyer age 2 Parents possibly James Bowyer 41, Hariott Bowyer 40, siblings and her mother perhaps? Elizabeth Price 65 living at Peterchurch, Hereford, sub-registration district Madley - HO107; Piece: 427; Book: 24; Civil Parish: Peterchurch; County: Herefordshire; Enumeration District: 9; Folio: 10; Page: 14; Line: 4

1851 Calena Bowyer 12 Parents James Bowyer 55 a Mason born Bristol St James, Harrcett Bowyer 53, and siblings living at Peterchurch, Hereford, sub-registration district Hereford City - HO107; Piece: 1978; Folio: 431; Page: 11

1861 Celina Bowyer 22 Parents James Bowyer 66 now a Farmer & Local Preacher born Bristol Gloucestershire, Harriett Bowyer 62 living at Peterchurch, Hereford, sub-registration district Madley - RG 9; Piece: 1822; Folio: 71; Page: 1

and her Christening:

England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 Malina Bowyers Gender Female Baptism Date 31 Dec 1837 Place Peterchurch, Hereford, England Father James Bowyers Mother Harriet FHL Film 992386

[NicoUK]

In 1891 Mulina Gordon widow living on own means abt 1841 Peterchurch, Herefordshire, England Head Michaelchurch Escley, Herefordshire - RG12; Piece: 2066; Folio: 66; Page: 3

Mulina Gordon date of marriage registration Apr-May-Jun 1897 district Hereford volume 6a page 998
records on page Mulina Gordon, Frederick James Lomax, Aaron Meredith and Jane Whittam

In 1901 Malina Meredith 60 born Peterchurch, wife of Aaron Meredith, a farmer and employer age 58, living at Michaelchurch Escley and a William Morgan 22, boarder - Class: RG13; Piece: 2485; Folio: 65; Page: 5

In 1911 Mulina Meridith age 72 born Peterchurch, wife to Aaron Meridith, a farmer and employer age 68 - RG14; Piece: 15745; Schedule Number: 28

[christanel]

Hello
What has been established is that Malina (and variations) married Alexander Sherret Gordon in 1879 and that he was a school teacher (certified) in 1881 census living in the schoolhouse.

This marriage record on FreeBMD would indicate that Malina was single when married as she is recorded under her maiden name. Buying the certificate would establish father's names and occupations for bride and groom and the ages of the bride and groom and their address at time of marriage. Also recorded would be the witnesses to the marriage which, if either one was a Bowyer, would indicate no break in the family relationship because of this marriage.

It may be that she had another relationship without marrying the man concerned and that the story has become muddled over the years.

What we remember is sometimes only what we have been told and not what we have actually experienced so there is room for embellishment/distortion through the generations.

Christina