THE FAMILY OF EDMUND 5 AND MARGARET (Upton Pyne) In 1800 the two brothers John and Edmund lived in adjacent parishes with a distance of some two miles between them John in Sampford Speke and Edmund in Upton Pyne. In 1800 the family of Edmund and Margaret lived in Upton Pyne and included two daughters, Mary and Sarah. It increased at the beginning of the nineteenth century. William was born in 1801, Betty 1804, Martha 1807, and finally Edmund (sometimes referred to as Edward) in 1809. So the complete family was six children. MARY LOOSEMORE The eldest daughter, Mary, was married on the 13th October 1813 to James Rowe at the age of 24 years in the next parish to Upton Pyne, namely Newton St. Cyres. In the same year Samuel Loosemore son of John Loosemore married a Mary Rowe in Brampford Speke. A coincidence in the name but Mary Rowe is not in the Newton St. Cyres Registers JAMES POPE ENTERS THE FAMILY SCENE Sarah, the second eldest was married on 15th April 1816 aged 22 years to James Pope in Upton Pyne but she died in November in the same year and buried on 25th November. We do not know the circumstances of her death. It may have been from a miscarriage of an unborn infant. On 25th March 1818 the same James Pope married Grace, the sister of Sarah, aged 21, at Upton Pyne. There were 9 children from this marriage.. Their names are outside the remit of this record of a Loosemore family. MARGARET (Edmund's wife) died in October 1828 .Of her children, Mary was married and living in Newton St. Cyres. Sarah had died. Grace was married to James Pope and living with her family in Upton Pyne. It is likely that William then aged then 27 year's of age had left home probably being employed in farming activities in Exminster. Betty was probably in employment in Cheriton Fitzpaine and was to be married on 3 March 1829. Martha the youngest daughter was still at home and the youngest Edmund was working in Newton St. Cyres as a servant to Nicholas Parsons. So it fell upon Martha to look after her father Edmund then 67 years of age. Edmund died in 1837 at the age of 76. As the male line or the younger son, Edmund became extinct we will give his story here EDMUND, the youngest son (sometimes called Edward) As was usual when the number in the family grew some members left the family home to obtain work in other places. The youngest child Edmund, left home at the age of 10 years to work for a Nicholas Parsons in the adjoining parish of Newton St. Cyres as a working servant , having 6d a week for the first year until 1s 8d a week in the last year. When MARGARET his mother died on 23 April 1828, Edmund was then 16 years old . He then lived with Mr. Drew of Exminster for about 18 weeks. He next hired himself to Mr. James Vetch in the parish of Broad Clyst in November 1828 a 2s a week. At Ladyday (25th March 1929) he made a second agreement for a year at 2s 3d a week. He left his service 25th March .1830. MARRIAGE On the 2nd May 1830 Edmund was married in Exeter Cathedral to Ann Lang, who had been born in South Tawton. Perhaps she was a servant within the precinct of the Cathedral In January 1831 he applied for parish relief in Broad Clyst and appeared before a JP to ascertain the parish of legal habitation, and his claim for wages due to him.
A copy of the Claim for wages due to him from Mr. James Veitch On 13 Jan 1831 he was examined on oath by a JP regarding his claim for settlement of a debt of wages due to him from an employer. The original document is held at the DRO Exeter but their reference was not recorded. "The examination of Edmund Loosemore now residing in the parish of Broad Clyst, Devon touching his settlement, taken before me William Thomas Esq, one of his Majesty's Justices of the Peace, in and for the said county, the 13th January 1831 Who saith upon oath that he was born in the parish of Upton Pyne where his parents then resided but whose place of legal settlement is in the parish of Stoke Canon That at about the age of ten years he went to live with Mr Nicholas Roberts in the parish of Newton St. Cyres as a working[?] servant and continued in this service about six years, having 6d/week the first year, advancing his wages every year, having 1s.8d/week the last year, receiving his wages generally half yearly. He then lived with Mr. Drew at Exminster about 18 weeks. He next hired himself to Mr. James Veitch in the parish of Broadclist on the 14th November 1828 to serve him from that time until the Ladyday following at 2s./week. After completing this time he made a second agreement with Mr Veitch for a year at 2s.3d/week, which year he completed with the exception of being away a fortnight through illness in the Hospital at the [three words illegible]. He left the service at Ladyday 1830 receiving wages for 50 weeks and two days only, on account of his absences. He very soon after got married and has done no act or deed otherwise than as before stated whereby to gain a settlement.
We do not know the outcome of this case, nor do we know if he obtained work later .. With his wife Ann they stayed in Broad Clyst and raised a family of four daughters, Mary Baptised in 1831, Ann baptised in 1835, Elizabeth baptised in 1938 and Sarah baptised in 1842. The first three grew to maturity but Sarah died in 1844. In the census of 1851 we find Mary and Ann were servants in Exeter and Elizabeth was still a scholar. At some time between 1844 and 1851 Edmund left his family and went to live in Exminster, Exminster was the place of his first employment with a Mr. Drew and his elder brother William was also living in Exminster.. In the Census of 1851, Edmund was resident in the Union Workhouse. Exminster described as a pauper/ patient. The reason for this can only be a conjecture. He may have become ill mentally or there was a break up in the marriage. Ann still lived in Broadclyst employed as a laundress. In 1861 Edmund was a patient in the County Asylum, in Exminster and died on 8th June.in the same year. Ann remained in Broad Clyst and appeared in the 1871 Census but we have no further knowledge of her or her daughters after that date. THE LIFE OF EDMUND 1809 - 1861 Born the youngest of seven children. Started work at the age of 10 for 6d per week. Later worked at Broad Clyst for Mr. Vetch for two years. Then unemployed. Married Ann Lang at the age of 21. A pauper family, had four children, one died at the age of two years. Became ill mentally. Left his family, first as a patient later in the Exminster Asylum and died 1861. Life was indeed hard in the early 19th Century We now continue with the story of William elder son, of Edmund and Margaret
WILLIAM (Elder son of Edmund and Margaret) had left home before the first census in 1841. 1851 CENSUS He is listed as living in Duck Street Exminster with the work status of a farmer, aged 40 He had married Susannah Tonkin on January 1844 who was then aged 33. Their first child was named Ann Tonkin Loosemore. She had been born in the parish of St. Thomas, Exeter and baptised on 25th December 1844 in Brampford Speke. Two more children, Robert, b 8th October, 1847 William b 3rd August 1850 .increased their family In the Census for 1851, Ann Tonkin was a scholar aged 6, Robert aged 3 and William just 8 months.. They also had staying with them, Robert and Elizabeth Crocker who were brother -in -law and sister of Susannah In 1952, a fourth child, Anna was born in Exeter St. Thomas but baptised in Bramford Speke She died when only 6 years old in Exeter. The proximity of Exeter seems to suggest that she was born and died in a Hospital there. 1871 CENSUS William and is wife Susannah nee Tonkin were still living in the village of Exminster. Their children Ann Tonkin Loosemore, aged 16, was working as a House maid to Revd John Hugo vicar of Exminster with his family of wife and 7 children , a governess and 2 servants. Robert was an apprentice shoemaker aged 13 and William was a scholar aged 10 1881 CENSUS William and Susannah, 80 and 70 years old respectively were to be found in Deep Way, Exminsteer. William still described as an agricultural worker at the age of 80! Perhaps there was no retirement in those days. They both lived to a good age William died in St. Thomas, Exeter in 1885 aged 85 and his wife died in 1893 aged 82. We now continue the story of the children of William and Susannah in Exminster
census return, PRO RG 11/2148, Towsington Street, f.46, p4,
Then in 1896 she married aged 51, in Southampton to John Johnson. I was sent a copy of a letter written from Ann(ie) Tonkin (Johnson) nee Loosemore. From 1, Athenaeum Street, Plymouth, Devonshire, England dated February 26th 1906 My dear Cousin, After a long silence I am writing you a line to inquire how you all are. I have not had any reply since my last letter to Cousin Mary. Since I wrote to he, I have come to Plymouth to live. I took this house about 18 months ago and have been letting furnished apartments. The first year, I did fairly well, but the last six months has been very slack. The depression in every business has been very great all over England. We have not recovered from the effects of the Boar war yet. The thousands of unemployed is terrible. I think things will be brighter when we get some fine weather. We have had a lot of heavy rain and cold winds. I suppose it is about your harvest now. How is Tom and Sam and Frank getting, and your sons on the farm. I hope they are prospering How is Eleanor and Maria. You are a small family at home now they are marrying off. It seems so strange to me, there is no one of the Tonkin family left in Exminster now. I do not know whether cousin John is still living. He left Peamore and went to live in London with his wife and nephew. I heard from brother Robert and wife a few days since. He has had another attack off influenza and his cough is very bad. He is not strong on his chest. My brother came to see me about a fortnight ago, He was better than he was the last time he was here. He is Stationmaster at Avonwick, a small station on the Kingsbridge branch. Mrs George Barrington has died since I last wrote you.. She is the last of her generation at Exminster. I scarcely know anyone there now. All the old folks are gone, and new ones in their places. Give kind love to all the families and when Mary has time I would like to hear how you all are. Trusting this will find you prospering believe me my dear cousins to be. Your affectionate cousin, Annie T. Johnson NB She mentions her two brothers Robert and William Loosemore ROBERT LOOSEMORE son of William 1847 - 1924 In 1861, at the age of 13 he was described in the Census as a shoemaker apprentice. He married Elizabeth Mary Anniss on 20th June 1871 at Lilttleham Parish church, Exmouth. They lived for a short time at Exmouth, then moved back to Exminster. They had three children, Edward George born 19th March 1972, Robert, Annis born 1875 and William John born 1877. . In 1880 Robert's wife Elizabeth died aged just 32 years old. William John Loosemore(1877 - 1896) We know little about William John Loosemore Born in 1877 and died in Exeter 1896 His entry in the GRO death index gives his age as 19 years; he died of tuberculosis In the 1881 Census Robert is described as a boot and shoe maker living in Exminster with three sons Edward aged 9, Robert aged 5 and William aged 4 Robert had his own business at Exminster as boot and shoe maker; his clients included members of the gentry. At some stage he left the Church of England because of its worldliness and emphasis on infant baptism rather than personal commitment and adult baptism by immersion. He became a member of the Brethren. On selling his business he moved to Exeter, running a retail boot shop in Fore Street for several years. He was a member of the Buller Road Assembly and served as an Elder there. He married his second wife, Lydia Parkhouse in 1844 a nurse, at Taunton. She died in Exeter 1918 aged 76. Robert died on 3rd April 1924 in Exeter. In 1926, Robert died at Tavistock and his wife Lydia died 29th June 1934 . They both died at Tavistock, Devon Robert was aged 75 and Lydia was aged 84 at their deaths. WILLIAM LOOSEMORE On 11th August 1876 Willam married Eliza Johnson at South Brent. They had no children. In the Census for 1881, he and his wife were living in South Brent parish, DEV,
In 1894, soon after the opening of a railway branch line from Kingsbridge to Brent in South Devon, he was stationmaster at Avonwick station. On 26 Feb 1894 his prompt action saved the train after a landslide which caused 2000 yards of bank to fall on to the line. A local newspaper account states "The traffic on the new Railway branch line from Brent to Kingsbridge was interrupted for several hours on Monday in consequence of a heavy slip of land in a deep cutting near Avonwick, under Weir Downs. Just after the 10.25 a.m. train from Brent had passed down the line a terrific report of falling rocks was heard, and it was soon found that the line was completely blocked. Mr. Loosemore, the stationmaster at Avonwick was at once informed and he lost no time in telegraphing the news to Brent, Plymouth and Kingsbridge. Relief gangs were quickly sent, and in a few hours traffic was restored. The 11.40 a.m. train from Kingsbridge and the 1.02 p.m. from Brent did not run. The slip will necessitate the removal of about 2000 yards. of rock and earth." So the turn of the Century, 1899/1900 there was just the one family of the Upton Pyne Loosemores in South Devon. Robert (53) and Lydia(58) in Exminster William (50) and Eliza (50) living in South Brent Robert's sons Edward George (28), Robert Annis(25) had moved to Cardiff before 1900 We turn to the next generation for the children of Robert Loosemore(1872 - 1954) This Loosemore Family moved from Exminster to Cardiff, between 1890 and 1900 Edward George Loosemore In 1905 he was living at 106 Malefant St, Cardiff (birth of son Robert William).. "As a boy he had walked to school in Exeter (4 miles each way) with other village children. He loved to walk in the fields near the village and became friendly with the GWR signalman at Starcross, near Exeter. Being invited up into the signal box where he was fascinated by the use of 'tappers' and 'gongs' for signalling between boxes He quickly learned Morse code set out in the signalman's manual. Hiss clumsuness with tolls was a matter of concern to his father as to what occupation he could be put to on leaving school. When he discovered that Edward knew Morse code, he wrote to the Head Postmaster about an opening there for as a learner telegraphist and after an interview Edward was accepted for training. as a Post Office telegraphist. After completing his probation in 1890 he was appointed telegraphist at Cardiff. He volunteered for service in the Royal Corps of Signals and served under Kitchener 1900-1902 in the Boer War. He enlisted 21 Apr 1897 at Cardiff, short service (3yrs with colours, 3 in Reserve) as 797 Edward George Loosemore, R.E. His attestation papers record: Born Exminster, age 25yrs 1mth, telegraphist living Cardiff, now 24th Middlesex Regt. Height 5' 11½"; weight 144 lb; chest 34/36"; complexion fresh; eyes grey; hair brown; religion C of E. Service history: Sapper 21 Apr 1897 Recalled to Army service 25 Nov 1899 (Army Order 11 Nov 1899) S African War Gratuity £5 paid January 1902 Discharged on termination 20 Apr 1903 S Africa service 30 Nov 1899 - 15 Oct 1901 Home service 16 Oct 1901 - 20 Apr 1903 Campaigns: South Africa 1899-1902 Medals: S Africa 1899-1902 & Clasps: Cape Colony, Orange Free State & 1901 Next-of-kin: father Robert Loosemore, Guddisford, Exminster,
On returning to civilian life he refused promotion to supervisory duties for reasons of health and remained as a telegraphist until his retirement in 1932 Service in the Royal Engineers After his service in South Africa he lost no time in marrying Eva Luxton on 5th November 1901 at Crediton They had 6 children , Eva Blanche(1903) Robert William(1905)Mary Ruthie(1905), Lydia(1908, Elsie(1910) and Edward Samuel(1912). So, up to the date of 1918, the family of six children in 106, Malefant Street, Cardiff.. Edward George was 42 at the beginning of the First World War, so was not called into the services either through his age or indisposition mentioned in his previous discharge from the Royal Corps of Signals. Edward Loosemore died on the 29th October 1954 in Cardiff. Robert Annis Loosemore(1875 - 1955) He was a strong sturdy lad who used to sport himself by trying, without permission, to mount and ride without a stable the Dartmoor ponies brought to graze adjoining the village but as yet not 'broken in'. . His name is Robert Annis in the GRO birth and death indexes but Robert Anniss in his will. "On leaving school he was apprenticed to Messrs. Wilcocks, a baker and cakemaker at Crediton. Some time after qualifying as a baker he took a job at Risca, Monmouth, and later moved to Merthyr Tydfil, working as a leading baker in 'Jones the Baker' of Tudor Street. He became a committed Christian at 37, taking a leading part in the small Brethren Assembly in Merthyr. He never married but had a great affection for his nephew Edward Samuel , having him to stay during the school holidays and taking him as a pillion seat passenger on his 2¾ HP Douglas belt-driven motor cycle. He died in his 81st year during a visit to Sheffield, staying with Edward Samuel and his wife Phyllis; he was buried in Ely cemetery, Cardiff." He died a bachelor on 14th October 1955 in Sheffield (I am indebted to Edward Samuel for the reminiscences of Robert and others) This concludes, for this report, ( 1250 to 1918) the story of a branch of the Loosemore Family, first mentioned in 1250 , but whose traceable history is from William Lowsemore C1500 - 1539 of Kerry's Cott, (now Kerscott Farm) Bishops Nympton, DEVON. |
