The Norman and Marshall Families - Paupers and Peasants
George Norman and the Foot Family
George Norman was my great great grandfather, born in 1838 in Bratton Seymour although his baptism is not recorded in the Church registers. His father's occupation was given as labourer. George lived his life in Bratton Seymour. George married Mary Foot in Bratton Seymour on 3 Mar 1860. Neither could sign their name. George and his father both gave their occupation as 'labourer'. George and Mary's marriage certificate states that Mary's father was a glazier, James Foot. Baptismal records for all Mary's children give her name as Mary Jane. The census returns give her birth place as Charlton Horethorne, Somerset. In fact she came from the village of North Cheriton, Somerset.
Mary was the daughter of James and Susan/nah Foot (née Foot) who lived in first in Compton Pauncefoot, then North Cheriton. Their family were as follows:
- Selina: 1827 Compton Pauncefoot
Married George Foot - Eliza: 1830 North Cheriton
- Caroline: 1832 North Cheriton
Married first George Parsons 1852 then Henry Ashford - Mary Jane: 1839 North Cheriton, baptised aged 3
Married George Norman - Susan: 1839 North Cheriton
Married Stephen George 1862 - Lavinia: 1842 North Cheriton
Married James Coombs
Caroline married George Parsons in North Cheriton in 1852. She was a dressmaker. The couple disappear and it is possible George died. Caroline appears to have had a son, Henry Estcourt circa 1858, birth and baptism not found. At some stage she remarried to Henry Ashford, a labourer of North Cheriton. Henry and Caroline baptised a son Arthur in North Cheriton in November 1876. Henry also had children Augusta born in Mere circa 1859 and James, circa 1863 but whether these were sons of Caroline or the products of an earlier marriage, is not known.
Susan married Stephen George, a labourer from Bratton Seymour, in 1862. The couple later moved to Lambeth, Surrey and had two children, Florence and Alfred. Stephen had a job as a skirt cutter.
Lavinia married James Coombs, an Ag lab from North Cheriton and had daughters Ada and Caroline.
Selina married another Foot - George Foot from Holton. The family lived in North Cheriton and had children Selina, Estcourt, Emeline, Tom and Eli. This is another example of the name Estcourt finding favour amongst the Foot and Norman families - although the reasons for this choice are not known.