Pask Barnes

The Starling Family

 

The Starling’s are the family of Jane  Maria Starling the mother of Gertrude.  We first find the ancestors of Jane in Bale, here in 1734 Robert Starling was born to William and Ann and was baptised on the 24th May. It isn’t until 13 years later that we find the Starling name appearing in Bale when a second son William is born and from here starts their story.

 

​

The Fifth  Generation

William (? To 1781)  and Ann (? To 1765)

William and Ann are the first of the Starlings and I know little about where they herald from as ,to date ,I cannot trace either their birth or marriage. The one fact that we do know is that Ann died in 1765 and was buried  on 12th May 1765.  On the opposite page of the parish records we see  the burials of ‘William Starling of the parish of Thursford’  on 7th September 1781. I would therefore appear that William had probable moved to live in Thursford with his elder son Robert who was a farmer and served as a church warden.

 

The Fourth Generation

Robert  ( 1734 To 1813) and Elizabeth (1734 To 1836)

The eldest son Robert ( brother of our direct line ancestor ) seems to have been married twice but I can find no trace of the first marriage marriage or the baptism of his son William. In 1759/60. We can find Robert’s marriage to Elizabeth Kendal on the 11th February 1766. He is shown as a widower both of them being of the parish of Bale and their witnesses were Thomas Barnsdale and Mary Long, other than Thomas they all made their mark.

 

William  (1747 To 1799) and Elizabeth Bidel (? To ?)

 

The younger son William was born in 1747 in Bale and Baptised on the 22nd November 1747. It is this William that is our direct line ancestor. The first record we have after his baptism is his wedding to Elizabeth Bidel in Hoe. Hoe is some 16 miles from Bale and it how and why William went to Hoe is a mystery as it was at the age of 30 on the 9th September 1777 William married Elizabeth. There is no clue to their occupations at this time and neither of their parents were witness’s to the marriage. What we do know is that they had two children Ann the first child and William. Ann poses another mystery she was baptised some 4 months before the marriage as shown by the baptism in Thursford on the 11th May 1777, perhaps his uncle Robert the churchwarden  pulled some strings so she was not baptised as a base child.

 

We then have to wait some nine years till we find the birth of another William Starling, this time in the parish of Hoe, who was baptised on the 4th June 1786. William being our direct ancestor is looked at in more depth in the third generation but time should be given over to poor Ann and the significant events of 1799. On the 14th January 1799 Ann married Francis Gibbs of Wells in the parish church at Gunthorpe, the marriage was witnessed by Rachel Spooner and John Gibbs. Perhaps the ommission of a Starling was significant ?  They had a son called William who was born in 1799, I cannot trace the birth but his death on the 6th October 1804 places his death in that year. This must have been around  the time of Ann’s death on the 2nd November 1799 in Walsingham. She was taken back to Bale and buried on the 6th November 1799.  But before this on the 2nd April William their father died on his farm at Gunthorpe and was taken to Bale where he was buried on the 6th April . He had written his will of the 31st March leaving the farm to the 13 year old William but in the event that William didn’t reach the age of 21 it was to be left to his daughter Ann Bidel Starling who by now was married to Francis Gibbs. His wife Elizabeth was the executrix of the will. A small coincidence is that Thomas Barnsdale who was witness to his brother’s marriage was also witness to this will.

 

So we find the 13 year old William having lost both his father and his elder sister with the space of six months. Then on the 27th January 1801 his mother Elizabeth married Edmond Browne at Gunthorpe church.

The Third Generation

 

William (1786 To 1847) and Rhoda Lavender (1788 To 1860)

 

William was born in 1786 and was baptised on the 4th June 1786 in the parish church at Hoe his parents seem to have moved back to Bale where his father was born and it is in Bale that his father’s will was written in 1799. This will states that William would inherit his fathers farm on reaching the age of 21 and that up until that time it was to be held by his mother.

 

Is it a coincidence that we find William marrying Rhoda Lavender  in Hoe on the 20th October 1807 just a few months after his 21st birthday? Rhoda was 19 and the 6th of ten children in the family. They couldn’t have stayed long in Hoe because on the 19th September 1808 their first of nine children Anne Lavender Starling is baptised in Thursford. It is not until the baptism on John the fourth child  in 1814 and after the introduction of the new baptism records that we find William being described as a farmer. At this stage it is unclear if this is an error in the records. The full list of their children is shown at the foot of this generation.  William and Rhoda continued to live in Thursford for the rest of their lives. For some considerable time the location of where they lived has been a puzzle. The enclosure map of Hindringham of 1817 which is found in Hindringham Parish Church shows William Starling owning the land at Frog Hall. White’s 1836 directory confirms that William Starling is the owner of Frog Hall however this William is the cousin of our William and Rhoda. How confusing must it have been around the early 1800’s in Hindringham and Thursford and Bale with these families  having two Williams  and one also having a son called William. At this stage it is unclear how large the holding of land that they held but I am convinced that it would have been smaller than their more affluent cousin.

 

However well off they might have been their fortunes seem to have been changed for the worse in the autumn of 1838. It was on the 12th September 1838 that their seventh child Emily was buried being only 18. This was followed in April 1839 with the death of the youngest child Frances and the age of seven. She was buried on the 7th April 1839 in Thursford.  This grief must have been compounded with the death of Mary later in the summer. She was buried on the 21st August 1839.When we look at the parish register only eight entries separate the deaths of these three girls. Following these tragic deaths we see the family in the 1841 census where William aged 56 is shown as Labourer living with Rhoda his wife , Robert and Edward his sons and Elizabeth his daughter. By this time Rhoda and John must have left home John to Burnham and Rhoda to Cambridge. This is the last we know of William until his death in 1847 and his burial on the 18th March. Rhoda continued to live in Thursford and the next we know of her is in the 1851 census when she is shown living with Robert and next door to Edmund.  They are living at 32 Barney Road and whilst Robert is shown as Labourer Rhoda is shown as pauper. On the 30th March 1860 Rhoda is buried at Thursford aged 73 and as such the story of this third generation ends. The children of the generation are:

 

Anne Lavender Starling

 

Born at Thursford in 1808 and baptised on the 19th September of that year.

Currently I can find no other information on Anne

 

Rhoda Starling

 

Born  at Thursford in 1810 and baptised on the 19th September of that year. She moved away prior to 1841 ( I cannot trace her on the 1841 census)  and was married to Philip Bacon in the autumn of 1841 in Linton Cambridgeshire. In the 1851 census we find Rhoda living at 37 Berkeley Street London. She is described as a servants wife and is living with her children ;  Fanny aged 8; Philip aged 7; Lucy aged 5 and Edward aged 10 months. Also living in the same house is a Harriet Harford aged 18 and described as a servant. Philip at the same time is shown residing at 37 Dover Street London. He is the butler to the Bishop of Ely. We can only presume it is this position that has brought the couple from Cambridgeshire to London unfortunately I cannot trace where they were living at the time of the 1841 census.

 

Philip seems to have continued in the service of the bishop as we see him still living in his household as butler in the 1871 at the age of 53 when the Duke is 80. Rhoda and the children Fanny ,Philip and Lucy have now moved and are living at 48 South Street Westminster at which time Rhoda is described as householder. Edward Frederick the youngest son had died between  July and September 1855 and 5. It is probably after the death of Thomas Turton Bishop of Ely on the 7th January 1864. That Philip had to find a new post for a man now aged 56 it may not have been easy. So it is in 1871 that we find Philip and Rhoda living at 106 Mount Street Westminster with their daughter Lucy Rhoda Starling aged 15 described as general servant and three barristers  that are described as lodgers. Interestingly Philip now has a new job that of  sacristan at Westminster Abbey so it seems it may have been easier to get a new post using his previous connection to the Bishop of Ely. Rhoda Starling is the daughter of Edmund(Edward) Starling who seem’s to have been sent to London to help his older sister in the running of her house.

 

Rhoda died in 1878 between July and September with Philip dying on the 10th June 1880 at 50 Tachbrook Street Pimlico the home of his spinster daughter Fanny Harriet Bacon. His estate was proved on the 23rd July. He is described as formerly of  106 Mount Street Grosvenor Square  and his estate value at under £300 was given to his daughter Fanny.

Robert Starling

 

Born  at Thursford in 1812 and baptised on the 29th November of that year. The family’s eldest son appears to have been a most dutiful son as we still find him living with his mother at the age of 38 at the time of the 1851 census. However in 1857 he marries Alice Bullen of Field Dalling, they were married on the 5th April with her sister Rhoda Bullen being one of the witnesses. Both of the fathers were described as labourers and both bride and groom made their mark rather than signing.

 

So at the ages of 45 and 35 respectively this couple started out on their married life? Is it as it seems? Probable not because on the 23rd August 1846 Alice Bullen baptised a son called Robert in Field Dalling. Four years later we find Alice living at 28 Church Street Field Dalling. She is described as a ‘employed on the land’ and her son as a scholar.  We can only guess why they left it some ten years until they married however only 5 months after their marriage we find the first ( second ) of their children Emily being baptised on the 20th September 1857 in the church at Thursford. Emily is followed by John Henry baptised on the 15th July 1860 and George who was baptised on the 27th January 1863. There is an entry for a baptism on the 13  October 1872 for a George son of Robert and Alice but I believe that this can only be an error as the name fails to appear again on any census whilst the George of 1863 appears up to the 1901 census.

 

The acceptance of the first son Robert into the fabric of the family is shown in the 1861 census when he is described as Robert Starling son of Robert. The family seem to have continued to live at  The Green in Thursford as in 1871 we find them with three of the children, Robert  Henry and George,in the third of the houses marked as ‘The Green’. Emily aged 13 is working as a servant in the house of Robert Leeder who was a master at Little Walsingham Grammar School.   By 1881 we find Robert and Alice living with the now married Emily and her husband Robert Fenn and their two children George and Henry. As throughout his life Robert is shown as an Agricultural labourer. However in the next ten years Robert seems to have had to give up work as in the 1891 census he is described as an outdoor pauper. Living with him at the time is Alice and his 10 year old grandson Henry Fenn. Exactly six months later on the 5th October 1891 Robert is buried at Thursford. After this Alice seems to have gone to live with her daughter Emily as we find her living with the rest of the Fenn family in Hindringham when the 1901 census is taken. It  appears that five years later Alice dies.

 

John Starling

 

Born at Thursford in  1814 and baptised on the 11th September of that year. As a direct line ancestor of Gertrude we look at John in the second generation.

 

Edmund (Edward)  Starling

 

Born  at Thursford in 1816  and baptised on the 6th June of that year. Edward was a Carter by trade as we see from the 1851 census when he is living in Barney Road next to his mother and brother Robert. A year  later on the 13th December 1852 Robert married Martha Box at Thursford church. Both the bride and groom made their mark as did the witnesses. Martha must have been pregnant at the time as on the 14th April 1853 their son John Francis was baptised at Thursford. This was followed by the births of Rhoda in 1856; Anne Elizabeth on 1862; Louisa in 1865 and Harriet in 1868.  The four girls must have brought home to the couple the death of their only son John in 1857 and his burial at Thursford on the 4th November. Thus by the time of the 1861 census Edmund is living on Thursford Green with Martha his daughter Rhoda and not only his mother in law Elizabeth Box but his wife’s 90 year old grandmother Ann Sherringham.  The year of 1865 must have been a mixture of sentiments for the family as in the February we see the second daughter Anne, named after her great grandmother, dying and being buried on the 13th February in Thursford. Then in the November on the 12th the third daughter Louisa is baptised. In the following years Edmund’s occupation has changed and he is described as an agricultural labourer in the 1871 censes. The family have moved and are now living at Heath House on the Fakenham road. Living in the house is Martha, who is described a field worker, Louisa and Harriet the two daughters and Elizabeth Box Martha’s mother. Rhoda the eldest daughter has by now moved to London and is living with her aunt Rhoda.  Spring of 1881, leading up to the census on the 3rd April  must also have been hard as we see the youngest daughter Harriet being buried at Thursford on the 25th March. So we see the family now living at Old Crawfish Cottages when the census is taken. Living with Edmund and Martha are Louisa who is now a dressmakers apprentice and Martha’s mother who by now is described as ‘lunatic’ which was probable meaning suffering from dementia. The year of 1882 must also have been hard for Martha as her mother dies and is buried on the 19th February and then Edmund  dying aged 65 and being buried on the 15th May 1882. Martha obviously couldn't afford to  stay at the house as in 1891 she has taken up the post of Housekeeper to a Charles Hodgson in Pentney.The 1901 census sees her still living with Charles Hodgson but she is now, at the age of  76, described as a field worker. We also find her mentioned in the 1911 census in the area of Freebridge Lynn. In each of these last three censuses we find her daughter living in the same area. I believe but without conclusive proof that she died at the end of 1916.

 

 

Elisabeth Starling

 

Born  at Thursford in  1818 and baptised on the 6th July of that year. Elizabeth seems to have gone into service some time after the census of 1841 as she marries in Norwich St. Clements in December 1842 shown as a servant resident in that parish. Her husband is shown as John Frost of Thursford and perhaps it was this romance that made Elisabeth be sent to Norwich into service. They would have certainly known each other as they appear in the same page in the 1841 census. John and Elisabeth moved to Burnham Thorpe between the marriage and 1851 as they appear on the 1851 census living there. They had no children and continued to live in Burnham Thorpe until the death of John in December 1872 and Elizabeth who was buried on the 7th January 1888. It is my thought that Elisabeth would have seen her brother John who lived at Burnham Norton quite often.

 

Emily Starling

 

Born  at Thursford in 1820 and baptised on the 7th April of that year.

Died at the age of 18 in 1838 and buried at Thursford on the 12th September 1838

 

Mary Starling

 

Born  at Thursford in  1822 and baptised on the 10th March  of that year.

Died at the age of 17 in 1839 and buried at Thursford on the 21st  August 1839.

 

Frances Starling

 

Born at Thursford in  1832 and baptised on the 29th March  of that year

Died at the age of 7 in 1839 and buried at Thursford on the 7th April 1839.

 

.

 

The Second  Generation

 

John (1814 To 1891) and Elizabeth Lane (1825 To 1913)

 

John was born at Thursford in  1814 and  baptised on the 11th September of that year. The next we see of John is his appearance on the 1841 census when he is shown as living in Burnham Norton and working as a agricultural labourer. He is lodging with the James Cobb a linen weaver and his wife Phoebe Cobb. Close by in the same village in 1841 we see Elizabeth then aged 15 living with her mother father and brother. The couple soon must have been walking out as on June the 14th 1842 Edward Starling the illegitimate son of Elizabeth Lane was baptised at Burnham Norton.On the 20th October 1843 they were married in Burnham Norton Church. John made his mark but his 18 year old bride signed as did her witness Catherine Smith, servant at the Taylor farm. I am certain that John must have been pleased that his brother Edmond attended the wedding and made his mark as witness on the day. Elizabeth must have been pregnant at the time as on the 3rd of February 1944 their son William was baptised his life was short as on the 26th March he is buried at Burnham. It is until the spring of 1846 that the next child is born when Emily or Emma Rhoda Starling  is born and baptised on the 10th April 1846. Their next child another son William Lane Starling is born in 1849 and baptised on the 29th July 1849 at Burnham. The census of 1851 sees the family of John Elizabeth and the three children Emily Edward and William living in the village also on the census in the house was Pamily Busk  described as a servant out of place. The years between 1851 and 1861 shows the couple having three more children all of them girls. They were Mary in 1852, Jane Maria in 1858 and Fanny in 1860. It is these three girls and their brother William that are living with John and Elizabeth at the time of the 1861 census. Also shown staying with them is Elizabeth's brother Thomas Lane who by this time is sailor in the RoyalNavy. Emily their daughter is shown staying with the Gidney family next door. She is shown as a visitor house servant. The years that followed sees the birth of two further girls Alexander Alice in 1863 and Florence in 1865. The family’s budget would have been stretched by the presence of the couples six girls and by this time we can find no trace of the two sons. Was it this pressure that resulted in the girls being placed in service over the forthcoming years. In the 1871 census the family are still in Burnham now living next to the Barnes family. Here the four youngest girls are shown at home and this time it appears that Emily  the daughter of Emily now four is shown as a visitor. By the time of next census we see John now 66 living in Burnham and accompanied this time by a ‘Harriet Sharpe’ aged 4 and described as Grandson. The gender of Harriet is the first of the mystery because who’s child is Harriet perhaps one of the two missing sons? At this time I cannot find the explanation. Meantime Elizabeth seems to have been visiting her eldest daughter Emma as she is shown staying at 6 Jeffreys Road Lambeth. Emily now a widow is described as a lodging housekeeper to a 69 year old William Watt a clerk in a stockbrokers. Also with them is Emily Elizabeth’s granddaughter now aged 14. The spring of 1891 sees John and Elizabeth both in Burnham Norton next door to their daughter Fanny Sofly with them is their granddaughter Florence. John is described as living on his own means and the house is shown as having four rooms so that the couple had a lot of space especially when compared to the family next dour where the same four rooms house the husband wife their six children and a lodger! Two weeks later on the 19th April John died and five days later he is buried in Burnham Norton Church. John had lived through great change and whilst always seeming to be an agricultural labourer he lived into his 77th year he had nine children three boys and his six girls. His family then probable thought much as we do now that he had lived a long and productive life and this they chose to reflect in his gravestone which reads

 

Through the gate of death we must pass

For the glorious resurrection

Now the labourer's task is o'er

Now the battle day is past

Now upon the farther shore

Lands the voyager at last

Father, in Thy gracious keeping

Leave we now Thy servant sleeping.

 

Following the death of John Elizabeth seem to have gone to live with Alexandra her daughter and her husband George Overton. In 1901 we. see Elizabeth living at the Post Office/General Stores with the family who by that time had returned from Croydon where they were living in 1891.  This seems to have continued up to the point of Elizabeth’s death in 1913 as we see her living with the family in the 1911 census. So at the age of 87 on the 8th January 1913.  She was buried with John in Burnham and their grave shows her epitaph of:

 

Home At Last, Thy Labour Done
Safe And Blest, The Victory Won
Jordan Passed, From Pain Set Free,
Angels Now Have Welcomed Thee.

 

And from St. Mathews Gospel

 

Come unto me, all ye that labour

and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest

 

The death of Elizabeth is nearly the last event of this generation only Elizabeth Starling wife of Edmund is still alive at this time and by her death in 1916 we close the chapter of this generation. The children of the John and Elizabeth are:

 

Edward Starling

Born at Burnham Norton in 1842 and baptised on the 13th June  of that year. The last trace I can find of Edward is when I think  he appears on the 1861 census in Docking. He is show as Edward Lane and described as a boarder agricultural labourer.

William Starling

Born at Burnham Norton in 1844 and baptised on the 3rd February of that year he died in infancy and was buried on the 26th March of 1844.

Emily ( Emma) Starling

Born at Burnham Norton in 1846 and baptised on the 10th April of that year. She must have been quite young when she entered into service as by the 1861 census when she is 15 she is shown as a visiting house servant.  One thing we do know is that on the 29th June 1864 Emily’s son Frederick was born with no father given but with Emily’s occupation being shown as a servant. Where she was in service is somewhat a mystery but it must have been in London as in the 1871  census staying with John Starling is  a four year old Emily Starling shown as  a visitor being  born Middlesex London. By the time of the 1881 census Emily is shown a a widow of a Mr Carr. She is living at 6 Jeffreys Road Lambeth as a lodging House Keeper with her daughter Emily and her visiting mother Elizabeth.Emily’s circumstances seems to have changed considerable in the next 10 years as in 1881 we see her living in in Woodford . She is the head of the household living on her own means with a 17 year old Annie Roffey a relative and two servants. However by the following year in 1892 it appears that Emily aged only 45 dies.

William Lane Starling

Born at Burnham Norton in 1849 and baptised on the 29th July of that year William appears on the 1851 and 1861 census but then I can find no trace of him.

Mary Elizabeth Starling

Born at Burnham Norton in 1852 and baptised in August of that year. By the time she is 18 in 1871 Mary is in service in Holme. She is a house maid in the household of a Mr Johnson who was a farmer. 1881 sees Mary as a Parlour Maid  at 4 Eaton Square in London. From my initial findings  by the following year Mary is dead at the early age of 30.

Jane Maria Starling

Born at Burnham Norton in 1858 and baptised on the 31st January of that year. As a direct line ancestor of Gertrude we look at Jane in the first generation

Fanny Starling

Born at Burnham Norton in 1860 and baptised on the 10th September of that year.

Alexandra Alice Starling

Born at Burnham Norton in 1863 and baptised on the 3rd April of that year.

Florence Starling

Born at Burnham Norton in 1865 and baptised on the 7th July of that year.

  

 

 

 

 

The First  Generation

 

Jane Maria  (1858 To 1926) and Isaac Barnes (1845 To 1885)

 

 

******************************* To be completed ***********************