Elizabeth RUSSELL was a 36 year old widow living in Bromsberrow when she married Thomas SIVELL, a 39 year old widower, on 26 February 1783. This suggests that she was born in 1746 or early January 1747.
Thomas and Elizabeth had six children between 1783 and 1793 while living in Berrow, Worcestershire. Elizabeth died in August 1794.
It is thought that Elizabeth' maiden name was Elizabeth WHITE and that her first husband was Nathaniel RUSSELL.
A Nathaniel RUSSELL, a bachelor of Quedgley married Elizabeth WHITE, a spinster of St Mary de Crypt at St Mary De Crypt, Gloucester on 19 Nov 1772. Both signed their own names. Nathaniel and Elizabeth baptized their first child, John White RUSSELL, in Gloucester in 1773.
Nathaniel RUSSELL was a servant in the household of Robert Gorges DOBYNS-YATE in Bromsberrow, explaining why Nathaniel and Elizabeth RUSSEL were in Bromsberrow when they baptized their second son, Nathaniel, and in 1781 baptized (and 10 weeks later buried) their daughter, Ann. Robert Gorges DOBYNS-YATES was Lord of the Manor. Robert transformed his mansion, Bromeberrow Place, and other properties during his tenure 1766-1785 and Nathaniel may have been employed on that work.
In October 1781 a John RUSSEL was buried in Berrow. Although the parents are not given on the transcription it is possible that this was Nathaniel and Elizabeth's son John White RUSSELL.
Nathaniel RUSSELL of St Nicholas was buried in St Mary de Crypt on 21 April 1782. St Nicholas is the area of Gloucester just north-west of the centre of Gloucester, but it has been suggested that there was a hospital there.
The presence of an Elizabeth RUSSEL(L) in Bromsberrow for six years prior to the marriage with Thomas SIVELL and a record of her husband dying, the year before a widowed Elizabeth RUSSELL of Bromsberrow remarries, is strong evidence that Elizabeth was Elizabeth WHITE.
In 1851 Elizabeth's son Nathaniel, born in Bromsberrow, was a farrier living in Ruardean, Gloucester with wife Elizabeth, son John, 37, a colt breaker, widowed daughter and three grandchildren. In 1861 Nathaniel is living with another of his sons, John, who was a blacksmith and farrier.
Identifying Elizabeth's parents is proving difficult. On their marriage license of November 1772, Nathaniel RUSSELL is aged 22 and Elizabeth WHITE aged 22, suggesting that she was born in 1750. In February 1783, on their marriage license, Thomas SIVELL was aged 39 and Elizabeth RUSSELL was aged 36, suggesting a birth year of 1746, four years older than Elizabeth WHITE was reported to be in 1772.
Assuming Elizabeth is Elizabeth WHITE, and she was born 1746-1750, then the following baptisms are possible matches:
- Betty WHITE baptized in Hempsted on 25 Jul 1748 by Nathaniel and Betty WHITE. Hempsted, a mile south of Gloucester, and Quedgeley are adjacent parishes, so the RUSSELLs and WHITEs could have been close neighbours. Also baptized Mary (1739, with first wife Mary MANS), William (1746), Anne (1753), George (1754) and Sarah (1756). (In 1740, Nathaniel WHITE, widowed husbandman of Hempstead, entered into a marriage allegation/bond with Elizabeth JONES of Upleadon, the likely mother of Betty.)
- Elizabeth WHITE baptized in Harescombe on 5 Apr 1751 by Nathaniel, carpenter, and Ann WHITE. Harescombe is 5 miles from St Mary de Crypt. Also baptized John (1747) and Ann (1753). This Elizabeth's siblings' names were used for her first boy John White RUSSELL and Ann RUSSELL. John WHITE, a carpenter, married Hester HOWE in 1776 with an allegation/bond underwritten by his father, Nathaniel WHITE, "a Carpenter of Harescomb". In 1755 a Nathaniel WHITE (Nathaniel's father?) transferred property in Harescombe to William WHITE. This Nathaniel may be the son of Nathaniel WHITE the Elder of Harsfield, yeoman, of will of 1727 mentions son William, daughter Sarah TAYLOR, daughter Elizabeth DARBY, son Samuel, grandson John WHITE, son Nathaniel (inluding property call Lamp Area house at Colthrope in Standish)2.
- Elizabeth WHITE baptized in Painswick on 22 Sep 1751 by Thomas and Elis WHITE. Painswick is 6 miles from St Mary de Crypt. A Betty WHITE married Benjamin LIGH on 24 Feb 1771 in Brookthorpe (2.5 miles from Painswick) - Benjamin LIGHT was baptized in Painswick in 1743 which suggests that Betty was the Elizabeth WHITE baptized in Painswick in 1751.
- Elizabeth WHITE baptized in Deerhurst on 6 Jan 1750 by Thomas WHITE and Mary. Deerhurst is 14 miles north of Gloucester and 8 miles to Bromsberrow.
Relevant banns/weddings
- Banns were read for Elizabeth WHITE and Thomas COWLEY, both of St Catherine, were published at St Mary de Lode in May 1768, however the wedding wasn't conducted. (There was no church in St Catherine, so they had to use St Mary de Lode.)
- Elizabeth WHITE, spinster 23 of St Catherine, married John WORKMAN, butcher, by license on 27 Nov 1768.
- Banns were read for Elizabeth WHITE of St Mary de Lode and James MORGAN of St John the Baptist on 29 Oct 1769 in St John the Baptist, Gloucester, but there was one "forbidding" and the marriage wasn't conducted.
Relevant wills:
- John WHITE of the parish of St Catherine, Gloucester, carpenter, 1766, mentioned: wife Elizabeth, daughter Elizabeth and daughter Sarah CLUTTERBUCK. In 1766, Elizabeth would have been unmarried - she married Nathaniel RUSSELL in 1772 - so this might be Elizabeth's father's will1.
Potentially relevant marriage allegations
- Samuel WHITE of Quedgeley and Hannah LOAD of St Mary de Crypt, 1712, showing that there had been WHITEs in Quedgeley, Nathaniel RUSSELL's village, in previous years.
- John GOTHRIDGE, yeoman widower, 38, and Margaret WHITE of Saint Mary de Crypt, aged 23, dated Sep 1764, officiating minister John WHITE. Is John WHITE her father? Is Margaret an older sister? Only nearby baptism for a Margaret WHITE is in Newent by Joshua and Elizabeth who did baptize an Elizabeth in 1743 which is too early. No baptism within 100 miles fits with the minister being the father.
Relevant apprenticeships
- Hjohn [sic] WHITE of Gloucester, attorney, took on an apprentice in 1767.
- William WHITE of Gloucester, carpenter, took on an apprentice in 1779 and again in 1791.
- James WHITE of Gloucester, wheelwright, took on an apprentice in 1781.
John YATE Esq's gamekeeper at Bromesberrow in 1752 was called John WHITE3. A John WHITE and Elizabeth baptized William (1758) and Betty (1760) in Bromsberrow, while a John WHITE and Mary baptized 5 children in Dymock 1753-1760 but there may have been earlier children in Castlemorton and Kempley including a Betty who died in infancy.
The only other clue we have is a witness to Elizabeth's first marriage: Margaret KEMYS. A Margaret KEMEYS was born in 1736 in Gloucester (John and Margaret) and married in 1786 to James MIDDLETON. She died in 1813.
