Dear Bob, You can't possibly leave it like that! Why was Sarah tragic and where did the nursery rhyme come from? Or have I missed a posting? Best wishes, Josie -----

Dear Josie Sarah Barman, my great great great grandmother was christened on 7th November 1813 at All Saints, Woodchurch, the fourth child of William Barman and Mary Pearson. Another sister had been christened Sarah in 1809 but had died the next year. No sentiment there. Nothing is known of Sarah until 9th December 1831 when her illegitimate son Robert was christened Robert Ransley Barman at All Saints, Woodchurch. Robert Ransley Barman was buried in All Saints Churchyard a month later on 1st January 1832. And a bitterly cold miserable affair it must have been. Within a few months, Sarah was pregnant again presumably also by Robert Ransley and this time the shotgun came out and the couple were married at All Saints, Woodchurch on 7th November 1832. Robert Ransley originally came from High Halden. Their son Richard was christened at All Saints on 11th February 1833. Their third child, my great great grandmother, Mary Ann Ransley, was christened at Woodchurch on 23rd July 1834. Sarah appears never to have recovered from this last birth and was buried at Woodchurch on 27th March 1835. Her age was given as 22. Robert did not survive her long being buried in All Saints churchyard on 16th May 1838. His age was given as 30. There are no gravestones for the two Roberts or Sarah. The orphaned children, Richard and Mary Ann survived to ripe old ages. One of my earliest photographs is of Mary Ann Ransley in 1878. My mother, now 91, still remembers meeting Mary Ann Bingham nee Ransley who died in Woodchurch in 1922. There was no family history concerning Richard and Sarah so I may have romanticized a trifle but what a sad story. In 1969 my great aunt Bertha Moore nee Fullagar emigated back to Kent from Vancouver, Canada. She had married a Canadian serviceman just after WWI. She remembered the nursery rhyme and my mother, luckily, wrote it down with another poem Aunt Bertha recited composed by my grandfather. Another Easter to me hath come And soon I shall behold my home The dear ones that I long to see Will be the first to welcome me My mother dear I shall embrace And see the love writ on her face My father's hand again I'll clasp And feel the love within his grasp. Then my brothers dear once more Will bid me welcome at the door Dear Nelson's hand within my own And Arthur's arm around me thrown. My sisters dear though young as yet Their brother they cannot forget I'll kiss them all with hearty glee For all of them are fond of me. Then neighbours, friends from far and near Will welcome me with Easter cheer And in that happy home of mine I'll spend a jolly Easter time. The days seem slow in passing by And patiently I watch them fly And soon will come the looked for train To take me to my home again. Ernest Fullagar 1893 aged 13 - The family lived at Brickwall Cottage now named Brickwall Bungalow. My mother never told me of the two pieces that I found when my wife and I spent three days sorting out my parents papers when they went into a nursing home two years ago. I read both to the assembled family of about fourty at my mother's 90th birthday celebration. Very nearly lost! In addition to the Woodchurch 1891 Census, I have now finished the 1861 and 1841 Censuses. I wondered how the group are progressing with the 1871 Census? We leave Hawaii for San Francisco tomorrow and will return to Canterbury and the Archives no doubt, on May 6th. Best wishes - Bob Chown Josie Mackie <josie.mackie@tesco.net> wrote: Dear Bob, You can't possibly leave it like that! Why was Sarah tragic and where did the nursery rhyme come from? Or have I missed a posting? Best wishes, Josie ----- ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ENG-KEN-WOODCHURCH-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message