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James Douglass and Mary Varnden - my great great great grandparents

 

 

James Douglass was baptised on 28th Jan 1765 at St Peter’s Chertsey. He was the son of James Douglass, a watchmaker of Guildford Street, Chertsey, and Letitia Joyce of Godalming. Mary Varnden was baptised on 27th September 1782 at Chertsey. She was the daughter of William Varnden, a brickmaker, and Elizabeth, whose surname is not known. See here for Varnden ancestry.

James and Mary married on 17th May 1804 at St Martin in the Fields in London. James continued as a watchmaker in Guildford Street Chertsey. He was still there in 1828. In 1803 he joined the Chertsey volunteers. In 16th February 1819 in the Poor law records is mentioned that he took on a house servant Rebecca Harding, at a salary of £5/10/-. It is likely she had a child out of wedlock, and was given the job to avoid her being a burden on the parish. Similarly on the 7th March 1821 he took on Mary Heather for a year because of an unmarried pregnancy. James died in 1835, and was buried on 18th September 1835 at St Peter’s. Mary died in 1833 and was buried on 5th February 1833 at St Peter’s.

The Monthly Magazine, 1804 - The marriage took place in London, not Chertsey

Their children were: -

Elizabeth Douglass was baptised on 27th February 1805 at St Peter’s Chertsey, and was buried there on 6th January 1808.

James Douglas, my great great grandfather, was born on 9th February 1806 and baptised on 5th March 1806 at St Peter’s Chertsey. The baptism gives his mother as Elizabeth, this has been extensively checked and I concluded that the record has been wrongly written. The will of Sophia Varnden supports this. James married Martha Ann Boyce on 25th December 1833 at St Marylebone, London, and they had 6 children. James died on 6th April 1879 at Egham. See more.

Mary Douglas was born on 21st June 1810 and baptised on 11th June 1810 at St Peter’s. Mary never married and was a housekeeper to George Frederick Furnivall, a doctor who ran Great Fosters Lunatic Asylum, and who treatedthe poet Shelley before his death. George's son Frederick James Furnivall was the founder of the Oxford English Dictionary. Mary died in Windsor district in March quarter 1893, having lived after retirement with her Aunt Sophia Varnden in Ottershaw, and later with her brother Albert in Egham. In 1864, she was assaulted by Thomas White with intent to rob her see here.

William Douglass was born on 6th Jun 1811 and baptised on 30th June at St Peter’s. He died in Chertsey and was buried at St Peter’s on 7th July 1830.

John Douglass was born on 25th February 1815 and baptised on 27th February at St Peter’s Chertsey. He died at Egham and was buried at St John’s Egham on 16th December 1839.

Henry Douglass was born on 11th February 1817 and baptised on 1st March at St Peter’s. He died at Chertsey and was buried at St Peter’s on 23rd May 1817.

Albert Douglas was born on 17th September 1821 and baptised at Chertsey on 1st October at St Peter’s. He became a baker after being apprenticed to George Boyce of Egham Hill. He married George’s daughter Sarah Pierce Boyce on 8th February 1858 at Windsor Registry Office, and they ran the bakery. They had no children (Sarah was 51 at the time of the marriage). Albert died on 6th September 1888.

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            Mary Douglas taken in Torquay