Curtis

The Curtis Family from Dorset and Somerset

 

See the The Curtis Family Tree

See the Mosterton and South Perrott parish record transcripts

See the Census Returns

See the Curtis Family Photos

Further Notes on the Quaker connection  and the Curtis branch of Salem County, New Jersey     

DNA Matches


 

 Thanks to Dianne Wright and John and Vicki Harris for their help in researching this Curtis branch from which they are also descended. 

 


 

Our Curtis line originated from Crewkerne, Somerset and South Perrot, Dorset.  Some members of the family moved to Islington, London prior to 1881.  These were children of George Curtis, a dairy farmer from Mosterton; including my direct ancestor Robert Groves Curtis born 1858.  We knew little about those that stayed in Dorset. I had managed to trace our line to at least a Roger Curtis who married Dianah Saint (daughter of Henry Saint and Dinah Frampton) at Broadwindsor in 1763.  I believe this to be the same Roger who was a Cordwainer, and  mentioned in the 1807 Dorset Poll Book living at South Perrot.  I also found a Settlement certificate of 1740 in which a Roger Curtis was apprenticed to a Cordwainer called Daniel Bryant of Mosterton.   As most apprenticeships took place at the age of about 14, this would fit in with the aforementioned Roger being born in 1725.

This being the case, he most probably the Roger Curtis baptised on 26th December, 1725 at South Perrott, the son of another Roger Curtis and  Mary Ham.  In a will dated 1736 (and proved 1746)  Roger Curtis, Clothworker of South Perrott and mentions sons Roger, Thomas and John. These are all children of Roger and Mary.  The will also mentions a brother-in-law John Ham of Haselbury and a witness Agnes Curtis.  These clues lead me to this Roger being the one baptised on 16th October, 1689 at South Perrott, son of yet another Roger Curtis and Joan.  Agnes Curtis was his younger sister and John Ham married his older sister Joan/Joanna in 1713.  Oh, and John was also the brother of Roger’s wife, Mary Ham!

At this point it got confusing as there were Curtis children being baptised in both South Perrot and Crewkerne in Somerset – which I had to remember was only 1 1/5 miles away!  There is no Roger Curtis born in South Perrot at the right time to be Roger born 1689’s father; ie around 1660. There were two possibilities in Crewkerne: Roger b 1657, son of Samuel, a clothier and Elizabeth and Roger baptised 1658 son of Roger and Mary. The problem with the former was 1. they were Quakers and 2. That Roger died in 1660 [ref Quaker Monthly meetings – but we will return of this Samuel Curtis later….]

So we were left with Roger Curtis being one of 6 children of Roger and Mary all baptised at St. Bartholomew’s Crewkerne. The last part was a bit of a jigsaw as I thought I was dealing with two Rogers and Thomazins;  one in South Perrot and one in Crewkerne until I realised that there were no Curtis baptisms at South Perrott before 1632 but burials of children of the same name after 1645. I have now worked out that a Roger and Thomazen moved from Crewkerne to South Perrott between 1632 and 1635 or they just changed their Parish Church of choice! Hopefully this will become clear.

NB. There is one rogue Curtis already in South Perrott by 1555! a John Curtisse had a daughter Grace baptised there on 24th December 1555 1

 


 

The top of our family tree is now Roger Curtyce born about 1560 11. He married Elizabeth Curry on 22nd October, 1581 at Crewkerne.  Roger and Elizabeth had 6 children baptised at St. Bartholomew’s Crewkerne:

Mandolyn Curtyce bp 211.4.1582 Crewkerne                                                                                                                                                                                                        m 18.10.1607 Crewkerne to John Urden                                                                                                                    Richard Courtyce bp 26.11.1583 Crewkerne                                                                                                                                                                                                      m Elizabeth

Elizabeth Curtyce bp 16.5.1587 Crewkerne
                                       m 26.9.1611 Crewkerne to
Richard Cox
John Curtyce bp 27.1.1590 Crewkerne
                             bur 13.6.1593 Crewkerne
Roger Curtyce bp 21.3.1593 Crewkerne                                                                                                                                                                                                          m 19.4.1619 Crewkerne to Thomazen White
John Curtyce bp 17.10.1595 Crewkerne
                             bur 10.1.1524 Crewkerne

Roger was buried on 5th March, 1613 and Elizabeth on 23rd March, 1628 both at St. Bartholomew’s Crewkerne 11.

Roger Curtyce, the second surviving son of Roger and Elizabeth was baptised on 21st march, 1593 at Crewkerne St. Bartholomew. He married Thomazen White on 19th April, 1619, also at Crewkerne11.  It appears from looking at the parish registers of both Crewkerne and South Perrot that they moved from Crewkerne to South Perrot between 1630 and 1632. [It seems too much of a coincidence for their to be two Roger and Thomazens plus two children called Nathaniel and John in the same time frame in two places just 1 1/2 miles apart! It was also not necessary to have Settlement papers before the Settlement Act of 1662, so people were free move between parishes]

Their first five children were born in Crewkerne11. After that their burials and three further were recorded at South Perrott: 1

Roger Courtyce bp 22.2.1620 Crewkerne                                                                                                                                                                                                          m ? to Mary
Edward Courtyce bp 4.4.1622 Crewkerne
Samuell Courtyce bp 6.1.1626 Crewkerne
                                     (possibly married Elizabeth and emigrated? see later notes)
Nathaniel Courtyce b 3.6.1628 Crewkerne
                                          bur 28.8.1645 South Perrott 

John Courtyce bp 2.7.1630 Crewkerne
                                bur 28.8.1645 South Perrott                                                                                                                                                             
Joan Curtis bp 2.12.1632 South Perrott
                        bur 14.8.1645 South Perrott
Robert Curtis bp 4.9.1635 South Perrot                                                                                                                                                                  Joanna Curtis bp 24.8.1645 South Perrot

I have not been able to find a burial record for Roger, but Thomazina, wife of Roger was buried at South perrott on 31st December, 1665 at South Perrott1

Roger Courtyce was the eldest child of Roger and Thomazen baptised on 12th February, 1620. His wife according to the Crewkerne baptism records was Mary, but I can been unable to find a marriage as yet.  This Roger also remained in Crewkerne; he and Mary had six children that we know of baptised at Crewkerne St. Bartholomew11:

Roger Curtis bp 25.5.1647 Crewkerne
                            bur 19.8.1649 Crewkerne
Joanne Curtis bp 19.7.1649 Crewkerne 
Mary Courtis bp 28.7.1654 Crewkerne                                                                                                                                                                           
a male Curties b 8.2.1656 Crewkerne  
                                bur 17.2.1656 Crewkerne  
Roger Curtis bp 1.11.1658 South Perrot                                                                                                                                                                                                      m  ? to Joan/Joane?                                                                                                                                                                                John Cortis bp 19.2.1663 South Perrott

I have been unable at this time to find a burial for either Roger or Mary. 

Roger Curtis, son of Roger and Mary was baptised at Crewkerne on 1st November, 165811. According to the South Perrott baptism records, his wife was Joan/Joane, although I cannot find a marriage. If they were married by the age of 21 then there may have had some children earlier thn the ones I have found in the South Perrott registers. [In fact once ancestry.co.uk user has three earlier on their family tree that I cannot confirm, they are certainly not in the South perrott registers; Robert and Edward born 1882 and John born 1885].  However they did have at least four children baptised at South Perrott1.

Joan/Joanna Curtis bp 5.3.1687 South Perrott                                                                                                                                                                                                     m 26.4.1713 Haselbury Plunknett to John Ham                                                     
Roger Curtis bp 16.10.1689 South Perrott                                                                                                                                                                                                   m abt 1725 to Mary Ham                                                                                                                                                                                                     bur 29.12.1736 South Perrott (will dated 22.12.1736, proved 1746)

Elizabeth Curtis bp 17.3.1690 South Perrott (father recorded as “Roger junior”)                                                         
Agnes Curtis bp 9.4.1694 South Perrott                      

I have not been able to find where or where Roger or Joan died. The clues to much of this family came from their son Roger’s will dated Dec 1736 (proved 1746) in which he mentions his brother-in-law John Ham of Haselbury to be the trustee for his children while they are minors. This helped locate the marriage to Roger’s sister Joan in 1713 and also to the baptisms of John (bp June 1699 Haselbury Plucknett) and his sister Mary Ham (bp Feb 1706 Haselbury Plucknett) , both children of Michael Ham and Grace of Haselbury Plunknett 12

Roger Curtis of South Perrott baptised on 16th October, 1689 was a Clothworker. He “married” Mary Ham in about 1725, although that record has not been found.  Roger and Mary had only three children that we know of 1, we only knew about John as he is mentioned in the will:

Roger Curtis bp 26.12.1725 South Perrott                                                                                                                                                                                                  m1 abt 1750 to Sarah                                                                                                                                                                                                            m2 8.9.1763 Broadwindsor to Dinah Saint                                                                                                                                                             bur 15.11.1809 South Perrott
Thomas Curtis bp 24.11.1728 South Perrott
John Curtis b before 1736 (not in South Perrott PRs)

Roger was buried on 29th December, 1736. A Mary Curtis was buried on 9th May, 1736. If this was his wife, as I had assumed, it would mean she died before the date of Roger’s will in which he mentions his “wife”.  Apart from learning about his sister and brother-in-law John Ham, as mentioned above, we also know that all three of his children: Roger Curtis, Thomas Curtis and John Curtis were minors in 1746, although he made his son Thomas sole executor.  The will was not proved until 1746. Why did this take 10 years?

 


 

Roger Curtis, presumed eldest child of Roger and Mary, born in 1725 was a Cordwainer. In a Settlement Certificate dated 14th January, 1740, Roger Curtis was apprenticed to a Cordwainer called Daniel Bryant of Mosterton 13. As most apprenticeships took place at the age of about 14, this would fit in with Roger being born in 1725.  He appears to have married a Sarah in about 1750, although no marriage can be found. [A marriage to Sarah Skeggs was found for 18th May, 1750 at St. Katherine By the Tower, London, but it seems to be a Roger that lived in London and had a son there in 1750]. Roger had the following children and Sarah was named as the mother of all baptised in the Cheddington registers 2;

Roger Curtis bp 14.10.1750 South Perrott                                                                                                                                                                                                   m 29.10.1772 Corscombe to Elizabeth Ellis, bur 17.2.1824 Corscombe aged 73.
John Curtis bp 27.3.1757 Cheddington
Thomas Curtis Private bp 16.9.1759 Cheddington, bp 11.11.1759 Cheddington                                                                                                                                     m 4.5.1788 South Perrott to Elizabeth Cleale
William Curtis bp 11.11.1759 Cheddington                                                                                                                                                                                                    bur 16.3.1760 Cheddington

I then found another Roger Curtis, also a Cordwainer who married Dinah Saint of Wayford, Somerset (daughter of Henry Saint and Dinah Frampton) on 8th September, 1763 at Broadwindsor.  It was only when I found a will of 1810 –  an important find as it proves that this Roger was the same Roger who had been living in Cheddington. The will mentioned Dinah her and all the children including those of his previous marriage plus a daughter Mary which has not turned up in the parish records.  There is a gap in the parish records that could prove that his first wife Sarah was buried between 1759 and 1763.  However, Roger married Dinah Saint of Wayford, Somerset (daughter of Henry Saint and Dinah Frampton) on 8th September, 1763 at Broadwindsor. They had the following children 1:

Mary Curtis bp 17.6.1764 Wayford                                                                                                                                                                                                            m 10.12.1806 Misterton to John Spurdle                                                                                                                                Robert Curtis bp 2.8.1766 South Perrott                                                                                                                                                                                                     m 4.4.1791 South Perrott to Susanna Cleale
Sarah Curtis bp 19.6.1768 South Perrott
William Curtis bp 25.12.1769 South Perrott                                                                                                                                                                                                  bur 2.3.1771 South Perrott
Betty Curtis bp 1.3.1773 South Perrott                                                                                                                                                                                                       m 21.3.1797 at South Perrott to John Silby
William Curtis bp 16.6.1776 South Perrott                                                                                                                                                                                                     bur 21.4.1784 South Perrott
James Curtis bp 5.9.1779 South Perrot,                                                                                                                                                                                                       bur 25.4.1782 South Perrott,                                                                                                                                                        Joseph Curtis (Cordwainer) bp 5.9.1779 South Perrott * mentioned in 1798 Militia List,                                                                                                                                         m1 to Mary Cottle at Misterton?                                                                                                                                                                                       m2 4.5.1829 Broadwindsor to Hannah Elliot

Samuel Curtis (Dairyman) bp 15.4.1781 South Perrot                                                                                                                                                                                                       m 20.11.1809 Mosterton to Charlotte Dawbney (bp 29.12.1788)                                                                                                                             bur 23.3.1851 Mosterton
Sarah Curtis bp 15.4.1781 South Perrott (a possible twin)

Roger was mentioned in the 1807 Poll Book of Dorset as being a Freeholder living in South Perrott. He died there aged 83 in 1809. He was buried on 15th November 1809 1. He left a will dated 11th October, 1809 and in proved in 1810.  It mentions his three surviving sons from his first marriage plus all his surviving children by Dinah plus a Mary now married to Mr. SpurdleDinah Curtis was buried on 26th July, 1821 aged 83 at South Perrot, St Mary 1  

 


 

The eldest son of Roger Cordwainer and Sarah was Roger Curtis of Lucam [Lewcombe, near East Charlborough?], born in 1750. He was a Yeoman who married Elizabeth Ellis on 29th October, 1772 at Corscombe. They had the following children 3:

Mary Curtis bp 22.2.1775 Corscombe                                                                                                                                                                                                        m 10.2.1798 to Corscombe to Thomas Harris of Halstock
Sarah Curtis bp 11.11.1777 Corscombe, bur 1777 ?
John Curtis bp 12.8.1780 Corscombe
Elizabeth Curtis bp 11.6.1783 Corscombe
Thomas Curtis bp 23.1.1785 Corscombe
William Curtis bp 1.1.1786 Corscombe

Roger died in 1824; he was buried at Corscombe St Mary on 17th Feb, 1824, aged 73 3. The register states that he was living in Closworth.

 


 

Samuel Curtis, the youngest son of Roger Cordwainer and Dinah Saint was baptised  on 15th April 1781 at South Perrott.  He married Charlotte Dawbney, the daughter of Henry Dawbney and Sally Louch (Sarah), on 20th November 1809 at Mosterton. From the Mosterton Parish records, we have learnt that Charlotte Dawbney had two illegitimate children before her marriage:

Charles Dawbney bp Sept 13 1807 Mosterton
Charles Dawbney bp 6 May 1809 Mosterton

I have been unable to find the former Charles in the burial records. Charlotte and Samuel would then have just had time to have their first son Henry who was buried in April 1810, if he died soon after birth.
They had the following children, all baptised at St. Mary’s church, Mosterton 4:

Henry Curtis b abt 1810 Mosterton                                                                                                                                                                                                              bur 11.4.1810 Mosterton
Ann Curtis bp 25.12.1811 Mosterton                                                                                                                                                                                                         m 1832 South Perrot to Edmund Hockley
Henry Curtis (private bp 23.9.1813 Chilton)  bp 10.9.1814 Mosterton
Sarah Curtis bp 31.1.1819 Mosterton                                                                                                                                                                                                          m 1840 Mosterton to Henry Richards
John Curtis bp 31.1.1819 Mosterton                                                                                                                                                                                                           bur 11.1.1867 Mosterton
George Curtis (Dairy Farmer) born abt 1821 Thorncombe, bp 2.7.1826 Mosterton                                                                                                                                                        m1 17.2.1846 Powerstock  to Sarah Groves (b 1823)                                                                                                                                                    m2 21.1.1876 Broadwindsor to Lucy Perry (widow of Francis Perry)                                                                                                                        d 7.2.1881 Forest Gate, bur 10.2.1881 West Ham Cemetery 9

Samuel was a dairyman at Chilton, Somerset in 1813, where his son Henry was privately baptised.  He also appears in 1822 on the Land Tax Returns as the proprietor of his house in South Perrott 14 . On the 1841 census Samuel was shown as an agricultural labourer living in Mosterton with his son John, a shoe maker. There was no mention of Charlotte, so we assume that she had died before 1841.  [The NBI version 2 confirms this with a burial of Charlotte Curtis on 9th Oct, 1823 at Mosterton St Mary.  She was only 35 years old and must have died soon after the birth of George or perhaps a later child.]  Samuel died on 17th March, 1851 at Mosterton and was buried on 23rd of the same month. 

 


 

map1

map showing Chapel Court farm near South Perrott

George Curtis was born in Thorncombe in about 1821, according to the 1861 census, although he wasn’t baptised until 1826 at Mosterton. I wonder if this late baptism was due to the death of his mother in 1823?  In 1841 he was living at Chapel Court Farm, Mosterton 5.  His future wife, Sarah Groves, daughter of John Groves and Elizabeth Walden (info many Thanks to Don Groves), lived at the neighbouring Bluntmoor Farm.  They married at Wytherstone parish church, Powerstock  near Beaminster on 17th February, 1846 (the witnesses were Henry Curtis and Hester Groves)6.
George and Sarah had the following children, mainly baptised at Mosterton 4:

Ester Curtis bp 10.1.1847 Kimmeridge                                                                                                                 m 25.9.1865 Broadwindsor to Thomas England
John Groves Curtis bp 21.1.1849 Mosterton                                                                                                                     d 1851 Beaminster  bur 31.7.1851 Mosterton
William John Groves Curtis bp 18.7.1852 Mosterton                                                                                                                    bur 16.12.1873 Mosterton
Charles Curtis (butcher) bp 25.12.1853 Mosterton,                                                                                                                                                                                                       m 1876 Beaminster to Georgina Perry (1856 South Perrott)                                                                                                                                     d 20.10.1936 Winchmore Hill, bur 24.10.1936 Islington Cemetery 9
George Curtis (carter) bp 25.5.1856 Winterborne Came 10 (reg Beaminster)
Robert  Groves  Curtis  (butcher)  bp 25.12.1858  Mosterton                                                                                                                                                                                                       m 1887  Weymouth to Sarah Jane Bugler (born 1860 Misterton)                                                                                                                           d 12.1940 Clapton,  bur 2.1.1941 Abney Park Cemetery
Elizabeth  Sarah Curtis  bp 8.9.1861  Mosterton
William John Curtis (butcher)born 1863 Littlewindsor, bp 24.5.1863 Mosterton
Susan Daubeny Curtis born 1865 Littlewindsor,  bp 27.8.1865 Mosterton                                                                                                                                                          m 1887 Marylebone to George Turner                                                                                                                                                                   d 1904. bur 27.8.1904 Camden
Sarah Deborah Curtis born 1869 Littlewindsor, bp 31.10.1869 Mosterton                                                                                                                                                         m 22.4.1894 Marylebone to Charles William Matthie

George was a dairyman at Chapel Court farm, the tenant of which was William Daubeny.  The owner of the farm was Rev’d W.T. Cox who was also the owner of Potwell Farm, Littlewindsor. George obtained the tenancy of Potwell farm around 1863.  Sarah died in 1874 and was buried in Mosterton on 1st December, 1874 4.
George then married a widow, Lucy Perry,  widow of Francis Perry (nee Hawkins), daughter of John Hawkins on 21st March 1876 at Broadwindsor parish church. Lucy was also the mother of his daughter-in-law Georgina. At some stage they moved to London where George died on 7th February, 1881, at 50 Chatsworth Road, Forest Gate, West Ham, aged 61 6.  His widow Lucy then lived with her son-in-law/stepson, Charles, in Islington.

Charles Curtisborn in 1853 at Mosterton was a butcher.  He married Georgina Perry  daughter of Francis Perry and Lucy, in 1876. They had the following children:

Augustus Charles Curtis (butcher)  bp 27.5.1877 Mosterton                                                                                                                                                                                                         m 1901 Hackney to Francis Morgan 
George Francis Perry Curtis (butcher) born 1878 Broadwindsor (known as Francis)
Mable Curtis (teacher) born 1882
Reginald Curtis born abt 1883
Daisy Curtis born abt 1885
Florence Curtis born 1887 Islington?, m Thomas Saint 

Sometime before 1881, Charles, Georgina and Charles’ brother Robert Groves moved to Islington. The birth place of these children may narrow that move, to between 1878 and 1881.  In 1881 they were living at 405 Liverpool Road, Islington 5.  Robert and Charles’ younger brother William was also a butcher and living with them.  Apparently, the meat was originally  supplied from Dorset but we do not know for how long this continued. By 1901, the family were living at 19 High Road, Tottenham 5.  In the 1908 London Suburbs post Office Directory, Charles is listed as butcher at 52 Neville Road, Stoke Newington. Was this the address of the premises or the home? Charles died on 20th October, 1936. Georgina  died on 19th February, 1938 7 . They are both buried at Islington Cemetery .9

[I have recently discovered, through the internet, the grand-daughter of Augustus Charles Curtis; Vicki Harris, and we hope to pool our resources and continue the search beyond Roger. Thanks Vicki and John, for your help, so far].

 


 

Robert Groves Curtis c1930s

Robert Groves Curtis c 1930s

Robert Groves Curtis was born on 22nd September 1858 at Mosterton 6. Robert and his brother Charles (above) moved to Islington to set up a butcher’s shop. In 1887 Robert married Sarah Jane Bugler, daughter of Thomas Bugler and Ann Perry at Weymouth 6 .  They had three children:

Augustus Thomas George Curtis born 6.11.1888 Highbury (my great grandfather)                                                                                   m 1908 to Louisa Gravatt (born 9.3.1887 Islington)                                                                          d 10.5.1962 Worthing
Nellie Georgina Curtis bp 16.8.1891 St Thomas, Finsbury                                                                                                            bur 29.19.1892 Islington                                                                      Ethel Violet Curtis bp 12.5.1895 Highbury                                                                                                                                   m 1923 Lewisham to Leonard Reynolds                                                                                         d 22.8.1957                                                                                  

It is believed that the family ended up with two or three butcher shops in the Islington area. It is said that they sold meat sent from the Dorset farms.  The shops were sold about 1922.  This would be about the time when Robert’s wife Sarah died at 19 Narford Road, Upper Clapton. Robert died on 26th December, 1940 at Hackney Hospital.  Both are buried in Abney Park Cemetery 8

 


 

Augustus Thomas George Curtis  (known as Tom) was born at 22 Elfort Road, Islington, on 6th November 1888 6, the only son of Robert Groves Curtis and Sarah Jane Bugler.  He started out with the London, Edinburgh and Glasgow Assurance Company (which was later taken over by the Pearle Assurance Company) on 15th November 1903 when he was 14.  He married Louisa Gravatt, daughter of Robert Gravatt and Elizabeth Jesse James in 1908.  They had two daughters:

Edna Irene Violet Curtis, born 2.10.1909 North Leyton, m 1934 to Robert Streatfield, d 1985 Blandford
Doreen May Curtis born 10.7.1912 North Leyton, m 1932 to Laurence Stanley Dellor Howard, d 1984 Christchurch

By 1932 Augustus and his family were living at 19 Narford Road, Stoke Newington. At the beginning of the War, Augustus went to Crawley with the Ordinary Branch Valuation Department. At the time of the 1939 Register they were living at 19 Hackney Road, with Augustus’s father Robert Groves and his daughter Doreen and son-in-law Laurence 5.   He and Louisa moved to a bungalow at 13 South Drive, Cuffley, Herts in 1945/6. He retired from the Pearle on 30th November, 1953. Later, in 1959 they moved to 27 Haynes Road,  West Worthing, where they lived until his death on 10th May, 1962.   Louisa continued to live in Worthing until her daughters moved to Bridport, Dorset where she eventually died in 1973.

Augustus Thomas George Curtis c 1953

Augustus Thomas George Curtis c 1953

 The photo opposite is one of Augustus Thomas George Curtis taken in about 1953, when he retired. 

Doreen, my great aunt married Laurence Stanley Dellor Howard, son of James Williamson Howard and Rose Alma Dellor, on 17th September, 1932 at the parish church of St. Michael and All Angles, Stoke Newington.

Edna, my nanmarried Robert William Streatfield, son of Robert Charles Streatfield and Louisa Maria Hayes in October 1934 at the same church. Below is a photo of Doreen and Edna with their mother.

Doreen, Louisa and Edna Curtis

Doreen, Louisa and Edna Curtis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

Further Notes on the Quaker Connection:   

During my research into the Curtis family at South Perrott, I came across mention of a Samuel Curtis in the Quaker records. This Samuel was a clothier and lived in South Perrott during 1657 (see document).*  In the same year, a Samuel Curtis and his wife Elizabeth had a son Roger, born 13th March, 1657. This was recorded in the Register of Births belonging to the Monthly Meetings of the Middle Division of Somerset 1644 – 1779. Upon further searching, I found these other children:

Elizabeth Curtis born 4th May, 1650 Crewkerne
Samuel Curtis born 13th Jan, 1651 Crewkerne, buried 1651 Crewkerne
Samuel Curtis born 22 Feb, 1652 Crewkerne
Joane Curtis born 8th March, 1655 Crewkerne                                                                                                                                                    John Curtis born 7th Dec, 1659 Crewkerne, buried 5th Aug, 1662 Crewkerne

It was also noted that their son Roger was buried on 14th March, 1660 Crewkerne. So this Roger cannot be the father of our oldest Roger, although the dates would have been perfect! But is he a relation? The place of abode for Samuel and Elizabeth is not stated in any of the birth or burial records of their children and so we cannot rule out that is was either South Perrott or Crewkerne where we now know our family were living in the 1600s.  Could this be the Samuel Curtis/Courtyce born in 1626 at Crewkerne, son of Roger and Thomazin?  Certainly the right timescale and naming his first son Roger after his father would be expected. And if this is the same Samuel, is he also the same Samuel who appeared in “Crewkerne Wood” Alloways Creek, Salem County, New Jersey, in 1679? as mentioned in a land deed available at the West Jersey History Page. Here the deed states:

1679, April 11. Deed. John Adams, of New Salem, and wife Elizabeth – to Samuel Curtis, late of Crewkerne, County of Somersett, clothier, for 500 acres, henceforth to be called Crewkerne Wood, in the half allotment of Allawayes, between the Willis plantation, Allawayes Creek and Adams Creek.’

* Ref: publication “The First publishers of truth being early records of the introduction of Quakerism into the counties of England and Wales / edited by Norman Penney (Soc of Friends)”

He is certainly born at the right time and after all, how many clothworkers were there is the Crewkerne and South Perrott area at this time called Samuel Curtis? 

And…. is there a connection to Edward Curtis, clothworker – See family tree.

One possible spanner in the works is the burial of another Roger Curtis on 16th April, 1699 at Crewkerne in the same Quaker registers. This is too late to be Roger, the father of Samuel mentioned above.  Here, the place of abode was transcribed in the registers as Street [This would be Street, near Chard, just 6.5 miles West of South Perrott].  However, looking at the original register it does not look like Street at all, but more like “Perot”[South or North Perrott?]. There is also a Robert Curtis of “Perot” further down the page, buried on 4th June, 1704 15 .   Are they relatives?  Perhaps Samuel’s older brother Roger and younger brother Robert?  A page from a book outlining life as a Quaker during the period 1650 – 1689 called ‘A Collection of the Sufferings of the People Called Quakers’ listed both Samuel Curtis of Crewkerne and Robert Curtis of South Perrott in 1670 as having paid penalties 16.   

 

Additional Information from Barbara Harrell from June 2021 has meant that we have been able to explore the Curtis family of Salem in conjunction with several other families, some of which are “cousins” to Samuel b 1652 and his daughter Ann. I am now devoting a new page to the Curtis family of Salem County. 

 


 

DNA Matches

So far I have DNA matches with the following:

Descendants of Charles England born 1872, son of Ester Curtis (born 1846) and Thomas England,

Descendants of Thomas Bugler’s bother and sister; uncle and Aunt of Sarah Jane Bugler born 1860, and 

Descendants of Charlotte Dawbney (born 1788)’s brother John Dawbney.

 

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1 South Perrott Parish records including Dorset opc

2 Cheddington parish registers

3 Corscombe parish registers

4 Mosterton parish registers

5 Census records incl the 1939 Register – ancestry.co.uk

6 Birth, marriage or death certificate

7 John & Vikki Harris

8 Burial cards

9 www.deceasedonline.com

 10 Dorset PRs on ancestry.co.uk

11 Crewkerne parish registers from ancestry and freeReg

12 Haselbury Plucknett registers on freeReg

13 Settlement record received from Dorset Archives Service

14 Land Tax Records, ancestry.co.uk

15  England & Wales, Quaker Birth, Marriage, and Death Registers, 1578-1837

16 A Collection of the Sufferings of the People Called Quakers: For the Testimony of a Good Conscience from the Time of Their Being First Distinguished by that Name in the Year 1650 to the Time of the Act Commonly Called the Act of Toleration Granted to Protestant Dissenters in the First Year of the Reign of King William the Third and Queen Mary in the Year 1689, Volume 1; Joseph Besse, L Hindem 1753 the University of California. Digitised 4th Apr 2014. 

6 Responses to “Curtis”

  • George Curtis:

    Dear Juliet

    I am trying to search for George Curtis in my family tree. In the 1861 Census it is recorded that he was born in South Perrot around 1814 (listed as being 47 in 1861). He was a carter and married to Selina and the census lists she was born in Melbury Osmond. His children were Esau Curtis born in Cattistock 19 yrs old in 1861 census, George Curtis 17 in 1861 born in Cattistock, Samuel Curtis 11 years in 1861 and born in Swyre and Emily Curtis, 9 years old in 1861 and born in Swyre.

    The family then seems to have moved to working around the Cheselbourne area. I would like to work further back, but can’t find any George Curtis who was born around those dates in South Perrot and who went on to marry a Selina. I would be grateful if you have come across any links to our line of Curtis’s from South Perrot.

    Caroline

    • Hi Caroline,
      I am so sorry that I have just seen this message on my website. It is supposed to email be notifications but it has not been and I have missed about 5 messages in the last 6 months!
      Leave this one with me as I have several branches from South Perrot which may be hiding your George. I will get back to you if I find anything!
      best wishes
      Juliet

  • Crispin Weston:

    Hello Juliet, I am researching a history of Sort, a cottage and barn which used to be part of Wytherston Farm, near Powerstock. In 1882, letters that are now in the Dorset History Centre show that the tenancy of Wytherston was taken by a John Curtis, whose son lived in a house that used to be at Sort, but burned down in 1910. James died soon after 1901 and his son, John, moved away soon afterwards. Before coming to Wytherston, James had been a tenant of the Vicar of Rampisham, who gave him a very good reference. You don’t know how he might fit in to your family tree, do you? It seems strange that George Curtis and Sarah Groves married at “Wytherston parish church”, if there was no connection. Though in fact, there does not appear to have been any church at Wytherston after the Dissolution of the Monasteries, when Wytherston became an adjunct of Powerstock – so perhaps that is where they got married. Do and I can show you some of James’ letters – though of course, I would be very interested if you knew anything more about James and his son John. We also met a very nice chap called James Curtis, who is the grandson of James the son of John. Perhaps you know them?

    • Hello Crispin,

      Sorry for the delayed response, it seems my email notifications have stopped working.
      My Curtis line went off to London by 1881. I am afraid that I have no knowledge of the cottage of Sort and I do not appear to have a James Curtis of that generation in my tree. Sorry that I cannot help. I know that there were a lot of Curtis’s at that period and your could have been from a branch that I have not yet discovered.
      best of luck in finding the information.

      Juliet

  • Ian Booth:

    Dear Juliet
    My wife and I lived in Broadwindsor for 4 years and have just moved back to Essex. There are still many of the Curtis family there. Along with the Saints and the Framptons. These are probably the most commomn surnames in the village. Does that help?

    • Hi Ian,
      Thanks. Although we did have a branch that lived in Broadwindsor, they were not direct ancestors. Ours were from South Perrott and now I am trying to trace back into the possibility that they were Quakers form Somerset originally. Thanks anyway. Juliet

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