An Irish Problem
My antecedent, Laurence Fell’s origins have evaded me for a
number of years. Other than the fact that he was born in Ireland about 1799 from the 1841 Census, I
have no other evidence of his birth. However there seems to be a connection
with other Irish “FELLS” in London.
The earliest record that I have of him is of his marriage at
St Dunston in the East[i],
just to the west of the Tower of London in 1835 to Eliza ALBERT.
Their first child was a daughter, baptised as Rosanna but
always known as Rosa. At that time Laurence was a hatter living south of the
Thames not far from Southwark Holy Trinity Church in the Civil Parish of
Newington.
Interestingly, the
sponsor at Rosa’s 1836 Roman Catholic baptism[ii]
was a “John FELL”. Was this John FELL a sibling or close relative? Was he the
John FELL, hatter, who was later living with the family in 1841?
Rosa’s birth was follower a couple of years later by a son,
John. John was also baptised at St George’s Roman Catholic Chapel[iii]
in London Road, Southwark. This time his sponsors were Patrick FELL and Rosanna
FELL. Laurence had acted as a witness at Patrick’s marriage[iv]
at Southwark only a few months before, to Cathy PURCELL nee O’BRIEN. Patrick
also was a hatter.
Patrick had been busy. In December 1836 he had also been
sponsor at the baptism of Michael FELL’s son John Henry[v]
also at St George’s RC chapel. Who was Michael? – Yes, another hatter from
Ireland!
Meanwhile Lawrence FELL had moved north of the Thames and emerged
as a publican of the “The White Hart”, Pennington Street in the East End, in
time for the birth of his son Lawrence in August 1840. What led to the change
in occupation? -Maybe simple opportunity. John FELL filled in as Lawrence
junior’s sponsor at his baptism[vi]
along with Eliza’s sister Mary Ann.
Patrick’s first wife Catherine died only four months after
their marriage. By July 1840 he had married Margaret MURRAY in Moorfields. By
the time of the 1841 Census, Patrick and Margaret had probably moved to
Eyrecourt in County Galway in Ireland. There they were to have 2 children, John
and Mary Ann before moving to the US in time for the birth of son Lawrence in
1846. Patrick retained his trade as a hatter and settled on Orange New Jersey.
Michael FELL and his wife Charlotte JAMES had settled in
Green Court just off Blackfriars Road with the addition of two more children,
Rosa and Thomas.
By June 1841, Laurence and Eliza had shifted to Rosemary
Lane not far from the Tower of London where he was now publican of the “Duke of
Sussex”. Living with the family were John FELL, 24, hatter from Ireland and
Rosetta FELL, 22. Eliza was not well. Within eighteen months she had died,
followed a fortnight later by two year-old Lawrence junior.
Laurence himself was
suffering from tuberculosis. It is understandable that he was declared bankrupt
within a few months and he and his depleted family moved back to Southwark in
the vicinity of Blackfriars Road.
It was from here that he was admitted to Guy’s Hospital in
March 1844. Did he move in with Michael? Laurence died in hospital in May.
Michael’s fourth son, Michael Lawrence was born in March
1844 and baptised[vii]
in May again in the London Road Chapel. Sponsor this time was John FELL. A
daughter Charlotte was born in 1846 before this family followed Patrick to New
Jersey in 1848.
The surname “Fell” is not very common in Ireland but those
with that name that I could find were mostly in Galway. Patrick’s funeral
notice mentioned a birthplace of Eyrecourt. Unfortunately, it is one of those
parishes whose Catholic Parish Registers are missing.
I suspect that maybe Patrick, Michael and Lawrence share
the same father, John FELL, a hatter as recorded in Patrick’s second marriage.
All three called their first son “John”.
I have calculated
their approximate birth dates from death and census records.
Perhaps DNA results will finally give me an answer.
[i]
St Dunstan in
the East (City of London, London, England) Parish Register,
"Marriages," 1835 No 350 p 117 Lawrence Fell and Eliza Albert; digital
images, Church of Latter Day Saints, Family Search (familysearch.org
: accessed 23 Sep 2022).
[ii]
St George's Chapel
(Southwark, Surrey, England) Parish Register, "Baptisms
1831-1837," 3600 Fell Rosanna;
digital images, Brightsolid, Find My past (findmypast.com.au :
accessed 14 Aug 2020); Fell Die 27 Aprilis 1836 Nato et die 17 Mayii Baptizata
fuit Rosanna Fell, filia Laurentii et Eliza Fell, olim Albert, conjugeum,
Patrinius fuit Joannes Fell a me Joanne White Misso Apco
[iii]
St George's
Chapel (Southwark, Surrey, England) Parish Register, "Baptisms
1838-1844," 254 Fell Joannes Fell;
digital images, Brightsolid, Find My past (findmypast.com.au); Fell
Die 1 Maii 1838 natus et die 22 Maii 1838 Baptizatus fuit Joannes Fell, filius
Lautentii et Eliza Fell, olim Albert, conjugum, Patrini fuere Patritius et
Rosanna Fell a me Jonne White Miss:o Ap:co
[iv]
St George the
Martyr (Southwick, Surrey, England), Parish Register, "Marriages 1837",
No 98 Patrick Fell and Catherine Purcell. Rec. Date: 26 Sep 2022.
[v]
St George's
Chapel (Southwark, Surrey, England), Parish Register "Baptisms
1836," No 3982 Fell Joannis
Henricus
[vi]
Fell-Albert
baptism (1840); Virginia Street Chapel (London, Middlesex); Laurence Fell b 1
Aug 1840 bapt 27 Aug 1840 Father Laurence Mother Eliza Albert Sponsors John
Fell, Mary Ann Albert
[vii] St George the Martyr Chapel (Southwark, Surrey, England) Parish Register "Baptisms," 1844 4344 Lawrence X Fell, Michael Laurence.
No comments:
Post a Comment