The Barrass Matriarch

Sarah Hempseed was baptised on 11 January 1767 at St Alban's, Earsdon. She was the daughter of William Hempseed and Catherine Ledger, and is my 5x great-grandmother.

On 7 February 1784, Sarah married Alexander Barrass at St Alban's, Earsdon when she was about seventeen years of age. Alexander was a pitman from nearby Hartley and together he and went on to have ten children.

St Alban's, Earsdon

Alexander died in January 1826, at the age of sixty-four. By that time, he and Sarah had moved to Benton Square. After Alexander's death, Sarah spent time living with her children who all lived nearby in numerous different mining villages. 

Her son William lived in Benton Square, running the Wheat Sheaf Inn with his wife. Sarah was living there when she died on 3 October 1850, twenty-four years after her husband's death. Sarah was 83-years-old, and died of Climacteric Disease; general decline or a sudden alteration in health. She was later buried alongside her husband in the family grave at St Alban's church, Earsdon, the same church where they had wed. 

The Barrass family grave,
with St Alban's church behind.

On 12 October, Sarah's name appeared in the death column of the Newcastle Guardian newspaper. The Newcastle Guardian expanded and described more of Sarah's family life, showing her to be a true matriarch:

"At Benton Square, on the 2nd inst. aged 85, much respected, Sarah, widow of the late Mr Alexander Barrass; deceased has left no less than sixty-five children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, and forty-three of them attended her remains to the grave."

Although they did get Sarah's date of death incorrect, I find this entry so remarkable. I'd like to think that Sarah was a very caring and maternal woman, as the number of granddaughters named in her honour suggests. 

Suicide At Seghill

Sarah Barrass was born on 28 May 1798 at Shiremoor, Northumberland, and was baptised on 24 June at Christ Church, Tynemouth. She was the daughter of Alexander Barrass and Sarah Hempseed. 

Sarah's elder brother Robert was my 4x Great Grandfather.

An extract from Sarah's baptism.
From the Durham Bishop's Transcripts. 

On 30 January 1819 at Gosforth, Sarah Barrass married a man named Martin Morgan. Robert Barrass and Elizabeth Maughan, my not-yet married 4x Great Grandparents were the witnesses to the union. 

The marriage of Martin Morgan and Sarah Barrass.
From the Durham Bishop's Transcripts.

From Gosforth the Morgan family went to Longbenton, along with Sarah's family, and from there they went to Seghill. Together the couple had five children; Martin, Sarah, Alexander, Elizabeth and a second Elizabeth, after the first sadly died in infancy. 

When their third child, Alexander was around the age of 30, he married a lady named Elizabeth Fish. Together Alex. and Elizabeth had at least five children. 

When Alexander was about 63 in 1887 he was seriously injured at Seghill Colliery, after a fall of stone in the pit. 

Published in the Morpeth Herald, 11 June 1887.

Five years after the accident, Alexander's name appeared in the Morpeth Herald again. This time, for a much more tragic reason. 

"On Wednesday, before Mr. J. R. D. Lynn, Coroner, an inquest was held at the Blake Arms Inn, Seghill, touching the death of Alexander Morgan, aged 68, a miner at Seghill."

Alexander's son, Martin came forward confirming that the body was that of his father. Martin also stated that his father had been ill for around 14 weeks, after falling in his house and injuring his head and bowels. 

"On Sunday night deceased complained of a pain and trouble in his head, and could not rest, and appeared to be in a desponding state of mind. In his (witness's) opinion it was owing to not being able to get to work. A few years ago deceased had a fright, which somewhat affected his head. There was an insurance on deceased's life." 

Ann Wilson, a neighbour of the Morgans stated that for a while now Alex. had been in a desponding state of mind. Ann went on to say that a doctor had been attending him for 'shock to the system', caused by the fall he had some time ago. She also stated that she had never known Alexander to threaten to destroy himself. 

On Sunday, Alexander was complaining about the pain in his head. At a quarter to eight on Monday morning, Ann Wilson saw Alexander go into his garden to the privy, but did not take much notice. About three minutes later, Ann heard Elizabeth Morgan shouting and went out into the garden, finding Alex. in the outhouse. He was in a kneeling position, 'working his hand at his neck'. Alexander brought his hand away, and Ann noticed the razor, and the wound in his throat bleeding heavily. 

At once Ann called for assistance and had Alexander carried into his house, where he died about ten minutes later. 

"-The jury returned a verdict that deceased died whilst in an unsound state of mind."

A Link To Queen Victoria?

In the past I have mentioned a distant branch of my family who married into the gentry, and thus along with their descendants appear in the Peerage. 

My 5x Great Grandparents were Alexander and Sarah Barrass, who lived all of their lives around the Earsdon area of Northumberland. Together the couple had ten children. Their youngest son Matthew married his first cousin, Ann Hempseed, and they lived in Killingworth, Northumberland. By trade Matthew was a farmer, although later in life hw was a shipowner. 

Presumably it was through the shipping trade that his daughter Sarah Ann met and married John Rogerson who was a civil engineer, iron merchant and a shipowner. John Rogerson the man behind Rogerson & Co., opened a shipbuilding and repairing yard on the river Tyne and also founded an improved line of steamers, the Red Star Line. The Rogerson family soon moved into Croxdale Hall, Durham.

John and Sarah Ann's marriage notice.
Married on 18 August 1863 at Longbenton.

John and Sarah Ann's children led quite a privileged life in comparison to some of their cousins whose fathers were still very much working class, remaining as farmers or butchers. The Rogersons' daughters married into other wealthy families and their sons had the best education possible at Durham, Harrow and later Trinity College, Cambridge. Their eldest son John Edwin Rogerson in later life was a Conservative MP for the Barnard Castle constituency.

In March 1921 the engagement of John Edwin Rogerson's daughter Aileen Mary, to Captain Griffin Wyndham Edward Hanmer, the son of Sir Wyndham C H Hanmer, 6th Baronet, was announced. The couple went on to marry in November of the same year, and so Miss Aileen Mary Rogerson became Lady Hanmer.

The engagement.

Griffin Hanmer known as Edward, was the great-grandson of Victoria, or Victoire Conroy the daughter of the notorious Sir John Conroy. John Conroy was close friend (and possible lover) of the Duchess of Kent, Queen Victoria's mother. 

He was also the creator of the Kensington System, which Princess Victoria lived by up until she became Queen. The Kensington System was a cruel one which did not allow Princess Victoria to sleep alone, or even walk down the stairs without holding an adult's hand. She was kept isolated from other children, except for Victoria Conroy and her siblings. Princess Victoria grew to hate her mother and the Conroys.

Showing the connection to
Sir John and Victoria Conroy.

Lady Aileen Mary Hanmer was the third cousin of my Great Grandmother, Margery Rudd. The current Baronet Hanmer is my 5th Cousin Once Removed.

Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Moth, Mustardseed and ... Hempseed?

Hempseed. I was quite curious as to the origin of this surname when I found out this was the maiden name of my 5x Great Grandmother, Sarah who married Alexander Barrass. 

They married in 1784 at St Alban's, Earsdon, Northumberland and together had ten children; John, William, Alexander, James, Robert (My 4x Great Grandfather), Sarah, William, Cuthbert, Matthew and Margaret (died in infancy).

As for earlier generations of the Hempseed family, they can be found living in Seaton Sluice, headed by William Hempseed and his wife Catherine Ledger, a native of Heworth, Durham. William worked at the glassworks at Seaton Sluice.

St Alban's Church, Earsdon, Northumberland.

A notable member of the Hempseed family is Captain Forster Hempseed a great-grandson of William and Catherine, who sadly drowned at sea along with his wife and infant child off the coast of Australia in 1859. 

Before William came his father James, and mother Sarah Gair who married in 1740 at Newcastle upon Tyne. As far as I can tell the Hempseed name did not exist in the Newcastle area previous to this date. There are however a few female Hempseeds marrying in the area after 1740, who could be possible sisters of James. There does seem to be a number of Hempseed families in the Fife, Perth and East Lothian areas of Scotland pre-1740.

Matthew Barrass, the youngest son of Alexander and Sarah, actually married his first cousin, Ann Hempseed and together had eight children. His daughters became quite wealthy with one, Sarah Ann marrying John Rogerson a civil engineer and a ship-builder from Morpeth. Many of Matthew and Ann's descendants appear in the Peerage after marrying into the gentry.

All from a glassman and his wife ...