The bethell family of Painswick & Greenwich

[Lee Mervin]

Hi Everyone,

I am researching the Bethell family of Painswick, a branch of which moved to Greenwich in the early 1800s
I have heard of an out of print book by David Bethel called “An Industrious People: A Celebration of the Bethell families” - does anyone own a copy and if so could they tell me if it mentions the Painswick Bethells?
Also, does anyone know anything of the mysterious Britannia Jones - born “at sea” in 1759, married Thomas Bethel of Painswick (who died in 1794 when he fell down the shaft of a well, the winch of which he was mending) and died (possibly from eating a “tart or puff” that had been poisoned by a nephew) in London in 1846. - see attached.
I would love to know how she came to be born on board ship, why she was given such a patriotic name and who her parents were
Many Thanks,

Lee

 

[gibbo]

Just posting for reference.

1841 uk census
Name: Britania Bethell
Event Place: Painswick, Gloucestershire, England, United Kingdom
Residence Note: Bult Green
Age (Original): 82
Birth Year (Estimated): 1755-1759
Birthplace: At Sea
Registration District: Stroud
Parish: Painswick
County: Gloucestershire
Britania Bethell 82 At sea
Charlotte Savory 60 Gloucestershire
Samuel Savory 20 Gloucestershire
William Bodly 4 Gloucestershire
.

 

[gibbo]

England Marriages, 1538–1973

Name: Thos. Bethell
Spouse's Name: Brittannia Jones
Event Date: 30 Nov 1779
Event Place: Painswick,Gloucester,England
.

 

[gibbo]

I was wondering with her unusual name if she may have been named after the ship she was born on. I have seen this done before so I had a look and found this, might worth checking out.
Date unknown but it shows a ship by that name, Britannia.

Britannia -- Great Britain. The ship foundered in the Bristol Channel off Northam, Devon with the loss of all but three of her crew. She was on a voyage from New York, British America to Bristol, Gloucestershire.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_shipwrecks_in_1760

 

[p.risboy]

Unknown date.
Britannia. The ship foundered in the Bristol Channel off Northam, Devon with the loss of all but three of her crew. She was on a voyage from New York, British America to Bristol, Gloucestershire.

 

[gibbo]

Unknown date.
Britannia. The ship foundered in the Bristol Channel off Northam, Devon with the loss of all but three of her crew. She was on a voyage from New York, British America to Bristol, Gloucestershire.

?? I had already posted that Steve.

 

[p.risboy]

I missed that bit on your post.

 

[gibbo]

I missed that bit on your post.

Well your a right wally aren't you

 

[gibbo]

The link was only to prove there was a ship by that name, unusual name she had so wondered if there is something to it. Long shot but could be worth checking out passenger lists on the Britannia over a few years around the time she was born. Not sure if there would be any surviving shipping records tho for that era

 

[p.risboy]

I never change, do I.

 

[gibbo]

No little feat looking for a family by the name of Jones who had a birth on board a ship, Britannia, with approx. year of travel. Jones not the easiest names at the best of times.

 

[DaveHam9]

This has last known 1759

https://threedecks.org/index.php?display_type=show_ship&id=26952

 

[DaveHam9]

None of these fit the date.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Britannia


I have several bv in my tree - one I can recall named Harmony.

 

[gibbo]

None of these fit the date.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Britannia


I have several bv in my tree - one I can recall named Harmony.

bv?

Do we know if the correct year of birth is in fact 1759? If that year of birth was taken from her age in the 1841 census we all know they can be out up to a couple of years at times.
I know the ship name thing is a long shot but with nothing else to work with to find where she was born or who her parents are I thought it was worth a mention.

 

[DaveHam9]

On shipping records for born vessel.

A very reasonable assumption, gibbo to be named after the vessel.

All we have is age in census so far.

 

[gibbo]

England Marriages, 1538–1973

Name: Thos. Bethell
Spouse's Name: Brittannia Jones
Event Date: 30 Nov 1779
Event Place: Painswick,Gloucester,England
.

Would the parish record of the marriage [1779] state father's name?

 

[Lee Mervin]

I was wondering with her unusual name if she may have been named after the ship she was born on. I have seen this done before so I had a look and found this, might worth checking out.
Date unknown but it shows a ship by that name, Britannia.

Britannia -- Great Britain. The ship foundered in the Bristol Channel off Northam, Devon with the loss of all but three of her crew. She was on a voyage from New York, British America to Bristol, Gloucestershire.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_shipwrecks_in_1760

This is an interesting thought!

 

[Lee Mervin]

This has last known 1759

https://threedecks.org/index.php?display_type=show_ship&id=26952

Thanks Dave - a definite possibility 😊

 

[DaveHam9]

Bad luck - not one witness from each family.

County Gloucestershire
Place Painswick
Church name St Mary
Register type Phillimore's Transcript
Marriage date Nov 1779
Groom forename Tho's
Groom surname BETHELL
Groom parish Otp
Bride forename Brittania
Bride surname JONES
Bride parish Otp
Witness1 W'm BETHELL
Witness2 Mary BETHELL
Notes Banns
Transcribed by Yvonne Cutts
File line number 828

 

[Lee Mervin]

Would the parish record of the marriage [1779] state father's name?

Sadly not and the witnesses are both Bethells - see attached

Bad luck - not one witness from each family.

County Gloucestershire
Place Painswick
Church name St Mary
Register type Phillimore's Transcript
Marriage date Nov 1779
Groom forename Tho's
Groom surname BETHELL
Groom parish Otp
Bride forename Brittania
Bride surname JONES
Bride parish Otp
Witness1 W'm BETHELL
Witness2 Mary BETHELL
Notes Banns
Transcribed by Yvonne Cutts
File line number 828

ooops -didn’t see you’d already replied !