AMROTH

Click on any of the childrens names for more details

Joseph was a millwright - a trade he had learnt away from Bridford. We find him in Chagford in the 1851 census as an apprentice living in Fore Street. In the same house were two journeyman millwrights - James Jennings and George Babb - so perhaps it was with these that he picked up the skills. The head of the household was Samuel Lee, an agricultural labourer. Other occupants of the house included three sisters - Elizabeth, Priscilla and Ann Dicker.

Joseph Wills married Ruth Yelland sometime between Q1 1855 (ref Exeter 5b 127). Unlike his father he was not a farmer and became a millwright, having been apprenticed in Chagford. After the death of Ruth in Q1 1870 (ref St Thomas 5b 63) he married Priscilla Scanes in Q2 1872 (ref St Thomas 5b 133) and the last two daughters were by this marriage. Priscilla was a widow and pure speculation on my part reckoned that she was the Priscilla Dicker he had met some 20 years earlier. This was totally wrong! Research proves it, go to the bottom of the page for the truth.

Joseph and his family lived at Venn Park Cottage during the 1870's and 1880's but by 1891 they were back at Furzeland.

For more details of Ruth Yelland and her ancestors click here

William
Died at the age of 11 on 15th July 1867. He is buried in Bridford Churchyard. The inscription reads:

HIS TRUST WAS IN THE BLOOD
THE NEWS OF WHICH HAD TOLD HIM
THAT SPOTLESS AS THE SON OF GOD
HIS FATHER COULD BEHOLD HIM
AND ALL HIS TRUST WAS IN THAT NAME
THROUGH WHOM THIS GREAT SALVATION CAME

Caroline
Never married. In 1881 she was in domestic service to a builder called Chubb in Tormohan. In 1891 she was in Bristol as cook to the Lewis family. They were photographers living at 25 Whiteladies Road in Clifton. By 1901 she was sharing a house in Kingswear with her brother Philip Henry.
Caroline died 4/3/1948 and is buried in Kingswear cemetery

Joseph
Died in 1875 aged 16

Ellen Mary
Died, unmarried, in 1895.

Albert
Albert was also known as Albert Edward and Walter Albert. He was baptised on 3rd August 1862 and married Sarah Saunders (or Sanders) in 1889. His family is detailed on a separate page, click here!

Hannah
Married James Reynolds in 1886 in Barton Regis and had three children before his death in 1893. She then married John Chown in 1896 and had a further five children. Hannah died in 1952

Pictures of Hannah and John, and John Chown on his own

Descendants of Hannah Chown (nee Wills) are detailed on her page.

Philip Henry
Next in the direct line of descent, he and his wife have their own page

Sarah Julia

Eva

Priscilla Scanes married Joseph Wills in 1872. When she married Joseph she was a widow with a son, Sidney.

Her maiden name was Priscilla Mudge and she married Robert Scanes Q2 1867 (ref Exeter 5b 188). Sidney Seymour Scanes was born Q3 1869 (ref St Thomas 5b 75). Robert died, aged 46, Q2 1870 (ref St Thomas 5b 56)

In the 1871 census Priscilla (now 38 years old) was living with her parents John & Susanna Mudge at Bennah Mine, Christow with her
son Sidney S. Also there was a younger sister Emma aged 11.
In 1861 Priscilla Mudger was the housemaid to an Edward Tyler (a retired Indian Civil Servant) at 71 Harley Street, London. The age (28) and birthplace ("near Exeter") tie up that this was the right person.
I have not found Priscilla in the 1851 census; in 1841 she was at home with her parents. John and Susannah Mudge had a large family and it appears that she was the eldest child, born in 1833. From the
censuses her siblings were: John (b 1836), George (b 1839), Charles (b 1842), Joseph (b 1844), James (b 1845), Sarah A (b 1849), Salina B (b 1848) and Emma (b 1860). John, her father, moved up in the world from an agricultural labourer in 1841; an engineer in 1851; to an engine driver in 1861 & 1871 (this was for a winding/pumping engine at the mine and both sons George & James were similarly occupied in 1861).
Both John and Susannah were from Christow (specifically Bennah) and all of the children were born there.
Robert Scanes, who Priscilla married in 1867 was himself a widower. Robert's first wife Sarah died Q3 1866 (ref Crediton 5b 287). Robert & Sarah had at least one child - Charles (b 1843). In 1851 Robert was an agricultural labourer in Newton St Cyres; in 1861 a lead-miner in Christow. Both Robert and Sarah were from Newton St Cyres.