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Rebecca (Peters) Watson (abt. 1750 - 1845)

Rebecca Watson formerly Peters
Born about in Georgeham, Devon, Englandmap
Daughter of [father unknown] and [mother unknown]
[sibling(s) unknown]
Wife of — married 21 Aug 1785 in Nassau, New Providence, Bahamasmap
Descendants descendants
Died at about age 95 in Croyde, Devon, England, United Kingdommap
Problems/Questions Profile managers: Linda Prole private message [send private message] and Amanda Graham private message [send private message]
Profile last modified | Created 20 Jan 2015
This page has been accessed 383 times.

Biography

Cross of St George
Rebecca (Peters) Watson was born in England.

Rebecca Peters was born in about 1750.

She was about 36 years of age when she married Scottish-born William Watson (the son of Thomas Watson and Euphan Scott) on 21 August 1785 in Nassau, Island of New Providence, Florida, United Sates.

Her husband had sailed to East Florida as a young man, where he was employed as a carpenter for Andrew Turnbull, the Scottish physician who started the New Smyrna colony in East Florida in 1768. William actually built Andrew Turnbull's own house four miles north of the Colony's harbour. By 1777 he had built 145 houses valued at £45 each, using frame construction. William later fled Florida in about 1783 when the British Government handed control of East Florida to the Spanish.

Rebecca and her husband William spent a year endeavouring to build a life in the Bahamas. However the soil of the Bahamas was thin and rocky and the air unhealthy with disease and pestilence undoing much of the little success they had. Finally they resolved to return to England in the autumn of 1785. They secured a berth on the ship Polly. For three weeks they tied all their monies into bags and placed them securely in 3 iron-bound chests which were loaded onto the ship. No insurance was purchased which was a mistake as after a harrowing journey of many weeks through some terrible storms, the ship was wrecked on Portland Beach, Weymouth, England. Their iron bound trunks survived the wrecking and came ashore whole, but the villains on the beach smashed them in and snatched all their belongings, so nothing was saved.

The following account of the ship wreck appeared on Page 3 of the Leeds Intelligencer, dated 14 February 1786:

A Letter from Weymouth, dated January 30 says: “Last night was driven on shore, on Portland Beach, the ship Polly, of Stockton, in Durham, burthen 500 tons, George King, master, from New Providence bound for London. Her cargo consists of mahogany, brizileto, fustick, logwood, boxwood, etc.. Soon after she struck, she went to pieces. The whole crew, being 13 in number, and 4 passengers, were saved, as was part of the cargo.”[1]

Once recovered they made their way from Weymouth to London, staying in Little Argyle Street for a time. Her husband worked tirelessly to recoup their losses, and they went on to have a family of at least three children.

On 3 August 1807 their 17 year old daughter Rebecca married 29 year old William Prole at Barnstaple, Devon, England.

On 30 June 1818 her son William Watson Jr. married Bridget Bowles Abraham (the daughter of the late William Abraham) at Bathwick St Mary, Somerset, England. They would have four children, one of whom died young, but sadly Bridget died in 1828 at the age of 30.

Her husband William died on 3 July 1818 at the age of 80.

Three years later, her other daughter Margaret married Lieutenant Richard Greening on 22 May 1821 in St James Parish, Bristol, Gloucester, England. They remained childless, and Margaret passed away in February 1830 at age 41.

1841 UK Census
Croyde, Georgeham, Barnstaple, Devon, England:

Household Members
NameSexAgeBirth YearProfessionBirth Place
William ProleMale601781FarmerDevon, England
Rebecca ProleFemale501791-Devon, England
Lucy ProleFemale251816-Devon, England
Richard ProleMale101831-Devon, England
Charlotte ProleFemale201821--
Ronald ProleMale01841--
Rebecca WatsonFemale901751IndependantDevon, England
William GammonMale251816Male ServantDevon, England
John HopkinsMale101831-Devon, England
Richard GammonMale101831-Devon, England
Mary GrierFemale201821Female ServantDevon, England
Mary DavyFemale201821Female Servant-
Sarah HopkinsFemale351806Female ServantDevon, England

Rebecca passed away on 25 June 1845 at the grand old age of 95[2]. Cause of death on her Death Certificate was recorded as "Old Age". The informant was W. Prole, present at death.

Bristol Times and Mirror 28 June 1845, page 3:
DEATHS.
June 24, aged 95, at the residence of her daughter, Croyde, Devonshire, Rebecca, relict of the late, and mother of William Watson, Esq., of Burnhead, in the county of Roxburgh, North Britain, and of this city[3]
North Devon Journal 03 July 1845, page 3:
DEATHS.
At Croyde, the residence of her daughter, Rebecca, relict of the late, and mother of William Watson, Esq., of Burnhead, in the county of Roxburgh, North Britain, and formerly this town.[4]

She was buried on 29 June 1845 at St. George's Churchyard, Georgeham Churchyard, the Ceremony performed by Rev. F Hole (Rector)[5].

Inscription:

Also of Rebecca
Relict of William Watson
Formerly of Barnstaple
Who died 24th June 1845
Aged 95 years

Note: Altar Tombstone (the larger of the two) on the left of the path from the Lychgate to the Porch by the Yew tree

Sources

  1. Leeds Intelligencer 14 February 1786, Page 3 https://search.findmypast.co.uk/ (requires subscription).
  2. "England and Wales Death Registration Index 1837-2007," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2NTF-DP7 : 31 December 2014), Rebecca Watson, 1845; from "England & Wales Deaths, 1837-2006,"
  3. Bristol Times and Mirror 28 June 1845, page 3, https://search.findmypast.co.uk/
  4. North Devon Journal 03 July 1845, page 3, https://search.findmypast.co.uk/
  5. Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/209771166/rebecca-watson: accessed 03 October 2022), memorial page for Rebecca Peters Watson (1750–24 Jun 1845), Find A Grave: Memorial #209771166, citing St. George's Churchyard, Georgeham, North Devon District, Devon, England; Maintained by lindylou631 (contributor 49254308)
  • As told by Rebecca to her granddaughter on 26 January 1787 who recorded it

See also:

  • "England and Wales Census, 1841," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQTN-TD9 : accessed 21 October 2015), Rebecca Watson in household of William Prole, Georgeham, Devon, England; from "1841 England, Scotland and Wales census,"




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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with Rebecca by comparing test results with other carriers of her mitochondrial DNA. However, there are no known mtDNA test-takers in her direct maternal line. It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with Rebecca:

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Categories: St George's Churchyard, Georgeham, Devon | Georgeham, Devon