Jane (Francis) Rossington (1840 - 1913)

Born 17 Apr 1840 in Denver, Norfolk, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Wife of George Rossington — married 21 Feb 1864 in St Mary's Parish, Newington, England

Descendants

Died 3 May 1913 at age 73 in Belltrees, New South Wales, Australia

Profile manager: Evone Bennett [send private message]

Biography

The following was adapted from the website of descendant Andrew Lancaster.

Jane’s father Isaiah Francis, was an agricultural labourer in the reclaimed lowland or “Fenland” area around the river Ouse between the older and higher towns of Littleport, Cambridgeshire and Downham Market, Norfolk.

• 21 April 1797 Isaiah Francis was baptised St George’s church, Littleport, on the same day as his sister Elizabeth.
• 2 May 1813 Isaiah married Alice Stannard, at St. George's Parish Church, Littleport.
• 26 Nov 1824. Baptism of Ruth Francis in Downham Market, daughter of Isaiah and Alice, although Alice may have been crossed out?
• 26 Nov 1826. Baptism of Sarah Francis in Downham Market, daughter of Isaih and Alice.
• 24 Aug 1828. Baptism of Isaiah Francis in Downham Market, son of Isaiah and Alice.
• 2 Jul 1830. Baptism of Margaret Francis of Salter’s Lode in Downham Market, daughter of Isaiah and Alice.
• 9 Jul 1832, Alice Francis of Salter’s Lode was buried in Downham Market at the age of 40. This was about the same time as her eldest daughter Jane (not our Jane)…
• 12 July 1832. Jane Francis of Salter’s Lode, 18 years old, (or 18 months according to FreeREG) buried in Downham Market. (An elderly Jane Francis, 73 years old, also a resident of Salter’s Lode, died 4 July 1832. So perhaps a sickness ripped through the family. On the other hand if FreeREG have the transcription correct Alice and her daughter may have died as a result of the birth, and perhaps the daughter had been named after a relative, probably the mother of Isaiah, who’d just passed away.)
• 6 Jan 1834 Isaiah married again to Dinah Johnson, a widow.
• 24 April 1834 baptism of Enoch son of Isaiah (labourer) and Dinah Francis of Salter’s Lode, Downham Market.
• 24 Aug 1834, Dinah Francis of Salter’s Lode was buried in Downham Market not so long after her wedding, at the age of 47 years, two days before her newborn son Enoch…
• 26 August 1834. Burial of Enoch Francis, infant of Salter’s Lode.
• 17th April 1840. Birth registration of Jane (no surname marked yet), the daughter of Isaiah Francis and Ann Kent, at Denver, Downham Market.
• In the 1841 census, we find "Isaih" living at 10 Mile Bank in nearby Littleport, with a housekeeper (H.K.) Ann Kent (25, not born in Cambridgeshire like the others), and a new child Jane Francis, who is 1 year old.
• Ann died young (32) on 17 January 1843, in Littleport. Isaiah, now a resident of Willow Row Farm, was the official informant of the death (by puerperal fever which is an infection of the womb following childbirth, usually within 6 weeks of the birth), but Ann was described as the “wife of William Kent, agricultural labourer”. Generally speaking, if William were dead then she would more likely have been called his widow.

Possibly, Ann had been Anne Clark who married William Kent in Wimbotsham, just on the other (northern) side of Downham Market, on 12th January 1835. And possibly William Kent was the 28 year old Journeyman Sweep living with the family of John Sainty, Master Sweep, in Downham Market in 1841. (Perhaps Ann and William were separated partly by economic need.) Intriguingly though, there is a William Kent appearing very close to Isaiah's family in 1841, an agricultural labourer, but only 15 and still living with his parents.

In the 1851 census, Jane was living in nearby Northdelph, in the parish of Upwell with her half-sister from Isaiah’s first marriage, Elizabeth Shingles. In 1861 she seems to have moved north and out of her county to Whaplode (called Jane Frances, and said to be born in Nordle, Norfolk which must refer to Northdelph/Nordelph).

Jane’s father Isaiah was living with the Shingles family in 1861 and seems to have died as a resident of the Wisbech Union Poor Workhouse, 12 September 1867, at the age of 75.

21 February 1864. George marries Jane Francis in St Mary Newington, within the London sprawl. George was an "excavator" living in crowded Manor Place.

31 Jul 1864. George and Jane left England for Australia on the “Queen of the South”.

The Scone Advocate , Fri 19 Jul 1901 Page 2 GLOVER'S FARM. :

Mr. Ed. Higgens (for Hill, Clarke, and Co.) subsequently submitted Mr. Geo. Glover's highly-improved farm of 79 acres, situated on the Hunter, at Aberdeen. The bidding started at £10 per acre, and gradually mounted to £15, at which price it was knocked down to Mr. George Rossington, of Moonan Brook.

The Maitland Daily Mercury , Mon 17 Aug 1903 Page 4 SINGLETON QUARTER SESSIONS. George was a witness, and described then as a dairy man of Aberdeen.

Jane died in 1913.^[1]

Notice of death:^[2]:

The death occurred, on Friday last of a very old and highly-esteemed resident of the Upper Hunter in the person of Mrs Rossingon, relict of the late Mr. Geo Rossington, a one-time identity on the Belltrees Estate. Deceased, who attained a ripe age, leaves behind a grown-up family.

Obituary:^[3]

Obituary.— The late Mrs. Rossington, relict of the late Mr. Geo. Rossington, whose death on Saturday last was briefly referred to in last issue, had lived in the Upper Hunter, on Belltrees, for about 40 years. The good old lady— one of the old school— had been in failing health for some time, and passed away at the residence of her daughter, Mrs. Geo. Garland, on the day stated, at the age of 73. The deceased was a native of Denver, England, and, with her late husband, came to Australia in 1864; the year she was also married prior to coming to this country. The couple first went to Queensland, from there to Sydney, and then to Belltrees, on which estate they've mained, the late Mr. Rossington predeceasing his partner in life about three years. The surviving family are : Mrs. Blenman, Ellerston ; Mrs. F. W. Cox, Tingha ; Mr. G. F. Rossington. Deepwater ; Mr: Francis Rossington, Tingha; Mr. Theo. Rossington, Raymond Terrace; Mr. Isaac Rossington, Glenrock ; and Mrs. Geo. Garland, Belltrees. The remains were interred in the Church of England Cemetery, Gundy, on Sunday afternoon ; the burial service being conducted by the Rev. E. H Burgmann

Probate Notice:^[4]

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF NEW SOUTH WALES. Probate Jurisdiction.— In the Estate of JANE ROSSINGTON, late of Belltrees, near Scone, in the State of New South Wales, widow, deceased intestate. Application will be made after fourteen days from the publication hereof that Administration of the Estate of the abovenamed deceased may be granted to GEORGE FREDERICK ROSSINGTON, of Deepwater, in the said State, the son of the said deceased, and all accounts and all notices are requested to be sent to the undermentioned address. H. R. CROSSMAN, Solicitor for the Administrator. By his Agent: M. A. H. Fitzhardinge, 14 Moore Street, Sydney.

Sources

1. ↑ NSW BDM death 7870/1913 registered at Scone showing parents Isaiah and Ann
2. ↑ The Scone Advocate Tue 6 May 1913 Page 2
3. ↑ The Scone Advocate Fri 9 May 1913 Page 2
4. ↑ The Scone Advocate (NSW : 1887 - 1954) Friday 11 July 1913 p 3

• Jane is the subject of a webpage made by her great great grandson Andrew Lancaster. This includes detailed explanation of sources.
• Various official historical documents are referred to above.

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