Rowney Family Tree

Mary Ann was born around 1827 in the village of Bletsoe, in Bedfordshire, England. She was christened that year in the local parish church.

In the 1841 census, Mary Ann (aged 13) was living with her parents at Whitwick Green, near Bletsoe. She was working as a lacemaker at that time.

She married Samuel SWANNELL in nearby Felmersham, in Bedfordshire, in 1850. She would have been about 21 years old at that time, and Samuel would have been around 22 years of age.

In the 1851 census, Mary Ann (aged 22) and Samuel (aged 23) were lodging with the family of Solomon WEBBER (aged 34), a brickmaker, who lived in the hamlet of Radwell, near the village of Felmersham, in Bedfordshire. Samuel was employed as an agricultural labourer. The WEBBER family included Solomon's wife Bertha (aged 38) and their children; Ann (aged 12), Mary (aged 11), Sophia (aged 6), and baby Catherine (aged 2 months).

Mary Ann and Samuel had three known children, but there were possibly others. The first, George, was born around 1852 in Radwell. The second, John, was born at Radwell in 1853, and their youngest son, Samuel, was also born at Radwell in 1864.

In the 1861 census, Mary Ann (aged 33) and Samuel (aged 33) were living in Cottage No. 23 in Radwell. Samuel was an agricultural labourer and Mary Ann was a lacemaker. They had two children at that time; George (aged 9) who was an agricultural servant, and John (aged 7) who was at school. A visitor was also recorded in their household at the census; Amelia PEARSON (aged 1) from Wellingborough, in Northamptonshire.

In the 1871 census, Mary Ann (aged 42) and Samuel (aged 43), were living at 3 Moor End, in Radwell. Samuel was employed as an agricultural labourer. They had three unmarried children living with them at that time; George (aged 19) who was a shoemaker, John (aged 17) who was a mill labourer, and Samuel (aged 6), who was still at school. Young Samuel's place of birth is specified as Radwell Moor End, in contrast to the other children, whose birthplace is simply given as Radwell. This confirms that the family moved to a different location in Radwell between the births of John around 1853 and Samuel around 1864.

By the time of the 1881 census, Mary Ann (aged 52) and Samuel (aged 53) had returned to live in the village of Felmersham. Samuel was again employed there as an agricultural labourer and Mary Ann was working as a lacemaker. Two of their sons were at their home on the day of the census; George (aged 29) was still a shoemaker, he was a widower by that time and had a son, Francis (aged 5), who was also present. Francis was attending school. The other son, Samuel (aged 16), who was also present, was employed as a gardener in domestic service.

In the 1891 census, Mary Ann (aged 62) and Samuel (aged 60) were living in the village of Felmersham. Samuel was employed as an agricultural labourer.

In the 1901 census, Mary Ann (aged 72) and Samuel (aged 73) were living at Moor End (3rd cottage) in Felmersham. Samuel was employed as a general or ordinary agricultural labourer. Also staying at their home at the time of the census was their grandson Barnet SWANNELL (aged 11). Barnet was John's son and had lost his mother in recent times. He was attending school. John (aged 47) was living as a boarder in the village of Rushden, in Northamptonshire, at that time. Their address looks remarkably similar to that given in the 1871 census, which might suggest that they had not in fact moved from Radwell, but perhaps the hamlet was no longer regarded as distinct from Felmersham itself.

Samuel died in the Bedfordshire Registration District in 1907 at the age of 79.

Mary Ann's fate has not yet been determined. There was a woman named Mary A SWANNELL who died in 1912 in Northamptonshire, at the age of 82. This may have been Mary Ann, as some of her family were living in Northamptonshire, but this is speculative at this stage.