Rowney Family Tree

James is believed to have been born around 1813 near the town of Sandy, in Bedfordshire, England. He was christened that year as James Thomas ROWNEY at Sandy. In the 1851 census his place of birth was given as Sandy, in 1861 he named the hamlet of Brookend, in 1871 he named the nearby village of Northill, and in 1881 he claimed to have been born in the hamlet of Upper Caldecote. All these localities are close by and we can assume that he was probably born somewhere in this general area. His parents were not married and a court order in the Bedford Archives indicates that action was taken in 1815 to secure support from the child's father, George THOMAS, although this does not appear to have been very successful as his mother, Edith ROWNEY, was subsequently asked to leave Sandy in 1815 due her inability to support herself and her child. They returned to Edith's home village of Northill, where they eventually settled in the nearby hamlet of Upper Caldecote, after Edith was married to a young fellow from the area, Joseph WAGSTAFF, in 1817.

In the 1851 census, James (aged 37) was unmarried and working as a servant at Ickwell House in the hamlet of Ickwell (sp. Eckwell), in the parish of Northill. He was the coachman. The head of the house was the widow Susannah HARVEY (aged 75) who was an annuitant. Her two unmarried daughters, Mary (aged 52) and Sarah (aged 51), were also present. They were described as fund holders. The three ladies were attended by a total of nine servants including a butler and page boy. The HARVEY family were a very well connected land-owning family in the area. James was recorded in the census under the name James Rowley THOMAS.

The following from GENUKI: "At Caldecote are five almshouses, erected and endowed in 1876 by Mrs Elizabeth HARVEY, in memory of Edmund and Susan HARVEY. Ickwell Bury, the property of John Edmund Audley HARVEY esq. D.L.. J.P. and the residence of Mrs. HARVEY, is a mansion of red brick, in the Queen Anne style, standing in a park and woodlands of about 500 acres, approached by an avenue of trees about a mile in length; in 1683 the house was enlarged, and almost rebuilt, but additions and alterations have been since made; it contains some handsome carvings and many curious relics of past times; also a fine collection of armour and several good pictures. In the wood, about half way between the house and Northill church, is a very singular and perfect earthwork, either of Roman or British origin, with a high bank thrown up on the east side, where the exterior ground is higher, but the most remarkable feature of these remains is the existence of long pools inside the enceinte ; it is surmised that they were used as fish ponds, either by the monks of the college of Northill or the priory of Ickwell Bury. Ickwell House, the residence of Henry Godfrey ASTELL esq. is an ancient and interesting mansion, and was formerly surrounded by moats, now filled up : it originally belonged to the FYSSHE family, and on the extinction of the male branch in 1720, it came through the female line, into the possession of the FYSSHE-PALMERS, the last member of which family, Lady Madeline PALMER, died in 1840, when it was bought by J. HARVEY esq. of Ickwell Bury, in whose family it still remains. A college was founded here, temp. Hen. IV. (1399-1413), as a cell to Marmoutier, for a master, warden and fellows; on its dissolution the revenues were estimated at £61."

In Novemeber 1860, James acqired a small parcel of land (2r 16p) in the parish of Langford, in Bedfordshire, at Cow Common situated south of the public road. The title of the land was surrendered by Edward B. GARDNER of Brighton, Esq, to James THOMAS of Henlow, yeoman, for the sum of £75.27. The land was part of the estate of the Manor of Langford.

In the 1861 census, James (aged 46) was unmarried and working for the retired Major General Hanbury RAYNSFORD (aged 78). The General was described as a veteran of the army in the East Indian service and was also a very well connected gentleman. His residence was called 'Henlow Grange' (pictured) and was situated in the parish of Henlow, in Bedfordshire. The General was a bachelor and lived alone but had six servants in attendance including a butler. James was employed as his coachman. James was recorded in the census returns under the name James THOMAS.

"HENLOW, a village and a parish in Biggleswade district, Beds. The village stands near the river Ivel and the Hitchin and Leicester railway, 2ư miles SE of Shefford; and has a station on the railway, and a post office under Biggleswade. The parish comprises 2,450 acres. Real property, £4,781. Pop., 1,011. Houses, 190. The property is divided among a few. Henlow Warden and Lanthony manors belong to General H. RAYNSFORD; and the De Grey manor belongs to the Countess COWPER. Henlow Grange, the seat of Gen. RAYNSFORD, is a fine mansion. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Ely. Value, £265.* Patron, the Lord Chancellor. The church is good, and has a fine tower. Charities, £8." [1870-72, John Marius WILSON's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales]

In the 1871 census, James (aged 53) was unmarried and boarding with the family of his half-brother, John WAGSTAFF (aged 49), at their home in Upper Caldecote. James was described as a retired servant. John was a labourer. Also present were John's wife, Liza (aged 50), and their unmarried children; Maxey (aged 25) who was a shepherd, William (aged 21) who was a labourer, and Fanny (aged 18) who was a straw platter. James was recorded under the name James THOMAS.

In the 1881 census, James (aged 68) was still boarding with the WAGSTAFF family at their home on Northill Road, in Upper Caldecote. James remained a bachelor and was described as a coachman. John (aged 59) was working as an agricultural labourer. His wife Eliza (aged 59), his unmarried daughter Fanny (aged 28), and Eliza's spinster sister, Mary BAYES (aged 41), were also recorded in the household; Mary as a visitor. James was again recorded as James THOMAS.

It appears that James probably never married.

James was 70 years old when he died in 1883. He died in the Biggleswade registration district which included Upper Caldecote. He was buried in the churchyard at Upper Caldecote next to his half-brother, William WAGSTAFF, who had died a few years earlier. He has a brick grave and a headstone which reads:

      James Thomas Rowney
             Died 4th June 1883
                 Aged 70 Years

His land at Langford was disposed of after his death as follows: "Bargain and sale indenture William COURSE of Ickwell, surviving executor of James Thomas ROWNEY otherwise James THOMAS late of Upper Caldecote, retired coachman, to Joshua DAY of Langford, market gardener, in consideration of £80.10 in November 1883."