Rowney Family Tree

Samuel was born around 1825 in the town of Biggleswade, in Bedfordshire, England. He was christened there shortly afterwards. Biggleswade was his mother's hometown, but his family seems to have soon settled in the suburb of Saint Paul, in the city of Bedford, in Bedfordshire, where his father had come from.

In the 1841 census, Samuel (aged 15+) was living with his widowed mother in the village of Riseley, a few miles north of Bedford, in Bedfordshire. He was employed as an agricultural labourer, along with his three younger brothers.

In 1846, at the age of 21, Samuel was married to Sarah Ann ORPIN in the village of Riseley, in Bedfordshire. Sarah was 24 years old at that time and originally came from the village of Bromham, in Bedfordshire.

In the 1851 census, Samuel (aged 25) and Sarah (aged 29) were living around Riseley Hall in Riseley. Their young son John (aged 2) was also at home. Samuel and Sarah also appear to have had a couple of lodgers; William BROUGH (aged 14), who was an unmarried agricultural labourer; and an unmarried lacemaker named Lucy SMITH (aged 29). Lucy's baby son George SMITH (aged 1) was also present.

In the 1861 census, Samuel (aged 35) and Sarah (aged 39) were living in Riseley. Samuel was employed as an agricultural labourer, and Sarah was working as a lace maker. Six of their children were also at their home for the census; John (aged 12) who was an agricultural labourer, Ellen (aged 9) and Eliza (aged 7) seem to have been lace makers, Martha (aged 5) and Catherine (aged 3) were attending school, and baby William (aged 1) was at home.

In the 1871 census, Samuel (aged 46) and Sarah (aged 49) were living at their home at 112 High Street, in Riseley. Samuel was employed as a labourer and Sarah was a lace maker. Their unmarried children at home at that time were; John (aged 22) who was a labourer, Eliza (aged 17) and Catherine (aged 13) who were lace makers, and their son William (aged 11) who was attending school. They also had a grand daughter, Anne ROWNEY (aged 2), staying with them. Anne's parents have not yet been determined. Two of Samuel and Sarah's children have been identified elsewhere in the 1871 census. Ellen (aged 19) was unmarried and working as a domestic servant on the Birchmoor Farm at Wobourne, in Bedfordshire. Martha (aged 15) was unmarried and employed as a domestic servant at a draper's shop on High Street, in the suburb of Saint Paul, in the city of Bedford.

In the 1881 census, Samuel (aged 55) and Sarah (aged 59) were still living on High Street, in Riseley. Their unmarried son William (aged 21) was living with them at that time. Samuel and William were both employed as agricultural labourers. Three of Samuel and Sarah's grandchildren were also staying at their home by that time. They were; Annie ROWNEY (aged 12), John Henry W. ROWNEY (aged 7), and Ida Gell ROWNEY (aged 4). The three grandchildren appear to have been living with Samuel and Sarah. Annie (chr. 11 Jun 1869) and Ida (chr. 2 Nov 1879) were both baptised in Riseley, but their parents are not known. John was born at the Union Workhouse in Bedford (Q Dec 1873) and was their son John's son.

In the 1891 census, Samuel (aged 65) and Sarah (aged 69) were still living on High Street, in Riseley. Samuel was employed as an agricultural labourer. Two of their grandchildren were still living with them; John ROWNEY (aged 17) who was employed as a shoe finisher, and Ida ROWNEY (aged 14), who was a lace maker.