Children of Mark Hall Shearn and Sarah Ann Parfitt Part 1

This is the second installment of Generation Two of our two-generation study and our ninth installment overall. This generation is concerned with Mark Hall Shearn born 1800 in Midsomer Norton, Somerset, England and his family. The first generation was concerned with Mark’s son Charles Hall Shearn born 1830 in Radstock, Somerset, England. If you like, you can also read the previous installments:

Children of Mark Hall Shearn and Sarah Ann Parfitt - Part 1

Each child is addressed below. Certain records, particularly censuses, are touched on only briefly for each child in order to show where they were and what they were doing at the time, but not necessarily the entire family in each census all at once. The children, the family, will be addressed separately here, then with their mother later.

Samuel George Shearn

Samuel George Shearn was baptized in Chewton Mendip, Somerset, England on 30 September 1827.[1] Chewton Mendip was about five miles west of Midsomer Norton. Because he was baptized there, Samuel may have been born in Chewton Mendip. On the baptism record, his father, Mark Hall Shearn, was said to be a yeoman. In 1841 Samuel George Shearn lived with his maternal grandparents, his mother, and his siblings in Midsomer Norton, Somerset.[2] He was 13 years old. By 1851 his mother had moved her family to Bristol, about 25 miles from Midsomer Norton.[3] Samuel’s mother, Sarah, was a lodging house keeper at 8 Victoria Street. Samuel was 23 years old and working as a merchant clerk, probably in the lodging house for his mother. Samuel was not located in the 1861 England census or the 1861 Wales census. However, the List of Police Officers - 1850 – 1859 from Gloucestershire showed Samuel was a police officer. He joined the force on 10 May 1855.[4] He achieved the rank of sergeant on 17 October 1856. His height was five feet ten and a quarter. He was born in Midsomer Norton. He resigned from the force on 17 May 1864.

Samuel married Frances Grant in Cheltenham, Gloucester on 17 November 1862.[5] They were married in the parish church, St. Peter, after banns. Samuel George Shearn was of full age, at least 21 years old, and had never been married. He was a police officer. He lived in Townsend Street, Cheltenham. His father, Mark Hall Shearn, was a farmer. Frances Grant was of full age, at least 21 years old. She was a spinster, so this was her first marriage. She lived in Queen Street, Cheltenham. Her father was Samuel Grant, a butcher. Richard Thompson and Mary Ann Russell were witnesses to the marriage.

Within two years, Samuel and Frances had their first child, a daughter. Elizabeth Parfitt Neale Shearn was baptized 9 October 1864 in Cheltenham, Gloucester.[6] The family lived in Regent Street, Cheltenham. Samuel’s trade was listed as inn keeper. Elizabeth may have been the couple’s only child. No other baptism or birth record was found for the couple. In fact, Samuel may have left his wife and daughter, or he may have died. Elizabeth was with someone else in the 1871 census.[7] She is with her uncle Joseph Dash, aged 64 years; her aunt Elizabeth Dash, aged 55 years; Joseph Dash’s granddaughter Emma Jane Dands, aged 15 years. Elizabeth Parfitt Neale Shearn was 7 years old and in school. Joseph Dash was an agricultural labourer. The family lived at 26 Rounceval Street - Hill House, Chipping Sodbury, Gloucestershire. Frances was in the 1871 census at 111 Albion Street, Cheltenham as a 40 year old, tavern keeper. Frances was the only resident of the property. The street was shown as 111 Lamb Tap, though 110 and 112 were both on Albion Street. Lamb Tap may have been the name of the tavern. Samuel was nowhere to be found in any census following his marriage to Frances, but while records were searched, none were found. He may have died or he may have left, even perhaps the country.

Phebe Shearn

Phebe Shearn was born 27 March 1829 and baptized 16th June 1829.[8] She was baptized at the Wesleyan Chapel in Midsomer Norton, Somerset. She was the daughter of farmer Mark Hall Shearn of Woodborough Farm in the parish of Wellow. Her mother was Sarah, Mark Hall’s wife, who was the daughter of James and Mary Parfitt. In 1841, Phebe was found in the census in the home of John Parfitt, a 35 year old farmer, in Chewton Mendip, Somerset.[9] The others in the household were Hannah Parfitt, aged 30 years; John Parfitt, aged 5 years; Hannah Parfitt, aged 2 years. Phebe was 12 years old. The 1841 census does not show relationship to head of household, but John Parfitt is likely Phebe’s uncle.

In 1851, Phebe was again not with her parents on census day.[10] She was however just down the street. Phebe was in the home of her grandfather James Parfitt. He was a 76 year old builder who was a widower. Phebe was 22 years old. The house was situated at 91 Island, Midsomer Norton, Somerset. Phebe’s siblings and her mother Sarah were next door at 93 Island.[11]

On census day in 1861, 32 year old Phebe was with the Jonah Shearn family.[12] Phebe was listed as a visitor. The address was Woodbine Cottage, Midsomer Norton. Jonah was 55 years old. His wife, Bethia, was 54 years old. Jonah was a pork butcher. Phebe was a dressmaker. Phebe’s father had a brother named Jonah who married a woman named Bethia. So, this was Phebe’s uncle’s house. Since she was listed as a visitor, where she lived is unknown.

By 1871 Phebe was in Ontario, Canada.[13] She was 42 years old. She emigrated from England with her sisters Mary Parfitt Shearn and Elizabeth Parfitt Shearn. Elizabeth had married Arthur Holmes and the couple had three children. The Arthur Holmes home was in Haldimand Township, Ontario. The Township is on the shores of Lake Ontario about 135 kilometers east of Toronto. Religion is a column on the 1871 Canadian census. Phebe and the rest of the family were listed as a Wesleyan Methodist. Phebe never married. She died of arterio sclerosis 15 June 1919 in Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada at the age of 90 years.[14]

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Sources

[1] "Somerset, England, Church of England Baptisms, 1813-1914," database, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 18 June 2020), Samuel George Shearn, baptism, document 55.
[2] 1841 census of England, Somersetshire, Midsomer Norton, Enumeration District 1, folio 11, page 14, line 14, Sarah Parfitt, Elizabeth Parfitt Shearn, Charles Hall Shearn, Samuel George Shearn, Mary Shearn, James Parfitt, Mary Parfitt; imaged, “1841 England Census,” database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 18 June 2020); 1841 Census Returns of England and Wales, The National Archives of England, Kew, document 80.
[3] 1851 census of England, Gloucestershire, Bristol, Enumeration District Bristol, HO107, 1949, Sarah Shearn, Samuel Geo Shearn, Elizabeth Shearn, Mary Shearn, Arthur L Holmes, Emily Gould, John McKenzie; imaged, “1851 England Census,” database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 1 July 2020); 1851 Census Returns of England and Wales, The National Archives of England, Kew, document 75.
[4] "List of Police Officers - 1850 - 1859," Gloucestershire Police Archives (gloucestershirepolicearchives.org.uk : accessed 6 July 2020), Samuel George Shearn, document 85.
[5] "Gloucestershire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1938," database, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 6 July 2020), Samuel George Shearn and Frances Grant, marriage, 17 November 1862, document 70.
[6] "Gloucestershire, England, Church of England Baptisms, 1813-1913," database, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 6 July 2020), Elizabeth Parfitt Neale Shearn, baptism, 9 October 1864, document 71.
[7] 1871 census of England, Gloucestershire, Chipping Sodbury, Enumeration District 8, folio 33, page 6, Elizabeth Parfitt Neale Shearn; imaged, “1871 England Census,” database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 1 July 2020); 1871 Census Returns of England and Wales, The National Archives of England, Kew, document 72.
[8] "Register of Baptisms At the Wesleyan Chapel In Midsomer Norton, Somerset From 1801 To 1837," Non-Parochial BMDs, 1581-1970, database, TheGenealogist.co.uk (TheGenealogist.co.uk : 26 May 2020), Phebe Shearn, baptism 16th June 1829, birth 27th March 1829, document 49.
[9] 1841 census of England, Somersetshire, Chewton Mendip, Enumeration District 3, folio 12, page 1, line 19, Phoebe Shearn; imaged, “1841 England Census,” database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 18 June 2020); 1841 Census Returns of England and Wales, The National Archives of England, Kew, document 56.
[10] 1851 census of England, Somersetshire, Midsomer Norton, Enumeration District 4a, folio 329, page 26, GSU roll 221098, Phoebe Shearn; imaged, “1851 England Census,” database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 1 July 2020); 1851 Census Returns of England and Wales, The National Archives of England, Kew, document 74.
[11] 1851 census of England, Gloucestershire, Bristol, Enumeration District Bristol, HO107, 1949, Sarah Shearn, Samuel Geo Shearn, Elizabeth Shearn, Mary Shearn, Arthur L Holmes, Emily Gould, John McKenzie; imaged, “1851 England Census,” database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 1 July 2020); 1851 Census Returns of England and Wales, The National Archives of England, Kew, document 75.
[12] 1851 census of England, Somersetshire, Midsomer Norton, Enumeration District 1, folio 7, page 9, Elisha Midde, Jonah Shearn, Bethia Shearn, Pheobe Shearn; imaged, “1851 England Census,” database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 1 July 2020); 1851 Census Returns of England and Wales, The National Archives of England, Kew, document 76.
[13] 1871 Census of Canada, Ontario, Northumberland West, Haldimand, district 54, subdistrict c, division 01, Pheobe Shearn; imaged, “1871 Census of Canada,” database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 1 July 2020), document 77.
[14] "Ontario, Canada, Deaths and Deaths Overseas, 1869-1947," Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 1 July 2020), Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada, Phebe Shearn, death, 15 June 1919, document 78.

The First Two Children