WELLS GENEALOGY
( Much of this has been through ancestry.com and also geni.com).
Although even earlier information is available we pick up the relevant generations with the first William Wells and his wife Anna.
William Wells married Anne Hase
[When her mother died her father John Hase married Mary Lombe – see Bylaugh Hall]
John Wells married Mary Spencer
Robert Hase Wells married Elizabeth Crown
William Wells married Elizabeth Secker
John Wells married Mary Spooner
For more detail on this generation see http://genealogydepot.com/14191a.html and http://genealogydepot.com/14192a.html respectively. Note the middle name of Hase for some offspring. We see it again later. One of their 10 children was Robert Hase Wells.
Robert Hase Wells – my great great great grandfather married Elizabeth Crown – my great great great grandmother.
Born 07/07/1774 at East Dereham, Norfolk, England
Christened 10/07/1774 at East Dereham, Norfolk
Robert Hase Wells and Elizabeth Crown married on the 5th July 1803.
He died 01/02/1847 at East Dereham, Norfolk and Burried at East Dereham, Norfolk on 17/02/1847. She lived from 1781 to 1849.
Notes available online : Robert Hase Wells was born July 7th 1774 at East Dereham, Norfolk, to John & Mary Wells, he married Elizabeth Crown. The Note on his Christening Record state 1st Son. In 1841 (census) Robert is 67yrs old, he is living on Silver St, East Dereham, with is Wife & 4 Sons, he and his sons a re Wheelers. Robert Died in 1847 aged 72yrs in East Dereham.
Occupation: blacksmith 1814, wheelwright 1817, wheelwright 1819, wheelwright 1821, wheelwright 1826.
Robert and Elizabeth (nee Crown) Wells had the following children.
Maria Wells b.12 May 1805 at East Dereham, Norfolk, m.06 Apr 1827 at East Dereham, Norfolk, d.17 Mar 1865 at East, Dereham, Norfolk, 7 Children.
Frances Wells b.25 Jul 1807 at East Dereham, Norfolk, c.28 Jul 1807 at East Dereham, Norfolk,
Robert Hase Wells (jnr !) b.1809 Sep 1810 at East Dereham, Norfolk, c.11 Sep 1810 at East Dereham, Norfolk, m.06 Jan 1845 at East Dereham, Norfolk, d.17 Feb 1864 at East Dereham, Norfolk, 1 child.
Ann Wells b.1812 at East Dereham, Norfolk, c.01 Oct 1812 at East Dereham, Norfolk,
Susan Wells b.15 Oct 1814 at East Dereham, Norfolk, England, c.04 Nov 1814 at East Dereham, Norfolk, m.16 Nov 1837 at East Dereham, Norfolk, 4 Children.
Eliza Wells b.27 Apr 1817 at East Dereham, Norfolk, c.23 May 1817 at East Dereham, Norfolk, d.01 Sep 1828 at East Dereham, Norfolk,
Harriet Wells b.23 May 1819 at East Dereham, Norfolk, c.16 Jun 1819 at East Dereham, Norfolk, 9 Children.
Hase Wells b.14 Aug 1821 at East Dereham, Norfolk, c.05 Sep 1821 at East Dereham, Norfolk, m.1852 at East Dereham, Norfolk, d.18 Jul 1889 at East Dereham, Norfolk, 9 Children. The 1841 census records them as of Silver Street and the 1851 census in Norwich Road, a coach builder. Then in 1861 and in 1871 of Russell Place.
James Wells b.01 Aug 1824 at East Dereham, Norfolk, c.25 Aug 1824 at East Dereham, Norfolk, d.01 Jun 1848 at East Dereham, Norfolk,
William Wells b.07 May 1826 at East Dereham, Norfolk, c.04 Jun 1826 at East Dereham, Norfolk, m.16 Oct 1851 at East Dereham, Norfolk, 4 Children.
[http://livesoffirstworldwar.org notes a “Robert Hase Wells”. “Hase” is not a common name so is he also connected? Born 1878. Death 24th February 1917. Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWRG) Casualty Records : British Army. Northumberland Fusiliers. Private #48427. Nothing more is provided, but this death may explain a family tendency to name a son by the same name].
William Wells (last of offspring above) – my great great grandfather married Elizabeth Secker – my great great grandmother.
( http://genealogydepot.com/14226a.html and http://ancestry.com free pages)
William Wells was born 07/05/1826 at East Dereham, Norfolk
Christened 04/06/1826 at East Dereham, Norfolk
Married Elizabeth Secker 16th October 1851 in East Dereham.
Died 1904.
Children :
Ernest William Wells. Born 1851. East Dereham. This is my great grandfather.
Herbert Wells. Born 1856. East Dereham. Married 1881
4 children
William Wells. Born 1857. East Dereham.
Minnie Wells. Born 1861. Norwich Road, East Dereham.
Married 1885.
Died 1897.
6 children.
Elizabeth (nee Secker) Wells (geni.com) was born between between 1791 and 1981 in Fakenham, Norfolk.
Buried in East Dereham.
Daughter of Robert Secker : 1784 - 1840 and Martha Dowdy Maris : 1787 – 1834.
Eliabeth's occupation : Waitress at “Duke's Head” in 1839. (Also Post Office records). This inn is recorded as “Duke of York” in about 1851, but still “Duke's Head” in 1852. Licensee is James Maris aged 45 in 1841; 60 in 1857 and as a brewer in the period 1830-1852. James Maris may be either Elizabeth's father or maternal uncle.
It is hard to see, but "The Kings Head" sign is to the top right of this picture.
The inn is found closed in 1933, (See dereham-pubs.co.uk. In 1904 there were 46 pubs in the relatively small town of Dereham, then called East Dereham, and the adjoining villages of Scarning, Etling Green and Toftwood" That website shows a map of their locations including “our” pub in Quebec Street.
http://norfolkmills.co.uk (http://www.norfolkmills.co.uk/Windmills/swanton-morley%20postmill.html) describes a mill in the same street. While probably not “our” inn, there must have been some connection such as trade between them. This website is interesting in its descriptions, extracts of advertisements etc and illustrations of East Dereham at that time.
With regard to the inn's owner, James Maris we find:
Born 1789 in Swinton Morley, Norfolk.
Between 1830-1852 he is an innkeeper.
Census of 1841, Back Street, East Dereham.
In 1848 he is innkeeper and maltster.
In 1851 he at the Duke of York Inn.
His father is John Maris and his mother Elizabeth Dowdy.
Married Mary Minn in 1826.
http://norfolkpub.co.uk notes other owners too. “Offered for sale 14th June 1852. The property of the late Mr James Maris... Dining Room and 13 sharing rooms...To this lot (5) is attached an excellent Malting Office and Brewery”. Is the above-mentioned mill this one?
In 1978 a Nelson Secker noted on http://norfolkmills.co.uk that Quebec Mill was used as a store until dismantled (+- 1892) and is now 37 Quebec Road.
Family trades on the Wells side can be gleaned from
http://geni.com : 1883 – coach builder in Norwich Street, East Dereham. Elsewhere we see a Wells Hase and someone else as coach builders and then whitesmiths ie tinker, tin and other metal.
The census's also give us some idea of trades. The Norfolk Transcription Archive gives some names that look like our families (but which will need to be verified). The dates are of the censuses.
Hase Wells – 1901. 15 years old. Carpenter's apprenctice.
Hase Wells – 1841. 65 years old. Silver Street blacksmith (the older generation)
Ernest Wells – 1901. 24 years old. Coach builder.
Maria Wells – 1901. 46 years old.
Frances Wells – 1901.
We have now reached my great grandfather Ernest William Wells. Refer to his own section. WELLS, ERNEST WILLIAM for further information.
His brother John Wells follows here. Note that, while this seems correct as it appears to tie in with our family and overlaps geographically, the name is fairly common and details need to be verified.
http://hoeandworthingarchive.org.uk notes :
John Wells is leasing The Swan from 1839 to 1945. This is on the road from East Dereham to Foulsham.
The History Gazetteer and Directory of Norfolk and the city and county of the City of Norwich notes :
“Worthing, 3 ½ miles N. of East Dereham” has a John Wells, as “vict, Tames Arms”.
Worthing is described as having “138 inhabitants and 788 acres of land, mostly the property of Edw. Lombe, Esq, the lord of the manner, and patron of the church.....”This is significant with respect to Bylaugh Hall which you can find under WELLS, A LINK TO BYLAUGH HALL?
“John Wells, formerly of East Dereham then of Castleacre, Norfolk, Plumber, Glazier and Painter and late of East Dereham, aforesaid, out of business.”
Family fortunes may have looked up with respect to Bylaugh Hall, but this is all the more extraordinary when seen against the way most of the family were poor and struggling. http://museums.norfolk.gov.uk/view/NCC111543 describes Seckers and Wells of East Dereham and elsewhere as follows:
Edward Secker (parish not noted)
Ellen Secker East Dereham. Date out 1848. Died 2 February 1854. Gressenhall.
Maria Secker (parish not noted)
Mary Ann Secker East Dereham. Date out 1859.
Peter Secker East Dereham.
We also find a reference to Hannah Wells East Dereham. In 1836. Bastard.
These records apply to Gressenhall Inmates, a workhouse for paupers etc.
