Ancestors of Mandy Willard

James BOORMAN (1834-1873)

and Caroline BARROW (1836-?)

James Boorman and Caroline Barrow married in the third quarter of 1855 in the Cranbrook registration district.  (They were not my direct ancestors, but I do have Boorman ancestors and possibly distant Barrow ancestors.)

James Boorman was baptised on 10 August 1834 in Speldhurst, Kent.  He was the son of John Boorman (1799-1855) and Jane Rumens (1803-?).  James died aged 39 years and his death was registered in the fourth quarter of 1873 in the Cranbrook registration district.

Caroline Barrow was baptised on 16 October 1836 in Ticehurst, Sussex.  She was the daughter of Richard Barrow and Emma Slade, who had married on 26 December 1834 in Ticehurst.

When the 1871 census was recorded the family were living in a cottage on Bewlbridge Farm in Lamberhurst and James was a 37 year old agricultural labourer.

Caroline next married Hezekiah Baker in the first quarter of 1878 in the Cranbrook registration district.

Hezekiah Baker was baptised on 28 October 1838 in Herstmonceux, Sussex.  He was the son of Mary Baker.  Hezekiah had previously married Ellen Goodsell on 25 May 1862 in Rotherfield, Sussex.

The 1881 census records that Hezekiah and Caroline were living on Leeves Heath, Horsemonden in Kent, together with Caroline's children, Joseph, Mary, Arthur, Charles and Emma.  Hezekiah and Joseph were then employed as agricultural labourers.  The 1881 census shows that a 70 year old widower Richard Barrow was living in Heathfield, Sussex, which borders Herstmonceux.

James Boorman and Caroline had 9 known children:

1. James Boorman was born about 1856 in Goudhurst, Kent.  At the time of the 1871 census he was a 15 year old agricultural labourer.  He married Elizabeth Anne Perry in the fourth quarter of 1879.  She was born about 1851 in Goudhurst.

   James and Elizabeth Anne had 5 known children:

   1. William Boorman was born about 1880 in Stonecrouch Goudhurst.  He was a Carter in 1901.

   2. Mary Boorman was born about 1883 in Bewlbridge, Goudhurst.  (According to the 1901 census she and brother James were born Beniet Bridge.)

   3. James Boorman was born in the first quarter of 1886 in Bewlbridge, Goudhurst.  In 1901 he was a carter's mate.

   4. Emma Boorman was born in the fourth quarter of 1892 in Stonecrouch, Goudhurst.

   5. Annie Elizabeth Boorman was born the second quarter of 1895 in Stonecrouch, Goudhurst.

   When the 1881 census was recorded the family were living at Beuilt Bridge in Goudhurst (should this be Bewlbridge), along with brother Samuel Boorman.  The brothers were then farm labourers.  At the time of the 1901 census the couple and 5 children were living in Lamberhurst, where James was an agricultural labourer.  He then gave his place of birth as Kilndown, Kent.  (Kilndown is about half way between Goudhurst and Lamberhurst, but to the south to form a triangle.)

2. Samuel Boorman was born about 1858 in Goudhurst.  In 1871 he was a 13 year old scholar.  He married Mary Sutton in the fourth quarter of 1880, although she was not with her husband when the 1881 census was recorded.  She was born about 1861 in Stepney, London.

   Samuel and Mary had 4 known children:

   1. Charles Boorman was born about 1887 in Etchingham, Sussex.  In 1901 he was a dock labourer.

   2. Florence Boorman was born about 1889 in Goudhurst.

   3. Alfred George Boorman was born in the fourth quarter of 1890 in Goudhurst.

   4. Mabel Boorman was born in the fourth quarter of 1892 in Lamberhurst.

   When the 1901 census was recorded the family were living in Bromley, London and Samuel was a general labourer.  He then gave his place of birth as Kilndown in Goudhurst.

3. Fred Boorman was born in the second quarter of 1860 in Goudhurst, Kent.  In 1871 he was an 11 year old scholar.  When the 1881 census was recorded he was a waggoner, boarding in the home of George Waters at The Level in Goudhurst.  He married Mary Jane Cane in the fourth quarter of 1881.  She was born about 1859 in Burwash, Sussex.

   Fred and Mary Jane had 5 known children:

   1. Nellie Naomi Boorman was born in the first quarter of 1889 in Hawkhurst, Kent.

   2. Minnie Agnes Boorman was born in the first quarter of 1891 in Goudhurst.

   3. Lily Boorman was born in the third quarter of 1893 in Goudhurst.

   4. Frank James Boorman was born in the first quarter of 1896 in Goudhurst.

   5. Ada Jane Boorman was born the fourth quarter of 1898 in Ightham, Kent.

   There may well have been other children born between 1881 and 1889, and maybe after 1901.  When the 1901 census was recorded the family were living in Ightham and Fred was an ordinary agricultural labourer.

4. Naomi Boorman was born about 1866 in Southborough, Kent.  She was a 5 year old scholar in 1871.  When the 1881 census was recorded she was visiting the home of George Luck at 2 Rise Bridge Cottages in Goudhurst.

5. Joseph Boorman was born about 1868 in Goudhurst.  He was 3 years old when the 1871 census was recorded.

6. Mary Boorman was born about 1869 in Goudhurst.  She was 2 yeas old in 1871.

7. Arthur Boorman was born in the fourth quarter of 1870 in Lamberhurst.  He was 9 months old when the 1871 census was recorded.

8. Charles Boorman was born about 1872 in Goudhurst.

9. Emma Boorman was born about 1874 in Goudhurst.

I could not identify sons Joseph, Arthur and Charles in the 1901 census index.  Nor could I work out from FreeBMD whether daughters Naomi, Mary and Emma married.

I have included this family group following an enquiry in October 2004 from Denise who is a descendant of 1860 Fred Boorman, above.  Denise had then got as far as James Boorman born about 1834, and contacted me to see if my Boorman ancestors might be related.  I checked my database, but couldn't see a connection.  So I set about trying to find out more about the family from on-line sources.  After "doing" the IGI, 1881 and 1901 census and FreeBMD, I turned to Nigel Masters's web pages, and spotted a James Boorman baptised 1834 in Speldhurst, although his father and some siblings were from Lamberhurst, which is where James was thought to have been born.  Could this be the missing James?  Well, I thought there was a good chance that he was.  Speldhurst James had a sister, Sarah Ann Boorman born 1836 also in Speldhurst.  She married John Bartholomew in 1856 in Kilndown, which just happens to be where some of 1834 James's children were born.  It could be a coincidence, but with luck when James and Caroline's marriage certificate is found, it will give his father as John Boorman, who died in 1855.

In May 2006, Val contacted me after reading this page.  Her grandfather was Alfred George Boorman son of Samuel Boorman and Mary Sutton.  Val would very much like to trace other descendants of James and Caroline.

BARROW          BOORMAN