Introduction

Samuel Rose became a dairyman in Hardington in his late twenties; however, he was soon forced to give it up. A few years later, he struggled to support his family and had to apply for parish assistance, which led to the compulsory relocation of him and his family to Beaminster. After that, he worked as a farm labourer in several different parishes across Dorset. He outlived his wife by 26 years and ultimately ended up in the Cerne Abbas Workhouse.

Birth

Samuel Rose was born at Misterton in about 1798, the sixth of eight children born to Edward and Priscilla Rose.

Marriage

On 11 October 1824, Samuel married Sarah Buckland at North Perrott by banns. Samuel was about 26 at the time, while Sarah was 20. Both signed the register with a cross. The witnesses were Thirza Rose (Samuel’s sister) and Priscilla Paul (possibly Samuel’s mother signing with her maiden name).

Sarah was the daughter of Alexander and Mary Buckland of North Perrott. Her father had died the previous year.

Their first child, John, was baptised at North Perrott on 19 October 1824. Samuel was then a farm labourer

Hardington

By January 1826, Samuel was working as a dairyman at Hardington, where their second child, Elizabeth, was baptised on 29 January 1826.

The Hardington baptism register recorded Samuel’s wife’s name as Elizabeth, but this appears to have been a mistake. No trace of Samuel’s daughter, Elizabeth, has been found after 1826, which raises the possibility that her name was also incorrectly recorded.

Financial distress

After leaving Hardington, the family moved to Misterton, where Samuel worked as a farm labourer. While there, they had two daughters: Sarah, born in 1828, and Ann, born around 1831. Unfortunately, their eldest child, John, died in 1828 at the age of 3, and it is likely that their daughter born at Hardington also died. Additionally, Samuel’s father passed away in January 1830.

By early 1833, Samuel could no longer support his family and applied for parish relief. After examining Samuel, the magistrates determined that Samuel’s place of settlement was Beaminster. On 27 February 1833, they ordered Samuel, his wife, and their two daughters, Sarah, about four years old, and Ann, about two years old, to relocate to Beaminster.[1]

The family lived at Beaminster until the late 1830s, when they moved to Kingsland, Netherbury. The 1841 census recorded their address as Shatcombe, immediately after Kingsland.

By early 1845, when their son, Eli was born, they had returned to Beaminster. By 1850, when their son, Charles, was born, they were living at Piddlehinton, and by April 1861, they lived at Nether Cerne.

Sarah’s death

Sarah died at Nether Cerne in November 1861, at the age of 59.

Samuel’s later life

After Sarah’s death, Samuel lived with his son, Joseph, at Nether Cerne until at least April 1871 and then with his son, George, at Compton Valence.

Samuel died in the Cerne Workhouse in January 1887, at the age of about 89.[2]

Children

Samuel and Sarah had eleven children.

References

[1] Dorset Heritage Centre PE-BE/OV/4/3/163.

[2] The Cerne Abbas burial register records Samuel’s age as 85 and the Civil Registration Death Index as 86, but he was older.