Introduction
William Rendell was a thatcher by the age of fourteen, working alongside his father at East Chinnock. After marrying in 1850, he and his wife lived at East Chinnock and Closworth before moving to Hardington around 1858. In early 1861, an unknown crisis arose that broke up the family and ended William’s career as a thatcher. After a year or two, he reunited with his wife and family. He later worked as a farm labourer at Beaminster, Seaborough and Misterton, before retiring to South Wales. At the age of 63, he spent time as a patient at the West of England Eye Infirmary.
Childhood
William was born at East Chinnock in about 1828, the second of eleven children born to John and Ann Rendell. His father was a thatcher and his mother was the daughter of Thomas Thorn, a cooper of Rampisham.
When William was about fifteen, his five-year-old brother, George, died.
Occupation
William followed in his father’s footsteps and became a thatcher. However, unlike his father and his brother Nathaniel, who also became a thatcher, William did not remain at East Chinnock.
Marriage
In about August 1850, William married Sarah Sandiford of East Chinnock.[1] William was 22 years old, and Sarah was 20. She was the daughter of Thomas Sandiford, a wheelwright and carpenter.
East Chinnock
William and Sarah initially lived at East Chinnock, where their son, John Thomas, was born in 1850.
Closworth
By September 1855, the family had moved to Closworth, where two more children, William and Emma, were born.
Hardington
The family resided at Hardington from about 1858 to early 1861. Three daughters were born during their stay there, including Sarah Ann, who was born on 6 February 1861.[2]
Crisis
Around the time that Sarah Ann was born, the family faced a serious crisis that caused William not only to give up thatching but also to leave his family and the area. The exact details remain unclear; however, one possible explanation is that William and Sarah had a major disagreement that resulted in their separation.
William moved twenty-seven miles south to the Dorset coast, where he found work as a farm labourer at Chickerell. Although he may have still considered himself a thatcher, and his children referred to him as one when they married, he remained a farm labourer for the rest of his working life.
Meanwhile, Sarah and their four daughters moved in with her married brother, Thomas Sandiford, at Sandhill, East Chinnock, while their two sons stayed with Sarah’s parents.[3]
Sarah lived at East Chinnock for a couple of years, as their son, George, was born there early in 1863.
Beaminster, Seaborough and Misterton
By early 1865, the family was largely reunited, living at Beaminster, where their son, Henry, was born. By April 1871, they had moved to Seaborough. At this time, the three oldest children had found work and moved out, while their daughter, Lavinia, lived with her uncle at East Chinnock. This left six still at home, with a seventh, Nataniel, following in 1872.
After leaving Seaborough, the family moved to Misterton, where they probably lived for at least twenty years.[4] While at Misterton, Sarah earned extra income by working as a laundress.
Eye problem
At the age of 63, William developed an eye problem, for which he was treated at the West of England Eye Infirmary in Exeter.[5]
South Wales
William’s eye problem may have affected his ability to work. He and Sarah spent their final years living with their married daughter, Elizabeth, at Barry.
William died in about 1904 at the age of 75, and Sarah died in 1908 at the age of 78.
References
[1] East Chinnock banns book.
[2] Birth certificate of Sarah Ann Rendell.
[3] Sarah’s newborn baby, Sarah Ann, was not recorded on the 1861 census. Sarah Ann married Richard Long at Seaborough in 1887.
[4] In April 1891, their address was Southfields Cottage, Misterton.
[5] RG12, piece 1689, folio 47, Page 27.
