4. SAMPSON-HARRIS

 

 

Sampson Tree

WILLIAM SAMPSON and SUSAN HARRIS (4)

 

WILLIAM SAMPSON was the fourth child of Richard Sampson, agricultural labourer, and Mary Mathews. He was baptised in Meshaw on 23 March 1833. His mother died before he was 8.

The family moved to Cheldon, near his father’s birthplace of West Worlington, where they shared a house with his aunt Anne and her husband and children. William’s older siblings Mary and John were by then working on farms in Chulmleigh, where they were born.

 

1841 Census:  Cheldon

Holes:

 

Richard Sampson Jane Sampson William Sampson Richard Sampson Samuel Price Anne Price Anne Price William Price Maria Price Jane Price

35 11 8 4 40 40 11 7 4 1

Ag lab       Ag Lab

 

Cheldon church

 

William was apprenticed on a local farm. Meanwhile, his father remarried.

1851 Census: West Worlington & Cheldon

Mousebery.

 

Edward Tolley Mary Tolley William Tolley Richard Ware William Sampson Elizabeth Coles

Head Wife Son Serv Appr Serv

M M U U U U

59 64 24 24 18 17

Farmer of 182 Acres     Ag Lab Ag Lab General Servant

Meshaw Brushford Romansleigh Winkleigh Meshaw Romansleigh

 

William, like his father, lived the nomadic life of the husbandman and labourer, with frequent changes of home and job. He married a young woman of higher status, whose parents had established a family farm.

 

SUSAN(NA) HARRIS was baptised in Mariansleigh in 1838, the fifth child of Robert Harris and Susanna Cook.

 

1838 Aug 29. Susanna, daughter of Robert and Susanna Harris. Mariansleigh. Farmer.

 

The address of ‘Mariansleigh’ may mean that they were living in the village, rather than on an outlying farm. By 1840 the family were at Triddencott, a farm south-east of the village.

 

1841 Census: Mariansleigh

Triddenacott.

 

Robert Harris Susanna Henery Elizabeth John Susanna Robert

45 35 15 9 5 3 1 month

Farmer

 

 

Ten years later, her baptismal name has been shortened to Susan, and she remains Susan for the rest of her life.

1851 census: Mariansleigh

Triddencott

 

Robert Harris Susan Elizabeth John Susan Mary William Robert

Head Wife Daur Son Daur Daur Son Son

M M U U U U U U

44? 46 20 16 12 6 4 10

 

William Sampson and Susan Harris were married in or before 1861. They lived first at Adworthy, in the parish of Witheridge, where a former farmhouse had apparently been divided to house agricultural labourers.

 

1861 Census: Witheridge

2 Higher Adworthy

 

William Sampson Susan Sampson

Head Wife

Mar Mar

28 22

Ag Lab

Meshaw Mariansleigh

 

Their first son, William, was born in Witheridge, but the couple had him baptised in St Mary’s, East Worlington.

Baptism. East Worlington

1861  Mar 12^th  William  Son of Willam & Susan Sampson  Witheridge  Labourer

 

This may have been because this church was nearer than the church in Witheridge, or the couple may moved on to East Worlington before the baptism. They were living in this parish when their next son John was born, c 1864. Around 1870 they moved finally to Romansleigh.

 

1871 Census. Romansleigh

25 Village.  Thorndown Cottage.

 

William Sampson Susan Sampson John Sampson Mary Sampson Robert Sampson Susan Sampson Richard Sampson

Head Wife Son Daur Son Daur Son

Mar Mar

36/8 32 7 6 3 2 7months

Ag Lab Ag Lab wife

Meshaw Mariansleigh East Worlington ‘’ ‘’ ‘’ Romansleigh

 

 

None of their older children went to school. There was a small school in Romansleigh and another in neighbouring Mariansleigh. Following the Education Act of 1871 requiring schools to be provided for all children, plans were made for a new school to accommodate the children of both parishes. The Oxham School, midway between the two villages, was opened in 1877. From then on, the younger Sampson children from Romansleigh would have attended it, along with their Harris cousins from Mariansleigh.

In 1871, 9-year-old William had already left home and was a farm servant with Susan’s brother at her old home of Tridencott, Mariansleigh.  William is back with them in 1881. Three more children have been born, but the parents seem a bit confused about their birthplaces.

 

1881 Census:

Village, Romansleigh.

 

William Sampson Susan Sampson William Sampson John Sampson Robert Sampson Susan Sampson Richard Sampson Sarah Sampson Frederick Sampson Elizabeth Sampson

M M U

48 42 19 17 13 12 10 8 6 4

Meshaw Mariansleigh Witheridge Westington Worlington Worlington Worlington Worlington Romansleigh Romansleigh

Head Wife Son Son Son Daur Son Daur Son Daur

Farm Labourer Wife Farm Labourer Farm Labourer Scholar Scholar Scholar Scholar Scholar Scholar

 

 

The younger children now go to school. The 1870 Education Act established schools for all.

The two older boys, William and John, joined the Devonshire Regiment before the next census.

 

1891 Census: Romansleigh

Cottage.

 

William Sampson Susan Sarah Elizabeth Thomas H

Head wife dau dau son

57 50 18 14 7

agr lab   dom serv

Meshaw Mariansleigh Romansleigh ‘’ ‘’ ‘’

 

William junior went to India as a sergeant in the 1st Devon Regiment. In Rawal Pindi he contracted fever. To celebrate his recovery, he ate a large meal, collapsed and died on 6 December 1893.

John served in Egypt and returned to Plymouth as a colour sergeant.

 

William and Susan lived in Bell Cottage, which was previously the Blue Bell Inn. Though William appears in every census as a labourer, they appear to have kept a shop. Perhaps Susan ran this from their front room.

 

Kelly’s Directory 1897. Romansleigh, William Sampson, shopkeeper.

 

In the 1901 census, occupations were defined as ‘Employer, Worker or Own account’, with a further column to say ‘If working at home’.

 

1901 Census. Romansleigh.

Romansleigh Village

 

Sampson Wm Sampson Susan Sampson Elizth Sampson Fk

Head Wife Daur Son

67 60 23 17

Agricultural Labourer   Dressmaker Farm Labourer

Worker   Own A/c Worker

Meshaw Mariansleigh Romansleigh Romansleigh

 

None of them is listed as working at home, though Susan may be assumed to do so. It is not clear where Elizabeth did her dressmaking, since she was self-employed. Perhaps she did her sewing at the houses of her clients.

Six years later, in 1907, Susan died. The local newspaper recorded her death.

“Mrs Susan Sampson, aged 67, died suddenly at Romansleigh on Monday, Nov 11^th, from heart disease, and was buried in Romansleigh Churchyard on Saturday the 16^th inst. Mrs Sampson had lived in the village for very many years, and was much loved and respected by all who knew her.
“William Sampson and Family wish to thank their many friends for their kind sympathy in their recent bereavement.”

 

This photograph  of William must have been taken in the early 20th century. It is remarkable for its time because it shows him in his cottage, in domestic surroundings, and not formally posed in a photographer’s studio.

William died three years after Susan, in 1910.

ROMANSLEIGH

BURIAL

November 5^th                                                                                                        William Sampson, aged 77

__________

Our oldest parishioner passed away suddenly in the afternoon of Monday, October 31^st. He was working as usual in his garden in the morning, and though he complained of pains in the head, he seemed to be much the same as he had been for some time past. After dinner he went over the road to the wood yard, where he was found soon after lying dead. His wife in the beginning of November three years before, had also suddenly expired, while sitting in her chair. William Sampson was always noted as a very diligent and hard worker, never resting, always at work. He was a most exemplary man, patient, contented and of a loveable disposition. He was married at Romansleigh Church, and had lived for forty years almost under its shadow, at the Bell Cottage.

William and Susan are buried in Romansleigh churchyard. As you enter the gate, there is a grave on the left of the path surrounded by a railing. It looks surprisingly prominent for a farm labourer’s grave, but perhaps more in keeping with a shopkeeper.

 

         

In Loving Memory of

Susan Sampson

who died November 11th 1907

aged 67 years

also of

William Sampson

Husband of the above

who died October 31st 1910

aged 77 years

“peace perfect peace”

 

 

 

 

NEXT GENERATION: 3. SAMPSON

PREVIOUS GENERATIONS: 5. SAMPSON-MATHEWS

 5. HARRIS- COOK

Sampson Tree