Putting the Pieces Together

1841 England Census

The 1841 census is the first national census of England and provides the following information about my third great grandparents, John and Ann Dollen & family.

Part of the Parish of Curry Mallet

They inhabited a building on Silver Street.

NAMES of each Person who abode the preceding night

Name	Age/Sex	Employment	Born in Somerset County
John Dollen	50, Male	Carpenter	Y
Ann Dollen	45, Female		Y
John Dollen	10, Male		Y
Silas Dollen	8, Male		Y
Emma Dollen	5, Female		Y
Adolphus	2, Male		Y
Dollen

1851 England Census

The 1851 England Census has provided the following information:

The Parish of Curry Mallet

The street of their abode may be Lower. Difficult to read.

The Name and Surname of each Person who abode in the house,

on the Night of 20^th March, 1851

Names	Relation to Head of House	Age, Sex, Marital Status	Occupation	Where Born
John Dollen	Head	62,M,Married	Carpenter	Somerset, West Buckland
Ann Dollen	Wife	54,F,Married		Somerset, Curry Mallet
Silas Dollen	Son	18,M,Unmarr	do	Somerset, Curry Mallet
Emma Dollen	Daur	15,F,Unmarr	Ap	Somerset, Curry Mallet
Adolphus Dollen	Son	13,M,Unmarr		Somerset, Curry Mallet

These two census records shed light on my British ancestors. There are several pieces of information that I am most interested in.

The first puzzle piece: The Place of Birth.

Based on these two censuses, I know that all by British ancestors were born in Curry Mallet, Somerset, England with the single exception of my third great grandfather, John Dollen. 

John Dollen, Head of Household, is reported to have been born in West Buckland of Somerset County. This piece of information enticed me to transcribe the Silas Dollen, Yeoman of West Buckland Will. Could Silas Dollen have been John Dollen’s father? As I transcribed the will, I was encouraged for Silas Dollen, Yeoman of West Buckland, did indeed have a son named John. He also had two other children: Silas and Betty. The dream of finding my fourth great grandfather was dashed when I read the will was executed on the date of 6 November 1722. Silas may yet find his way into my tree, but not as the Father of my third great grandfather, John Dollen.

Linda

Farmers and Faith

I tell people that I come from a long line of farmers and people with faith. My heartbeat quickened when I saw my Great, Great Grandfather John Dollen’s Bible! His Bible was not used to record family history. I sense that in the Dollen home his Bible was a book to be respected.

 

Elaine holding the John Dollen Bible.

The John Dollen Bible is large. The pages are of a heavy linen type of paper.  The cover has come loose from its binding.  The words “J. Dollen 1814” are stamped on the inside of the cover. “John Dollen his book” is handwritten at the beginning of the New Testament. These words provide evidence that this Bible is indeed John Dollen’s Bible.

This is where genealogical research gets interesting! I do believe that this Bible belonged to my Great, Great Grandfather. An unknown family member recorded my Great, Great Grandfather’s birth date as 3 July 1830. Census records report his birth date within the range of 1827 and 1831.  However, this Bible gives evidence that J. Dollen owned this book in 1814!

The Bible, the name and the date suggest that it also belonged to my Great, Great, Great Grandfather whose name was also John Dollen. John Dollen of Curry Mallett, England was a wheelwright. He married Ann House and together they had four children: John, Silas, Emma and Adolphus. Census records report that the elder John Dollen was born between 1789 and 1791 which suggests that this Bible could be his. Of those four children, my Great, Great Grandfather John was the only child to leave England and immigrate to the United States.

I hope you enjoy the photographs of The Bible that I believe belonged to a father and son who shared the same name of John Dollen!

Posted with love,

Linda