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

Amanuensis Monday - Will of Silas Dollen, Yeoman of West Buckland, Somerset

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In the Name of God Amen                           Silas Dollen                    

I Silas Dollen of West Buckland in the county of

Somerset yeoman being of sound mind memory and

understanding thanks be to God do make and publish

this my last will and Testament in manner following,

(that is to say) first I give and bequeath unto Robert

Honniball of West Buckland aforesaid yeoman Thomas

Arscott of the same Buckland and William Jacobs

of Ninehead Florey in the said county yeoman all those

my two Messuage or Tenements called Higher Poole,

and Prowe’s Parks situate lying and being within  this,

Parish of West Buckland aforesaid to hold this same

with their appointments unto the said Robert Honniball

Thomas Arscott and William Jacobs their executors

Administrators and Assigns for and during all the Rest

Residue and Remainder of my farm and Estate therein

respectively upon the Trusts and for the ends intents

and purposes hereinafter mentioned and declared of

and concerning the said (that is to say) upon Trust that

they my said Trustees their Executors and Admiozs do and

shall farm and cultivate the same premises until my,

Term and Interest in the Estate called Higher Poole shall

end and determine and the profits and produce arising

there from do and shall from time to time apply and

dispose of for and towards paying off and discharging,

the Rents respectively accruing and becoming one for,

the same and the Residue thereof shall and do pay over

unto my dear wife Margaret for the better support of

herself and children hereinafter mentioned and as to my

said Tenament called Prowe’s Parks I will and direct that

my said Trustees do and shall Surrender and yield up the

same and the Terms and Estate that shall be subsisting

thereon at the expiration of my Estate and Interest in my

said Estate called Higher Poole unto this lessor thereof also

I give devise and bequeath all that my Messuage or

Dwelling house with the Orchard and Garden thereunto

belonging situate in Ninehead Florey aforesaid and now

in the possession of Edward Bond unto my said wife

Margaret Dollen and her Assigns to hold unto my said

Wife Margaret and her Assigns for and during so longas

she shall continue and remain a widow if my Estate and

Interest therein shall so long continue and from and after

her second marriage or death I give and bequeath the

the same premises with their appurtenances unto my Son

Silas Dollen his Executors Administrators and Assigns,

at his Age of twenty one years. Also I give and bequeath

unto my said wife Margaret the Sum of twenty pounds

of lawful money of Great Britain to be paid her by

my Executors In Trust hereinafter names when and as

the same shall arise by Sale of my personal Estate

and Effects hereinafter to them given and bequeathed

all the Rest Residue and Remainder of my Goods

Chattels Rights Credits Personal Estate and Effects

whatsoever and wheresoever and of what nature or kind

soever I give and bequeath unto the said Robert Honniball

Thomas Arscott and William Jacobs heir Executors Adminos

and Assigns to for and upon the several ends intents and

purposes hereinafter mentioned (that is to say) upon Trust

that they my said Trustees their Executors and Administrators

do and shall as soon as conveniently can or may be after

my decease cause an Inventory and Appraisement to be

made thereof and the same do and shall permit and

and suffer to remain and keep and continue in and upon my

said Tenement called Higher Poole until the term and

Estate which I now have therein shall expire and determine

so as to enable they my said Trustees to farm and make

the most advantage of my said Messuage and Tenement

in the mean time and from and after the determination

thereof then upon Trust that they my said Trustees their

Executors and Administrators do and shall absolutely sell

and dispose of all and singular my said Residuary personal

Estate for the most money and best price they can get

for the same and by and out of the monies arising there

from do and shall pay off and discharge all such Sum and

Sums of money as may be found deficient in or shall

Not arise by the produce or cultivation of my said Estates

Called Higher Poole and Prowe’s Parks and from and

After payment thereof the Residue and Overplus of such

Money’s subject to the Legaries herein before and after given

do and shall put and place out at Interest upon some

good and sufficient Security or Securities either Real or

personal and the growing Interest thereof shall and do

pay over unto my said wife Margaret for the maintenance

Support and Education of my three children Silas John and

Betty during their respective minortys and when and as

my said children shall respectively attain their several ages

of twenty one years then upon Trust that they my said

Trustees their executors and Administrators do and shall pay

and equally divide the said Trust monies Estate and premises

unto and amongst my said three children in manner and

in the proportions hereinafter mentioned (that is to say)

unto my son Silas Dollen the sum of One Hundred

Pounds unto my said Son John the Sum of Seventy Pounds

And to my said daughter Betty the Sum of fifty pounds

Of lawful money of Great Britain provided nevertheless

That in case my said Residuary personal Estate and Effects

Shall exceed the Legaries herein before given to my said

             
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wife and children then I will and direct that whatever

surpus may arise after payment of their respective

Legaries shall go and be equally divided between them

my said children in proportion to their Legaries herein

before given or in case of a Deficiency therein then I direct

that my said children shall abate in proportion

provided also that in case that either of my children

shall happen to die before they shall have attained

their several ages of twenty one years then I will and

direct that the Legary or Legaries share or shares given to

them and made payable out of my Residuary Trust

Estate shall go and be paid unto the Survivors or Survivor

of them at his hers or their Age or Ages of twenty one

years provided further and I do hereby will and direct

that before my said Trustees shall proceed to the Sale of

any part of my Household Goods or furniture they shall

give and deliver over unto my said wife such parts thereof

as shall be necessary and convenient to furnish the Dwelling

house herein before given and bequeathed to her and to

enable her to provide and take care of my said three

children during their respective Minority’s provided further

and I do hereby direct that my said Trustees shall and may

pay and reimburse themselves and himself out of the

aforesaid Residue of my Estate and Effects all reasonable

and necessary Costs Charges and Expenses whatsoever that

they or either of them shall or may bear payable be put

unto or sustain in or about the Execution of this my Will

 or the Trust hereby in therein reposed And lastly I do hereby

abrogate and make void all former wills by me heresofore

made and do declare this to be my last Will and Testament

and do Constitute and appoint the said Robert Honniball

Thomas Arscott and William Jacobs Executors in Trust

hereof I Witness whereof I have to this my Will contained

In two sheets of paper subscribed my name to the first

sheet thereof and to the second and last my hand and seal

this ninth day of one thousand seven hundred and

ninety one. Silas Dollen   SS    Signed Sealed Published

and declared by the Testator Silas Dollen as and for to be

his last will and Testament in the presence of us who at

his request in his presence and in the presence of such

others of us have Subscribed our names as witnesses hereunto

the words (and after) wife and) my said children) in the

second sheet getting first interlined. Jno Symes, Wm. Thomas

On the sixth day of November in the year of Our

Lord One thousand Seven hundred and twenty two Admin~

with the will annexed of all and singular the Goods

chattels and credits of Silas Dollen late of West Buckland

in the County of Somerset deceased was granted to Margaret

Dollen widow the Relict of the said deceased and Residuary

Legatore In Trust Substituted in the said will during the

Minority of Silas Dollen John Dollen and Betty Dollen.

Spinster minors the children of said deceased and

until on of them shall attain the age of twenty one

years. She having been first sworn duly to Administrator

Robert Honniball Thomas Arscott and William Jacobs

the Executors and Residuary Legatees In Trust named in

the said will giving first ? as well the Execution

thereof as the Letters of Administration (with this said~

annexed of the Goods of the said deceased.

You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know

 My Dollen Family Tree has many branches. My focus of late has been on my British ancestors. Jumping the pond proves challenging and fills me with ideas and many questions.

Information gathered from the Family Search Somerset, England Wiki has possibly advanced my trees to the early 1700s. While the indexes provide names, dates, towns, parishes etc., they do not give me scans/copies of the original documents. Naturally, I want to see the documents.

This is the point where I must use a favorite quote; “You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know!” for it aptly applies to my Family Search strategies. When using Family Search, my preferred method of search has been to begin by browsing by location near the bottom of the home page. It worked well until I decided to jump the pond, as I was unable to located records for Somerset, England.

Now my cousin, Sharon, is always sharing scans of British baptismal, marriage and burial records located through Family Search. She would tell me what parish she located them in, but I was unable to find the records. I was doing something wrong!

Tired of bumping into Family Search brick wall, I decided to try a novel approach. Why not try the Family Search Catalog? I chose to search by place names.

• I entered Curry Mallet, Somerset, England. No Luck!
• I entered Somerset, England. No Luck!
• I entered England. I got lucky with an abundance of search opportunities. I needed to define my parameters.
• I entered England, Somerset, Curry Mallet. BINGO! There they were: census, church, poorhouse, taxation, and land and property records! Microfilm was ordered and I am now waiting to receive them.

 It took me awhile to understand the search parameters for Family Search, but making mistakes still proves to be the best learning experience.

• When adding information to my personal trees, I always record U.S. data as city, county, state, country.
•  For my British ancestors, I record town, county, country.

The logic used in my personal trees did not work with Family Search’s catalog. As I said earlier, you just don’t know what you don’t know! But now I know!

Lessoned learned: It is time to explore Family Search more thoroughly.

Happy Hunting!

Linda

Ancestral Waiting Rooms

I wonder if this happens to everyone.  When working on a family tree, I eventually reach a point where I have exhausted all search opportunities. That tree is then set-aside for the time being allowing me to revisit another family trees.

The Dooley family has had quite a lengthy run of research and has been placed in that waiting area of family trees . . .  the ancestral waiting room. Resting until a new lead pops up.

Several new research opportunities have arisen in the Dollen Family Tree. As a result, the Dollens are moving out of that ancestral waiting room.

I recently made contact with a Dollen descendant across "The Pond." She and I descend from John Dollen and Ann House of Curry Mallet, Somerset, England. I long to visit Curry Mallet and the shire of Somerset. For the time being, I must live vicariously through the television series, Downton Abbey.

Downton Abbey transports me to Somerset, England and leaves me wondering why my John Dollen left such a beautiful country. He did not live in a grand castle but rather on Lower Street. I am satisfied for now yet long to visit Lower Street in Curry Mallet home to my British origin.

My newfound, distant cousin tells me that the Dollens were “Good Country People.”

John Dollen and Emma Paul were children of John and Ann Dollen and born in 1830 and 1836 respectively.  I am pleased to introduce you to brother and sister, John Dollen and Emma Paul nee Dollen.

Ladies first! Emma Paul nee Dollen & John Paul (husband)

John Dollen, son of John Dollen and Ann House.

Thank you to Sharon Mitchell, owner of the Emma and John Paul photo.

Linda