James Bane (1793-1861) of Martham

This branch of the Bane family was associated with Martham for several generations. The uncle of this James; another James Bane (1768-1834), had been a landowner and miller at Martham. This James Bane was born in about 1793 as the first child of John Bane & Lucy Morris. He had a brother called Frederick. The family hailed from Erpingham, near Aylsham.

Bane family tree

When he was young his parents had moved to Acle where he met Esther Martin, and they married there on 27th October 1818. They moved to Erpingham and between 1819 and 1829 had at least none children as follows:

  1. George Morris Bane was born on 5th August 1819. He married Harriet Green in 1844 and died in 1857.
  2. Christmas Bane was born on 25th  December 1821. He died on 5th June 1831 at Erpingham.
  3. James Bane was born on 31st August 1822. His first wife was Mary Abigail Land who he married on 27th March 1862 at Hockham. His second wife was Eliza Rising who he married on 4th August 1870 at Great Yarmouth. He died in 1883 at Great Yarmouth.

4. Lucy Morris Bane was born about 1824 at Erpingham, near Aylsham, Norfolk. Her first husband was Robert Skeet who she married on 27th September 1849 at St Mary the Virgin, Martham and her second husband was George Alexander Ablitt who she married on 1st August 1867 also at Martham. She died on 5th July 1912 at Ingham but was buried at St Mary the Virgin section H, plot C26.

5. Catherine Harvey Bane was born about 1825 at Erpingham. She married James Cooper Faulke on 30th August 1855 and died in 1912 in Great Yarmouth.

6. Esther Sabina Bane was born about 1827 at Erpingham.

7. John Bane was born between 1829–1831 at Erpingham.

8. William Bane who was born in 1830 and died as an infant aged one.

9. Robert Bane who was born in 1831 and died in 1833.

James was living at Erpingham with his family at the time of the 1841 census and was the absentee landlord of large landholdings at Martham listed in the 1842 Tithe Award. He owned most of the land in Martham that his uncle James Bane (1768-1834) had held at the time of the 1812 Inclosure Award, plus some additional land. He owned 58 acres, 1 rod & 6 perches of land being plots 374, 402, 410 & 411 to the east of Damgate. Plot 397 a meadow near the river. Plots 211, 212. 213, 217, 262, 263, 273, 264 &  275 surrounding the former windmill site in Hemsby Road. Plots 674 & 675 just into Hemsby Road on the north side as you leave The Green and opposite them plot 682 which has The Gables on it.  As he was the miller at Erpingham he let plots 374, 397, 402, 410 & 411 to William Grimston and plots 211, 212, 213, 217, 262, 273, 274, 275, 674, 675 & 682 William Randall.  Interestingly plot 682 was The Gables a fine house at the corner of The Green and Hemsby Road so presumably William Randall lived there.

1842 Tithe Award, plots surrounding the Hemsby Road windmills.
1842 Tithe Award plots 402 410 & 411 off Damgate
1842 Tithe Award plots 674, 675 & 682

James had come about all this land by inheriting it from his cousin Elizabeth Bane the daughter of James Bane (1768-1834) after she died in 1837. 

James was still the miller at Erpingham Mill in 1845 according to White’s Directory but by 1851 he had moved to Martham and was living at The Green as a farmer of 43 acres. Similarly, he was included in the Register of Electors for Martham in 1853-54 and his address was given as Market Road (Hemsby Road). This may have been at The Gables where other family tree owners say he lived unless they are getting muddled with his ownership of the property in 1842.

James & Esther Bane in their latter years

Both James and Esther are buried at St Mary the Virgin, section D plot D1. James died on 6th February 1861 and Esther in March 1870. This is a photograph of their headstone.

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