William Barnard Crow(e) (1798-1856) of Martham

Some records have his surname as Crowe but the majority as Crow.

William was born on 3rd October 1798 in Bradwell, Great Yarmouth. (Bradwell was in Suffolk at that time).  He married Mary Ann Rushmer of Freethorpe on 20th November 1824 at Great Yarmouth and they went on the have 12 children as follows:

  1. Mary was born about 1826 at Wickhampton, Freethorpe, Norfolk.
  2. John was born in 1827 at Wickhampton.
  3. Samuel was born about 1829 at Wickhampton.
  4. Harriett was born about 1832 at Wickhampton.
  5. James was born about 1834 at Martham.
  6. Charles was born about 1837 at Martham.
  7. Jane was born on 9th March 1838 at Martham.
  8. Ellen Isabella was born in 1839 at Martham.
  9. Emily Amelia was born in 1842 at Martham.
  10. Georgiana was born in 1843 at Martham.
  11. Albert Thomas was born in 1844 at Wickhampton.
  12. William Alfred was born in 1846 in Wickhampton.

The pattern of these births supports the period William was a miller at Martham.

William was recorded as being a miller at Hemsby Road in 1834 according to this advert that appeared in the Norfolk Chronicle on 30th September 1834.

MARTHAM MILLS

Sale of Five horse power Steam Engine, pair of four ft. stones etc. “… on the premises of Mr. W. B. Crowe at Mr. Wells’ Tower Windmill at Martham, Norfolk (Mr. Crowe being about to relinquish the occupation and leaving the trade.)”

Mill House, Hemsby Road

Apparently, he did not leave as he was listed in the Electoral Registers for Martham between 1836 and 1841 and with his family at Martham in the 1841 census living at Mill Lane (off Hemsby Road) where he was a miller.

William was listed in the Martham 1842 Tithe Award as the occupier of both the mills at Hemsby Road on plots No 271 & 272. Plot 271, the tower mill, was owned by William Wells Snr. who had retired by this time and lived at Dilham and plot 272, the post mill was owned by Frederick Bane, the nephew of James Bane.

1842 Tithe Award map showing the two windmills on plots 271 (tower mill) and 272 (post mill)

William sold his mill business in October 1843, the details of which can be seen in the notice below published in the Norfolk Mercury advertising its sale.

William and his family returned to Wickhampton in South Norfolk where the 1851 census tells us he was a farmer of 212 acres employing nine labourers. He died in 1856 at Ipswich. The children lived in various places by 1861 and there is no trace of what happened to their mother so presumably she had died.

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