Benjamin Rising (1775-1835) of West Somerton and Martham
Plus his wives Sarah Sowels (1780-1824) & Mary Clementina Garnham (1782-1832)
Benjamin Rising was born in 1775 at West Somerton Hall and was baptised at St Mary the Virgin, West Somerton on 22nd August that year as the eighth child of Robert Rising & Ann Manship. He had thirteen siblings, namely: Robert, William, Stephen, Tilney, Mary, Edward, Thomas Sutfield, John, Anne, George, Charles, Rebecca, and Frances.
When he was 29, he married Sarah Sowels on 22nd November 1804 at St Mary the Virgin, Martham. They did not have any children and Sarah died, aged 44, on 20th February 1824. Her grave and that of her husband, is just opposite the main door of St Mary’s Martham at section F, plot C10.
On 15th March 1827 Benjamin married Mary Clementina Garnham at St Mary’s Martham. She was the daughter of Richard Garnham* & Mary Cubit. Benjamin & Mary did not have any children.
Like several of his brothers Benjamin was a farmer and was the tenant at Moregrove, Martham from at least 1812. His wife, Mary, was the sister of Richard Garnham who had also farmed Moregrove. The close family connections allowed Benjamin to purchase Moregrove and he appears in the Register of Electors for 1832 & 1835 as such. Sadly, Mary died on 24th November 1832 when they were living at Moregrove and Benjamin also died there on 17th March 1835. In his Will, Benjamin left Moregrove to his wife’s brother William Henry Garnham. Benjamin & Mary are buried in the same plot as his first wife as shown above.
*Richard Garnham was the tenant farmer of one of the largest farms in the village of Itteringham near Aylsham, Norfolk. He was a churchwarden and overseer of the parish poor rate – gathering funds and managing expenditure at Itteringham. These sources and land tax records show that he lived at the Manor House farm from 1789 to about 1823. In the poll book of 1802 Richard ‘of Itteringham’ is recorded as entitled to vote at Martham based on land he also owned there.
