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Shepherd
Family (also
Bower,
Sparkhall and Cubitt)
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In Ludham Churchyard is the grave of Harriot wife of Bower Sparkhall Shepherd. The information on the tombstone is a follows:
C49.
In memory of Harriot
The beloved wife of Bower Sparkhall Shepherd
Who departed this life
January 31st 1844
Age 23
Harriot had a son called Cubitt and Bower was his father. Cubitt's baptism record shows 26th Feb 1843, St Catherine's Ludham, Cubitt Sparkhall, Father Bower Sparkhall (shoemaker), Mother Harriett (spelling). It looks like Harriot's maiden name was Colman and she was born about 1820.
Now forenames like Bower, Sparkhall and Cubitt are not common names at all and these must refer to earlier family surnames. This much we certainly know. An internet search finds a person with the following in their family tree:
I have Abigail BOWER who married Alexander SPARKHALL of Ingham in 1748.
They had four children one of whom was Bower SPARKHALL, of Ingham. He was
a Baptist Minister there for a time and died in 1843. He is buried in
Neatishead.
Bower married Hannah CUBITT and we are not sure where she was from but it is
suggested that it was Bacton. She died in Ludham in 1831.
One of Bower and Hannah's children, Abigail, married William CUBITT of
engineering fame in 1809. I believe William was from Dilham.
It seems likely that these are an earlier generation but we cannot certainly connect them.
Now other records;
May 23rd 1841. Bower Sparkhall Shepherd. Full age. Batchelor. Shoemaker of Ludham. Son of Benjamin Shepherd, farmer. married Harriot Colman of Ludham. Spinster. Fullage. Daughter of James Colman. Tailor.
Dec 26th 1899. Hubert W. Hayward aged 37. Batchelor. Cooper of Gt Yarmouth. Son of Philip Hayward, cooper. married Emma Sarah Bower, aged 29. Spinster. Daughter of John Bower, blacksmith. Witnessed by Evelyn Rosanna Bower.
Dec 25th 1913. William Thomas Meadows, aged 30. Batchelor. Clerk of St Andrew's
Jan 18th 1916. Archie James Cane aged 30. Batchelor. Gardener,
The first one gives the previous generation to Bower Sparkhall Shepherd. The other Bowers may be related.
Now other notes:
1841 Sparkhall Bower owned house, barn and land at the end of Turf Fen (part of Ludham near How Hill). He also owned a cottage at
1850. Sparkhall Bower lived in the center of the village.
We have no idea if Sparkhall Bower is another person from Bower Sparkhall Shepherd. It seems likely that he is.
Further update March 2012 from Dawn Hicks
Abigail BOWER did marry Alexander SPARKHALL in abt 1748. They had a son Bower who married Hannah CUBITT. Their son Cubitt had a son Bower who married Louisa BROWN so obviously this is not the Bower you have listed. However, Bower and Hannah’s daughter Mary Ann was the one who married Benjamin Sheppard and they did have a son Bower Sparkhall Shepherd.
In the1851 census we see:
Name: Sparkall Shepherd Age: 38
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1813
Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Mary Ann Shepherd
Where born: Horning, Norfolk, England
Household Members: Name and Age
Sparkall Shepherd 38
Mary Ann Shepherd 29
Cubett Shepherd 8
William Shepherd 4
Sparkall Shepherd 2
So it appears that this Sparkhall SHEPHERD is married to a Mary Ann.
Here they are in 1861:
Name: Sparkhall Shepherd Age: 48
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1813
Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Mary Ann Shepherd
Where born: Horning, Norfolk, England
Household Members: Name and Age
Sparkhall Shepherd 48
Mary Ann Shepherd 39
William Shepherd 14
Mary Ann Shepherd 10
Charles Shepherd 8
Alfred Shepherd 6
Robert Shepherd 5
Martin Shepherd 3
Same Family in 1871:
Name: Bower S Shepherd –Note the Bower now appears, but is the same family. Age: 59
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1812
Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Mary A Shepherd
Where born: Horning, Norfolk, England
Household Members: Name and Age
Bower S Shepherd 59
Mary A Shepherd 51
Charles Shepherd 19
Robert Shepherd 15
Martin Shepherd 13
Bower Sparkhall SHEPHERD and Mary Ann GRAPES were married in Oct 1845.
Now the marriage for Harriot to Bower S. does appear in 1841 and Cubett the son was born in 1843, but the next child was born 4 years later and Harriot only appears on one census with Bower S so I am thinking that after Harriot died in 1844, Bower Sparkhall Shepherd married Mary Ann in 1845. Here is Cubitt’s birth record:
Cubitt Sparhall Shepherd (I am sure that the spelling is SPARKHALL.)
Name: Cubitt Sparhall Shepherd
Date of registration: Jan-Feb-Mar 1843
Registration district: Tunstead
So to end all this, Bower Sparkhall Shepherd would be my first cousin 4x removed.
This is all we have at the moment. We hope it is useful.
