Harriet Phoebe Oxborough died in 1893 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk County, England. It is rumored that her husband, Stephen Joseph Land, took their four children to the fair and deserted them. His whereabouts are still unknown.

John Oxborough

Born: 19 JUN 1816 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England

Father: John Oxborough (1787 to 1868)
Mother: Elizabeth Browne (1789 to 1865)

Spouse: Phoebe Barth (1821 to 1890)

Married: 1839 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England

Children:

Mary Ann Oxborough (1839 to 1918)
John Oxborough (1841 to 1843)
James Samuel John Oxborough (1843 to 1927)
Charles Oxborough (1845 to 1880)
Elizabeth Oxborough (1847 to 1927)
John Oxborough (1849 to 1914)
Robert Oxborough (23 AUG 1850 to 1933)
Eliza Oxborough (1852 to 1891)
Henry Oxborough (1854 to 1925)
George Barrington Oxborough (1857 to 1890)
Harriet Oxborough (1859 to 1864)
William Oxborough (1862 to 1951)
Harriet Phoebe Oxborough (1864 to 1893)

Died: 1892 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England

Timeline:

1828 Death of twin brothers, Henry and Obadiah
1839 Marriage to Phoebe
1839 Birth of daughter, Mary Ann
1841 Birth of son, John
1841 Beccles, Suffolk County, England
1843 Death of son, John
1843 Birth of son, James
1843 Death of brother, James
1845 Birth of son, Charles
1847 Birth of daughter, Elizabeth
1848 Death of brother, Robert
1849 Birth of son, John
1850 Birth of son, Robert
1851 Beccles, Suffolk County, England
1852 Birth of daughter, Eliza
1854 Birth of son, Henry
1857 Birth of son, George
1859 Birth of daughter, Harriet
1861 Gorleston, Suffolk County, England
1862 Birth of son, William
1864 Death of daughter, Harriet
1864 Birth of daughter, Harriet Phoebe
1865 Death of mother, Elizabeth
1868 Death of father, John
1871 Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England
1880 Death of son, Charles
1881 North Walsham, Norfolk, England
1883 Death of sister, Susanna
1890 Death of son, Charles
1890 Death of wife, Phoebe
1891 Death of daughter, Eliza
1891 Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England
1892 Death and Burial

Occupation: sawyer (1841), gas maker (1851 and 1861), sawyer (1871), railway watchman (1881)

Records:

1841 to 1891 England Census Records
England & Wales, Non-Conformist and Non-Parochial Registers, 1567-1970
England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975
England & Wales, FreeBMD Marriage Index: 1837-1915
England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index: 1837-1915
England & Scotland, Select Cemetery Registers, 1800-2014

Variations of Surname: none

Phoebe gave birth to 13 known children. Out of this number, six of these children died at a fairly young age.

John Oxborough (2 years old)
Charles Oxborough (35 years old)
Eliza Oxborough Daviss (38 years old), cancer of the uterus
George Barrington Oxborough (33 years old)
Harriet Oxborough (5 years old)
Harriet Phoebe Oxborough Land (29 years old) pneumonia

Death can occur through illness or injury. The use of antibiotics did not come into existence until the mid-20th century. Before that time, people used traditional knowledge to help treat these illnesses and injuries.

Did you ever wonder why people had such large families in the past? It was because they knew that half their children could die from illnesses or injuries.

Spouse:

Phoebe Barth:

Phoebe was born in 1821 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England. She died in 1890 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk County, England.

Phoebe’s father was John Barth. He was born on 2 APR 1797 in Norwich, Norfolk County, England. I do not know when he died.

Phoebe’s mother was Clarissa Rayner. She was born in 1796 in Suffolk County, England. She died in 1847 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England.

Phoebe had one known sister who died in infancy:

Mary Ann Barth (1819 to 1820)

Daughters:

Mary Ann Oxborough:

Mary Ann was born in 1839 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England. She died in 1918 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk County, England.

Mary Ann married Frederick William Swann in 1867 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk County, England. Three known children were born to this marriage.

Alice Louisa Swann (1871 to 1883)
Charles Frederick Swann (1879)
Maud Mary Swann (1880 to 1882)

Frederick William Swann was born in 1840 in North Walsham, Norfolk County, England. He died in 1923 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk County, England.

Elizabeth Oxborough:

Elizabeth was born in 1847 in Bungay Holy Trinity, Suffolk County, England. She died in 1927 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk County, England.

Elizabeth married a man named Charles James Moore on 21 DEC 1873 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk County, England. No known children were born to this marriage.

Charles had previously married a widow, Sarah Ann Tomkin Hall, on 23 DEC 1867 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk County, England. No known children were born to this marriage.

Sarah Ann Tomkin was born in 1848 in Barking, Essex County, England. She died in 1871 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk County, England.

Sarah had previously married a man named William Hall on 30 OCT 1865 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk County, England. One known child was born to this marriage:

Eliza Amelia Hall (1866)

Who were William Hall and Charles James Moore?

The only information that I have for William and Charles comes from the marriage records. I had no luck finding them on any of the England census records. I was looking for their fathers who worked as fishermen or sailors. I did not have a birthplace for these men which means they could have lived outside the Great Yarmouth area.

Elizabeth Oxborough and Charles James Moore, 1873 Marriage Record

 

Charles James Moore and Sarah Ann Tompkin Hall, 1867 Marriage Record

 

Sarah Ann Tomkin and William Hall, 1865 Marriage Record

 

If you have information on William Hall or Charles James Moore, please contact me. My email is dlwakenight@yahoo.com. You can also leave a message in the Comments Section of this post.

Eliza Oxborough:

Eliza was born on 31 JUL 1852 in Bungay Holy Trinity, Suffolk County, England. She died on 3 JAN 1891 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk County, England. Eliza was 38 years old when she died.

Eliza had one child out of wedlock with her fiance:

William Daviss Oxborough (1875)

Eliza married William Samuel Daviss on 25 FEB 1877 in Lowestoft, Suffolk County, England. Two known children were born to this marriage:

Florence Eliza Daviss (1878 to 1879)
Thomas Henry Daviss (1880)

William Samuel Daviss was born in 1849 in Bethnal Green, Middlesex County, England. He died on 7 OCT 1896 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk County, England. William was 47 years old when he died.

Probate:

Harriet Oxborough:

Harriet was born in 1859 in Southtown, Suffolk County, England. She died in 1864 in Southtown, Suffolk County, England. Harriet was five years old when she died.

Harriet Phoebe Oxborough:

Harriet was born in 1864 in Southtown, Suffolk County, England. She died in 1893 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk County, England. Harriet was 29 years old when she died.

Harriet married Stephen Joseph Land on 19 MAR 1882 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk County, England. Four known children were born to this marriage:

Stephen Joseph Land (1882)
William John Land (1884)
Robert Samuel Land (1886)
Charles Edward Land (1890)

Stephen Joseph Land was born on 24 FEB 1860 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk County, England. I do not know when Stephen died.

Stephen’s father was William Robert Land. He was born in 1824 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk County, England. He died in 1912 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk County, England.

Stephen’s mother was Susanna Duffield. She was born in 1829 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk County, England. She died in 1895 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk County, England.

Stephen had one sister and one brother:

Susanna Land (1853)
William Land (1855)

What happened to Stephen?

Another Ancestry.com member attached this story to her family tree:

“Stephen Joseph Land, married to Harriett Phoebe Oxborough. They had three children: Stephen Joseph, Robert Samuel, and William John. Harriett died in 1893 from pneumonia. The 1901 census lists the children as living with their grandfather, William Land, and his children. It is believed that Stephen ran away after taking the children out to the fair for the day. Would love to know where he went and when he died.”

Here is the excerpt from the 1901 England census:

Does this mean Stephen died before 1901? I could find no death record for Stephen in the England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index: 1837-1915.

Here is the excerpt from the 1911 England census:

This record confirms that three children were born to William Robert Land and Susanna Duffield. The document indicates that one of the three children died before the 1911 England census was enumerated. As Susanna and William were living with their father, that would mean Stephen was the person that died.

If the story is true, Stephen Joseph Land could have left Great Yarmouth and immigrated to another country. He could have also changed his name to avoid paying child support.

Two of Stephen’s great-granddaughters also wanted to know what happened to him. In 2010, Sheila and Deb posted comments on RootsChat.com. You can read their threads under Sheiky and Scruffy 10:

“Hi, I am new on here, just Googled above name because I am looking for him, myself. He is my Great Grandad, and no one seems to know where he went. Rumour has it he took his children to the Fair and ran away The children were brought up by their Grandfather and their Uncles. Robert Samuel Land is my Grandad.

What is your interest in him, have been looking for him forever, it seems.

Regards, Sheila”

 

“Hi, Sheila,

I, too, have been looking for ages. He was my great-grandfather also.
My grandfather was William Land. I would love to find out what happened to him, where he went after that day at the fair, whether he assumed another name and had another family?

Look forward to hearing from you again.

Deb”

I wonder if there is another great-grandchild out there who knows what happened to Stephen Joseph Land?

Notes:

The surname, Oxborough, originated in Norfolk County, England. It appears in church registers as early as the mid-16th century. As the world population grew, these Oxborough ancestors moved to other counties in England. By the late 19th century, some had immigrated to Canada and Australia.

Creating Your Family Tree

Interested in building a great family tree? Remember these important steps:

Look in your photo albums. You may have old pictures that your parents or grandparents gave you. Or, ask them for copies of photos that they have in their possession. Many people will write names and dates on the backs of photographs. Letters, diaries, and family bibles are also excellent sources for births, marriages, and deaths.

Talk to your older relatives to find out about your ancestry. They may relate stories about an ancestor that you can add to your family tree. Family history is usually not found in newspapers. It is more of a verbal memory that is passed down from generation to generation.

Find the right family tree builder that suits your needs. You can choose one that has a paid subscription like Ancestry.com. There are also free sites like FamilySearch.org.

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If you have a unique surname, like Wakenight, you may find databases on the internet that are useful in your search. I use SurnameDB.com for my English surnames. There are many others on the internet for other countries like Ireland, Italy, and Germany.

Genealogy is the study of a person’s “line of descent.” As you create your family tree, you would typically start with one individual and go “back into time.” You would add their parents, grandparents, and so on.  There are also family trees that go “forward into time.”  Many of these family trees start with a famous person, such as a president or royalty, and move forward into the present time.  The purpose of this type of pedigree is to establish a person’s bloodline with that famous person.

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