Monday, August 8, 2016

Hurrell breakthrough.....

For many years, one of my cousins has holidayed in a small Devon village called Hope Cove.  It is beautiful, with thatched cottages and a lovely beach.  He has always told me that in the Pub there are some lovely old photos of the local fisherman and some are named HURRELL.  This cousin relates on a completely different line, but knows that HURRELL is one of my direct ancestral lines.

I've never been able to connect any of my South Devon Hurrell's to the village of Hope Cove, and so never thought much more about it.

Today in some random searching, I found a hitherto unknown child, Thomas Hurrell, b 1847 to one of my 1st cousins 4x removed, William Henry Hurrell.   Thomas only appears in the 1851 Census with the family, and then by 1861 is a 13 year old servant living elsewhere.  He disappears in 1871, and reappears in 1881, as a married fisherman in Hope Cove.  He lists his birthplace as Marlborough, when I have it as West Alvington (but they are next door to each other, so understandable).

I then found his marriage certificate at Marlborough, which confirms his Father was William Hurrell, and that he was residing at Hope Cove as a fisherman.



 He and his wife go on to have 6 sons, 3 of whom join the Royal Navy, and another son dies in World War One.   The eldest son Peter Bailey Hurrell, appears to have stayed in Hope Cove and went on to have a large family.

This is Peter Bailey Hurrell, in 1926, when he was a member of a lifeboat crew that went to the aid of a steamer off Hope Cove.




11 comments:

  1. As far as I'm aware, all of Thomas' children stayed in the Hope Cove area, and one of them, Henry, is a direct ancestor of mine. You can find many of Thomas' family's graves in the nearby village of Galmpton.

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  2. Thank you very much! I've just come across some other books on the history of Hope Cove and it's people -- and there are other Hurrell photos there I need to upload and research

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    1. Was thinking of trying to get a copy of this book for my Cousin who's G Grandfather was Peter Bailey Hurrell and Grandmother Violet Lillian Hurrell. Is there much relevant information in the book?

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  3. I was born within a stones throw of Hope Cove, My great grandad Francis John Perry worked along side Peter Bailey Hurrell on the Rocket Apparatus 173 horse drawn cart working out of Hope Cove - Brave men indeed. I have a cracking original photo of the whole team aboard the equipment cart proudly presented on my landing wall

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  5. Could you please list the 5 sons of Thomas, as I have it that he had 6?

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  6. Peter Bailey Hurrell, Richard Hurrell, Thomas Hurrell, Henry Hurrell, Stephen Hurrell

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    1. You're missing Francis, b. 1879 d. 1963. I see why you've missed him though, as I've noticed he doesn't appear with his family in one census.

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  7. Thanks! I'll add him into my tree and update the blog

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  9. Amazing how similar your story is to mine. My first cousin is also a descendent of a Hurrell from Hope Cove and I have just started some research on her behalf. Her G Grandfather was Peter Bailey Hurrell and her Grandmother was Violet Lilian Hurrell.

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