John BRUCE may have been the son of George BRUCE and his wife Bridget HEWISSON who married at Holbeach in Lincolnshire on 18th January 1780 and may have been baptised in Moulton, Lincolnshire on 29th May 1793.
John married Susanna and their daughter, Mary Ann, was baptised in Bicker on 24th November 1816. Their son, Henry, was baptised there on 10th January 1818 and a daughter, Biddie (probably a variant of Bridget), on 29th August 1819.
The family remained in Bicker for a while and a son, James, was baptised on 19th July 1820 and his brother, William, 30th October 1821. Another son, Matthew, was baptised 14th January 1823.
After this the family moved to Wigtoft and added to their family. A son, George, was baptised 6th June 1826 but died three months later. Another daughter, Bridget (presumably her sister had died), was baptised 23rd November 1827 and a son, John, on 3rd August 1829. It seems likely that John was known as George - perhaps in memory of his brother (and grandfather) and to avoid confusion with his father. Alternatively, it is possible that another son, George, was born in 1830.
Their youngest son, Abraham, was baptised in Wigtoft on 28th March 1834. After this the family moved to Swineshead where their last child, a daughter called Eliza was baptised on 21st April 1836. After this, Susanna died and was buried in Swineshead on 4th July 1836. Baby Eliza died the following month.
At the time of the 1841 census John BRUCE was living in Swineshead on Baxters Lane where he worked as a farm labourer. With him was his son, James, who also worked as a farm labourer and a young son, George, who was eleven years old. His ten year old daughter, Bridget, was working for the publican, William FOX, in the Market Place.
Also in Swineshead was John's son, William, who worked as a servant for Elizabeth COATES at Ivey House. His younger brother, Matthew, was in Bicker working for the farmer John BROOKS at Gauntlet.
On 8th August 1842 William married at Swineshead to Amy SANDERSON. Amy was the daughter of Thomas SANDERSON and his wife Elizabeth CRAMPTON and had been baptised at Deeping St James on 1st April 1819. William and Amy settled in Swineshead in a house on Town Lane.
The following year, Henry married in Wigtoft on 3rd May 1843. His wife was Sarah Ann BLACKSHAW who had been baptised there on 23rd August 1823. She was the daughter of Edward BLACKSHAW and his wife Maria DAYBELL who had married in Wigtoft on 3rd July 1821. Henry and Sarah settled in Wigtoft in a house on Asperton Road.
James BRUCE died and was buried in Swineshead on 28th June 1846. It may have been his death that caused a decline in family fortunes for by 1851 his father was living as an inmate of the Boston Union Workhouse. He died there the following year.
Photographs of BRUCE/BLACKSHAW Descendants
William BRUCE was baptised in Bicker, Lincolnshire on 30th October 1821. He was the third son of John BRUCE and his wife Susanna.
John was an agricultural labourer and as such, needed to move around in order to find work. Around 1825 the family moved to nearby Wigtoft and some ten years later they moved again to settle in Swineshead. It was soon after this that William's mother, Susanna, died and was buried on 4th July 1836 three months after the birth of her twelfth child, Eliza. Baby Eliza died the following month as many of her older siblings had done previously.
By 1841 William had left home and was working as a servant for Elizabeth COATES at Ivey House in Swineshead. On 8th August the following year he married Amy SANDERSON witnessed by Samuel Dawson & Mary Wilson. Amy was the daughter of Thomas SANDERSON and his wife Elizabeth CRAMPTON and had been baptised at on 1st April 1819.
Their first child, Eliza, was baptised in Deeping St James on 4th June 1843. William and Amy settled in Swineshead in a house on Town Lane. Two more daughters followed with Elizabeth Ann in 1846 and Jane in 1848.
On 3rd January 1851 baby Susanna was baptised in Swineshead and a few months later William, Amy and their four daughters appear on the census at Town Lane from where William worked as a farm labourer.
The following year, William's father, John, died in the Boston Union Workhouse and on 18th February 1853 baby Susanna died and was buried in Swineshead. Another daughter, Rachael, was baptised there less than two months later.
After this endless string of daughters, William may have been quite pleased when their first son, George, was born in 1855. Not wanting to tempt fate (or maybe money was tight) they did not have him baptised until four years later - after the birth of their youngest son, William. A double baptism was held in Swineshead on 24th July 1859.
In 1861 William was living in Swineshead near Cross Gates with Amy and their three youngest children; Rachael, George and William. The older girls had already left home and were working nearby: Elizabeth was working as a house servant for the farmer, John WOODS, at Drayton while Jane worked as a general servant for the Veterinary Surgeon, Joseph SHARMAN at North End. I don't know where Eliza was at this time but she died and was buried in Swineshead the following year.
By 1871 the family had moved to the East of Hale Drove. William and Amy lived there with their youngest daughter, Rachael and their two sons, George and William Jr. William was still working as an agricultural labourer and by now George was also working as a labourer. Rachael was working as a servant while young William was still at school.
On 9th June 1873 Rachael's daughter, Mary Elizabeth Mitchell BRUCE was baptised at Swineshead. It is possible that some time after this Rachel may have married Thomas SANDERS
William died in 1874 and was buried in Swineshead on 12th May. Amy remained in Swineshead and in 1881 she was living at North End described on the census as a Lodging Housekeeper. At the time she had only one lodger - a batchelor named William WARSOP. Amy married William WARSOP in Swineshead on 20th September 1883 when she was 68 years old. The wedding was witnessed by William MOSLEY and Mary WELLS.
In 1891 Amy and William WARSOP were living on the Sleaford Road where Amy was still a Lodging Housekeeper and William a general labourer. I have no idea what became of any of the BRUCE children as I can find no trace of them on the 1881 census. It is possible that they may have emigrated...
Matthew BRUCE was baptised in Bicker, Lincolnshire on 14th January 1823. He was a son of John BRUCE and his wife Susanna and was probably named after John's grandfather, Mathew HEWISSON.
Soon after Matthew was born the family moved to nearby Wigtoft and by 1836 they had moved again to Swineshead. It was here that Matthew's mother died and was buried 4th July 1836.
By 1841 Matthew had left home and returned to Bicker where he worked as a servant for the farmer, John BROOKS, at Gauntlet.
His brother James had died and was buried in 1846. It may have been his death that caused a decline in family fortunes for by 1851 her father, John, was living as an inmate of the Boston Union Workhouse where he died the following year.
Like his sister, Bridget, Matthew never married or really settled down. In 1851 he had returned to Swineshead where he worked as an agricultural labourer. He was living as a lodger in the household of the widowed Francis COOK who lived at Stone Crops - not far from Bridget or their brother, William.
By 1871 Matthew had moved to Carrington where he was still working as an agricultural labourer. On this census he appears to be called John (!) but there seems little doubt that this is Matthew. By now he was a lodger in the household of Thomas PETH on Sibsey Road. PETH was a farm bailiff and owned 204 acres on which he employed five men and three boys.
Ten years later Matthew was living in Boston and working as a general labourer. He was living at 5 New Street as one of three lodgers in the household of the beerhouse keeper, Henry KEFLEY.
Bridget BRUCE was baptised in Wigtoft, Lincolnshire on 23rd November 1827. She was the only surviving daughter of John BRUCE and his wife Susanna and was probably named after John's mother.
Susanna died when Bridget was only 9 years old so she went out to work from an early age. By 1841 she was already working as a servant for the publican, William FOX, in the Market Place at Swineshead. This sort of occupation sees to have suited her for ten years later she was working for another beer seller -this time it was for John ALLBONES.
Her brother James had died and was buried in 1846. It may have been his death that caused a decline in family fortunes for by 1851 her father, John, was living as an inmate of the Boston Union Workhouse. He died there the following year.
Bridget did not marry but remained in Swineshead for some time - close to her brother, William, and his family. Her brother, Matthew, was also nearby. By 1861 she was working as a general servant for William OLIVER (yet another publican!) and his wife Rachel who lived on South Street.
Ten years later and Bridget was working for another publican. This time she was a servant for Henry STEVENSON and his wife, Rachel (formerly OLIVER?), at the Royal Oak on South Street.
In 1881 we have no information as to where she was living. On census night she was visiting the elderly widow, Mary JAMES, who lived with her son at 12 Union Place in Boston. I wonder whether she was a friend of Bridget's...
Our last sighting of Bridget is probably in 1891.where she appears as an inmate of the Boston Union Workhouse (where her father had ended his days). Here she is described as a retired charwoman and an 'outdoor worker'.
George BRUCE was probably the youngest surviving child of John BRUCE and his wife Susanna. He was born in Wigtoft, Lincolnshire around 1830 but may have been baptised as John, on 3rd August 1829. It seems possible that John was known as George - perhaps in memory of an earlier brother (and grandfather) and to avoid confusion with his father. Alternatively, it is possible that another son, George, was born the following year.
By 1836 the family had moved to Swineshead. It was here that George's mother, Susanna, died and was buried 4th July 1836.
In 1841 young George was living on Baxter's Lane with his father, John, and an older brother, James. James died and was buried in Swineshead on 28th June 1846 and by 1851 his father was living as an inmate of the Boston Union Workhouse where he died the following year.
As a young man, George left Lincolnshire and emigrated to America. It is possible that he married Sarah Ann WHITEHEAD in St Louis, Missouri on 20th May 1855 and their daughter Mary E was born in Missouri around 1856.
This little family appears on the 1860 census for Montgomery Co. in Missouri. Here it is stated that George and Sarah were both born in England while their daughter was born in Missouri.
By 1880 the family had grown considerably and were living in Montgomery Co. next door to the family of Robert and Anna BLACKSHAW. Robert BLACKSHAW was the brother of Sarah Ann BLACKSHAW who had married George's brother Henry back in Wigtoft in 1843 and was still living in Swineshead. The BRUCE family now consisted of George (50), Sarah (42) and their children; George H (18), Elizabeth (16), Eli (14), Mary (12), Robert (10), Ida (8), David (5), Emma (3) and Joseph 6 months.
By 1890 the family had settled in Wellsville. On 9th February 1890 their son, Robert, died at home and his death appeared in the local newspaper.
Around this time it seems likely that Alice BRUCE settled in Missouri for a while with her husband Frank COOPER. She was the daughter of Henry BRUCE and Sarah Ann BLACKSHAW and wrote a letter home to her sister Hannah with family details and giving addresses for her Uncle George BRUCE and for her Aunt Alice SLEIGHT (formerly BLACKSHAW). This suggests that contact between the families was maintained even though they were so far apart.
I don't know what became of George and his family. It seems that his son, David, married Pearl WARING and remained in Wellsville until his death in 1939.
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