The Early Years in West Sussex

The earliest I’ve been able to trace my wife’s family is to the marriage of Robert Albwry and Elizabeth Rudman at Trotton, Sussex on 24th May 1697, although Robert’s surname was written as Albourough in the Bishop’s Transcript.

Trotton is an attractive village located near Chithurst in the Rother Valley, 3 miles west of Midhurst. Crossing the river is a medieval Bridge, which was built in the late 1300s by Lord Thomas Camoys. There is another ancient stone bridge crossing the River which dates back to about 1600. It is built of sandstone, which was quarried near Hythe.

It appears that Robert and Elizabeth had just three children, who were born at Trotton:

Elizabeth Albourough

Elizabeth was baptised on 16th October 1698, her father Robert being recorded as a Labourer. It appears that Elizabeth married a widower named Mark Martin on 20th April 1732 at Trotton, Mark’s occupation being recorded as a Labourer.

James Allborough

James was baptised on 19th January 1706, his father Robert being recorded as a Day Labourer. It appears that James died as a young child, and was buried on 6th December 1713 at Trotton. His father Robert Alberry was recorded as a Labourer on his burial entry.

JOHN ALBOROUGH

John was baptised on 12th November 1710, his father Robert being recorded as a Day Labourer. I believe it’s this John who was my wife’s five-times great grandfather, his father Robert being her six-times great grandfather.

It appears that John and his wife Mary had a total of eight children. Although none of the baptism entries give their mother’s name, their surname was consistently written as Alberry.

Mary Alberry

Mary died as an infant, and was buried on 1st November 1735 at Trotton, her father John being recorded as a Labourer.

Ann Alberry

Ann was baptised on 26th December 1736 at Trotton.

John Alberry

John was baptised on 24th June 1739 at Trotton, his father John being recorded as a Labourer.

Mary Alberry

Mary was baptised on 11th April 1742 at Trotton.

Jane Alberry

Jane was baptised on 21st February 1747 at Trotton, her father John being recorded as a Labourer.

Richard Alberry

Richard was baptised on 13th January 1750 at Trotton, his father John being recorded as a Labourer. Richard died as an infant, and was buried just 6 days later on 19th January 1753, his father John again being recorded as a Labourer.

Elizabeth Alberry

Elizabeth was baptised on 15th April 1753 at Trotton, her father John being recorded as a Labourer.

JAMES ALBERRY

James was baptised on 1st June 1755 at Trotton, his father John being recorded as a Labourer. James is my wife’s four-times great grandfather.

John’s wife, Mary, died in late October 1781, and was buried on 1st November 1781 at Trotton, her husband John being named and recorded as a Labourer. John survived her by nearly 23 months, and was buried at Trotton on 15th September 1783, his occupation again being recorded as a Labourer.

John and Mary’s youngest child, James, married Sarah Rudman on 5th January 1781 at Trotton. They had a total of seven children, their surname primarily being written as Alberry, with the exception of their daughter Sarah when it was written as Albury:

JAMES ALBERRY

James was baptised on 24th February 1782 at Trotton, his father James being recorded as a Labourer. James is my wife’s three times great grandfather.

Mary Alberry

Mary was baptised on 17th May 1783 at Trotton, her father James being recorded as a Labourer.

Sarah Albury

Sarah was baptised on 4th March 1785 at Trotton. She married Richard Richards on 6th June 1811 at Trotton, in the presence of William Richards and Rosa Albury.

John Alberry

John was baptised on 22nd June 1788 at Trotton, his father James being recorded as a Labourer. John Albury married Jane Seale on 28th January 1811 at Trotton, in the presence of William Richards and Hannah Hopkins. They baptised the following five children at Trotton:

Jane Alberry: Jane was born on 11th April 1811, and was baptised on 9th June the same year. She married William Kemp on 3rd October 1835 at Trotton, in the presence of Cornelius Stevens and Ann Withall.

Elizabeth Albury: Elizabeth was baptised on 9th May 1813, her father John was recorded as a Labourer. Elizabeth Albery was just 1 year-old when she died, and was buried on 1st August 1814 at Trotton.

John Alberry: John was baptised on 4th October 1818, his father John being recorded as a Labourer. John Albury was 14 years-old when he died, and was buried on 1st July 1833 at Trotton.

Thomas Alberry: Thomas was baptised on 1st June 1823, his father John was recorded as a Labourer.

Sarah Alberry: Sarah was baptised on 30th July 1826, her father John being recorded as a Labourer.

Thomas Alberry

Thomas was baptised on 13th January 1793 at Trotton, his father James being recorded as a Labourer.

Elizabeth Alberry

Elizabeth was baptised on 5th October 1794 at Trotton, her father James being recorded as a Labourer.

William Alberry

William was baptised on 30th July 1797 at Trotton, his father James being recorded as a Labourer, and his mother being named as Sarah.

My wife’s three-times great grandparents, James Albury and Rhoda Luckins, were married after Banns on 6th November 1804 at Rogate, in the presence of Henry Jupp and Nanny Collins.

Rogate is located between Midhurst and Petersfield alongside the River Rother. Many of the buildings in the centre of Rogate date back to Tudor times. A stone bridge over the river south of the village was built in the late 1600s or early 1700s.

Rhoda Luckins was born at nearby Trotton, and was baptised there as Rhody on 28th December 1788, her father being named as James. Her parents, James Luckins (of Rogate) and Rose Beal, had been married on 11th October 1779 at Greatham, Hampshire, in the presence of John Luckins and Anthony Mills.

James and Rhoda had a total of fourteen children who were all born at Rogate. Noticeably, several spelling variations of the family’s surname were used:

James Aubrey

James was baptised on 19th October 1806.

John Albury

John was baptised on 24th April 1808.

Rose Aldbury

Rose was baptised on 18th March 1810.

Mary Ann Aldbury

Mary Ann was baptised on 22nd December 1811. She married a widower named James Martin, a Cordwainer, on 7th April 1845 at Trotton, in the presence of Henry Bridger and Harriet Albery. Their fathers were named as John Martin, a Cordwainer, and James Albery,a Labourer.

Thomas Aubery

Thomas was baptised on 24th February 1813.

Elizabeth Aubury

Elizabeth was baptised on 20th September 1814. She was buried on 30th January 1816 at Rogate.

William Albury

William was baptised on 15th September 1816.

GEORGE ALBURY

My wife’s great great grandfather, George Albury, was baptised on 17th August 1817.

Robert Albury

Robert was baptised on 27th October 1820.

He is possibly the Robert indexed as Halbury who married Elizabeth Card née Boyce on 26th August 1861 at Hackney in London.

In 1862, Chelsea Pension Records include an entry for Sergeant Robert Halbury (1st Battalion 24th Foot, aged 39 and dated 2nd September 1862). His birthplace was recorded as Rogate, Petersfield, Sussex.

In the 1881 Census, his birthplace is recorded as Rogate, Sussex, he is 60 years-old, and working as a Butler for Llewelyn M. Thomas, a Physician living at 15 Weymouth Street in Marylebone, London. With him is his wife Elizabeth, a 55 year-old Housekeeper, who was born at Devonport in Devon (Ref: RG11 Piece 137 Folio 20 Page 31).

There is also a death registration in early 1898 for a Robert Halbury, aged 77, in the Midhurst registration district, in the area where he was born.

Richard Albury

Richard was baptised on 27th January 1822.

Harriet Albury

Harriet was baptised on 4th January 1824.

Henry Albery

Henry was baptised on 22nd May 1825. He died as an infant, and was buried on 26th October 1825 at Rogate.

Samuel Albury

Samuel was baptised on 5th May 1826. Very sadly, he also died as an infant, and was buried on 8th May at Rogate.

Jane Albury

Jane was baptised on 11th October 1829.

Just three years after their youngest child Jane was baptised, James Albury died at Rogate. He was buried on 13th December 1832, aged 51.

When the 1841 Census was taken on the night of 6th June, the now widowed Rhoda Alberry is found at Rogate Village (Ref: HO107 Piece 1101 Book 5 Folio 23 Page 6). With her is her daughter Mary Ann (recorded as a Female Servant), her son Richard, and daughters Harriot and Jane.

Ten years later at the time of the 1851 Census, the family’s address is given as “Adjoining Village, Rogate” (Ref: HO107 Piece 1654 Folio 420 Page 9). In this Census, the family’s surname is indexed as Albery. “Rose” is said to be a 63 year-old Laundress, and with her are her now married daughter and son-in-law Jane and Samuel Petter, and two granddaughters, Ann Petter and Ellen Albery.

The last Census Rhoda appeared in was in 1861 when she was indexed as Rose Albery. She is found living with her son and daughter-in-law, Richard and Ann née Carpenter, at Sandy lane in Rogate (Ref: RG09 Piece 628 Folio 86 Page 13).

Rhoda Albery passed away in 1868, at the age of 79. She was buried on 21st June at Rogate.