Owen Orpet (1838 - 1931)

Born 25 Feb 1838 in Chilworth, Hampshire, England

Ancestors

Husband of Mary Adcock — married 18 Dec 1860 in Portsea Island, Hampshire

Husband of Julia Colliver — married Mar 1876 in Cirencester, Gloucester

Husband of Sarah Eliza Bridgstock — married 1903 in Walsall, Staffordshire

Descendants

Died 2 Jul 1931 at age 93 in Cirencester, Gloucester, England

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Weldon Smith [send private message] and Barry Smith [send private message]

Biography

Owen was christened to William Orpit and Elizabeth on 18 Mar 1838 at Chilworth, Hampshire^[1]. Owen’s birth town within Hants is listed as Chilworth, except once as Netley^[2].

Prior to marriage, Owen was employed in Bishops Waltham, Hants, by a gentleman with gardens and a horse, both of which Owen tended. His first wife Mary Adcock was a maid there; her mother Martha Emery Adcock was the housekeeper^[3].

Owen had twelve children by his first two wives, ten of whom survived to maturity:

• Mary
  • Edward Owen
  • Walter Henry
  • Catherine Mary
  • Alfred Jacob
  • Albert Harold
  • Unnamed, mother and child deceased
• Julia
  • George Colliver
  • Florence Julia
  • Francis Charles
  • Thomas Crowther
  • Edith Lillian
  • Mabel (died young)

Owen was rumored to have had a lovely voice. The family as a whole was musical. Son Alfred had a nice tenor voice and was a Church of England chorister for 70 years. He also played the violin. Owen sang in church and played the harmonium. Edward played a wind instrument, perhaps clarinet, when younger^[3].

After marriage to Mary in the Autumn of 1860 at Portsea Island, Hampshire^[4], Owen took a position as staff gardener at the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester, Gloucester (1860-1871). The family, including Mary's mother Martha, lived in a cottage near the R.A.C.^[3].

Census reports further reveal some of the difficulty the family faced over these 20 years.

In 1871, the first four children with Owen and Mary were residing as a nuclear family in a cottage in Barton Tything, Cirencester. Since this is just a mile north of the R.A.C., we can assume Owen still worked there. They employed a 12 y.o. servant girl^[2].

Mary died in 1875 (during childbirth), and Owen remarried in 1876 to Julia Colliver^[5].

By 1881, the position at R.A.C. had been lost, the older boys appeared to have moved out on their own, and the remaining family was split over three households:

• Owen was shown living with the household of Thomas Crowther Brown as servant (gardener)^[6]. The 90 y.o. Thomas Brown was an elderly Quaker and retired wine merchant with two spinster daughters. There was an observatory on the grounds with a telescope that Owen would sometimes use^[3]. At Brown's request, Owen named a son after him, 'Thomas Crowther Orpet'; Thomas may not have had any surviving sons of his own. Thomas died in 1883. Owen's next employment is not known.
• Sons (by Mary) Albert (7) and Alfred (10) were attending school and living as visitors in another home^[7].
• New wife Julia, with step-dau. (by Mary) Kate (15), together with her own children George (4) and Florence (5 mo), were living in a third residence^[8].

In 1891, Owen and Julia lived together with their 5 children, and it seems Kate, Alfred, Albert had moved on^[9].

At some point after 1883, Owen acquired a storefront business at 14 Dyer St. Cirencester, selling seeds and plant stock, which was handed down to son George after he married in 1904, and then to son Alfred after his retirement in the mid-30's when George moved on; it was eventually demolished in 1959 to make room for a car park.

In the Ellis Island immigration records, there is a record for Owen Orpet, who arrived in 1893 at age 55. We don’t know why he came, where and how long he stayed, nor why he went back. There is another entry for eldest son E. O. Orpet, arrived 1895, age 33.

Julia Orpet died in 1899 in Barnstable, Devon^[10]. No reason for her being in Devon has surfaced.

In 1901, Owen lived with his youngest five children at the store on Dyer Street in Cirencester.^[11]. His occupation is again shown as florist and seedsman.

In 1903, Owen traveled to Walsall, Staffordshire to marry Sarah Eliza (Sallie) Bridgstock^[12]. They would be married for 23 years, until her death.

In 1911, Owen is still head of household in Cirencester, still living with Sallie, and still shown to be a florist and seedsman^[13].

The couple apparently moved from Gloucester back to Hants to a cottage at Hedge End, by Botley. The last family letters from Owen and Sallie are dated Dec 1922 from Hedge End. Sallie and Owen lived in Hedge End for perhaps ten years. It is not known when and why they went back to Owen's roots and childhood, perhaps nostalgia. The letters from Sallie are our only information on their life in Hampshire.

Sallie died in South Stoneham, Hampshire in 1926^[14]. Owen moved back to Cirencester and lived his last five years with daughter Florrie^[3].

Owen died in the summer of 1931^[15]. Owen, Mary, and their baby of 1875 are buried together at Cirencester. Mary's mother, Martha Emery Adcock, is buried on the other side of the cemetery in unconsecrated ground^[3].

Owen didn't belong to the Church of England, having switched to the Baptist Church. Family legend holds that when one day he entered to find someone sitting in his usual front pew, he stalked out never to return. He went out into the countryside with Bible and hymnals and had services where there were no churches^[3].

Next Generations

Of the children of Owen and Mary, Albert and Edward migrated to America, Walter to Australia, Kate and Alfred remained in England. Hopefully, 'cousins' who descend from these sibling lines will find Wikitree and volunteer to create these full genealogical profiled lineages. Meanwhile, following are a few details to get that process started.

Walter married^[16]:

• 31 July 1895, Maude Alice Smith in Brookvale, Waringah, New South Wales; daughter Maude Julia Orpet b. 27 June 1896. Her mother and namesake Maude Alice died 3 weeks later. Maude Julia married Ernest Samuel Burns in NSW on 26 April 1916.
• 27 April 1898, Christina Margaret Hawkins (b. 1874, NSW; d. 3 Jan 1899); son Edward b. 30 Dec 1898, died at 4 mos.
• 17 October 1900, Mary Anne Johnston (b. Ireland 1866; d. Sydney 4 October 1907); dau. Alice Emmeline.
• Harriet.

Walter died on 9 October 1947 in Rookwood, a western suburb of Sydney, pre-deceased by wife Harriet, and survived by three married daughters: Maude Julia (Mrs. E. S. Burns), Alice (Mrs. C. Corpe), and Nell (Mrs. L. Clarke)^[17].

Kate married in Cirencester in 1898 at age 31. Family recollection records she married Arthur Ernest Barnes, for whom a corresponding marriage record exists ^[18].

By 1900, Alfred had moved across the border to Abergavenny, Wales, where he managed a grocery mart. He married Nellie there in 1903. Sometime later, perhaps near the time of father's death, Alfred retired from the grocery business and took over the family store in Cirencester from brother George, which he then may have managed until it closed about 1959 due to an urban renewal project. Alfred died in 1963. We know many details of Owen's life from a 1961 letter written by son Alfred, in response to a query by his great nephew Edward Owen Orpet III.

Sources

1. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JQFZ-RXF : 6 December 2014), Owen Orpit, 18 Mar 1838; citing CHILWORTH,HAMPSHIRE,ENGLAND, reference ; FHL microfilm 1,041,251.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} "England and Wales Census, 1871", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V5YF-27G : 24 July 2015), Owen Orpet, 1871.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6} 1961 letter from son Alfred to E.O. Orpet III and wife Elda, responding to queries about Owen's life
4. ↑ "England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2DJ2-9M2 : 13 December 2014), Owen Orpet, 1860; from “England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005,” database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing 1860, quarter 4, vol. 2B, p. 727, Portsea Island, Hampshire, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.
5. ↑ "England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2DPL-DZZ : 13 December 2014), Owen Orpet, 1876; from “England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005,” citing 1876, quarter 1, vol. 6A, p. 529, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.
6. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1881," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKXH-Z9D9 : 6 October 2015), Thomas C Brown, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England; from "1881 England, Scotland and Wales census," citing p. 15, Piece/Folio 2554/103, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey; FHL microfilm 101,774,896.
7. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1881," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKXH-Z7ZM : 6 October 2015), Albert Orpet in household of Frederick Tranter, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England; from "1881 England, Scotland and Wales census," citing p. 35, Piece/Folio 2555/47, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey; FHL microfilm 101,774,896.
8. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1881," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKXH-Z78G : 6 October 2015), Julia Orpet in household of Harry Duffin, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England; from "1881 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing p. 38, Piece/Folio 2555/48, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey; FHL microfilm 101,774,896.
9. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1891," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:W1FR-DZM : 15 October 2015), Owen Orpett, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England; from "1891 England, Scotland and Wales census," citing PRO RG 12, Gloucestershire county, subdistrict, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
10. ↑ "England and Wales Death Registration Index 1837-2007," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2J5S-H1X : 31 December 2014), Julia Orpet, 1899; from "England & Wales Deaths, 1837-2006," citing Death, Barnstaple, Devon, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.
11. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1901," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XSDG-3ZP : 29 August 2015), Owen Orpet, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England; from "1901 England, Scotland and Wales census," citing Cirencester subdistrict, PRO RG 13, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
12. ↑ "England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:26Q7-FYB : 13 December 2014), Owen Orpet, 1903; from “England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005,” citing 1903, quarter 2, vol. 6B, p. 1340, Walsall, Staffordshire, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.
13. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1911," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X711-YMF : 20 January 2015), Owen Orpet, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England; from "1911 England and Wales census," citing PRO RG 14, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
14. ↑ "England and Wales Death Registration Index 1837-2007," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVHZ-4T7V : 4 September 2014), Sarah E Orpet, 1926; from "England & Wales Deaths, 1837-2006," citing Death, South Stoneham, Hampshire, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.
15. ↑ "England and Wales Death Registration Index 1837-2007," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVHG-MQLB : 4 September 2014), Owen Orpet, 1931; from "England & Wales Deaths, 1837-2006," citing Death, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.
16. ↑ https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/9FTG-K2J
17. ↑ "Australia, New South Wales, Alphabetical Index to Newspaper Cuttings, 1841-1987," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3G8-DX89-7M?cc=1532172&wc=MLFB-596%3A288368001%2C290134801%2C288793101 : 7 July 2017), O > Orpet > Walter Henry > image 1 of 1; Greenwich Genealogical Library, Greenwich.
18. ↑ "England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005." Database. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 14 June 2016. From "England & Wales Births, 1837-2006." Database. findmypast. http://www.findmypast.com : 2012. Citing General Register Office, Southport, England.

Acknowledgements

• Current profile initiated by family researcher and g-grandson Weldon Smith
• Thanks are due to cousin Margaret Orpet Foster (<-Edward Owen Orpet Jr.<-Edward Owen Orpet<-Owen Orpet), assisted in later years by her daughter Patricia Joanne Foster Morrison, for their lifelong research into the Orpet lineage, and their hope of meeting all the descendants they were able to identify. Thanks more recently to g-g-granddaughter Cathy Orpet for further family details. And thanks to Edward Owen Orpet III for requesting Alfred to send details of Owen's life, which Alfred answered in an informative letter.

DNA

• Parental relationship to sons Edward Owen and Albert Harold is confirmed with a 23andMe test match between Robert Orpet and Weldon Smith, second cousins twice removed. Predicted relationship from 23andMe: "3rd Cousins based on 0.83% DNA shared across 3 segments."
• Parental relationship to sons Enos and Albert Harold is conformed by an Ancestry test match between third cousins WS and EG. Predicted relationship is 3C, sharing 30cM across 2 segments.