John Burrige and Lydia Rowe

Since Ellen Rowe spent so much time living with them, I thought I'd do a post on John and Lydia (or Lidia) Burrige. I also thought that knowing a little bit more about them might help to find out more information on Ellen's family.

John B. Burrige
Parents: Francis Burrige and Mary A. Battison
Birth: July 3, 1828
Marriage: 1850 to Lidia Rowe. He was about 22 years old.
Death: September 19, 1910

Lydia Rowe
Parents: James Rowe, ??
Birth: September 6, 1825
Marriage: 1850 to John Burrige. She was about 25 years old.
Death: March 23, 1918

Most of the information I've found about these two people is pretty sketchy until about 1870, when Ellen was living with them. I did find links to a marriage record (here's the other) for them in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England, in 1850. The census records show them getting married about 1850, as well. The two immigrated to the United States shortly after their marriage (1853, as shown in the 1910 census), and may have ended up in Indiana by 1860 (see this 1860 Census). The census shows this couple as living in Dearborn County, Indiana, close to the border with Ohio, and just 60 miles from Clermont County, Ohio. The age difference between John and "L" are the same as John and Lydia Burrige. I don't know who the two children would be; they have a different surname than Burrige. According to the 1910 census, Lydia bore 2 children who were not living at the time that census was taken. However, the 1900 census records that she did not bear any children at all. They may have been fostering the two children listed with them in the 1860 census.

The couple stayed close to Ellen Rowe and her family as the years wore on; they were listed in Ohio twp, Clermont County, Ohio, in the 1870, 1880, 1900, and 1910 censuses. Lydia's death record lists her still living in Ohio township, very close (only about 2 miles) to New Richmond, where Ellen was living at the time. The death certificate also lists her father's name: James Rowe. I'm thinking that she was probably a sister or cousin to Ellen Rowe's father.

John's death certificate shows that his parents were Francis Burrige and Mary A Battison. I found a death record and a burial record for one Francis Burrige, born about 1798 and died in 1875 in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England. This is probably John's father! There is another Francis Burrige (probably the same one) listed in the England and Wales 1841 Census, aged 40, in Hemel Hempstead. No one is listed with him - just that he was a cordworker and that he was born in Hertfordshire.

Ellen was obviously close to her foster parents. She was only 8 or 9 when she made the journey across the ocean to the United States, so she had plenty of time to get close to them before she married at about the age of 21. Ellen and Wheelock also named their first son after John Burrige, and Ellen was the one to report Lydia's passing when she died.


Here's some excitement from when I started the post on Ellen Rowe:

In 1870, Ellen Rowe was living with John Burrige and Lydia Burrige, who had emigrated from England about 10 years previous to her own immigration to the US. After some digging, I found out that Lydia's maiden name is ROWE! And that her father's name is James Rowe. Dad didn't know about this when I asked him -- we have a lead! Now all I need to do is find some sort of connection between her and Ellen's father (James Rowe, who has a son named James Rowe, as well. Why did everyone have to have the same name???) I'm guessing that Lydia was some sort of aunt to Ellen; she's old enough to be siblings or cousins with James Rowe, father of Ellen Rowe.

This is a possible entry for Lidia in the 1841 England and Wales census. I just wish it was easier to make out! The Burriges in the 1860 Census(possible match), 1870 Census, 1880 Census, 1900 Census, 1910 Census.

The mysteries in this post are 1) why is it so disorganized, and 2) How was Lydia Rowe related to Ellen Rowe?


EDIT: Since publishing this post, I found a picture with Lydia Rowe in it, and she was labeled as "Auntie Burrige," supporting my thoughts that she could be Ellen Rowe's aunt! Here's the picture:

Auntie Burrige is the woman seated in the middle, with the black dress and cap (bonnet?)

Ellen Eve Rowe

Parents: James Rowe, Mary Ann Mitchell
Birth: October 16, 1851 in Shropshire, England
Year of immigration to US: 1860/1861 Year of naturalization 1871
Marriage: Jun 11, 1872 to Wheelock Winspear. They had six children: John Burrige, Wheelock William, Minnie May, Nellie Grace, Marie Mabel, and Catherine Pearl
Death: January 16, 1948 in Ohio, United States

Ellen was born in Shropshire, England, and was the second child born to James Rowe and Mary Mitchell. When she was about 9 years old, Ellen left England and came to the United States to live with John and Lydia Burrige, who had no children of their own. I believe that John and Lydia were Ellen's aunt and uncle, because according to Lydia's death certificate, her maiden name was Rowe.

Dad wrote a note on James Rowe (Ellen's father)'s page in Family Search. It says:

"James & Wife Mary Ann & 3 children died in epidemic. William and Ellen were then raised by the Burriges."

So it appears that Ellen was an orphan, although an orphan that loved her foster parents very much.  She was only 8 or 9 when she made the journey across the ocean to the United States, so she had plenty of time to get close to them before she married. She also named her first born son after her foster father John. Her son Wheelock William was obviously named for his father, but perhaps his middle name was in memory of Ellen's brother William.

Three names from Ellen's family are in my family: Mary Ann (Ellen's mother), Ellen, and Catherine (Ellen's daughter; also Ellen's mother-in-law). I don't know if it was intentional or accidental that my parents gave us names from our family heritage; I remember hearing once that I was named for someone in our family tree, but when I've asked about it more recently, I was told otherwise.

Anyway, Ellen was living with John Burrige and Lydia Burrige in 1870 (see the census below). They had emigrated from England about 10 years before Ellen had, and I imagine that they were well established in their Ohio township, Clermont County community by the time she reached them in 1860. Ellen married Wheelock Winspear just two years after the census was taken, when she was 21.

The two started their family, lived in Kentucky for a while (where their son John was born), and then settled in Pierce Township, Clermont co, Ohio. The place they settled was probably on Wheelock's family farm, since Wheelock's mother (Kate) and spinster sister (Maria) were living either with or right next door to the young family.

As the years progressed, Ellen and Wheelock's sons and daughters were married. The aging couple stayed in Pierce, Ohio until they moved to Ohio, Ohio (seriously, that's what it's called!) one township over.

Ellen's foster mother Lydia Burrige passed away in 1918, probably around or close to the time that the Winspears moved to Ohio twp. Since her foster father John had already passed on, Ellen was the informant for the death record. She either knew or had records for Lydia's birth date and father's name, which were recorded on the death record.

1924 was a difficult year for the Winspear family. On New Year's Eve, (Dec 30, 1923), Ellen and Wheelock's son John died. Just a few months later, in May, Wheelock passed on from acute nephritis (kidney disease), and then in June of the same year Ellen and Wheelock's son Wheelock William passed on also.

Thankfully, Wheelock Winspear had provided well for his widow--they owned their house in Ohio, Ohio--so Ellen would not face as much financial difficulty as another might in her situation. Wheelock was already 77 at the time of his passing, and I believe the two were both prepared for it. However, no matter how much you know what's coming, loss is hard to bear; I'm sure it was even harder for Ellen to bear since two of her children in addition to her husband passed away all in one year

Even though the house was owned free of mortgage, Ellen did not want to live by herself. By 1930, she was living with her daughter Catherine in Cincinnati in a place they rented for $35.00/month at 961 McMillan St. I imagine she sold the house in Ohio twp and used the money from the sale to supplement Catherine's income as a clerk at the post office. In 1940, Ellen still lived with Catherine at the same address. The view from their window probably included this building: 

Picture from Google Street View, 978 McMillan St, Cincinnati, OH

The building that they lived in has been torn down, and a Kroger grocery store sits in its place.

In 1940, Catherine worked as a stenographer at the Revenue Department. Since neither the 1930 or 1940 censuses list an occupation for Ellen, I believe she just stayed at home to keep house and cook their meals. At some point between 1940 and 1948, Catherine had married a Mr. Barnhart and moved to Waynesville, Warren county, Ohio (northeast of Cincinnati). Ellen came with them, and passed away in Waynesville in 1948 at the ripe old age of 96.


Marriage record:

1870 Census

1880 Census

1900 Census:

1910 Census:

1920 Census:

1930 Census:

1940 Census:

Death record (1948)