Episode synopsis:
Nick Hewer moved to London from Wiltshire in 1965 aged 21. His parents were John Hewer and Patricia Jamison who married in 1941.
Patricia's parents were Oswald Jamison, known as Ossie, a Catholic, and Jane Smith, known as Jeannie, a Presbyterian.
Nick visited a cousin Michael in Ireland, who showed him some photographs of his grandparents and their families, including Jeannie's parents John and Jane, her sister Annie, brother Fred, and other siblings.
Nick knew that his grandfather Ossie ran businesses in Dublin and Belfast, and that he was High Sheriff of Belfast. Michael told him that before becoming High Sheriff, Ossie was Alderman for the Falls area of Belfast.
Nick visited PRONI and looked at the 1901 census of Ireland. Oswald Jamison was 25, unmarried, a painter, living with his mother, widow Catherine Jamison aged 48, and his two brothers at 32 Great George Street, Belfast. John Smith was 59, a master plumber born in Scotland, and Jeannie / Jane was 21.
Oswald and Jane's marriage certificate shows that they married on the 30th April 1912 at St Malachy's Catholic Church in Belfast. Annie Smith was one of the witnesses at this mixed marriage, although she was also a signatory of the Ulster Covenant in the same year, along with others of the Smith family.
Nick visited Belfast City Hall to see where the council meetings were held when his grandfather was an alderman. A newspaper report from 1917 quotes Councillor Oswald Jamison as saying that Sinn Feinism had to end, and another newspaper report said he was a Nationalist and opposed to partition. A document showed that Oswald's business premises were burned down on the 26th May 1922, perhaps by the IRA. Oswald was appointed High Sheriff by the council in 1925. He had taken over his father's big painting and decorating business in 1895. In 1929 a newspaper reported that he had extended his business into Dublin and Cork. Another report stated that he had erected the first Refrigerating Factory in Ireland, in 1935 in Dublin. The factory was opened by Irish government minister Sean Lemass, who was a member of Sinn Fein.
Nick then turned to the Hewer side of his family tree. He had a tree drawn up by his great-grandmother, and took it to Cricklade museum to compare with the many local family trees held there. The staff there had managed to connect it with a tree of the Nott and Sewster[/B] families. This shows that Nick's 9xgreat-grandparents were Edward Nott and Elizabeth Sewster, whose fathers were respectively Roger Nott, a "citizen" (i.e. of London) and merchant taylor, and Edward Sewster, a "citizen" and goldsmith.
The tree mentioned the will of an Elizabeth Sewster dated 1644 which intimated that Roger Nott was a great scoundrel. Nick looked at a copy of this will at Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre. The will contained claims that Roger Nott had forced Elizabeth's first husband, George Sewster, to sell him their property for £1400, only half its worth, and had caused the death of her second husband, George Perkins and would also be responsible for Elizabeth's death.
Nick was shown a map of the farm in question and was told that the Sewsters had been given the land by Charles I in payment of a debt. He was also shown the coat of arms and pedigree that were granted to Edward Nott by the Royal College of Arms.
A 1651 document said that Edward Nott had raised a troop of men and horses to serve Charles I in several battles, including Lansdowne and Roundway Down. Nick visited the site of the Battle of Lansdowne and was shown a book which mentioned Major Nott raising money for the royalist cause from the local populace. He was also shown a letter from Charles Devereux which mentioned the prisoner Lieutenant Colonel Nott. Nick visited Lacock to see another historian who told him that Lt Col Edward Nott was taken before Parliament who ordered his estate to be sequestrated. Nick was shown a petition from Edward Nott, mentioning his wife and seven children, asking to be allowed to "compound his estate", i.e. get it back by paying a fine and swearing an oath to the Commonwealth. A document from 1666 showed that Charles II rewarded Nott with a lodge and some lands, more than he had before. A transcription of Edward Nott's petition showed that he said that he had worked with Massey and Booth, i.e. secretly for the Royalist cause after he had sworn the oath.
Nick visited Edward Nott's house Red Lodge in Wiltshire.
|