12. Thomas George Rawls was born on 25 Jul 1861. He died on 29 Apr 1946 in Stump Cottage, Oxbridge, Netherbury, Dorset and was buried in Melplash, Dorset. Thomas married Mary Jane Mintern on 24 May 1886 in Melplash. [Parents]
Sexton of the Church at Melplash, Dorset from 1902 to 1944 There is a wooden plaque bearing his name inside the church at Melplash in Dorset. It is situated on the wall next to his own pew.
Mentioned in the Church Yearbook called ‘The Commonplace Book, Melplash Parish, Dorset’ in which, over the years, by agreement among the members of the Parish Church Council, one or two sentences had been recorded each year since Easter 1924, when the book had been given to the church by Alice Theophilia Compton.
Entrys include:-On page 10 – dated April 10th 1929, at the Easter Vestry and Annual Church Meeting:
“2) Resignation of the Parish Clerk Mr Thomas George Rawls after 28 years of faithful service in that office. His father Henry Rawls preceded him as Parish Clerk of Melplash for 36 years:- thus father and son served in this office over a period of 64 years”
Then, in different handwriting:
“A year later Mr T.G. Rawls recommenced the duties of Parish Clerk”In 1939:
“ iv) That Mr T. G. Rawls our valued sexton at the age of 80 cut the Church Yard twice during the summer of 1941”
Easter Vestry Meeting – March 22nd 1944
4) The resignation of Mr T.G.Rawls as sexton after 42 years of faithful service. He and his father before him, making a total of 76 years serving in this capacity”
Easter Vestry and Annual Church Meeting – 9th April 1947
1) The loss the Parish had sustained in the death of Mr T. G. Rawls – for 42 years our faithful Clerk Sexton – he died on April 29th 1946
1891 census at Melplash, Shepard
1901 census gives surname as RAWLES ocupation as "shepard on farm"
13. Mary Jane Mintern was born in 1860 in Beaminster, Dorset. was buried in Melplash. [Parents]
1861 Beaminster census gives Mary Mintern age 1, Grandaughter of John & Martha Tizzard
1881 census gives Mary, Servant age 20 at East Axnoller, Beaminster.
14. Frederick George Barnes was born on 19 Jan 1859 in St Marys, Pembroke Dock and was christened on 23 Feb 1859 in St Johns, Pembroke Dock, Pembrokeshire. He died on 17 Apr 1947 in Gosport. Frederick married Mary Ann Howell in Jun 1882 in Pembroke. [Parents]
Fred (our grandfather) was a Freeman of the Borough, an electricial fitter in the dockyard, very clever and inventive "A man born before his time. He attached wires to a cookie sheet to give Grandma's feet a shock to help her arithus, and invented an excape hatch for a submarine."(The idea was turned down but was later used in the "Davis excape hatch")
Most of the Barnes information comes from a typed document in my posession wrtten by the grandchildren of "Fred". I do not know the exact source as it is not signed or dated. (entered by Don Rawls March 2001)
His grandaughter Marion writes in a seperate document dated Jan 1998:-
"He was sent to South Africa to install electricity in the Naval Dockyard at Simonstown. This was before the Boer War and when electricity was still in its infancy.
Living at 1 Dimond St, Pembroke with father in 1881, Ocupation Dyd Fitter
Living at 22 Brewery St N, Pembroke Dock in 1898 at time of Williams birth
15. Mary Ann Howell was born on 24 Aug 1856. She died 1930? in Pembroke Dock. [Parents]
Mary Ann had a kind and gentle disposition and a beutifl figure, with only an 18" waist, even when she was in her 60s. She was one of 10 children (listed from Barnes family records)