Blew family Highbridge/Burnham area
I wonder if anyone is researching the Blew family from Highbridge-Burnham I have the various census, but this may interest someone. The info is from the book Windmills of Somerset and the men who worked them by Alfred J Coulthard and Martin Watts.
Windwills Burnham Without-Watchfield
Watchfield Mill was worked for much of its life by the Spearing Family although in 1841 the tenant was James Hookway and the owner Sarah Blew and Joe Blew of Burnham Mill, Edithmead was Miller until 1861.
Burnham Without-Edithmead
On the first os map this was marked as ‘Burnham Windmill’ and in the Tithe Awards as ‘Blew’s Mill’ the name under which it became well-known locally. The windmill which stood on south east of the main A38 was possibly the last post mill to work in Somerset…..The last miller Joe Blew who seems to have previously worked Watchfield windmill was something of a local celebrity with his inseparable church-warden pipe. It is said that the rural inhabitants brought their grist in small bags which had been gleaned by hand and left it outside the mill to be ground. Joe Blew trained the male bird of his poultry to peck a hole on the bag to get at the corn and then call to his family of hens thus. Here! Here! Here! This was his own story Joseph Blew died on the 23 October 1890 aged 70. It is said he was killed on the railway line.
Joseph Blew, from the various census looks as if he was born in either Highbridge or Burnham abt 1819. He was married to Betsy, possibly Washer as her sister Mary Ann Washer was living as housekeeper and sister in law aged 49 years at the time of the 1871 census. She may be the one who died in 1877. In 1861 and1871 a Joseph Washer born in Cornwall abt 1854 is living with Joseph, listed as nephew. Betsy Blew died in 1865 and at the time of the 1881 census Joseph Blew a farmer of 42 acres living at Edithmead had a son Joseph living with his aged 8 years.
I have been unable to find a record of Betsy Washer although Mary Ann may have been the one baptised at Bridgwater St Marys 18 Feb 1821 to William and Arabella Washer, occupation, cooper. I would be interested to know what relation Joseph snr was to Sarah Blew or anything about the family. Joseph jnr married Phoebe Whitcombe from Westhay and they had 6 children living with them in 1911, James, Amy, Joseph, Arthur, Matilda and Frederick together with Joseph and Edward Orchard listed as boarders.
Info I have from a relation who lived in the area was that Tilly Blew (poss Matilda) used to run a shop and that Arthur Blew was a farmer both in the Edithmead area.
Many thanks Heather
More Replies:
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Re: Blew family Highbridge/Burnham area
Alison Darby 6/27/09
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Re: Blew family Highbridge/Burnham area
Heather Cave 7/03/09
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Re: Blew family Highbridge/Burnham area