Rolling Stones v. Roaming Sams

From 'The Kisblogger' 1 October 2009

A rolling stone gathers no moss, as the saying goes. But Samuel KISBY of Sutton Bridge, Lincolnshire, managed to gather two ...Mosses. It is a mystery which doesn't quite add up yet!

Samuel Kisby, a Corn Merchant's Clerk (who died at Sutton Bridge in 1890 aged 74) seems to have married two different women with the forenames Mary Moss.

Samuel's first marriage, to the aliteratively named Rebecca Beck, lasts for many years until she dies in Sutton Bridge in 1875. In 1877 a Samuel KISBEY marries a Mary Moss WOODRUFF, some distance away in Risely, Bedfordshire (it was common for the husband to go to the wife's parish to get married). Her age is given as "30". Unfortunately for all concerned, Mary Moss KISBY dies aged 32 and is buried at Sutton Bridge in January 1879.

Meanwhile, later in 1879 a Samuel KISBEY marries a Mary Moss SWANNELL, quite some distance away in Barnet, Hertfordshire. In the 1881 Census Mary Moss KISBEY aged 40, "Wife of a Merchant's Clerk" is recorded at the home of her mother, Catherine SWANNELL, in Northamptonshire. So clearly this Mary Moss KISBEY is not dead in the slightest and is an entirely different person to Samuel's second wife. Curiously, Mary Moss's place of birth is Pavenham, Bedfordshire, only 7 miles from Risely (location of Samuel's second marriage). Meanwhile Samuel is recorded separately (but 'Married') in Sutton.

The birth of Mary Moss SWANNELL is recorded in 1838, which tallies approximately with her age in 1881 (women allowed to be bashful about their age!). A Mary Moss KISBY dies aged 57 in the Birmingham area in 1897. There is no apparent record of a birth of Mary Moss WOODRUFF. To confuse matters, Samuel's mother is believed to be named Sarah WOODRUFF.

If Samuel was trailing across the country following a merchant on his business, it would explain his varying locations. But is there another connection between his two wives or did Sam spend 1879 trailing across England trying to find a third wife with the exact same name as his young deceased sweetheart?!! Why did they marry in Barnet? Something to hide? Conspiracy theorists may think that the second Mary Moss, upset that she had been courted only because of her name (not her looks or personality) left Sam and returned to Mother. It makes a good story worthy of a romantic novel!

Kisby Crims

From 'The Kisblogger' 12th August 2009

Spare a thought for John Kisbee, woodturner of Stamford, Lincolnshire. He was put up for trial for 'crimes' at least three times between 1836 and 1847. For his first offence in 1836, burglary, he avoided prosecution or punishment (one presumes therefore not guilty). In 1839 John was, intriguingly, put on trial with three other men for "riot". None of them were found guilty for this offence.

In 1847 John appears again in the Lincolnshire criminal registers, this time he is arrested for 'larceny'. Before his trial can commence John Kisbee dies in Stamford Gaol, leaving a young family and a wife expecting another child.

Why John had his collar felt by the long arm of the law so many times we might never know. He is described as well educated and evidently is also a skilled tradesman. The Kisby's generally seem to avoid falling foul of the law!

However, the Lincolnshire Kisby's have not remained entirely well behaved. In November 2008 a Lincolnshire Kisby (who will remain nameless here) was sent to prison for five and a half years for a "savage, wicked, attrocious" attack in the street, leaving the victim needing extensive facial surgery. Luckily the trial was not taking place in 1830's England, or the Kisby crim may have spent his remaining days in Australia or worse!

The Axis of Kisby-dom

From 'the kisblogger' 13th July 2009:

Last week I managed to visit the Northamptonshire Record Office, by no means an easy task. It is probably where naughty local government employees are sent as a punishment, surrounded by busy ring roads, isolated from any shops, public transport nodes or civilisation, serviced by only a cheap coffee machine and a box of expensive 'Chari-snacks'.

More frustrating is the fact that the axis of all Kisby's seems to be centred around Peterborough (or Peter-bo-roo-gah as I prefer to call it), in the very northern corner of the county. The borders of five counties are within a few miles of this spot (seven if you include the Soke of Peterborough and the Isle of Ely) and you can guarantee that will mean spending time at half a dozen different county record offices or local history libraries to search the local records of neighbouring parishes!!

Fortunately Peter-bo-roo-gah's very busy parish church of St John has much of its parish register transcribed and indexed. Some of the earliest Kisby's recorded in parish church records can be found listed there, the first being Hellyn Kisby baptised in August 1560.

Last of the Wortley Kisby's

My father's cousin Gladys passed away in August, ending over 110 years of my family's connection to the Leeds suburb of Wortley. Charles Kisby, my great grandfather, married in New Wortley in 1899 after moving to the area from Cambridgeshire. Much of the sea of Victorian terraced houses have now been swept away and Gladys lived in a more modern block of flats in Lower Wortley. Gladys' mother 'big' Doris - differentiating her from Gladys' sister 'little' Doris - lived into her 90's and Gladys was fortunate to enjoy a long life herself. No doubt her family will miss her. As should Wortley, which is now Kisby-less!

Beer and Sheep

From 'The Kisblogger' 8 June 2009:

The weekend before last I paid a visit to Preston, Lancashire, a haunt of my mother's family during the nineteenth century. My great-great grandfather (and his father too) ran a small hotel on the outskirts of the town. To my amazement and delight it is still open today and trading under the same name, the "Grand Junction", a name it has now retained for almost 150 years!

Of course, the most famous Kisby watering hole is "Kisby's Hut" near Papworth Everard, opened by Samuel Kisby circa 1770. It closed recently, after 230+ years trading (though it only held the name "Kisby's Hut" sporadically during that time).

My greatx3 uncle James Kisby was landlord of the "Boat & Anchor" just outside Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire. Interestingly, in the 1901 Census he is described as 'Innkeeper & Shepherd', which is certainly a nice trick if you can tend your flock and pour a pint at the same time!! I expect he needed to employ baaaaa staff ;o)

End of the Kisblogger

The Kizz Blog's predecessor, The Kisblogger, is deceased. Vox.com has closed down today and the many blogs hosted by them are disappearing too. Thank goodness I moved to Blogger in plenty of time!

Hunting in Huntingdon

At last I indulged myself yesterday in a trip to the Huntingdonshire Archives to continue my Kisby/ee quest. The town is pleasant (the birthplace of Oliver Cromwell) and the Library is airy and modern with a great little cafe.

Huntingdonshire borders onto the Kisby/ee stomping grounds of the English Fens but, unfortunately, not many of its records seem to have been digitised. Therefore the only way to delve further is to examine the original records. It was fascinating (and quite a privelege) to be handling parish registers which were over 350 years old!

Though I didn't manage to further my own family tree, I did come across a family group of Kisbee's in the parish of Farcet, in the far north of the county. Thomas Kisbee married for a second time in 1767, shortly after his young wife Laetitia had died. He was literate and spelled his surname with the two e's. His son, Martin Kisbee, also brought up his family in the parish. Interestingly, Martin and his wife Mary later appeared in South London, where they ended their days in apparent poverty. My next investigation will be to find out why they came to from Huntingdonshire to Surrey and fell on hard times....