Memoir of Sophia Collins
Sophia, daughter of John and Anne, wrote (or dictated) this memoir of her parents, their life and other details. The handwriting is difficult to read. My notes and explanation appear below the transcript.
Mrs Maybe (Mrs Hall)
My Mother Anne Allman died at 72 in 52. I was about 30 at the time. I lived at Timsbury near Romsey. My Father had come from London when I was 3 years old. He came down in his health?. He had lived in London for 20 years at Mr Tootens at [mt? don? place/fonta/prita/park?] Mr Tooten was a milk and dairy salesman not far from old Kent road. He had been a dairyman at Timsbury working with his father. My mother lived at Timsbury with her uncle and aunt M C Newall. Mrs Newall was sister to Robt Nash. Newall was a gentleman farmer.
She met my father John Collins there and fell in love with him. The nurse told of this and she was sent to London away (to some of the Nashes friends). She was locked up in a room for 9 weeks. She threw a letter from the window to my father. My Father went to London and they met and were married by license at St. George's Square. The marriage was kept secret till my father [got?] some place. This place was [Torlins/Torbins?]. My mother was in consequence cut by her relations and got £350 in place of £600 which she was to receive from her uncle Abraham Nash. Her father Stephen Allman died when she was 7 years old. Her mother was in London when she was sent down to Timsbury for her health.
My uncle Adam died in Lincolnshire when I was about 10 years old. Before his death he sent the papers to my mother. I should think he was about 50 when he died. He left no will. My mother never recd the papers till after my fathers death. My father was 53 when he died at Brashfield near Romsey. I was abt 17 years old at the time of his death. My mother [themed?] the papers to Mr Lee a lawyer in Winchester also to Lord Palmerston. [John?] said it was easy to be got?. My Mother and Father are both buried in Timsbury Church in same grave! There is no grave stone there. From childhood we knew my mother was a lady. She did not work in the dairy. We did the work. The dairy was rented by my Father after he left London. [It?] was known as Farburn dairy Braishfield 3 1/2m from Romsey.
Notes
- Sophia first married William James Mabey, and remarried after his death to Charles Hall
- We have no idea if John actually lived in London for 20 years. The earliest record we have of him is the marriage between he and Anne in 1807.
- No definite records found of Robert Naish - still looking. However, the Newell's were Thomas, a gentleman, and Mary, his wife. They married 27 Feb 1769 in Romsey. Abraham Naish is well documented in Romsey records. Anne later wrote that she helped his 2nd wife wash herself, when Mrs Naish was elderly.
"Mr Tootens" is actually Ralph Tutin, a cheese and milk seller from London. We have found records of him in London directories and The Times newspaper.
Farburn in Braishfield took my husband and I absolutely ages to work out. We scoured maps young and old, and weren't entirely sure if this place would be found in Timsbury, Romsey, Michelmersh or Braishfield (which is part of Michelmersh parish). We still don't know the exact location of this dairy, but the 1874 map of Michelmersh from Old-Maps.co.uk shows Farburn Farm, which on modern maps is Fairbournes Farm. The farm itself is now derelict, and we suspect the dairy was not part of the main farm itself, but nearby. Poor rate books have not yielded any clues but I haven't given up locating the location of this diary.
Below is a clipping from the diary, showing the words "Farburn Dairy Brashfield".
