Sharing Family Genealogy.

Shropshire, U.K.

In its middle course, in Shropshire, the Severn flows through the Severn Gorge, which in the 18th century was the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. The world’s first Iron Bridge, seen here, was completed near Coalbrookdale in 1779, and was in regular use by traffic for two centuries. The graceful arch and its surrounding area of industrial sites is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Some of our Bullock family's mined the ore and coal that fired the forges that built this bridge. Thanks to Roy and Sheila Crombie for this picture, it was taken 14 Jan 2007 while the Severn was flooded. Roy and Sheila also supplied the rest of the pictures on this page.

 

This picture was taken from the top of Holywell Lane. Down past the last Cottage you can see would be #27 where John and Martha Evans Bullock lived. John and Martha Bullock lived in #27 (27th residence on census) at the time of the 1841 and 1851 Census. Before the 1861 Census John and Martha moved to Burroughs Bank, which is towards the bottom of Holywell Lane. John was a Collier and labourer in the coalmines. In the 1851 and 1861 Census, John's sons William, Richard and Thomas are listed as colliers (coal miners). Since they were there in 1841 they may have been there in 1831, as they were married in 1827.

The number 27 is the number that the census taker gave the house that they lived in, but it looks to be about correct as the number of the dwelling that they lived in. I have a copy of a publication called Holywell Lane: A squatter community in the Shropshire coalfield. It supposedly lists occupants of Holywell Lane in 1841, but it looks like they used both the 1841 and 1851 census to document the 1841 inhabitants

 

This is the Squatter Cottage from Burroughs Bank that was taken apart and re-built in the Blist's Hill Museum. John and Martha Bullock lived next door to this Cottage.

The 1840's in England were known as the "hungry 40's" as there were not enough jobs to go around and some of the people were starving. From what we see of this branch of our Bullock Family they were doing better than some of the population of the time.

 

Before the Bullock's came to Dawley they were in Kenley, Shropshire. This is a picture of St. John the Baptist Church they attended. This church may date back to before 597 A.D. The main body of the Church is Norman, The eastern end that holds the organ and altar is Pre-Norman, A very beautiful old Church. The tower may be a very old Roman watchtower.

 

Before the Bullock's were in Kenley they were in Hughley. This is a picture of St. John the Baptist Church in Hughley that they attended. This church has 13th Century origins, another very old and beautiful church. Both Churches were named St. John the Baptist as St. John worked in the woods. At the time these Churches were built they were in the woods.