Pedigree of Bown(e) of Matlock, descending from John and Troth

Matlock & Matlock Bath Pedigrees & Coats of Arms> This page

Published and Previously Unpublished Pedigrees of Matlock Families & Coats of Arms

Pedigrees Index		Arkwright	Bown(e)	Hayward	Leacroft	Nightingale		Matlock Biographies
Coats of Arms		Nuttall	Wolley of Allen Hill	Wolley of Darley Abbey	Wolley of Riber	-		Find a Name

This pedigree was initially drawn up to show how Phœbe Bown was related to Dame Sarah Paxton as it is thought that Sarah possibly paid for Phœbe's gravestone. Phœbe was impoverished at the time of her death. It also shows the relationship between the two women and the two James Bowns, father and son, who were clock makers of some note in Matlock and who also owned the Crown Inn. It also, hopefully, corrects slightly inaccurate information contained in some handwritten pedigrees that were drawn up in the early to mid nineteenth century.

The chart begins in the top left hand corner with John and Troth Boune and their two children Samuel and Mary and focuses the descendants of Samuel and his wife Rachel, nee Chadwick. It is based on evidence from documents, wills and other probate information, parish registers and census returns. Whilst there are earlier Bounes/Bown(e)s in Matlock, their information is not included here although links to information about them can be found below.

Abbreviations:
b - born
bap - baptised/christened
bur - buried
(lic) - licence, for marriage
m - married

Further information about those named on this pedigree:

Phoebe Bown, 1771 - 1854.
One of Matlock's more unusual characters, Phoebe stood out from the crowd. She could play the flute, the violoncello, and harpsichord and was largely self educated. Not all the claims about her life are true.

View of High Tor, by F. Chantrey, 1822 shows the Bown home in the Dale.

James Bown the younger, clockmaker, can be found in the 1841 census. Also see Pre-1858 Wills, Surnames B and Biographies which mentions both him and his father.
Phoebe Bown's nephew, John Bown, and his wife Alice can be found in the 1851 census. They have not been located in the 1841 census. Their burials are recorded in the parish registers.
Dame Sarah Paxton was born at Huntbridge House, Matlock Green. Probate records for Sarah Paxton show her as Dame Sarah, not Lady Sarah. Her parents, Thomas and Sarah Bown, were living with their grand daughter on Matlock Green (Huntbridge House) in the 1841 census and her father is also listed in Bagshaw's 1846 Directory. Census and other entries for her can be found on Matlock & Matlock Bath Strays, Surnames P.

St. Peter's Church, Edensor, where Sir Joseph and Dame Sarah Paxton are buried.
Ruth Wilgoss/ Wildgoose, nee Bown, passed away at Masson Mount, the home of her daughter, but lived at Brook Cottage (obituary notice Derbyshire Times, 11 September 1886).
An Indenture from 1844 that is in private ownership refers to Ruth and her parents. This was the settlement of a dwellinghouse on Matlock Green ... for Mr. and Mrs. Bown for life with remainder to Mr. and Mrs. Wildgoose, so the Conveyance of Freehold between Thomas Bown Gentleman and Thomas Wildgoose of Darley Farmer and Ruth his wife (one of the daughters of Thomas Bown) and John Gregory of Blackwell. It was presumably a conveyance for Brook Cottage. Thomas Wildgoose is shown as the owner on the tithe map, with Francis Pearson as the occupier.

References for her:
Census returns: 1851 census | 1861 census | 1871 census | 1881 census (see Strays, Surnames W) |
Listed as Gentry in Trade Directories: White's, 1852 | Kelly's, 1855 | White's, 1862 | Kelly's, 1864 | Kelly's, 1876
Wills, Surnames W
MIs, Surnames W.
Matlock Green, where John Bown was the miller and both Thomas Bown and Joseph Paxton owned land
Matlock Parish Registers contain many entries for the Bowns (various spellings). See the on site transcripts.
Matlock & Matlock Bath Strays include Bown references. See Surnames B.
Some BOUNE/BOWN(E) family MIs are on this website.
Trade Directory entries, not mentioned above, include: Glover's Directory, 1827-8-9 | Pigot's Directory, 1828-9 | Pigot's Directory, 1831 | Pigot's Directory, 1842 | Bagshaw's 1846 Directory |
Bown wills Pre-1858 Wills, Surnames B | Mather Wills Pre-1858 Wills, Surnames M | Newton Wills, Pre-1858 Wills, Surnames N.
Strays, Surnames B

More on site information about the BOWN(E) family, not necessarily about this family group:

Documents Relating to Matlock & Matlock Bath :

Matlock & Matlock Bath : Lists Through the Centuries

The Sixteenth Century & Before: A Muster for Spanish Invasion
The Seventeenth Century: Vills & Freeholders, 1633 and Matlock Glebe Terrier, 1673
The Seventeenth Century: Ayd to His Majesty King Charles I, 1627
The Seventeenth Century: The Free and Voluntary Present, 1661
The Seventeenth Century: Hearth Tax, 1670
The Seventeenth Century: Charles II's Poll Tax, 1678
The Eighteenth Century: Statute Labour for Mending the Highways, 1761. Amongst the people listed were a number with the surname Bown[e].
The Eighteenth Century: Matlock Land Tax, 1780. Includes both Sam.and William Bown
The Nineteenth Century: Contributions to the Patriotic Fund, 1854

The Wolley Manuscripts, Matlock contain a number of references to the Bowns.

If you want to read copies all the wills that have been found go to:
Pre 1858 Wills Calendar for more info (Matlock Wills only)
Places to find & obtain these wills

Image and Bown pedigree created, provided by and © Ann Andrews.
Written and researched by and © Ann Andrews.
Intended for personal use only.