William Gowshall

William and Elizabeth Gowshall (Parish) had a farm of 15 acres in 1841.  William was born in Sotby and baptised 22 December 1805.  Elizabeth was born the year prior in 1804 and baptised 9 September in Benniworth, Lincolnshire.  They married on 21 March 1826 in Sotby witnessed by George Croft & Lucy Burks.  In June of the same year they welcomed their first child Sarah.  Elizabeth passed away in 1866 and William in 1885.  Both were buried in Sotby.

The couple would have 6 daughters :

Sarah baptised 26 June 1826 (Benniworth)
Asenath baptised 25 November 1827 (Sotby)
Ann baptised 14 June 1829 (Sotby)
Elizabeth baptised 22 September 1833 (Sotby)
Mary baptised 15 December 1839 (Sotby)
Emma baptised 1844 (Sotby)

In 1851 the family are still living in Sotby.  At home with William and Elizabeth are Sarah - now a Dressmaker - Elizabeth, Mary and Emma.  Asenath is working as a house servant for the Scholey family and Ann is a housemaid for a family in Brinkhill, Lincolnshire approximately 15 miles away.

In the decade between the Census returns, Asenath has married John Roberts (1853 in Sotby), Ann has married John Dixon (1855 in Brinkhill) who was also a servant at the house in Brinkhill where she worked and Sarah has married Charles Richardson (1855 in Sotby) who is originally from Manchester.  It was lovely to see that Sarah and Charles were witnesses at both her sisters Weddings and then 2 weeks after Ann and John wed, Sarah and Charles were married. 

It should be noted that another servant, Elijah Baumber, with Ann and John Dixon in 1851 was a witness when Sarah married Charles Richardson.  Elijah later married Johns sister Emma Dixon.  Coincidently, In 1861 she was working for the same family in Brinkhill that Ann and John had 10 years earlier.    Also she was a servant at the same time as Elijahs younger brother John.  So this couple could have met through either family. The Dixon family and the Baumber family are from Brinkhill so I guess it was inevitable that everyone knows everyone.  

In 1861 only Emma is at home with William and Elizabeth, still on the farm with 15 acres.  Ann and John Dixon have stayed living in Brinkhill.  Asenath and John Roberts are living in Wainfleet and already have 4 children.  Sarah and Charles Richardson are living in Newton Heath, Manchester in Lancashire.  On the Census night, Sarahs sister Mary is visiting.  Elizabeth is a domestic servant for a Vicar in Tetney, Lincolnshire.

In 1871, William is now a widower and on the night of the Census his daughter Emma is there as well as his grandaughter Asenath Roberts who is 12.

Emma marries John Maltby from Benniworth (1874 in Sotby) and Mary married George Hobbins (1875 in Sotby).  I have been unable to find a marriage for Elizabeth.

11 February 1879, William is mentioned in a newspaper article as being an Administrator in the Estate of Lucy Baggaley who was his next door neighbour. 

1881 sees William listed as a farmer of 30 acres.  His daughter Elizabeth is there as his housekeeper.  Also there is Emma and John and their 4 children.

As mentioned above, William dies in 1885 aged 80.

I found this newspaper clip from 12 March 1886, auctioning some animals and household furniture so looked a little further to see where at least Elizabeth was after her fathers death.  In 1891 the household remains the same, obviously without William.  Its not really easy to tell if they all moved as street names/numbers were not always used in villages.