Dadswell Family History
Generation 6
James Dadswell (1786-1838) and Charlotte Ovenden
On this page:
Ancestors of James Dadswell
James' story
Key family dates
Further information
Ancestors of James Dadswell
Robert Doudeswell 1560 > Robert Doudeswell 1606 > Edward Dodswell 1659 > Alexander Dodswell 1686 > Thomas Dadswell 1732 > James Dadswell 1786
James Dadswell's story
James Dadswell, youngest son of Thomas and Sarah (Brown) Dadswell, was baptised at Rotherfield on 12 March 1786. He married Charlotte Ovenden (baptised at Mayfield in October 1788) at Mayfield on 2 June 1807. Charlotte was the daughter of William and Mary (Wood) Ovenden.
James and Charlotte lived at Noman's Hole, Mayfield, and had 10 children.
James died at Mayfield on 15 October 1838, and was buried at Rotherfield three days later. The Sussex Advertiser of 22 October 1838 reported on the inquest, saying:
At Mayfield, on Monday last, on the body of James Dadswell who had fallen dead in an apoplectic fit, verdict: 'Died by the visitation of God'.
A somewhat different version of the inquest was recorded in the Sussex Express of 20 October 1838:
On Monday last, another inquest was held at the same inn [Five Ash Inn] on the body of James Dadswell, labourer, who, on Saturday, the 13th instant, was engaged in gathering apples in the orchard of Mr. John Marchant, and while in the act of driving a wheelbarrow of the fruit, fell down and died without a struggle or a sigh, in the presence of Mr. Marchant, and one of his own children: he was fifty-six years of age, and has left a wife and five children to lament their loss. - Verdict, 'died by the visitation of God.'.
At the time of James' death, Charlotte was aged about 50 while their youngest child was aged 4. Three years later, in 1841, Charlotte was living with their son Obediah Dadswell at Mayfield, in 1861 she was living at Noman's Hole as housekeeper for Jesse Ladd, and in 1871 she was at Town Row, Rotherfield, with granddaughter-in-law Isabella Bassett.
She died on 15 March 1882 at Rotherfield, with her death certificate recording her age as 99 years.
Picture: Charlotte (Ovenden) Dadswell.
Key family dates
| James Dadswell baptised 12 March 1786 - died 15 October 1838 |
married 2 June 1807 |
Charlotte Ovenden baptised October 1788 - died 15 March 1882 |
Children -
1. James Dadswell baptised 19 Oct 1808 - died as an infant?
2. Mary Ann Dadswell born 15 Nov 1809 - [married Henry Heasman] - died ?
3. Obediah Dadswell baptised 8 Nov 1812 - [married 1. Sarah Ann Cole; 2. Lucy __________] - buried 8 Feb 1879
4. Amos Dadswell baptised 19 Feb 1815 - buried 11 April 1815
5. Jane Hannah Dadswell born 3 Feb 1815 - [marr John Bassett] - died 16 Jan 1894
[Jane Hannah (Dadswell) Bassett is an ancestor of a Melbourne Bassett family - see Walter Thomas Bassett]
6. Elizabeth Dadswell born ca 1819 [married John Wilson Briggs] - died 12 March 1895
7. James Dadswell born 1820 - [married Louisa Gaston] - died 2 Jan 1890
[James and Louisa (Gaston) Dadswell and 4 children migrated to America in 1851, they are ancestors of Canadian genealogist Barbara (Dadswell) Nethercott]
8. Alfred Dadswell born 15 Dec 1823 - [married Mary Ann Cole] - died 24 Oct 1885
9. Thomas William Dadswell born 25 Nov 1828 - [married 1. Sarah Elizabeth Holmes; 2. Helena Aurora Scheer] - died 5 Oct 1908
[Thomas and Helena (Scheer) Dadswell migrated to Melbourne in 1857 and lived at what became known as Dadswells Bridge].
10. Charles Dadswell born March 1834 - [married Ann Card] - died 29 Aug 1917
[Charles and Ann (Card) Dadswell are grandparents of Llewellyn Dadswell who migrated to Australia in 1913].
Further information
Information on Thomas Dadswell (generation 5, father of James Dadswell)