Genealogy Forum UK

Hi, new to BC forum & have posted on new members section.My interests are local history & Im trying to clear up some confusion regarding a possible local lad.
We have 1 Known Black Country VC Anglo Zulu War 1897 in Sgt AC Booth, buried at St Michaels Brierley Hill. There is some confusion over a possible 2nd!!
Samuel Wassall won his VC rescuing a Private Westwood from the Zulus & the flooded Mzinyathi river, following the rather bad day at Isandlwana 22/01/1879. Seems he was born in two places according to which book you read. Either Aston in Birmingham or Moor Lane Brierley Hill! I have copy birth certificate for 28/07/1856 showing Birmingham, but The Anglo Zulu War Historical Society no less, says born 07/04/1856 at Moor Lane Kingswinford.
But... no birth certificate anywhere around that date from Dudley Registrar.....
My first couple of queries please are: Did Moor Lane Kingswinford eventually become Moor Street Brierley Hill ( I can not find any other Moor Lane / St / Rd on the old maps)? Secondly, did a Wassall familly live in Moor Lane Kingswinford around 1856 & did they have a son named Samuel who went on to win his VC in South Africa?
It would be rather satisfying to establish we have 2 local VCs from just up the road in Brierley Hill, rather than one seeming to be a Brummie!

Any help or information would be most welcome as Im now stuck!

Cheers

Steve Moore

unlikely but is this him ? when did he return to england ?

1881 Broad St Kingswinford, Stafford


Richard WASSALL 46 Bromley, Stafford, General Labourer
Fanny WASSALL 44 Kingswinford, Stafford, House Wife
Samuel WASSALL 23 Commonside, Stafford, Coal Miner
Ernest WASSALL 10 Commonside, Stafford, Scholar

1871: Blewett St, Kingswinford, Staffs
Richard Wassell 36 Head Labourer
Fanny Wassell 34 Wife
Samuel Wassell 13 Son
Emma Wassell 7 Dau
Schooh? Wassell 5 Dau
Earnest Wassell 3 months Son

all born Kingswinford, Staffs

1861: Commonside, Kingswinford, Staffs
Mary Attwood 58 Head Widow
Fanny Wassell 24 Dau
Richd Wassell 26 Son In Law Coal Heaver /Loader
Samuel Wassell 3 Gr.Son

all born K/Winford, Staffs

i stick a question in the military section adrian might know something

found this

How am I related to Samuel Wassall?

To trace Samuel Wassall's line you need to go back eight generations to John Wassell (baptised 1711 at Old Swinford) who married Elizabeth Colerake. (see Tree). My line descends from their son Thomas who married Elizabeth Pardon, whereas Samuel's line descends from their son Richard who married Hannah Pardon.

link

http://www.rwassell.com/genes.html

sent the owner an email they may get back to use

Steve. Moore wrote:Hi, new to BC forum & have posted on new members section.My interests are local history & Im trying to clear up some confusion regarding a possible local lad.
We have 1 Known Black Country VC Anglo Zulu War 1897 in Sgt AC Booth, buried at St Michaels Brierley Hill. There is some confusion over a possible 2nd!!
Samuel Wassall won his VC rescuing a Private Westwood from the Zulus & the flooded Mzinyathi river, following the rather bad day at Isandlwana 22/01/1879. Seems he was born in two places according to which book you read. Either Aston in Birmingham or Moor Lane Brierley Hill! I have copy birth certificate for 28/07/1856 showing Birmingham, but The Anglo Zulu War Historical Society no less, says born 07/04/1856 at Moor Lane Kingswinford.
But... no birth certificate anywhere around that date from Dudley Registrar.....
My first couple of queries please are: Did Moor Lane Kingswinford eventually become Moor Street Brierley Hill ( I can not find any other Moor Lane / St / Rd on the old maps)? Secondly, did a Wassall familly live in Moor Lane Kingswinford around 1856 & did they have a son named Samuel who went on to win his VC in South Africa?
It would be rather satisfying to establish we have 2 local VCs from just up the road in Brierley Hill, rather than one seeming to be a Brummie!

Any help or information would be most welcome as Im now stuck!

Cheers

Steve Moore

Hi Steve
The 1901 census has Sauel Wassall VC aged 45 and born Birmingham. His wife Rebecca was 40 and born Tipton. All the kids are born Barrow but there is also a brother William aged 56, born Birmingham.
1891 census has Samuel born Birmingham too. William gives his age as 43, born Birmingham.
1881 census has Samuel Wassall aged 25 , silk dyer, born Birmingham, living with his brother William Wassall aged 33? and born Birmingham.

1861 has
Birmingham
Thomas Wassell 41 wire worker
Elizabeth ditto 39
William ditto 12
Martha ditto 8
Thomas ditto 6
Samuel ditto 4
Henry ditto 2

1871 has
Thomas Wassall 52 wire worker Birmingham
Samuel ditto 15 brick layer Birmingham
Henry ditto 10 Birmingham

So, that seems to support the Samuel Wassall VC having been born in Birmingham but moving with his father to the Dudley area before he joined up.
I wonder where the Zulu Historical Soc. got the other birthdate from?

There is a good website here: http://www.rwassell.com/samindex.html

I can't imagine that there were two Samuel Wassalls who collected VC's

Hi, many thanks for the interest &replys & especially the Wassell web site. Agree it does seem Sam was a Brummie, but interestingly his birth certificate for 28/07/1856 showing him born in Alster Street, Deritend, Aston, Birmingham, spells his name WassEll not WassAll, & on page 2 of the web site [ The Career of Samuel Wassall] shows him born Dudley Staffordshire 28/07/1856!
Be most interesting if Rob Wassell replys.
Again many thanks for your help.

Regards
Steve

Just a thought - has the confusion arisen because his mother returned to her parent's house to give birth?

My father was born in Birmingham because my grandmother went to stay with family for the birth but he always referred to himself as coming from the Black Country as that was where they were living at the time.

Do you have his marriage certificate to confirm fathers name and occupation? That may lead to a more certain trace back in census.
Jo

Hi thanks for the last two ideas, will try for marrage cert.
Cheers

Steve

Let us know how you get on


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