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Previous Chapter 08.A : Felton and Much Cowarne

Section 08 : Herefordshire 1592- 1???

Chapter 08.B

Bosbury 1717-1771

Bosbury in Herefordshire is on the western side of the Malvern Hills, about 20 miles east of Hereford. It is about 10 miles south-east of the Felton area where the Brush families of Bosbury seem to have moved from.

Philip BRUSH [H19], baptised on 22 July 1688 in Felton, marries Anne BIVEN at Pencombe, Herefordshire on 1 January 1717 (or 1716 or 1718 depending on how old style/new style dates have been handled). Which made him 29 at marriage.  Biven is a rare surname but Bevan is much more common. There was a Biven family at the right period in Upton Bishop, Herefordshire and an Anne Bowon bapt there 1655. A long shot?

Philip and Anne had 2 or 3 children. Two were baptised at Bodenham which is near Pencombe. Elizabeth [H41] on 1 May 1726 and Philip [H42] on 4 October 1730.  The gap between the marriage and the children is quite long but the Register entries do identify the parents.

At 1750 we have a record of a deed by which Philip BRUSH of Pencombe, yeoman, takes a 21 year lease of Upleadon farm, Bosbury from William Brydges Esq of Tibberton.  Philip who married in 1717 was born in 1688 so is 62 in 1750, which seems quite old to be taking on new leases of a farm.  But Philip the younger was baptised in 1730 so (unless baptised late) he is still a minor.

There is a possibility that William Brydges was a (remote) relative of Philip BRUSH.  The possible links between the BRUSH family and the BRUGGE or BRYDGES family are discussed in section 41.

The children of Philip and Anne are married at Bosbury.  Elizabeth[H41] marries James REYNOLDS on 25 June 1761, Philip, junior,[H42] marries Catherine DREW on 18 December 1764, both described as "of this parish".  I believe there is lots of material on the DREW family including several wills.  A Drew family also appear in Sherston Magna where there is also a big Brush presence.

There may have been a third son, Thomas[H43]. The reason for this suggestion is that there was a marriage at Bosbury of a Thomas BRUSH to Elizabeth PREESE on 20 October 1766.  FWB took this view but I am less sure about inventing an additional person when there was a Thomas of the 'right' age living only a few miles away - Thomas [H39], the son of Thomas and Elizabeth who was baptised in Ullingswick in 1739.

Some Bosbury photos taken during my 2019 cycle trip from Tring to Aberystwyth.

Philip[H42] and Catherine baptise three children in Bosbury; Philip [H44] on 27 February 1765 (old style or new?), Ann [H45]on 29 January 1767 and John [H46] on 4 February 1768. All d.

The 1765 and 1770 registers at Munsley, which is right next door to Bosbury, show two burials of a Philip BRUSH.  The first burial on 27th April 1765 could be an infant Philip (In the Julian calendar, in use in England up to January 1st. 1752, each year began on 25th March).  Or it could be grandfather Philip. But it cannot be Philip 'the second' [H42] the husband of Catherine.  His was the burial in 1770.  The Bosbury history site records letters of administration (but no will) for a Philip in 1770.  Catherine Brush, Sarah Corbett were the are executors.

On 17 June 1771 at Bosbury, Catherine BRUSH 'otp' marries Peter MORLEY of Ashperton.  Who must surely be the widow of Philip 'the second' [H42]. If this is correct then Catherine would have three children under 6 at her remarriage.  Peter MORLEY and Catherine have three more children at Bosbury.  Elizabeth in 1772, Mary in 1773 and Thomas in 1774. At which point the line seems to disappear, searching under both BRUSH and MORLEY.

There is a marriage in 1796 of a John Brush at Cambridge ( away from other Brush entries) which is a fair match to a 1768 birth. Although this is a very long shot the lack of any obvious death or remarriage of his mother Catherine made me look further. John[H$^] could also be the death recorded in Fownhope in 1779 which would make him 10 or 11 but why away from Bosbury?

Philip H19 8718 1688 m8707 WT Brush-943

Anne BIVEN H19a e1691 m8707 WT Biven-50

Elizabeth H41 8724 1726 m8709 WT Brush-1371

James REYNOLDS H41a 8725 1723 WT Reynolds-27251

Philip H42 8726 1730 m8710 WT Brush-1372

Catherine Drew H42a m8710 m8711 WT Drew-

Peter MORLEY H42aX 8728 170 m8711

Thomas H43 or H39 1739 8732 m8712

Elizabeth PREESE H43a or H39a 8733 m8712

Philip H44 1765 8729

Ann H45 1767 8730

John H46 1768 8731

Next Chapter 08.C : Fownhope 1???-1???