The Symes Family

The research below on the Symes family was very kindly sent to me (via the parish council) by Tony Chew in August 2022. The photographs and research below are all by Tony Chew.

JAMES SYMES 1804-1882.

“Uncle James” stares out from his portrait, giving not a great deal away. Confident and smartly dressed, he is a representative of the new breed of 19th century farmer who would have seen a lot of changes over his lifetime.

“ ’The old style farmer, solid and …substantial…. was a crusty curmudgeon where silk and satin, kid gloves and so forth were concerned.’ Other ideas were held by the farming families of the 1860s”                          

(‘Bound to the Soil’ by Barbara Kerr.)

The painting is by Nicholas Felix (1804-1876) and is signed and dated 1851 vertically in the bottom right corner. His real name was Nicholas Wanostrocht, a “gentleman cricketer” who wrote “Felix on the Bat” and is described as a polymath. He merits an entry in Wikipedia.

“Uncle James” is in fact the brother of my great great grandfather, Samuel Symes. His portrait has come down through the family and is now in my possession, having at last returned to Dorset for the first time since his death. Neither I nor my second cousin, Henry Thompson, who passed on the portrait and has now sadly died have any children to pass it on to and I am looking for a good home for it.

Born in 1804, the son of Joseph and Elizabeth Symes, he was baptised in Long Bredy. His father, Joseph Symes, was a farmer and there is a plaque on the wall of the church, commemorating him.

James, like his father and 3 brothers, became a successful farmer. The Tithe map of Winterbourne Abbas of 1840 shows that he and Samuel were tenant farmers of a large part of the surrounding farmland and also a number of the houses in the village.

In the 1841 census for Winterbourne Abbas James is described as “Joint Farmer” with his brother Samuel of 1000 acres employing 39 labourers.

Between 1851 and 1861, Samuel moves to Nether Cerne with his family. In the 1861 census, James has moved to Puncknowle. He is described as a farmer of 600 acres, employing 16 men and 9 boys. Two of Samuel’s daughters, Jeanette aged 22, and Annie aged 15 were living with him.

James returned to Winterbourne Abbas where he was a church warden. He never married. He died on the 29th August 1882, aged 78, and is buried in the churchyard.

The family originated from Gloucester and a descendent of Joseph lived at Kingston Russell and a descendent of Thomas was vicar of St Kyne in Cornwall. Samuel & James had two brothers Thomas and Joseph who lived and farmed in Long Bredy.

From the records of George Percival Symes Scutt (James’ great nephew)

“James Symes, bachelor died 1882 was a great benefactor. His funeral was attended by hundreds of people from every class of life who had benefitted by his kindness”

The Martinstown (Winterborne St Martin) Connection

I was interested to read a recent article (September 2019) in The Greenwood Tree (Dorset & Somerset Family History Society) about Martinstown and reference there to the families HAWKINS and SCUTT. There are links between these families and Uncle James. Three of his nieces, Samuel Symes’ 8 daughters, married four men from Winterborne St Martin.

Lucy SYMES(1832-1884) married Frederick Charles HAWKINS, who was born in Martinstown, at Nether Cerne in 1860 and they farmed and are buried at Osmington.

Fanny Olivia SYMES (1831-1921) married Charles HAWKINS in 1860 at Nether Cerne but he died two years later aged 28 and there is a plaque on the wall of Martinstown church in memory of him. Fanny Olivia then married her deceased husband’s uncle, John Green HOMER at Martinstown, a widower who was 32 years older than her. He and his first wife are buried at Martinstown.

Sophia SYMES (1840-1914) married George Scutt, “Maltster and Brewer” of Martinstown, in 1872 at Nether Cerne and they had one son George Percival Symes Scutt. They are also buried at Martinstown.

The Nether Cerne Connection

 After eight daughters, James’ brother Samuel and Elizabeth Symes had a son Frederick Arthur Symes (1851-1896), He took over the management of Nether Cerne from his father but died aged 46 leaving 4 young daughters.