Thomas Couzens

[Phoenix]

I know absolutely nothing about this man.

John Couzens, my ancestor gives a wide range of possible birth dates:

21 in 1808 per apprenticeship

b 1790 per 1841 & 1851 census

buried aged 80 in 1867.

In 1861, he is given as 79 (ie b 1782) but gives birthplace as Bere Regis.

In 1790 in Bere Regis, per FMP, a John Cozens, twin son of Thomas is baptised.

[kiterunner]

Is Thomas John's father, Phoenix?

[Phoenix]

This seems to be the case, Kite, given that on the only reliable censuses (ie when he is head of household) John says he's born 1790, which ties in the the baptism I've found.

I find it irritating that I scoured the original Bere Regis registers before ever I knew about John Couzens, so never had a possible name for his father before. No children were called Thomas, but then John would have left home as a teenager, if not before.

[kiterunner]

Have you looked through the Dorset Wills and Probate on ancestry, Phoenix?

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=2119

[Phoenix]

I don't have access to Ancestry, Kite. Do you mean there is an image of a will online?

[kiterunner]

There are images of lots of wills on there, including a couple of possible Thomas Cousins (various spellings) and lots of other Cousinses. Neither of the Thomases that I glanced at was from Beer Regis but I was thinking if you trawled through all the Cousinses maybe you would find a relative *reluctantly avoids obvious pun*

Unfortunately the residence just seems to be shown as "Dorset" for each entry on the index.

[kiterunner]

Oh, and ancestry also has the Dorset PR images. Does your local library have ancestry membership? I can confirm John and Sarah son & daur of Thos Cozens} Twins Sep 18 1790 Bere Regis.

[kiterunner]

FamilySearch has a couple of entries worth checking out:
Thomas Cozens baptised 20 Jul 1783 Bere Regis, father Thomas Cozens.
Thomas Cozens buried 30 Aug 1814 Bere Regis, age 68. I'll see if I can find them in the images on ancestry...

[kiterunner]

Yes - the burial is there and gives his residence as Bere Regis. There is also a burial for an Elizabeth Cousins 12 Feb 1832, age 92, abode Bere Regis. There seem to be some Bere Regis baptisms missing, but Thomas Cozens junior married Maria Singleton 21 Aug 1800. I can't see Thomas sr or Elizabeth in the Dorset wills and probate.

[Phoenix]

Thanks for all that info, Kite.

I've been promising myself a return trip to Dorchester for a good many years. This might just be the stimulus I need.