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A family tree of the Randell family originating in North Norfolk
Thomas Randell ~ The Randell Warm Seawater Baths ~ Clockmakers ~ Ironmongers ~ Postmasters ~ Sailors ~ Victorians

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Thomas RANDELL 1842

Thomas Randell was the second child of Thomas Randell and Judith Ann Mayes. He was born in Brooke Street, Cromer, July 1842. When the family moved to Holt around 1856 he moved with them. At the time of the 1861 census, he was 18, living with his family in Hall St, Holt and working as an apprentice Brazier and Tinman with his father Thomas. His descendants still own a kettle which was his apprentice piece.


In April 1866 Thomas Randell married Justina Evans in Shoreditch, Middlesex. Five years later they were living in Eastworth Street, Chertsey Surrey. He was listed as Tinman & Brazier, age 28, married to Justina with two girls. His younger sister Honorine had also made the move to Chertsey and was with them, filling the roll of their housemaid.
Ten years later they had moved to a new home, “The Abbey”. This grand sounding house was listed in the 1881 census next door to the equally opulent sounding Abbey Lodge. Remarkably, both these houses exist today. “The Abbey” appears to have undergone a substantial extension and refurbishment but the fundamental core of the house is recognisable as a large Georgian family home set in substantial walled grounds. The original building dates to a period before the Randell’s moved to Chertsey and was once the very epitome of a well to do leafy London suburb. Today it sits close to the intersection of the M25 and M3 motorways.
In 1881 Thomas Randell, aged 38, was listed as a Gas Fitter, an occupation that had clearly different connotations in Victorian times. Rose Randell recorded her father's occupation as Mechanical Engineer on her marriage certificate. He was of course dead at that point, but it helps create a picture of his life and strengthening the image his immediate neighbours were solicitors, annuitants and surgeons.
Thomas died extremely young, aged 43 as a result of Endocarditis and Rheumatic Fever. Basically, he died of heart failure, most probably from the effects of childhood rheumatic fever. Acute rheumatic fever, a streptococcal infection, usually occurs in children and is an inflammatory disease which may damage body tissue, the worst scenario being the heart values. Significantly, this damage isn't immediately noticeable and rheumatic heart disease can go undetected for years. Today rheumatic fever is treated with simple antibiotics.
Thomas Randell, died 3 December 1885 at home in Chertsey. His death certificate was witness by Jessie Poulter, who according to the certificate was present at the time of his death. Intriguingly, Mrs Poulter was illiterate and recorded her involvement with her mark. Mrs Poulter may have been a friend, nurse or simply a local with experience in death. Jessie B Poulter, a retired widow aged 59, was recorded in the 1881 census living very close to the Randells. Thomas Randell was buried 7 December 1885 at St Peters Church, Chertsey.
The family continued to live at The Abbey after his death and were recorded in the 1901 Census, as Justina Randell, a widow supported by her children and Justina's granddaughter, Emily Jessie Hicks. Emily was the only child of Rose, who was also a widow having lost her husband after a single year of marriage.

ANCESTRY ~ Clement / Thomas / Thomas / Thomas

Justina EVANS 1843

The marriage of Thomas Randell to Justina Evans took place 17 June 1866 and was registered in the Shoreditch district of Middlesex.
Justina Evans was born 14 January 1842 and christened 2 April the same year in Great Tey, Essex. She was second child of Samuel Evans and Mary Anne Bryant. Both the Bryant and Evans families have a long association with Great Tey. Samuel Evans was born 30 April 1820 whilst his wife Mary Ann, the daughter of James Bryant and Ann Parish, was born 23 December 1821. They also married in Great Tey, 2 October 1840.
Following her marriage to Thomas, Justina amended her place of birth to Earls Colne, Essex, I imagine this was simply because Great Tey, despite the grandeur of it’s name is tiny. It was described by Whites Directory of 1848 as “a pleasant village, four miles North East of Coggeshall. A parish of 733 inhabitants with many scattered houses, and very fertile soil. Saint Barnabas Church has a musical peal of eight bells, the ringers of which are said to excel”.
Justina’s father, Samuel Evans, recorded a variety of agricultural occupations over the years, but occurs more than once as a Thatcher and Market Gardener. Justina was one of eight children, her sister Sarah married in Chertsey and lived near to the Randells in later years. One of her brothers, eccentrically named Major, married and took the opportunity to call his two eldest children Minnie and Major, unfortunately by the third child the joke had run thin and the poor child was stuck with Percy.
As a result of being born in 1842 Justina Evans was only once recorded in a census with her parents. By 1861 she was still close to home but a general servant at the home of dentist Dr Edward Scofield in Great Coggeshall. The following census of 1871 found her married with children. As a mother she produced seven girls, including two sets of twins. I imagine her life would have been far from idyllic, she witnessed the deaths of two of her daughters as young children and lost her own husband when she was only 43. She also saw her daughter Rose, married and widowed twice.
In the census of 1911 Justina Randell was living with her daughter Kate Mary at Abbey Cottage, Chertsey. I assume this to be a different property to The Abbey but it was still a reasonable dwelling of five rooms including a kitchen. Justina filled out the form and signed the declaration with a confident well rounded hand which shows no sign of her 68 years.
justina
Niether Justina or Kate Mary recorded an ocupation but they had access to some income in the form of rent from a boarder, Robert Spiller an Ironmongers Assistant.
Justina Randell never remarried and died aged 84, in the January quarter of 1926. Her death was registered in the Guildford district of Surrey.

Thomas and Justina had the following children:

Annie Flora Randell 1867 Chertsey, Surrey
Justina Randell 1869 Chertsey, Surrey
Alice Randell 1871 Chertsey, Surrey
Lily Randell 1874 Chertsey, Surrey
Rose Randell 1874 Chertsey, Surrey
Maud Everlyn Randell 1876 Chertsey, Surrey
Kate Mary Randell 1877 Chertsey, Surrey
Francis Emma Randell 1877 Chertsey, Surrey

The Abbey, Chertsey as it is today.

Hi, I would love to hear from you. I would be thrilled to receive any contributions or even corrections.
If you are connected to this family tree please say hello, Martin - martisan@iinet.net.au