1823

Christmas Eve 1823 William Leg Rolls marries Leah Soper 

in St Andrews church in the ancient hamlet of Bloxworth, Dorset

Children start to follow, Mary, William, Robert and JOHN all (possibly with the exception of William)  are all recorded as `Ralls` or `Rolls` in the Bloxworth parish records.

`Leg` or `Legg` appears to be more of a middle name at this time. Johns baptism appears at the top of the page but further down in the Parish Record below is the baptism record of John and Elizabeth Whiffen`s son, George, who also has `Legg` added after his christian name,  why? 

It is worth remembering that life in darkest Dorset was very hard and most working families were illiterate and all including the children worked. At least this baptism record from Bloxworth records William being a Shepherd, perhaps a more pleasant aspect of rural work. 

This record is dated 1 year after the famous Tolpuddle Martyrs protest - Tolpuddle is just 5 miles to the West of Bloxworth; " Tolpuddle Martyrs, six English farm labourers, who were sentenced in March 1834 to 7 years transportation to a penal colony in Australia for organising trade union activities"  - they were just trying to improve theirs and others lives...

1841

BLOXWORTH 1841 CENSUS

  

1; Bloxworth; William; LEG; 40; Agricultural Labourer; 

; Bloxworth; Leah; LEG; 35; 

; Bloxworth; Mary; LEG; 15; 

; Bloxworth; William; LEG; 14; 

; Bloxworth; George; LEG; 10; 

; Bloxworth; James; LEG; 9; 

; Bloxworth; John; LEG; 5; 

; Bloxworth; Jane; LEG; 6;

; Bloxworth; Robert ; LEG; 2; 

; Bloxworth; N K; LEG; 6month; 

1; Bloxworth; William; RAWLES; 50;

; Bloxworth; Elizabeth; RAWLES; 45;

; Bloxworth; Charles; RAWLES; 20; 

; Bloxworth; Emily; RAWLES; 10;

; Bloxworth; Emma; RAWLES; 5;

; Bloxworth; Mary; RAWLES; 4;

.....is it a coincidence that there is a `Rawles` family next door?

1851

Parish of Bloxworth

1851

  36;    Newport;    William;    LEG;    Head;    Married;    50;    Farm Labourer;    Bloxworth

36;    Newport;    Leah?;    LEG;    Wife;    Married;    49;    ;    Bloxworth;   

36;    Newport;    Mary;    LEG;    Daug;    Unmarr;    26;    ;    Bloxworth;   

36;    Newport;    George;    LEG;    Son;    Unmarr;    21;    Farm Labourer;    Bloxworth;   

36;    Newport;    James;    LEG;    Son;    Unmarr;    19;    Farm Labourer;    Bloxworth;   

36;    Newport;    John;    LEG;    Son;    Unmarr;    16;    Farm Labourer;    Bloxworth;   

36;    Newport;    Jane;    LEG;    Daug;    Unmarr;    14;    ;    Bloxworth;   

36;    Newport;    Robert;    LEG;    Son;    Unmarr;    12;    Farm Labourer;    Bloxworth;    

36;    Newport;    Emily;    LEG;    Daug;    Unmarr;    7;    ;    Bloxworth;   

36;    Newport;    Fanny;    LEG;    Daug;    Unmarr;    4;    ;    Bloxworth;    

36;    Newport;    Sarah;    LEG;    Daug;    Unmarr;    5months;    ;    Bloxworth;   

1860 & 1861

28th January 1860  John Legg Rolls marries Ellen Lane at St Andrews Church, Bloxworth Dorset

John and Ellen would appear to leave the village of Bloxworth soon after their marriage and perhaps go to Ellen`s mothers,  Silvey Lane in her home village of Milton Hampshire (between Christchurch and Lymington).  John and Ellen have their first child here, christened Silvey, as she is registered in Portsmouth..... By the time the 1861 census is taken the new family has arrived in Kent and are living in Bexley. 

John becomes a Police Constable - 269 R - not only had John and Ellen travelled a long way from Dorset but John had managed to leave his life as a Agricultural Labourer behind him,  a life he had known since childhood and he had not even had the privilege of being a scholar. 

Back in Dorset,  John `s two youngest sisters Emily now 17 is a glove knitter and Fanny 12 is a scholar, they are still living with their parents William now 60 and Leah at Morden Farm , Morden -  1.5 miles from Bloxworth....

1869 & 1871

9th June 1869  William Legg Rolls is buried at St Andrews Church Bloxworth Dorset. 

The 1871 census reveals that Williams widow Leah is now living with her son Robert and his family -

1871 census WEST MORDEN DORSET

Sandford Cottage;

Robert LEGG; Head; M; 33; Agricultural Labourer; Bloxworth

Sarah LEGG; Wife; M; 33;  Portsmouth Hant;

LEAH LEGG; Mother ; Widow; 68; ; Morden;

Harvey LEGG; Son; Un; 8; Scholar; Lytchett;

John LEGG; Son; Un; 5; Scholar; Morden;

Agnes LEGG; Daug; Un; 3; Scholar; Morden;   

William LEGG; Son; Un; 2;  Morden; 

1871

By 1871 John and Ellen Legg, now 27 and 22 have moved to Deptford. They are now living with their growing family at No.13&1/2 Edward Street,  today it would be 13a.or b!

Pictures of Deptford around the turn of the 20th century I should imagine - Evelyn Street is where the Legg families later moved to and remained for quite a few years.....

1881

Now living at No.47 Prince St., Deptford -  John Legg is 47 still a Police Constable, wife Ellen is 43, their eldest child Silvey 20 is a Housemaid, William 18 is a Labourer in an Ironworks. Robert 15 is an Apprentice Engineer and Turner, John 13 is a Messenger in a Carpet warehouse, George, 10 and Ellen 7 are scholars and George Bray who lodges with the family is a retired Wheelwright at 69.

The Police station, Prince street, Deptford

The nearby Baroque church of St Pauls Deptford built in the early 1700s - the younger children of  John and Ellen may have been christened here.

1891

John Legg now a fully fledged Engineer with his wife Laura, they married in September 1889 are now living in part of No.50 Evelyn St., in the Parish of St Pauls Deptford. 

In this census of 1891 their first son, wrongly recorded as William J - should be John William - is just 5 months old.

One of these buildings is No 56. Evelyn Street,  Deptford. They are still sold as flats today.

1901

1901 finds John Legg from Dorset at 66 retired from the Metropolitan Police and his wife Ellen now 62 still resident in part of No.53 Evelyn Street in the Parish of St Pauls Deptford, London. 

At No.50 is his son John Legg 35 his wife Laura 32, and their 7 yr old daughter Dorothy. There is a boarder too Albert Harper, like John he is employed as an engineer. They are also living in just part of the house.

Not far away at No.23 Clyde St.,  John & Laura`s eldest son, John William now aged 10 was either staying with his 67 yr old Grandfather, a Butcher and his Aunt Clara temporarily or was living with them permanently? 

1911

1911 Census The Legg family resident at 320 Evelyn Street Deptford London   

John Legg  - 45 -  employed Engineer/Turner
Laura Legg  - 42 - married 21 yrs
JohnWilliam Legg - 20 - employed as a Clerk at a Printers & Stationers
Dorothy Laura Legg  -17 - employed as a Milliner at a Drapers & Milliners
William Robert Legg - 7
James Percival Legg - 4

All the Leggs (Laura nee Larby was born in Hackney) were born in St Pauls Deptford

And boarder Frederick Pounds a 28 year old Social Worker born Isle of Wight

The census records the house had 7 rooms.

1922

1922 

 The marriage of John William Legg to Dorothy Constance Kemp  

Norbury Croydon England

Sitting on the left of the bridegroom, his mother Laura (nee Larby), her husband John Legg snr, father of the bridegroom, stands behind them.

The bridegrooms sister, Dorothy sits to the left of her mother, her son Jack on her knee (she is now Mrs Hutton, her husband stands behind her)

John`s younger brother by 10 years William Robert Legg is standing at the back far right,  and the youngest of the Legg siblings, James Percival is sitting on the ground.