Flamstead, Hertfordshire the centre for Burchmore's

The Burchmore family comes from the South West corner of Hertfordshire that adjoins Bedfordshire. The main focus of the Burchmores centres on the village of Flamstead, however, there are links with Studham and Whipsnade which are only a mile or so from Roe End Farm and Feveralls which feature in the Birchmore history. Other locations for Burchmore include Markyate, Redbourne, Harpenden.
    There have been many interlinked family marriages overtime and it is proving difficult to establish lineage back beyond Thomas Burchmore (1729-1806) and Sarah Andrew (1735-1816). Another significant family line that the Burchmore’s married into is that of Thrale.
    I have identified a number of major spin-off lines from the Flamstead Burchmores. One line went to the Salem, Massachusetts circa 1620, two went to South Africa, Natal 1850 and circa 18??, a further two went to Australia (one to Kangaroo Island, South Australia in 1848 and the other to Sydney, New South Wales in 1852) and another to New Zealand.
    My direct line is frequently recorded as coming from Row End (Roe End) north of Flamstead Hertfordshire which is on the boundary of Bedfordshire, with Studham the next hamlet or village. Although there are numerous record of Burchmore’s from the area listed in IGI records there is no clear family grouping, with gaps in records circa 16XX. Until recently I was only able to trace the line back to Thomas Burchmore (1729-1806) who married Sarah Andrew in Great Gaddesden in 2 July 1758.
   Although Thomas died in Great Gaddesden he was buried in Flamstead. Thomas and Sarah had at least six children Thomas (1760-1816), George (1762-1843), William (1765-1841), Sarah (1767-1820), Abigail (1770-1841) and Martha (1774-1774). Two of the daughters Sarah and Abigail married Ralph Thrale’s who were cousins.

Roe End, Parish of Flamstead

George Burchmore (1762-1843) the son of Thomas and Sarah married Susannah Redding (1763-1784) on 29 October 1784 at Flamstead. George is recorded as occupying some fields owned by the trustees of Dunstable Charity School and 95 acres in Feveralls (also seen as Cheverells) as well as land owned by Sir John Saunders Sebright. Testamentary documents show that George Burchmore died intestate in August 1843. The letter of administration for his estate (D/ELs B878 date 13 October 1843) describes him as a widower of Roe End and gives power of administration to Sarah Rowed (wife of Michael)" the natural and lawful daughter and only child of George Burchmore.
    A will of 1839, (ref 73665-6) proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury on 30 June 1841, is for William Burchmore (1765-1841) of Flamsteadbury (Flamstead Abbey), brother of George, who was buried in Flamstead 30 April 1841 “aged 76 years”. He left land in Redbourn to daughters Charlotte Ann and Mary Ann, and most of his estate, including a blacksmiths shop, 4 freehold messuages, farmhouse. “all my freehold houses … situate in Redbourn” to his son George. Tenements at Trowly Bottom and a field in Flamstead called Dellmore "which was purchased by me from Michael Rowed" are also left to George.
    The Burchmore family has been well documented in the area bounded by Dunstable, Luton, St Albans and Hemel Hempstead. Flamstead parish, Flamstead and the church of St Leonards is the centre of this area.

Before Flamstead

Information received in mid 2003 from another researcher takes the Birchmore line back a further two generations. Thomas Birchmore (1707-1787) and Mary Martingale, the parents of Thomas (1729-1806), who were married in Edlesborough, Buckinghamshire on4 April 1734. Thomas Birchmore, born 27 March 1681 at Redborn, married Elizabeth Gripp at Great Gaddesden on 8 May 1708. The same researcher take the line further back via a Richard Birchmore who was buried at Redborne in 1698, Thomas Birchmore 1699 at Redborn, Thomas Birchmore (2 February 1579 Flamstead – 1646 Redborne) who married Grace Underwood on 12 February 1616 at Flamstead or Weston to a William Birchmore and Rose Vaughan.
    Other Birchmore/Byrchmore links circa 1543 have been found in Leverstock Green now part of Hemel Hamstead.
George Burchmore (1786-1838) of Roe End
    George Burchmore had two separate families. The first was an unmarried line with Elizabeth Plummer with descendants in New Zealand. The second was the marriage to Ann Norton with descendants in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
    The line of George Burchmore and Elizabeth Plummer
George Burchmore of Flamstead and Elizabeth Plummer had an illegitimate son George. George (son) was born 10 July 1813 at Studham, Bedfordshire. George (son) took the name of George Plummer until the death of his father when he changed it to Burchmore. George Plummer married Elizabeth Batchelor on 18 June 1859 at St Pancras, London. They had two children, Ellen born Whipsnade Bedfordshire on 21 March 1860 and Elizabeth born Whipsnade Bedfordshire in 1862. Descendants of Ellen eventually settled in Auckland, New Zealand.

George Burchmore and Ann Norton

George Burchmore (1786-1838 Flamstead) and Anne Norton (1794 - 1866 Lincoln) married at Flamstead on 6 April 1815. They had 5 children:
~ George 1816 - 1866 - married Sarah Kingston
~ Thomas 1818 -
~ William 1819 Roe End - 1916 Haberfield - married Emma Taylor
~ John Norton 1821 Flamstead - 1873 Pendleton - married Hannah
~ Anne 1832 Flamstead - married Unknown Scorer.
Sometime after George's death Anne returned to Lincoln and is said to have been a matron at the Blue Coats school. This is supported by her death certificate which indicated that she died on 1 June 1866 at Christ's Hospital which was known as the Blue Coats School.

William Burchmore, son of George and Ann Burchmore emigrates to New South Wales

William Burchmore, son of George and Ann Burchmore, spent his boyhood on a farm (Row End), which he remarked with pride, had belonged to the Burchmore family for over 300 years. At the age of 15 he was apprenticed to the principal drapery establishment in Lincoln (Norton's?). After serving his time (apprenticeship), he worked in warehouses of Liverpool, Manchester, London, and other large towns in England, before the chance fall of a stick determined a career for him in Australia.
    “It was in 1852 that I made a sudden resolve to try my luck in the colonies. At that period Australia was only known to the outer world as a distant penal settlement; I was, however, brought into closer touch with it perhaps on account of the wool industry, which already was in a flourishing condition."
   “My coming out to Australia was a mere act of chance, I had taken my seat at the breakfast table one morning when I suddenly made up my mind to travel. The astonishment of those present was amusing - for in those days a trip to the colonies was by no means a trifling undertaking - when I made known my resolve, ‘Where are you going - to America or to Australia?’ one of the company asked. "That I can't say; I haven't the faintest notion” I replied.
    "We can soon settle that, then' he said, taking hold of a walking stick he began to spin it, explaining that if it fell handle pointing towards me it decided Australia, and the reverse it was America. I got the luck of the handle, and in less than twenty-four hours I had packed up my simple belongings and was on board the clipper “Euphrates”, bound for Sydney.
    "The voyage was 120 days out, and a good passage. I didn't find it monotonous, either, on the contrary, it was one of the happiest and luckiest times of my life. Yes; for it was on board that ship that I met the lady who, a few days after landing, became my wife."
   At the time of his landing in Sydney (1852), the leading firms were David Jones', Farmer's, Chisholm's, Pike and Preston, and Tuton's. William Burchmore soon found employment with Tutton, of Pitt Street, the nine years with Despontes, and about two years with E. Webb and Company, Bathurst. Later William Burchmore spent forty years' with Henry Bull, Sydney, in which service Mr Burchmore was best known.
   Until he was incapacitated in his walk, he was an ardent follower of cricket and football, Saturday afternoon, wet or fine, invariably finding him at the Associated Ground. It was a pastime, the deprivation of which he feels keenly.
William and Emma Burchmore had 7 children:
~ William 22/03/1853 - 14/07/1946
~ Annie Emma 25/03/1855 - 5/08/1932
married James Peter HOWE
~ John 11/09/1856 - 22/05/1857
~ Fanny 1858-1858
~ Thomas 1859 - 1926
~ Susan 16/05/1863 - 1943,
married Thomas VANE
~ George 13/12/1863 - 9/09/1928
married Alice Maude Mary KEMP

Thomas, son of George and Ann Burchmore emigrates to Natal

Thomas Burchmore, b. 1818 Flamstead, married Mary of Dunstable and they had five children, all born at Flamstead. Thomas, Mary and three children Mary Anne, Thomas Walter and Betsey (Bessie) emigrated to South Africa aboard the "Minerva" as part of a major emigration initiative to Natal known as the Byrne Settlers. The Minerva was wrecked off the Cape. Although a carpenter Thomas became a carcass butcher in Pietermaritzburg Sth Africa 1846.
  Bessie married William Bamber in St Peters Cathedral, Pietermaritzburg, on Dec 16, 1867.

John Norton, son of George and Ann Burchmore moves to Manchester

John Norton Burchmore was "apprenticed" to his uncles Thomas and John Norton who ran two draper shops in High Street Lincoln. John Norton eventually settled in Pendleton and had 7 children Ellen (1854), Charlotte (1858), Norton (1860), Sydney William (1861), Jessie 1863), John Coulson (1865) and Harold (1865). Both John Coulson and Sydney William left England for the colonies.

Children of John Norton Burchmore to South Africa and New Zealand

John Coulson Burchmore emigrated to Ladysmith, Natal, where he stayed with his cousin Helen (daughter of Mary Burchmore) and her family. John Coulson married Fanny Tandy, daughter of Dr Tandy, the rector of the church in Ladysmith. They had at least one daughter Noele one son Eric Mortimer Burchmore.
   In her will Jessie Burchmore, Eric's great aunt, indicated that Eric had three children:
~ Anne Escombe Burchmore,
~ Hilary Burchmore and
~ John Anthony Burchmore of 70 Henry Street Parkview Johannesburgh South Africa.
   Sydney William Burchmore married Elizabeth Pellow and had four children:
~ Ivy Elizabeth,
~ Nellie,
~ Hazela and
~ Coulson Sydney (1908).
Sydney William Burchmore settled in Auckland New Zealand and worked for Sargoods & Co, Merchants. Coulson Sydney Burchmore moved to Australia, married Ann Margaret Root in Sydney circa 1937 and they had at least one child William John born Parkes.

George, son of George and Ann Burchmore stays at Row End

George Burchmore appears to have remained on the land following the break-up of the farm along with the Seabright Estates circa 1850.
   George Burchmore (1816 - 1866) married and Elizabeth Kingston (1818 Charlton - 1905 West Norwood) on 9 June 1842 at Toddington Bedfordshire. George and Elizabeth had had eleven children:
~ George - 1908 Plympton South Australia
~ Sarah Ann 1843 -
~ Susanna 1844 -
~ Elizabeth 1845 -
~ Charlotte Kingston 1847 ? -
married James Alexander Fraser
~ Ann 1849 -
married William Rawlings
~ Hannah 1850 -
~ Emma 1852
~ George 1855
~ William 1857
~ Charles John 1863 - 1920

George Burchmore, son of George and Elizabeth emigrates to South Australia

It appears that George Burchmore, son of George and Elizabeth Burchmore (Kingston) followed in his uncles footsteps and emigrated to the colonies. George with wife and child arrived in South Australia aboard "Bolton" (State Library of SA). The "Register", a South Australian paper, shipping list of 19th April 1848 indicated that the 540 ton barque Bolton sailed from London and Plymouth arriving in South Australia on 15th April 1848 (alternate date of arrival at Port Adelaide on 19 April 1848).
    George's first wife died and he then married Mary Ryan or Regan. George and Mary had nine children:
~ George 1835 - 1903 Plynpton
~ James
~ William
~ Richard 1853 -
married Mary Streeter
~ Alice
~ Decausi
~ Albert
~ Thomas
~ John 1871 Kangaroo Island - 1952 Willunga
married Emma May Walker 1873 - 1965 Willunga.

George Birchmore, son of John and Emma May settles the interior

George Birchmore was born on 23 September 1901 at Thebarton, South Australia. He married Doris Helen O'Liffee who was born on 3 January 1916 Parakylia Station, Pimba, South Australia. George and Doris had five children:
~ Joy 1936 - 1966
~ George 1934 -
~ Valda
~ John
~ Marlyn
George was the founder and owner (leaseholder) of Kurundi station (1925 - 1945) on McLaren Creek in Central Australia, about 300 miles from Alice Springs. Kirunda station had an area of some 600 square miles.

Salem - Massachusetts USA

A line of Burchmore's claiming to have links back to Flamstead settled in Salem Massachusetts circa 1620 and maintained a close association with commercial shipping and the navy. The name Zarcariah (several spellings) was in common usage over a number of generations. Spin offs from this line went to Chicago, Illinois with John Henry Burchmore (1849-1907) becoming a Doctor in Chicago and Badack, Novia Scotia where his brother Zachariah died (1842-1916).

Omaha - Nebraska USA

A more recent line commencing with Thomas Burchmore (Islington 1839 - 1914) and Sophia Anne Pulman (1839 - 1880) out of London moved to Omaha, Nebraska between 1865 and 1872. Following Sophia's death Thomas married Sarah Augusta Cleveland (1857- ).

Other Burchmore lines

In addition to I have obtained a substantial line of Burchmores from Markyate Street. Thomas Burchmore married Mary Simons on 1 May 1810 at Christ Church, Southwark London. This line had close connections with Harpenden and London.