Hertfordshire Genealogy: Occupations: St Albans Brickmakers: Benjamin FOWLER & family

Nothing is known for certain about Benjamin Fowler's origins, but he may have been the son of Benjamin and Elizabeth Fowler, who was baptised at Luton on 5th May 1765 [familysearch]. The earliest definite information we have is that Benjamin and Sarah Fowler had four children baptised at St Albans Abbey: Joseph (baptised 1786), Elizabeth (baptised 1791), Benjamin (baptised 1792) and Jabez (baptised 1794). Only Joseph and Benjamin have been noted in later records [Abbey]

In 1794 Benjamin carried out some building work on the St Albans Session House and did further work on the Town Hall in 1800 and later years [Quarter]. Initially he is described as a bricklayer, although he probably made his own bricks. In 1813 he applied to enclose part of the waste at Bernards Heath belonging to the Manor of Sandridge, with a view to erecting brick kilns [Sandridge Court]. He was granted three rood or thereabout situate on the right hand side of the High Road leaving from the town of St Albans to Luton at a rent of 10 shillings on quarter days, for his own life, and that of his sons Joseph (aged 28) and Benjamin (aged 22). Clearly this was not enough as he encroached onto the Heath in 1815, when the Sandridge Court Book [Sandridge Court] recorded:

This was not allowed, and neither was another encroachment in 1822 when it was reported [Sandridge Court] that Benjamin Fowler is now erecting upon the waste at Bernard Heath a large shed for the purposes of his business as a brickmaker.

This last reference must be to Benjamin Fowler junior as his father had died in 1821, aged 57, and was buried in St Peter's churchyard [tombstone] . Benjamin Fowler junior had married Elizabeth Collins on 6 Dec 1813 at Saint Peter, Saint Albans, and the following children are recorded in the St Peters register: - Sarah (21 Apr 1815); Benjamin (10 May 1816); Elizabeth (24 Mar 1818); Ann (9 Jul 1819), Joseph (20 Oct 1820); and George Jabez (11 Jan 1823). His first wife died in September 1823 and on 24 Oct 1826 Benjamin remarried at Sandridge, his bride being Elizabeth Foreman of Ivinghoe, Bucks

Between 1822 and 1825 he was regularly carrying out work on the House of Correction, including the sinking of a well, and the building of a treadmill [Session]. In 1824 Mr B Fowler agreed to build a 2-roomed cottage for Mr T. Oakley of Camp House [Memorandum].

Benjamin Fowler, senior, who died intestate, had erected a house [house] on the land he had acquired in 1813. and in 1827 the copyhold property was re-granted for the natural lives of Joseph Fowler (40), his brother Benjamin (34) and Joseph’s wife Ann (30) for a fine of 30 guineas and a rent of 10s payable on quarter days. At the same time as the copyhold lease was extended it was reported that Joseph Fowler has left the pits dug by him on Bernard Heath aforesaid for brick earth in a dangerous state and the said Joseph Fowler being present in court undertook to fill in the same [Sandridge Court] .

It seems likely that Joseph and his wife occupied the house, and Joseph was the "Mr Fowler" who paid 5s in the Sandridge August 1831 rate assessment for "a house on Bernards Heath" [Sandridge Rates]. It is possible that Joseph Fowler made the bricks for Heath Farm, Bernards Heath, which was completed in 1830 [Heath Farm] on land immediately adjacent to the brickworks.

One of the problems of making bricks on Bernards Heath would have been the lack of water. If there were stones in the clay, as can be seen in the sides of nearby Beech Bottom [BB], and as happened at the Hill End brickworks in the early 20th century [Hill End], it would have been necessary to slurry the clay with water and filter off the stones. It appears that at some stage deep wells were dug through the underlying chalk, a copious supply of water was tapped, and pumps installed. This may well be the reason why, in 1833, Joseph Fowler established a waterworks and was given permission to lay pipes in the public roads. However Joseph Fowler died in 1834 [tombstone], his widow [Widow] being shown as the occupier of the house on the Heath in January 1835 [Sandridge Rates].

Mr. Joseph Fowler, of Bernard Heath, has commenced the very laborious undertaking of supplying the town with water. The service pipes are already laid, and the well, which is one of large dimensions, and the engine house, are in progress. Not anything can be done with more benefit to a town than giving it a supply of clean water, and the inhabitants seem aware of it by their proffered patronage.

Bucks Herald, 14th September, 1833

An inquest was held last week at Bernard-heath near St. Albans, on view of the body of Mr. Joseph Fowler. The case excited very considerable interest, circumstances having given rise to a report that the deceased had destroyed himself. The jury returned a verdict, ‘‘That the deceased died of apoplexy.”

Bucks Gazette, 26 July, 1834

PURSUANT to a Decree of the High Court of Chancery, made in a cause Bowman v. Fowler," the Creditors of JOSEPH FOWLER, late of Bernard's Heath, in the Parish of Sandridge, near the Town of St. Alban's, in the County of Hertford, deceased, (who died in the month of July, 1834,) are, by their Solicitors, on or before the 14th day of November next, to come in and prove their Debts, before John Edmund Dowdeswell, Esquire, one of the Masters of the said Court, at his Office in Southampton-buildings, Chancery-lane, London ; or in default thereof they will be peremptorily excluded the benefit of the said Decree.

Morning Advertiser, 15 June 1835

Herts Mercury 16 August 1835

BARLOW V. FOWLER. Mr. KING stated that this was a suit for the foreclosure of an equitable mortgage of copyholds. In 1833 the late husband of the defendant contracted with the borough of St. Alban's to supply it with water, and applied to the plaintiff, who is an ironmonger, to supply him with a steam-engine, pipes, &c. Hence arose a debt of 1,700/. to the plaintiff, which was secured by a mortgage of freehold and copyhold property. The copyhold property in question the defendant's husband covenanted to surrender to the plaintiff, and meantime to stand seized in trust for him, and as it was held for three lives, he also covenanted to use his utmost endeavours to procure a new life whenever a life should drop, so as to have three lives always subsisting. The mortgager died shortly after, having bequeathed the property in question to the defendant, his widow, and infant daughter. The •mortgager himself was one of the lives, and his widow and brother, both still living, were -the others. The object of the present motion was to have a receiver appointed, and that proper directions should be given to the receiver to surrender the premises to the Lord of the Manor with the intent that a new life might be added. The receiver was a matter of course.

Mr. JACOB resisted the motion.

The VICE-CHANCELLOR — There is no objection to the receiver. But, as respects the latter point, I should require to be informed by affidavit what the Lord is able or willing to do, if the plaintiff perseveres, before I could interfere. The motion may stand over on that point. (Before the Lords Commissioners.) The Lords Commissioners sat in. this Court at three o'clock to hear an application.

[further legal discussion - see below for brief summary]

[Very long account in Morning Post 23 October 1838]

The Sun 23 October 1835

LAW REPORTS VICE-CHANCELLOR'S COURT -Wednesday Oct 21

.....

Thuesday, Oct 22

The ante-sessional sittings were continued and the following causes came on : ...

Barlow v. Fowler. Mr. Knight, with Mr. Richards, said this was a suit for the foreclosure of an equitable mortgage of copyholds on a debt contracted with an ironmonger to supply a contractor at St. Albans with pipes, a steam-engine, &c., to bring water to the town. Mr. Jacob, with Mr. Turner, opposed the motion, which was allowed to stand over till the lord of the manor made affidavit of what course he would take if the plaintiff persevered in cutting timber, &c, &c.

[Before the Lords the Great Seal.]

Their Lordships sat in this (the Vice Chancellor's) court to hear an application exparte Chambers. Mr. Bethell said that he alone, of all his client's common law counsel, was in town, and he was unacquainted with the nature of the application. Sir F. Pollock, followed by Mr. Knight, stated that the application was for direction from the court as to the course of proceeding at the approaching trial. Lord Commissioner Bosanquet and Lord Commissioner Pepys consulted together, and the application was refused on the ground, that if any difficulty should arise, a distinct application might be made for a distinct direction, and that in the mean time the proceeding should be left as usual to the discretion of the judges.

The Atlas 25 October 1835

Benjamin Fowler junior died in 1838 and was buried in St Peters Churchyard with his first wife, who died in 1823 [tombstone]. Also in the grave was his daughter Elizabeth, wife of James Grey [Grey]. The family appears to have dispersed [Mary] . In 1838 Ann Fowler married Mathew Saville in St Albans, and they moved north, and are recorded in the 1841 census as living at Rasbottom, near Ashton under Lyne. In 1840 Benjamin Fowler's daughter Sarah married Thomas Howorth in Ashton. The marriage certificate described her father as an architect and gave her address as Rasbottom, Stalybridge, Aston under Lyne, and Mathew Saville was a witness.

No information about the family can be found in the 1841 census in the St Albans area of Hertfordshire. Benjamin's widow, Elizabeth Fowler (nee Foreman), was in Ringshall, Beds, in the parish of Ivinghoe. The head of household was her brother, John Foreman (publican) and the 13 year old William Fowler listed is presumably the son of Benjamin [Lesley]. It is possible that the Joseph Fowler, a 35 year old journeyman bricklayer who was born in St Albans and living at Church Green, St Peters, St Albans, in 1851 is the Joseph Fowler, son of Benjamin Fowler junior, who was baptised in 1820. In 1861 he was a bricklayer living in Park Street, near St Albans.

There are the occasional references to other contemporary Fowler builders in St Albans. It is not known if there is any connection with Benjamin Fowler, or whether they made bricks.

In 1809, 1810 & 1812 George Fowler & son were responsible for repairing the House of Correction, St Albans [Quarter].

In 1813 a George and Thomas Fowler, bricklayers of St Albans, were awarded the contract to build a three arch bridge over the River Colne at Bushey Mill [Session].

Pigots Directory for 1823 lists a Thomas Fowler, Bricklayer, in Holywell Hill, St Albans. The 1828 edition lists him again, but this time in Fishpool Street, St Albans.

Goodman: Redrawn from map by T. Goodman in 1822, entitled Plan of the Copyhold Estates in the Manor of New Lane Squillers. [HALS 10802]

Grey: In the 1851 census James Grey (a lighterman), his wife Elizabeth, 4 children and 2 servants, were living at 7 Trinity Square, Allhallows, Barking, Middlesex. [Ancestry]

Heath Farm: When Heath Farm was demolished in the 1970's a beam in a prominent position in the roof was found to be dated 1830, which is consistent with the fact that Robert Smith took up residence at about this date.

Hill End: Information on the Hill End Brickworks is given by Lyle Perrins, Recalling Hertfordshire's Brickworks published in Hertfordshire Countryside, April 1981.

House: The house (and brickworks) would appear to be quite substantial. A rate assessment for Sandridge [HALS] made in 1831 rated it at 5s., which was much more than the Queen's Head, Sandridge as 1s 6d., or William Paul's bill for 9d.

Lesley: Thanks to Lesley Murray (lesvmurray @t hotmail.com), who is interested in the Foreman family, for drawing this to my attention.

Mary: Information provided by Mary Robinson (m.robinson100 @t ntlworld.com), great great granddaughter of Sarah. (March 2007)

Session: Session Records of the Liberty of St Albans Division, 1770-1849. Hertfordshire County Records, Volume IV., various dates.

Sandridge Court: Sandridge Manor Court Book, Northamptonshire Records Office.

Sandridge Rates: R. G. Auckland, Sandridge Rate Book, 1833-1835, undated computer transcript. Also seen at HALS

March 2007		Page updated
June 2010		Note re James Grey
December 2019		1835 press cuttings added relating to the waterworks