Carolyn Harris - Attwoods

JOHNSON FAMILY HISTORIES

TTWOOD’s OF FROME SOMERSET

The story of the Attwoods starts in Frome Somerset. Until the industrial revolution a cloth-manufacturing town, Frome today has numerous industries, including printing, metal casting, carpentry, dairying and light engineering. In 1685 Monmouth and his followers spent a night there with the result that twelve men were later strung up in the Market Place by the King's servants. The wooded Vallis Vale, 1km NW, is both beautiful and of geological interest.

The town's name is pronounced 'Froom'. The river Frome meanders through the centre of the town, below steep, narrow streets lined with medieval and Tutor buildings. Cheap Street is flagstoned and has a water-course running down its centre.

Fine buildings in the town include the Blue House almshouses of 1726, close to the bridge. Rook Lane Congregational Chapel in Bath St. was built in 1707, and is a fine example of early nonconformist churches.

An extract from the 'Somerset & Wiltshire Journal' 3rd March 1866. "At the Primitive Methodist School room about ninety persons sat down to an excellent tea recently, after which a Public Meeting was held, presided over by the Rev. A Dobson ....

During the evening, Mr. John ATTWOOD was presented with a valuable eyeglass, set in gold, by the officers and teachers of the Sunday School, as a token of his labours among them during the twenty nine years he had held office as Superintendent and Secretary of the School."

Inscription on a Commemorative Stone on the front wall of the Sun Street Methodist Chapel. "Laid by the Sunday School in Memory of Mr. John ATTWOOD, the founder" The Sunday School was founded in 1835. The chapel was built in 1834 - but the commemorative stone was laid several years later when a lobby and porch were added at the front.

John ATTWOOD was baptised in Bath Street Rook Lane, Frome on 24th February 1792, the son of William & Jane ATTWOOD. No trace of any other brothers and sisters have been found in Somerset records as yet.

John married Hannah SCAMMELLS on 23rd February 1813 at Frome and they had five children - Anne who married William CARPENTER, William who died an infant, William who married Margaret SPOOR, Mary who married a Mr. ABBOTT and stayed in England and Samuel who married Charlotte BARRETT.

William ATTWOOD & Margaret SPOOR

William came out to Australia, arriving on the "Gypsy Bride" on 14th February 1855. The following is a story told by his descendents.....

"William married Anne White on 25th August 1839 in the Parish Church in Frome. William was living at Nail Street Frome at the time as was listed as being a Librarian. He went to America to fight in the Texas/Mexico War and was captured. The Mexican's didn't like to keep all their prisoners due to lack of food, so they decided which ones to keep by putting marbles into a barrel. These marbles were of two different colours. One colour - prisoner, the other colour - firing squad. Fortunately for us, William chose the right colour. Later on, William escaped. He remained in America for over 10 years, and during that time was granted by the American Government several hundred acres of land. His family back in England had heard that he had been captured and presumed that he was dead. He arrived back in England to a father who failed to believe that it was William until he showed his father a mark on his body identifying him. His family warned him that his wife Anne had thought him dead all these years and had married again and was very happy. Not wishing to cause her any more grief, he left England to come to Australia and a new life."

There appears to be some truth in this story. For the full version of William’s stay in Texas go to IER Web Site

Samuel ATTWOOD and his wife Charlotte came out to Australia in 1852. Samuel joined the foot police in Kyneton, Victoria, but left the force after a long bout of Colonial Fever in 1853. He opened a barber's shop in a tent in Piper Street, Kyneton opposite Alexander's Hotel. (The site was later built on and known as Tucker's Buildings)

WilliamA.JPG (45285 bytes)

William Attwood
Photo taken from his rememberance Card age 79 years 4 months.
Died 8th November 1900
Photo supplied by Bill Attwood

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