Howman, Jessie

Gender: Female

Roy Palmer visited Miss Jessie Howman aged 72 at Stow on the Wold on 11 August 1966 when she sang him The Farmer’s in the Dell, May Garlands, Poor Sally sits a-weeping, See the Robbers coming through, Somersetshire, There was a Jolly Miller and We Wish You a Merry Christmas and A Young Farmer’s Son

Gertrude Jessie Howman was born 6 April 1894 in Stow On The Wold, Gloucestershire, In 1901 Jessie was living in Stow on the Wold with her parents, William Cox Howman aged 36, an employed builder and contractor and Esther May Howman aged 35 and her three sisters: Dorothy Esther Howman aged 11, Margaret Lucy Howman aged 10. Also living with them was Beatrice Emily Clarke aged 17, a general servant domestic. Esther was born in Oxford but the rest of the family were born in Stow on the Wold.

In 1911 J. D.Howman was the head of a household of 2 males and 5 females in a private house in Sheep Street, Stow on the Wold. C Howman (probably Jessie’s aunt Caroline, William’s eldest sister) was head of a household of 2 females in a ‘house shop’ in Church Street, Stow on the Wold

Jessie never married. The death of Gertrude Jessie Howman was registered in the first quarter of 1971 aged 76 in Cheltenham registration district.

Jessie’s father William Cox Howman was born on 6 September1864 in the regstration district of Stow On The Wold. .In 1871 William aged 6 was living in Sheep Street, Stow with his parents, George Howman aged 40 a Master builder(junior partner) and Elizabeth Howman aged 45 and his five sisters: Helen Howman aged 13, Miriam Howman aged 11, Elizabeth Howman aged 9, Emily Howman aged 5, Susan Howman aged 2. George was born in Salperton and the rest of the family in Stow.

By 1881 William Howman was apprentice aged 16 still living with his parents, George Howman,a builder aged 50 and Elizabeth Howman aged 54, and his four sisters: Caroline Howman aged 26, Fanny Howman aged 24, Emily Howman aged 15 and Susan Howman aged 12 a scholar. Elizabeth was born in Salperton and the rest of the family were born in Stow,

William Cox Howman married Esther May Alden in 1888 in the registration district of Oxford, Esther’s birthplace and then by 1891 they were living in Stow on the Wold. He was 26 and working as a builder and they had two children: Dorothy E Howman aged 1 and unnamed daughter Howman aged 3 weeks. Also living with them was Ruth Arthurs aged 14, a general servant. William and the children were born in Stow. William C Howman died 11th September 1944 aged 80 in the North Cotswold Registration district, Gloucestershire.

In the 1925 phone book the firm of William Cox Howman were Builder and Contractors in Sheep Street, Stow on the Wold.

Notes by Carol Davies November 2011