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From: "Richard Fowler" <>
Subject: [MON] Finding Work C19th/Strays
Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2008 09:10:44 -0000


How would a young man, a stonemason/builder know about and find work on the
other side of the country in the days before modern communications?

Several instances in my family made me ponder this: eg

GGF William PROWSE (m1856) moved his growing family from Christow in Devon
to Newton Abbott (c 1860) then to Bristol (c 1866- allegedly re the Clifton
Bridge developments) and on to Newport (c 1876- built houses and public
buildings, eg old Maindee Police Station) .

My favourite theory- and that is all it is - is that he was a Freemason and
a minor subcontractor on Brunels projects and shadowed the great mans
movements via 'networking' as we would call it today (ie the Lodge, the site
and the Pub!)

GGFs eldest son, also William Prowse b 1857/8 Devon lka with family in
Bristol 1871 census 'disappeared' completely, presumably about the time the
family moved to Newport. Where?. His younger brother Samuel popped up
married to a young widow and restoring the church in the small East Sussex
village of Rotherfield in 1881. How?? Did William and Samuel just take a
chance and head for London?

TIA Dick Fowler


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