Genealogy Richard Remmé, The Hague, Netherlands » Sarah Ann Bartholomew (1851-1895)

Personal data Sarah Ann Bartholomew 

• She was born on January 17, 1851 in All Saints, Newmarket.Source 3

  Birth Cert.

• Profession: Third daughter and eventual co-heir in her issue..
• She died on March 30, 1895 in Chaucers Ho, Woodstock, Oxon, she was 44 years old.

  Admon of 8 June 1895

• This information was last updated on December 4, 2022.

Household of Sarah Ann Bartholomew

She is married to William Reginald Lybbe Powys-Lybbe.

They got married on September 25, 1880 at The British Vice-Consulate, Boulogne sur Mer, France, she was 29 years old.

Witnessed by Edith May Powys, Wm Reg Lybbe Powys's sister, and Isabella P E Stiglurch. The registrar was William Stiglurch, British Consul, Coulogne.  So Isabella Stiglurch must have been his wife or daughter.  That is, Sarah Bartholomew had no friends or relatives present.

(The registrar for Christine Cecilia's death was "William Stigand", probably the same chap.)

Further Sarah's address is the same as William's: 71 Rue Sur Notre Dame.

From the certified copy of the church marriage:
Page: 47
Married at: Church of St John, according to rites of Church of England, at Boulogne sur mer, pas de Calais, France
Celebrant: Henry Moysey-Turton, Chaplain
Date: 25th Sept, 1880
Groom: William Reginald Lybbe Powys, of full age, Widower, Esquire, of 71 r. Tour Notre Dame
Bride: Sarah Bartholomew, of full age, Spinster, "do" [for address].
Father of groom: Philip Lybbe Powys-Lybbe, [occupation "not mentioned"]
Father of bride: William Bartholomew, [occupation "not mentioned"]
Witnesses: Edioth Mary Powys, Arthur N Moysey-Turton [relation of chaplain?]
Date of copy: 8th March 1907
Copy made by:J E Dutton-Tomson,, Chaplain of St John's

Child(ren):

1. Reginald Cecil Lybbe Powys-Lybbe  1881-1930 
2. Olga Mary Powys-Lybbe  1882-???? 
3. Richard Barrington Powys-Lybbe  1884-1956 
4. Philip Lybbe Powys-Lybbe  1886-1925

Notes about Sarah Ann Bartholomew

Note in RCLP-L's hand:

"2nd Wife:
"Sarah dau of William Bartholomew of Ashley, Co Cambridge married 25 Sept 1880 at the British Vice Consulate Boulogne sur Mer France and at St John's Church there.  Died 30 March 1895 at Chancers Ho, Woodstock, Oxon having ma 2ndly at St Mary's Church Wallingford, 15 May 1889 Charles Wright Edwards L.R.C.P of Chancers House Woodstock eldest son of Charles Hutchinson Edwards of The Chalet, Mill Hill, Clerk in Holy Orders."

We have a tree-plaque for a tree she planted for the golden jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887.  She is referred to on the plaque as "Mrs Powys-Lybbe Mayoress of Wallingford".

In the Berks and Oxon Advertiser obituary on April 6th 1888 for WRL P-L she is referred to as the "third daughter of William Bartholomew Esq of Ashley Cambridgeshire".

How did Sarah get to Boulogne?

Interestingly on her marriage certificate she is shown as living at the same address as her husband.  I had been thinking that her father had run a hotel or something there but he would almost certainly have been on the marriage certificate if so.  The witnesses to the marriage are Edith Mary Powys, William P's obviously beloved sister, and the wife, or daughter, of the registrar.  My current thought is that Sarah had gone into service, ended up as some form of maid for the house or for WRLP-L's first wife, went with them to Boulogne and then came to keep the bed warm after Christine née Heywood died...  A support, though not confirmation, to this is that Cecilia died at 71 Rue Tour Notre Dame, where Wm and Sarah were both living some nine months later.

Part of my reason for this conclusion about Sarah's arrival in Boulogne is finding the 1881 census entry for the Bartholomew family all living in Ashley Cambs.  Apart from William, born in Scotland, his wife and remaining daughter were both born in the locality of Ashley, Cambs.  It looks as if they may never have moved from there or nearby Newmarket. So Wm Bartholomew would never have gone to Boulogne.

This possible origin of the relationship with Sarah may well have enabled Wm R L P to reconcile himself with his father and become W R L P-L.  Because this reconciliation, greased liberally by the settlement of Hardwick and Broomfield on W R L P, happened two or three years later - refer to the wills of both.

When was she born?

The first we knew was from her marriage certificate to WRL PL when she was recorded as 27 at the time of marriage in Sep 1880.  This made her born in 1853.

Then her death record was found where she was stated to be 38 in March 1895; this made her born in 1857.

Much later I found that she was shown as 32 in the 1991 census, so born in 1859.

Finally her birth was found to be registered as on 17th January 1851.  She must have worn well to have lopped 6 years off her age, presumably on marriage to her second husband, the young and newly qualified surgeon.  He was 26 and she may have given herself as 33, instead of the true 39.

Was she related to her 2nd husband?

Just a thought: she met and married him rather rapidly.  How did she meet up with him?  Her aunt Eliza married an Edwards.  So they might have met in Ashley or Chippenham.

I have her will - and may type it in here, if only to show how a solicitor covered his backside not only with wadding but also with fire-proof concrete.

Feb 2002: Just realised that she was almost certainly an heiress.  While she had brothers, all but William vanish from the scene and, from his will in which he left everything to his younger sister's family, he had no family and it is doubtful that he married.  So the only children of William and Mary Ann Seal who had descendants were Sarah Ann and her youngest sister Eliza who married William Luther Foreman and has issue to this day.  So Sarah and Eliza were co-heirs, but to little or no money and certainly to no arms.
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The Primrose League: Sarah was Ruling Councillor of the St Stephen's (Wallingford) Habitation of the Primrose League.  In May 2002 I found a piece of silk in my father's house on which was printed:

TO THEIR
Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales

MAY IT PLEASE YOUR ROYAL HIGHNESSES

The members of the St Stephen's (Wallingford)
Habitation of the Primrose League respectfully desire to offer
to your Royal Highnesses their most hearty congratulations
upon the occasion of your Silver Wedding.

They acknowledge, with much thankfulness, the
noble and self-sacrificing efforts you have made to advance
every great and good work in the country ; and they humbly
hope Almighty God may grant you a long and happy life.

(signed)
SARAH POWYS-LYBBE, O.M.
RULING COUNCILLOR
MARCH 8th 1888
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TFPL, March 2003: I have seen her entry in the record books of the College of Arms.
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TFPL, May 2004: In the 1891 census she was with her new husband and all her children at The Bungalow, Burghfield Common, near Newbury, Berks.  She gave her age as 32, remarkable in view of the fact that she was 40.
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