Rebecca and Sarah Philpot

Rebecca (1832-1906)

Sarah (1836-1909)

In 1841, Rebecca and Sarahs’ older brothers – William, Andrew and David, were living with their grandparents in Forthay. Rebecca and Sarah were living with Michael and Mary (nee Philpott, so presumably a relative) Bird. The house, now Lisle House, is circled on the map below.

reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland

Their mother, Esther, had died in 1837 and their father, William, remarried in 1843. His second wife, Charlotte, had previously had an illegitimate daughter, Hester, in 1837, who went out into the world as a servant. They had two sons together and lived in Stinchcombe.

In 1851, Rebecca was servant in Cam and, a year later, married George Watts, a labourer. They had seven children, and lived the rest of their lives in this part of Gloucestershire. Rebecca died at the age of 74, and is buried in Dursley.

Sarah, like Rebecca, was a servant in 1851, in Hamfallow. She married Charles White, a labourer, in 1858 and they had five children. They lived in Gloucester. Sarah died in 1909, aged 75.