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Gotts Surname Family History
Outline tree 038Thomas 319 Gotts alias Nurse
Thomas 319 was born in Gresham in 1810, illegitimate son of Elizabeth Gotts, considered to be the daughter of Thomas & Sarah Wegg of Gresham See Gotts/Nurse research in next panel.
Thomas married Susannah 320 Tice in 1831 in Aldborough, near Aylsham and settled in Bessingham to raise their family. Several children were born in Bessingham and baptised in Gresham. Children include:
- Samuel 321 b 1832 Bessingham. Samuel NURSE is in the 1911 census in Sunderland as a widower, but added that he had been married 40 years and of three children born, two were still alive. He married Elizabeth Bone in Wiveton in 1857.
- Elizabeth 322 b 1834 Bessingham m John Durrant in 1859 in Aldborough
- Several children who died in their first year: Christiana 906 b & d 1837, Susan 907 b 1838, d 1839 Robert 908 b 1840, Thomas 909 b 1842, John b 1849
- Henry 323 b 1844 Gresham
- James 324 b 1846 Gresham
- Thomas William 325 b 1850 Gresham, also known as William
The name Nurse has been used for many of the records for these children.
Gotts/Nurse research
More research by Cynthia Nisbet:
“Through researching the parish records in and around the Gresham & Weybourne area, I believe that I have established beyond reasonable doubt that Thomas Nurse fathered a child with Elizabeth Gotts b 1784 in Gresham. There are too many coincidences.
1) Elizabeth's son who was born 10/01/1810 and baptised 15/01/1810 was named Thomas
2) Thomas b 10/01/1810 married and a number of his children have been baptized under the name of 'Gotts Alias Nurse'
3) Census records for 1841 & 1851 are shown as 'Gotts' however subsequent Census show the family name as 'Nurse'.
4) Thomas son of Elizabeth death recorded as Nurse
5) There is a Thomas Nurse in the Weybourne area, b 1784 d 1847 who is a possible father.
Elizabeth appears to be daughter of Thomas Gotts and Sarah Wegg, and the sister of Mary Gotts who had an illegitimate child by John Witton described above.”
IG-STA. My own research has showed that the names Gotts and Nurse has been used interchangeably down through several generations. Indeed James Gotts b 1864 in Gresham, changed his name back to Nurse.
What would be great would be to find some additional evidence which hard-links Mary and Elizabeth as parents back to their parents Thomas Gotts and Sarah Wegg, and also some confirmation of the fathers would walked away, such as bastardy bonds or notes in the Overseers Accounts. If anyone has come across these we would love to know!