X61 Y 88 W 528 H 33
Gotts Surname Family History
Jesse Roach 1633 and Susannah Livermore had three children in Bulphan:
- Jesse 1635 b 1844, d 1845
- Jesse Nicholas 1636 b 1848
- Two daughters called Susannah b 1850 & 1852, who did not survive beyond the age of 2.
They lived in Slough House, Bulphan.
079 - 2 Jesse Roach Nicholas 1633 and Susannah
This painting is thought to be of Jesse Nicholas
Catherine Marriott, who is descended from this family, has this portrait. She thinks this is her great-grandfather Jesse as as a young boy aged about 4. (There are several Jesses, so she is not 100% sure!)
He is holding up some meat, which is why the dog is looking up. She also has a painting of her grandfather Percy Nicholas aged about 6 or 7 dressed in what looks like girls clothes.
It is quite possible it was painted by a member of the family, maybe his mother or stepmother.
Breeching
It may seem strange to us these days, but boys used to be dressed in girls clothes until they were ‘Breeched’ and donned their first trousers or shorts. This occurred between 4 and 7 and was a bit of a rite of passage. This would be when the father would start to take part in the raising of his son.
The style of the dress is broadly Regency, which is the right period for Jesse born 1818.
This Pinterest group of Regency Children's Portraits (1795-1830) has several examples of boys in dresses click here
Mark 2641
Mark 2641 married Sarah 2642 Livermore in 1830 in Bulphan. His will in 1858 mentions many of his relatives, including his daughter:
- Sarah 3068 b 1842 in Orsett district (probably Bulphan), married Edward Dyson Mee in 1861.
The central panel of this window in Bulphan church is dedicated to Mark, probably by his daughter Sarah and son-in-law Edward Mee
