James Lewis
The following is a list of Trustees for Earlswood Chapel in 1862. I have scanned this from the 200th Anniversary booklet.
Of interest is that this list contains a James Lewis. Equally of interest is that early researchers of Ann Rosser, upon noting the surname “Lewis” engaged in research to establish whether this James Lewis was related in any way to Ann Rosser.
Was he Ann Rosser’s first husband?
One of the first researchers to notice this entry was Sidney John Lippett, a descendant of Ann Rosser who was researching her in the 1970’s. Correspondence regarding his research is held by Gwent Archives. Unfortunately this correspondence shows that Mr Lippett was informed that this was a list of Trustees dated 1762 (i.e. 100 years out) and this caused Mr Lippett to look to see if this James Lewis was Ann’s first husband. It’s not surprising that he failed in this quest as the date was incorrect by 100 years.
Was he a son of Ann Rosser?
More recently others have examined the proposition that this James Lewis may be a descendant of Ann Rosser. We can see that the information is dated 1862 and that this is only one year later than the Census of 1861. Therefore we may be able to identify these 13 individuals in the Census. I managed to easily locate 10 of them but had difficulty with the other 3. However, James Lewis, farmer, of Grey Hill was one of the 10 whom I identified.
One line of approach was to see if this James Lewis was a son of Ann Rosser. However, as his age in the 1861 Census was 59, he was born c1802 and this was after Ann had married John Rosser. Hence, to be a son of Ann, his surname would have had to be Rosser. It is easy to locate this person in the 1851 Census and the 1871 Census and the ages he gives in those places are also consistent with a birth in c1802. Additionally a suitable baptism entry can be located in the registers.
Was he a grandson of Ann Rosser?
In the 1851 Census for this James Lewis we also find his father, a widower, living with him and his family. His father, also called James Lewis, gives his age as 82, so he would have been born c1769. I have searched around the date 1769 for the birth/ baptism of a James Lewis and although several were born in Monmouthshire at this time none can be linked with a suitable mother of Ann Lewis, and certainly not one who would fit the handwritten history of Elizabeth Cooper as, if this latter is true, there would have to be a son Thomas in the same family.
Summary
In short, I am unable to link the Trustee James Lewis with Ann Rosser in terms of being family.
Notwithstanding this, the 200th Anniversary booklet proceeds to give a [partial] list of this James Lewis’ family and to state that he is a descendant of Ann Rosser. I have not had sight of the research rationale that would back up such an assertion being made.