Benjamin Gahan

Baptism record from seax, St Mary the Virgin, St Peter and St Cedd (Cathedral)

Marriage was signed in the presence of Thomas, Frances and Richard Balls

1911 description of grave at All Saints church Springfield (now unreadable):

Headstone, round top, lying flat. In memory of SARAH ELIZABETH [wife of Thomas Bearman] who died 9th October 1811 aged 37 [and infants who died young .. and above mentioned] Thomas who died 1(3) Sep (18_7) aged (59) years. From memorial transcriptions 1911.

From Springfield, Essex, Monumental Inscriptions, 1867, care of CRO:

In Memory of Sarah Elizabeth the Wife of Thomas Bearman who departed this life the 9 of Oct 1811 aged 37 years. Also of Four of their children who died Infants. Also of the above Thomas Bearman who died the 15 of Sept 1827 Aged 55 years.

Baptism record in Boreham for Thomas, son of Thomas and Susannah, born March 15, baptised 24th at Chelmsford Record Office. The birth date matches well with his grave inscription, see below. The place matches the will of Charles Bearman, victualer of Chelmsford his godfather see more below and attached images.

Thomas was identified initially from his son Thomas Bearman’s marriage certificate in 1845, where his occupation was given as a coach builder.

There is record of such coach building business in Springfield, near Chelmsford. Records held in Chelmsford, Essex Records Office:

Property of William Collings Wells of Chelmsford and Joseph Wells of Little Waltham.

D/DDw T178/14 1805-1833: Deeds of dwelling-house, workshops and smith's shop adjacent Chelmsford-Colchester road, Springfield. Including Abstracts of Title, 1718-1805; sale particulars, 1822 [refers to coachmaking business established on above property by THOMAS BEARMAN], and 1833; and fragment of membership card of Chelmsford New Temperance Association (established 16 November 1837), see D/DDw T179/15 for complete specimen.

Photos of the auction in December 1822 are attached. Thomas bought the property in 1805 under mortgage, and it was returned to its original owner, Robert Greenwood (and others) in 1823 when Thomas must have hit hard times, or for some other reason needed to pay off his creditors.

Thomas and his father is mentioned in the Will of Charles Bearman, victualler of Chelmsford in 1779 - see attached images. He is described as Charles’ Godson and his father as a wheelwright from Boreham, Essex.

There were two other Bearmans, William and Anne who died in 1806/8 Springfield at quite an advanced age, who may be some relation.

In 1808 Thomas and his wife Sarah were listed as beneficiaries in her sister Rebecca’s will. The year afterwards and they were listed in Thomas Balls’s will (Rebecca’s husband). See Essex wills beneficiaries online at FMP.

Thomas was buried on 20th September 1827, aged 55 years and he was living in Chelmsford, according to the parish records for All Saints Springfield on microfiche at the CRO.

He was buried with Sarah Elizabeth who died on 9th Oct 1811 aged 37 according to the 1911 memorial transcripts. Their grave is now undreadable.

1911 description of grave at All Saints church Springfield (now unreadable):

Headstone, round top, lying flat. In memory of SARAH ELIZABETH [wife of Thomas Bearman] who died 9th October 1811 aged 37 [and infants who died young .. above mentioned] Thomas who died 1(3) Sep (18_7) aged (59) years. From memorial transcriptions 1911. There is probably a better record of this carried out in the 1860s, available at the Chelmsford Record Office (as yet unseen by me). He was in fact 55 according to the Parish records for his burial, on microfiche at the CRO. Square brackets mine, rounded ones on transcript indicating lettering was unclear in 1911.

Thos Bearman was witness to Elizabeth’s Brother’s marriage in 1804

From Springfield, Essex, Monumental Inscriptions, 1867, care of CRO:

In Memory of Sarah Elizabeth the Wife of Thomas Bearman who departed this life the 9 of Oct 1811 aged 37 years. Also of Four of their children who died Infants. Also of the above Thomas Bearman who died the 15 of Sept 1827 Aged 55 years.