James Harman was named after his father's twin brother and my next inline of descent. James married Mariah Lennard on the 11th February 1808 at St. Denys church, Rotherfield. James at this time was aged 22. Like his father Thomas he also was a stonemason and bricklayer and probably served his time with his father, as did his older brother Thomas. For some unknown reason James and Mariah moved to Mereworth in Kent about 50 miles from Rotherfield. It is here that their first three children who were all girls were born and baptisms were recorded. The first being Leah on 25th May 1809, followed by Sarah on 10th November 1811 and lastly Caroline on 17th April 1814.

After living in Mereworth for nearly 6 years James and Mariah Harman returned to the village of their birth Rotherfield. It is possible that the reason for their return was the death of his brother John, the youngest son of Thomas and Hannah. John died in 1813 when he was just 16. James and Mariah's family was growing as on their return the following children were born and baptised at Rotherfield. Firstly James born 4th February 1816, then William born 18th November 1819, then Thomas after his grandfather born 14th February 1821, then another girl named Harriet born 6th June 1823 named after his sister, then Charles a boy born 4th April 1826, and then John born 1st January 1929 named after James brother john who had died at the age of 16.

So in the year 1830 when William (silly billy) came to the throne all the above children had been born. However a further child was born in 1834 but he died - he being Obediah. Obviously this was not the best time of life for my great-great-great-grandmother Mariah to have a child and on the day he was born he was privately baptised Obediah on 6th September 1834 which meant that he was not expected to live. Within five months the baby boy died. He was buried on 1st January 1834 new year's day.

In the year before, 1833, Leah Harman gave birth to a base-born child Sarah Anne. She was baptised 26th May 1833 and was living at Yew Tree, Gillhams Birch with Leah's parents James and Mariah. In the following year in 1835 Caroline, who was Leah's younger sister had a baby girl named Eliza, also out of wedlock. James and Mariah again undertook to have them live with them. James and Mariah had both daughters and their children now living with them. This was most unusual in that normally unmarried mothers were normally ostracised by villagers and parents. But this was not the case in James and Mariah 's outlook. For in both cases where their daughters had bastard children, they were still kept within the family circle despite public opinion.

In the same year Leah Harman married Edward Dadswell on 19th October 19th 1835. Witnesses were Francis Dadswell, possibly Edward's mother, and one named Nicholas Barham. The following year a daughter Francis was baptised on 5th November, Guy Fawkes day, 1836. This birth was to affect Leah as her burial was registered when the child was only eight weeks old on 19th January 19th 1837 at the age of twenty-six. This giving us the indication that Leah Harman had been born in 1811. To follow this tragedy on the loss of their daughter Leah, a further tragedy followed with the death of their granddaughter Sarah Anne and daughter of Leah. Sarah Anne was living at the time of her death with James and Mariah as after her mother married as she stayed with her grandparents. Sarah Anne died aged four living at Yew Tree and registered by Chaplain Turner of Crowborough. The burial took place on the 30th April 1837. Again this death probably caused by the dreaded spring winds that heralded diphtheria.

In the same year, 1837, eight years after the death of her husband, Thomas Harman, Hannah Harman his wife died in 1837 at the grand old age of 84. It was at this point in time that death certificates became law and one was issued for Hannah. It was her son Thomas who reported her death and registered it. The certificate states that Hannah died from "of natural cause" on the 21st September 1837. Her son Thomas was not married, but and like his father and brother James was a bricklayer.

In 1839 James Harman the eldest son of James and Mariah married Mary Ann Breedon a servant on 4th November 1839 at St. Denys church. James junior had been educated at Sir John Fermors school at Crowborough. This was being recorded in a meeting of the churchwarden's vestry book for Rotherfield parish. Where it is stated - James Harman his father had put forward his son James name for education at the school. The churchwardens agreed that James could be accepted. These schools were charity schools that taught reading, writing and religious instruction, but above all to teach the pupils their place in society and not to think above your station in life. In other words you were nothing.

In the year following the census on 8th February 1842, Harriet at age 19, youngest daughter of James and Mariah married William Hallett, the son of John and Anne Hallett, a carpenter of Danegate, they were married by the Reverend Robert Greame. By 1847, James and Mariah had six grand-children that we know of - James and Mary Ann having three (James, Maria-Ann and Ellen Ann), William and Charlotte having two (Herbert and Joseph, ) with Thomas and Ann having one child, a boy named Frederick. In the following year on 11th November 1848, Mariah Harman nee Leonard was buried at St Denys aged sixty-one. Mariah had been married to James for forty years. Charles and John still being at home and also Eliza the grand daughter: the daughter of Caroline. Charles was now twenty years of age, John seventeen and Eliza ten years.

My great-great-great-parents in the census of 1851, were now living in Rotherfield and at home at the time of the census. Son William, my great-great-grandfather, who was not to get married for another two years at the age of 22, was registered as a bricklayer/journeyman. Thomas, aged 19, was registered as a bricklayer journeyman. Son Charles, aged 14, was registered as an agricultural labourer, and son John, aged 11 and Harriet, daughter aged 16. Mariah was called Lydia Harman. With James and Mariah was Eliza age 4 - the relationship was recorded as granddaughter, this being Caroline's child born out of wedlock. Eliza lived with her grandfather James up till the time he died. In 1853 at the age of 18 she also had a child baptised as base born in the parish records. This child was christened Louisa. Was history for Caroline to be repeated for her daughter Eliza? To know this further research would be required at East Sussex County office at Lewes. The house that James and Mariah lived in at the time of the 1851 census was believed to be situated opposite the Kings Arms in the centre of Rotherfield and James was becoming reasonably wealthy.

In the census year 1861 granddaughter Eliza was age 14, the daughter of Caroline was still at home, with James her grandfather. Her grandfather James had re-married Barbara Blundell a widow from Framfield. James being aged 63 and Barbara aged 66, the daughter of James Cottington. It was two years after Mariah's death in 1850 that James the widower married Barbara Blundell a widow from Framfield at St. Denys on the 9th May 1850.

So at the age of sixty-seven James, my great-great-great grandfather who, in the year 1854, was living in the centre of Rotherfield, with his second wife Barbara nee Blundell had all his sons living at Frogshole with twenty-three grandchildren from his son's families - twelve grandsons and eleven granddaughters. Although having twelve grandsons in the year 1854 only seven reached adulthood. Thus showing again, the fatality of children.

It is recorded in the history of Rotherfield called 'Our Village' produced by the Rotherfield history research group and here we are discussing1900 fifty years on. If you were ill you hoped to get better, if you could afford a doctor you had one. Medicine's (such as they were) had to be bought and family nursed their sick. The welcome summer breeze brought an unseen and most unwelcome visitor - diphtheria, which left in its cruel wake a cruel and savage legacy of death. The cost of one family could be the loss of every child in that family. In the early 1900's, a mother of seven children from Town Row set off early one morning with her young daughter by her side and walked to Tunbridge Wells. She returned late in the evening of that day carrying her barely conscious child who was minus her tonsils. But life and death required such fortitude and sacrifice to survive. So the loss of 50% of the children reaching adulthood is not surprising the year 1854 onwards. Surprisingly in this harsh environment, my great-great grandparents William and Charlotte only lost one child - Edwin. However, all five brothers were comparatively well off and their particular standard of living above the normal.

Though life was hard, there were occasions for fun. My great-great grandfather William, like his father James, and his grandfather Thomas before him would have attended the Rotherfield fair, held twice a year. In all probability my great-great-great grandfather James and grand mother Mariah would see all their sons and their families on the days these fairs were held, which was 18th June and the 20th October, the last date being near St. Denys day. The fairs were large and exciting and with all sorts of shows and merry-making as well as cattle sales. You can imagine my great-great grandmother charlotte, with her sisters-in-law Mary-Ann, Rhoda, and Ann, the Martin sisters and Jane. Getting the children ready in their best clothes and boots, packing food they had made between them, fresh fruit or ham and fresh baked bread and flead cakes. Most of the food home produced. Ham from the pig killed and cured once a year, a common practice between the Harmans, as nearly all of them had farms or small holdings as well as working as stonemasons or bricklayers. Eventually they would all be ready and off they would go through footpaths to Rotherfield fair. To enjoy for once the drastic chance from normal day-to-day struggle. Strangers from other areas, some as far away as Wales where a great many men travelled from Wales stopping at many fairs trading cattle and many horses. It is on record that in a quarrel between Rotherfield men and the Welshmen a Welshman was killed. The affair was "settled" and the roadside by Long Croft west of the village they buried the dead man. Even at times of fun at the fair, times were savage.

My great-great grandmother Charlotte and the other daughters-in-law Mary-Ann, Rhoda Ann, and Jane would visit my great-great-great grandfather James house right slap bang in the middle of the fair. Sons would probably have accompanied the women-folk and the children for partaking in the excitement of the fair. Maybe they were also trading but eventually the sons William, James, Thomas, Charles and John with their father James adjourned to one of the taverns in Rotherfield. It could have been King's Arms, Catt's Inn next door to James's house or George Inn which he lived opposite to at one time. Men were hard drinker's and this was the only form of recreation at the end of a hard day's work. However records show that though hard-drinking was a fact of life, it did not reflect on the families continuous growth in business or in monetary terms. At the end of the day they would have gathered together proceeding to walk home with the women-folk and children on shoulders that were tiring.

We now return to the year of the census 1861, James Harman now aged 73 and Barbara 76. They also are employing a servant Emily Slater age of eighteen to look after the both of them. This is the last census that my great-great-great- grandfather James Harman and his second wife Barbara (nee) Blundell are to appear as they are both coming to the end of their life span.

Barbara nee Blundell James second wife died in 1862 and was buried on the 3rd February and four years after her death James died in 1868 on the 10th January at the grand old age of 80. He had been married to Mariah for 40 years and his second wife Barbara for 12 years. My great-great-great parents James and Mariah Harman were I believe a caring and devoted couple to their family. James was successful in business and reasonably wealthy and his remaining children were also living reasonable life style.

In the year my great-great grandfather James was born, George III was King of England but two years after his birth, George IV to be followed by William IV in 1830 and Queen Victoria in 1837. He was to live through four reigns.

James Harman was named after his father's twin brother and my next inline of descent. James married Mariah Lennard on the 11th February 1808 at St. Denys church, Rotherfield. James at this time was aged 22. Like his father Thomas he also was a stonemason and bricklayer and probably served his time with his father, as did his older brother Thomas. For some unknown reason James and Mariah moved to Mereworth in Kent about 50 miles from Rotherfield. It is here that their first three children who were all girls were born and baptisms were recorded. The first being Leah on 25th May 1809, followed by Sarah on 10th November 1811 and lastly Caroline on 17th April 1814.

After living in Mereworth for nearly 6 years James and Mariah Harman returned to the village of their birth Rotherfield. It is possible that the reason for their return was the death of his brother John, the youngest son of Thomas and Hannah. John died in 1813 when he was just 16. James and Mariah's family was growing as on their return the following children were born and baptised at Rotherfield. Firstly James born 4th February 1816, then William born 18th November 1819, then Thomas after his grandfather born 14th February 1821, then another girl named Harriet born 6th June 1823 named after his sister, then Charles a boy born 4th April 1826, and then John born 1st January 1929 named after James brother john who had died at the age of 16.

So in the year 1830 when William (silly billy) came to the throne all the above children had been born. However a further child was born in 1834 but he died - he being Obediah. Obviously this was not the best time of life for my great-great-great-grandmother Mariah to have a child and on the day he was born he was privately baptised Obediah on 6th September 1834 which meant that he was not expected to live. Within five months the baby boy died. He was buried on 1st January 1834 new year's day.

In the year before, 1833, Leah Harman gave birth to a base-born child Sarah Anne. She was baptised 26th May 1833 and was living at Yew Tree, Gillhams Birch with Leah's parents James and Mariah. In the following year in 1835 Caroline, who was Leah's younger sister had a baby girl named Eliza, also out of wedlock. James and Mariah again undertook to have them live with them. James and Mariah had both daughters and their children now living with them. This was most unusual in that normally unmarried mothers were normally ostracised by villagers and parents. But this was not the case in James and Mariah 's outlook. For in both cases where their daughters had bastard children, they were still kept within the family circle despite public opinion.

In the same year Leah Harman married Edward Dadswell on 19th October 19th 1835. Witnesses were Francis Dadswell, possibly Edward's mother, and one named Nicholas Barham. The following year a daughter Francis was baptised on 5th November, Guy Fawkes day, 1836. This birth was to affect Leah as her burial was registered when the child was only eight weeks old on 19th January 19th 1837 at the age of twenty-six. This giving us the indication that Leah Harman had been born in 1811. To follow this tragedy on the loss of their daughter Leah, a further tragedy followed with the death of their granddaughter Sarah Anne and daughter of Leah. Sarah Anne was living at the time of her death with James and Mariah as after her mother married as she stayed with her grandparents. Sarah Anne died aged four living at Yew Tree and registered by Chaplain Turner of Crowborough. The burial took place on the 30th April 1837. Again this death probably caused by the dreaded spring winds that heralded diphtheria.

In the same year, 1837, eight years after the death of her husband, Thomas Harman, Hannah Harman his wife died in 1837 at the grand old age of 84. It was at this point in time that death certificates became law and one was issued for Hannah. It was her son Thomas who reported her death and registered it. The certificate states that Hannah died from "of natural cause" on the 21st September 1837. Her son Thomas was not married, but and like his father and brother James was a bricklayer.

In 1839 James Harman the eldest son of James and Mariah married Mary Ann Breedon a servant on 4th November 1839 at St. Denys church. James junior had been educated at Sir John Fermors school at Crowborough. This was being recorded in a meeting of the churchwarden's vestry book for Rotherfield parish. Where it is stated - James Harman his father had put forward his son James name for education at the school. The churchwardens agreed that James could be accepted. These schools were charity schools that taught reading, writing and religious instruction, but above all to teach the pupils their place in society and not to think above your station in life. In other words you were nothing.

In the year following the census on 8th February 1842, Harriet at age 19, youngest daughter of James and Mariah married William Hallett, the son of John and Anne Hallett, a carpenter of Danegate, they were married by the Reverend Robert Greame. By 1847, James and Mariah had six grand-children that we know of - James and Mary Ann having three (James, Maria-Ann and Ellen Ann), William and Charlotte having two (Herbert and Joseph) with Thomas and Ann having one child, a boy named Frederick. In the following year on 11th November 1848, Mariah Harman nee Leonard was buried at St Denys aged sixty-one. Mariah had been married to James for forty years. Charles and John still being at home and also Eliza the grand daughter: the daughter of Caroline. Charles was now twenty years of age, John seventeen and Eliza ten years.

My great-great-great-parents in the census of 1851, were now living in Rotherfield and at home at the time of the census. Son William, my great-great-grandfather, who was not to get married for another two years at the age of 22, was registered as a bricklayer/journeyman. Thomas, aged 19, was registered as a bricklayer journeyman. Son Charles, aged 14, was registered as an agricultural labourer, and son John, aged 11 and Harriet, daughter aged 16. Mariah was called Lydia Harman. With James and Mariah was Eliza age 4 - the relationship was recorded as granddaughter, this being Caroline's child born out of wedlock. Eliza lived with her grandfather James up till the time he died. In 1853 at the age of 18 she also had a child baptised as base born in the parish records. This child was christened Louisa. Was history for Caroline to be repeated for her daughter Eliza? To know this further research would be required at East Sussex County office at Lewes. The house that James and Mariah lived in at the time of the 1851 census was believed to be situated opposite the Kings Arms in the centre of Rotherfield and James was becoming reasonably wealthy.

In the census year 1861 granddaughter Eliza was age 14, the daughter of Caroline was still at home, with James her grandfather. Her grandfather James had re-married Barbara Blundell a widow from Framfield. James being aged 63 and Barbara aged 66, the daughter of James Cottington. It was two years after Mariah's death in 1850 that James the widower married Barbara Blundell a widow from Framfield at St. Denys on the 9th May 1850.

So at the age of sixty-seven James, my great-great-great grandfather who, in the year 1854, was living in the centre of Rotherfield, with his second wife Barbara nee Blundell had all his sons living at Frogshole with twenty-three grandchildren from his son's families - twelve grandsons and eleven granddaughters. Although having twelve grandsons in the year 1854 only seven reached adulthood. Thus showing again, the fatality of children.

It is recorded in the history of Rotherfield called 'Our Village' produced by the Rotherfield history research group and here we are discussing1900 fifty years on. If you were ill you hoped to get better, if you could afford a doctor you had one. Medicine's (such as they were) had to be bought and family nursed their sick. The welcome summer breeze brought an unseen and most unwelcome visitor - diphtheria, which left in its cruel wake a cruel and savage legacy of death. The cost of one family could be the loss of every child in that family. In the early 1900's, a mother of seven children from Town Row set off early one morning with her young daughter by her side and walked to Tunbridge Wells. She returned late in the evening of that day carrying her barely conscious child who was minus her tonsils. But life and death required such fortitude and sacrifice to survive. So the loss of 50% of the children reaching adulthood is not surprising the year 1854 onwards. Surprisingly in this harsh environment, my great-great grandparents William and Charlotte only lost one child - Edwin. However, all five brothers were comparatively well off and their particular standard of living above the normal.

Though life was hard, there were occasions for fun. My great-great grandfather William, like his father James, and his grandfather Thomas before him would have attended the Rotherfield fair, held twice a year. In all probability my great-great-great grandfather James and grand mother Mariah would see all their sons and their families on the days these fairs were held, which was 18th June and the 20th October, the last date being near St. Denys day. The fairs were large and exciting and with all sorts of shows and merry-making as well as cattle sales. You can imagine my great-great grandmother charlotte, with her sisters-in-law Mary-Ann, Rhoda, and Ann, the Martin sisters and Jane. Getting the children ready in their best clothes and boots, packing food they had made between them, fresh fruit or ham and fresh baked bread and flead cakes. Most of the food home produced. Ham from the pig killed and cured once a year, a common practice between the Harmans, as nearly all of them had farms or small holdings as well as working as stonemasons or bricklayers. Eventually they would all be ready and off they would go through footpaths to Rotherfield fair. To enjoy for once the drastic chance from normal day-to-day struggle. Strangers from other

James Harman was born 1788 Rotherfield, Sussex, England. He died 10th January 1868 at Rotherfield. He was the son of Thomas Harman and Hannah Latter (widow) (nee Hyder). He married Mariah Lennard born 1788 at Rotherfield and died 11th November 1848 Rotherfield aged 60. The children of James Harman and Mariah Lennard are:
William Harman. Born 18th November 1818, Rotherfield, Sussex, England. Died 7th July 1900 at Aldenbrook farm age 81.
Leah Harman. Born 1809, Mereworth Kent. Died 19 January 1837 St. Denys, Rotherfield age 26.
Sarah Harman. Born 1811, Mereworth. Died 28th December 1904, Rotherfield age 93.
Caroline Harman. Born 1814, Mereworth, Kent.
James Harman. Born 4th February 1816, Rotherfield. Died 1st May 1891, Jarvis Brook, near Rotherfield age 75.
Harriet Harman. Born 29th June 1823, Rotherfield.
Thomas Harman. Born 14th February 1824, Rotherfield. Died 30th September 1866, Rotherfield.
Charles Harman. Born 16th April 1826, Rotherfield.
John Harman. Born 14th January 1829, Rotherfield. Died 27th June 1917, 2, Cottage Hill age 88.
Obediah Harman. Born 6th September 1834, Rotherfield. Died 1st January 1834, St. Denys, Rotherfield 4 months old.

He married Barbara Blundell. Born 1790 Framfield. Died 3rd February 1862 St. Denys Rotherfield age 77.

Siblings of James Harman are:
Thomas Harman. Born 1787 Rotherfield. Died 3rd August 1854, Uckfield Workhouse age 67.
William Harman. Born 1st August 1790 St. Denys Rotherfield.
Joseph Harman. Born 1793 Rotherfield. Died 6th May 1796 Rotherfield age 3
Hannah Harman. Born 1796 Rotherfield. Died 28th February 1873 Rotherfield age 77.
John Harman. Born 1797 Rotherfield. Died 17th February 1813 Rotherfield age 16.
Sarah Harman. Born 1801 Rotherfield.
Harriet Harman. Born 1803 Rotherfield.