13. Edward and Mary Brittain of Warwickshire

The Brittain surname probably denotes a family of Breton origin. Our family spent several generations in Knowle, Warwickshire inter-marrying with Horton, Rawbone, Watchend and Biddle families. They were probably in the congregation at the same time as the Basby family (see Chapter 2).

The Plant surname might have referred to a gardener, perhaps of a herb garden. Our family was from Warwickshire, with at least one generation in Mancetter nr Atherstone. Mancetter has Roman origins. Atherstone is a market town with a sizeable market square. My pictures are here. When our family were there, it was an important producer of felt hats. The church was remodelled about the time our family moved on.

For the record, and with the usual cautions, my oldest direct ancestors we know about in this part of the family are: William Brittin (1709), Rebecca Horton (1710), Richard Rawbone (1715), Edward Biddle (1725), Hannah Watchend (1725), Thomas Plant (1700) and Elizabeth Bearsley (1732).

St Philip's church, Birmingham - now Birmingham Cathedral (my photo)

Edward Brittain (1787, Knowle) married Mary Plant (1790, Deritend, Birmingham) in Edgbaston, Birmingham, in 1813, Mary signing with her ‘mark’. Deritend was a crossing point on the River Rea. Edgbaston was not for a few decades yet the home of Warwickshire County Cricket, nor yet of the oldest Lawn Tennis club in the world, nor even yet of Birmingham University, but it was an affluent area where industrial buildings had not been permitted.

The couple had six possible children in Birmingham, probably all in the St Philip parish.

• 39.1.1 - Mary Brittain (1813)
• 39.1.2 - Edward Brittain (1815)
• 39.1.3 - Charles Brittain (1817)
• 39.1.4 - Eleanor Brittain (1820)
• 39.1.5 - Edward Brittain (1821)
• 39.1.6 - William Brittain (1823)

There is more on these individuals (and the fact that some of the children are unverified) in Chapter 39.

Edward was a carpenter at the time of his son Charles' baptism. He died in 1849 in Aston, surviving Mary by five years.

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