Elizabeth Oram c1818-1878

Born: probably late 1818 at Queen Camel, Somerset, England

Parents: James Oram 1774-1839 and Susannah Bartlett 1782-1838

Siblings: William Oram 1809-1873,  Mary Oram 1813-1888,  Susannah Oram 1817-1899Sarah Oram 1820-1869 , John Oram 1824-1907 

Married: James Guppy c1821-1880 27 March 1845 at Weston Bampfylde, Somerset, England

Offspring: Fanny Guppy 1844-1925, Albin Guppy 1846-1905

Lived in: Weston Bampfylde, Somerset; North Cadbury, Somerset;Okeford Fitzpaine, Dorset; Crockerton, Wiltshire; all villages in England

Died: 30 November 1878 in Crockerton, Longbridge Deverill, Wiltshire

A map of locations for places mentioned on this page 

Early life

We will not know when Elizabeth was born until we can check the Queen Camel parish records, if they still exist.   The best indication is in the Weston Bampfylde 1841 census as the names of the siblings are given in age order, showing Elizabeth being born between Susannah and Sarah.  As Susannah and Sarah were born 2.5 years apart Elizabeth must have been born around the end of 1818.  Elizabeth’s later census returns suggest that she was born later.

First child and marriage to James Guppy

In July 1844 Elizabeth and James Guppy witnessed Sarah Oram’s marriage to Charles Bewsey.  Elizabeth & James’ first child Fanny was born in Sparkford on 8 October 1844, no doubt at the home of Elizabeth’s sister Mary Hockey.

Birth certificate of Fanny, born illegitimately before Elizabeth  and James were married

On the birth certificate the father is given as ‘James Guppy’ and mother as ‘Elizabeth Oram’.

Marriage of James and Elizabeth

Elizabeth and James were married at Weston Bampfylde Church on 27 March 1845 with William Oram and Mary Guppy as witnesses.  James described himself as a ‘Yeoman‘ whose father Robert Guppy was a horse dealer.

James Guppy’s birthplace varied census to census from North Cadbury to Galhampton to Castle Cary.  He was born about 1821. Their only son Albin was born at Weston Bampfylde in 1846 and by the 1851 census the family were living a few miles away in North Cadbury.

Village of Okeford Fitzpaine. Nigel Mykura, geograph.org.uk

On the night of the 1861 census Elizabeth and Fanny were living in Okeford Fitzpaine in Dorset while James and Albin were in a house with two grooms in Chidham, West Sussex. Chidham is a village to the east the naval port of Portsmouth.

Okeford Fitzpaine is near Iwerne Minster where Elizabeth’s brother John Oram was living before he went to Ireland in 1852.  John reported in his diary that he visited Okeford Fitzpaine during his first visit to England in June 1857 , so no doubt the family was living there in 1857.

Ten years later in the 1871 census the family were together in Crockerton, Longbridge Deverill, in the western part of Wiltshire about 20 miles from their native villages.  24 year old Albin was ‘assistant to Father’ and a stableman was living with the family.

Deaths of James and Elizabeth

Elizabeth’s death certificate

Elizabeth died at Crockerton on 30 November 1878 from ‘softening of the brain 2 years’ and James on 10 January 1880.

James Guppy – Probate †

In his will James, described as a ‘horse dealer and small farmer’ left his estate valued at ‘under £3,000’ to his youngest brother Albion. Albion and his wife Elizabeth and two sons continued to farm in Crockerton.  Albion died in 1911.

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