By Christine Swan

Dorset is a wild and ancient undulating landscape of southern England, that I know best from coastal holidays and the novels of Thomas Hardy. I had never considered that I might have ancestral links there so this week, I delved into the life of my great, great, great grandfather, Richard Debben or Dibben.

My great, great grandmother, Ellen Debben, was born in the London Borough of Camden, and died there also, in 1915. Neither her father, Richard, nor her mother Charlotte, were born in London but, during their lives, they both gravitated towards the capital in search of a more prosperous life.

I am fairly certain that Richard’s parents were Richard and Ann Debben and that he was baptised on 21^st December 1800 in the small town of Wimborne Minster. Some of my research is conjecture because Richard Debben only gave his birthplace as “Dorsetshire” and my research has uncovered Debbens living throughout the County. Despite searching for more Debbens of Wimborne, it appears that Richard was a temporary inhabitant and that his father moved about during his childhood. Richard Debben senior was a member of the Dorset Militia at the time that Richard junior was born. This civil army had an important job to do to protect England against the possibility of a French invasion and to guard prisoners of war. In Richard senior’s service, it appears that his posting in Wimborne, was a relatively short one.

Richard Debben (Dibben) was baptised in 1800 in Wimborne Minster, Dorset

Richard senior appears to have moved around with the militia, but his day job was as a yeoman farmer in the village of Tarrant Gunville, some eleven miles away from Wimborne. Yeoman farmers rented land, rather than owning it but, they still held some social standing. Richard’s role in the military may have also reinforced this.

Richard Debben (Dibben) in the Dorset Militia in 1799. At 5 feet and 7 inches tall, he was shorter than me.

Richard junior was the eldest son amongst ten children. Although his future may also have appeared to be in farming, as a number of his siblings did, Richard headed for London at some point between 1820 and 1830. This may have been a family strategic decision but, interestingly, it was his older sister, Mary Elizabeth, who remained in Dorset and took over the role of managing the farm.

Rather than finding his fortune, Richard described his role as a labourer and there probably was plenty of work available for a healthy young man. He settled in Camden and met his future wife, Charlotte Pocock. I was surprised to see that Charlotte was ten years his junior and this led me to research whether Richard was a widow, but this appears not to have been the case.

Richard Debben marries Charlotte Pocock in St Pancras Church, Euston Road in 1830

The couple were married in 1830 in the grand surroundings of the new St Pancras Church in Euston Road which had only been completed eight years previously. It is a beautiful church both inside and out and I am sure that young couple were similarly impressed. What they would not have seen Euston Station on the opposite side of the road for another seven years.

The interior of the fantastic St Pancras Church, Euston Road, where Richard married Charlotte in 1830

Richard and Charlotte’s first child, William, was born in 1831, and their place of residence was given as Kentish Town, about a mile north of St Pancras Old Church where the baptism was held. This is a far older church than that of Euston Road, dating as far back as the fourth century, with Roman origins. Although the current building represents an evolution of several previous versions, it is incredible that it has survived and still carries so much history. By 1831, it was falling into decline, as parishioners preferred the grandeur of its new incarnation.

St Pancras old church

William’s sister Ann was born in 1833. Richard and Charlotte preferred to walk to Euston Road to baptise her. Their address was given as “Prebend rents” which, my research told me were properties rented from the church. I feel that this may have had a charitable element which will have suited the young couple.

Next came daughter Philemon in 1836, also baptised in the new church, followed by James in 1839, for whom they decided to change the scenery and baptise him in All Saints’ Church in Camden Road, which was convenient as the family were living in York Place, which was somewhere near Greenland Road, although I found that their address alternated between this and Bayham Street. They may indeed have moved between different properties but they may, in fact, have been the same location. Sadly, both Philemon and James died in 1841.

Little Philemon died in December 1841, one of many little children that year

My great, great grandmother, Ellen Debben, was born in 1841, Frances in 1844, Charlotte in 1847, Samuel in 1849, and finally Christopher in 1851.

Richard was working as a carman in 1851

After 1848, Richard’s occupation changed from labourer to carman. Even before this date his work may well have been involved with the railway. Euston station opened in 1837 and would have been handling a large number of passengers and goods. Kings Cross opened in 1850 and St Pancras station, just a short distance away, did not open until 1868. These developments would have provided plenty of work for men like Richard, but with his large family, the older children also needed to contribute. In 1851 the family had taken in a lodger, a bricklayer from Suffolk, and son William was working as a labourer working on the road. In 1861, daughter Frances added to the coffers by charring.

The Debben family in 1861, with Frances contributing to the family purse

In 1866, Charlotte died and was buried in St Pancras cemetery. Christopher, the youngest of the Debben children, would have been fifteen years old, but tragedy was not finished with the family just yet, and Richard died just two years later. Both he and Charlotte were buried in the St Pancras cemetery in East Finchley.

Richard Debben died in 1868

Written with care but without AI

All original photographs taken by the author