The Raison Family – with connections to Merriott
Also spelt variously as Rayson, Raisen, Raisin
Although this family appeared only relatively briefly in the Merriott records, I had a query about the family from a lady named Jenny, and we have started researching the surname further. I feel sure that if enough research is done, the various families listed in different villages in the censuses during the 19th century could well be connected further back. The usage of unusual names such as Levi, Eli, Simeon, Isaac, Job & Tryphena among the families stirs the interest. If anyone else has research to add to this page, please feel free to share!
Earliest Merriott Records – up to 1812
Marriage 1 October 1700 Mary Rayson and William Willmott
Marriage 21 April 1744 Mary Rayson? and Wm Geep
Baptism 20 January 1784 William, BC Elizabeth Raisin
Burial 1 November 1803 Mary Raisin
Marriage 4 January 1781 Mary Raison of Montacute, and John Eason
(1) Joseph & Barbara
On 4 September 1845, Barbara Lacey, a spinster of Church Road, Merriott, daughter of John Lacey, Labourer, married Joseph Raisin, also of Church Road, a Labourer and son of Robert Raisin, a Labourer. Witnesses to the marriage were John Lacey jnr and William Pike.
The only child of this family baptised in Merriott was Mary Ann Raisin, born 19 January 1846 and baptised on 1 March 1846.
Please see below for more information about this family after leaving Merriott.
(2) Robert & Hannah
Robert & Hannah Raisin/Raison baptised three children in Merriott:
26 March 1849 James, born Feb 26. Father Robert noted as a Labourer of England’s Row, Merriott
25 Dec 1853 Elizabeth, born Nov 5. Father Robert noted as a Labourer of Eight Acres, Hill Gate, Merriott
11 October 1863 Charles, born 20 August 1863. Father Robert noted as the Gate Keeper of the Haselbury Turnpike Gate.
I think this Robert Raison (born about 1824) was brother to Joseph (born about 1819) and therefore son of Robert Raison (born about 1790)
(3) William & Ann
A William & Ann Raison are listed on the 1841 census of Merriott: Ref: 21; Bow, Raison? William 80, Shepherd born Somerset and Raison? Ann 80, born Somerset
These two are later listed in the Burials: 2 March 1845 Anne Raisin 86 of Merriott; by coroner’s warrant; died 23 February [ ie born about 1759]
20 February 1848 William Raisin 88 of Kingstone; died 16 February [ ie born about 1760]
Could these possibly be the parents of Robert Raison (born about 1790)?
(4) Others
The only other mentions of the surname in the Merriott parish registers and censuses are the following:
Censuses:
1861 52 056; High Street, Merriott. Raison Mary Ann Servant U 15 Som, West Coker
1871 29 058; Crewkerne. Raison Thomas Lodger U 42 Gardener Som, Crewkerne
Marriage: 29 September 1923 William George Raison, aged 28, Bachelor of Haselbury; Signed the register; a Labourer. Father: John Raison, a Mason married Bessie Saunders 26, a Spinster of Merriott, signed the register; Father: Alfred Saunders, a Dealer Witnesses: Michael Saunders and Ethel Pike.
The Joseph & Barbara Raison Family after moving from Merriott
A contact by email from Jenny, whose Great Grandmother was Martha Raison, daughter of Joseph & Barbara. Jenny has sent for some certificates
relating to this family. See below.
I’ve found this family in other villages’ censuses:
Information from the IGI and Certificates received by Jenny:
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Robert Raison died 28.12.1873 in West Chinnock from ‘natural decay’ ! The informant was James Guard, husband of Robert’s daughter Hannah. It seems likely that Levi Raison, the son of Tryphena went to Canada. I couldn’t find him on the 1901 census, but I have found a match in the Canadian Immigrant Records. He is shown in the 1901 Province of Ontario Census , so it is likely that he joined his uncle John Raison, who was in the same area. From the IGI I found Levi Raison the son of Robert and Mary was born 08.06.1828 in West Chinnock . He married Francis Parker about 1850 in West Chinnock . They had two children. Ann Elizabeth born 1851 West Chinnock and Hannah born 1855 West Chinnock . The Index gives a death for Francis as 1857 but no location. I found an Immigrant Index for NSW and it shows this family arrived in Sydney on the Himalaya on 10.05.1855. The second child is only shown as an infant, and along side is’ bv’. As she was not born on board I assume she was in quarantine. Also from the IGI I found Samuel Raison was born 13.11.1830. He married Margaret Salisbury about 1855. They had a daughter Tryphena born 1856 in West Chinnock . On the Index it gives her death as 1857 but no location. Looking at the Immigrant Index the family arrived in Sydney on the Zemindar in 1857. Alongside Tryphena’s name it gives ‘dv’ so it seems likely she died on voyage? |
Family Names
The names in the Joseph & Barbara Raison family are interesting, in that the censuses show other families of Raisons using these same unusual Christian names. There was another Levi Raison at Chiselborough, another Levi Raison at Puckington, plenty of George Raisons, Martha Raisons and so on. Almost as if all these families living in different areas of Somerset (but not too far away from each other) were using a bank of “family names”. Levi is the one that stands out quite a lot, as it is not a generally common name in my experience. This area needs more research to attempt to link the families together.
The Previous Generation: Robert Raison (senior)
I have last found him in the 1861 census, but I still have to search 1871. So far I think his children were: (tentatively)
- Hannah abt 1818
- Martha abt 1818 (not sure if Hannah = Martha and one was just written wrongly)
- Joseph abt 1819
- Robert abt 1824
- Levi abt 1828
- Samuel abt 1830
I’ve found Robert Raison (senior) in the 1871 census of West Chinnock aged 81, Widower, head of household also containing daughter Hannah Geard aged 54 years, and son in law James Geard, Blind, aged 49. Both Robert & James are listed as Agricultural Labourers not able to work.
Robert Raison’s (senior) death is listed as aged 84, Yeovil District Volume 5C Page 367 in the March quarter of 1874.
The Next Generation: Levi, son of Robert Raison and Mary Patten
I found a website pertaining to the immigration of Levi to New South Wales , Australia , with his first wife Frances Parker and first child. I have tracked Levi through the death of Frances, his second and third marriages, and children in New South Wales. The website said Levi was the eighth child of Robert Raison and Mary Patten which means there should be a lot of other children to find. Also during tracking Levi I found a Samuel emigrating to NSW two years after Levi, with wife Margaret and child Tryphena, and moving to the same district as Levi. I tried to contact the authors of the website but the mail bounced back.
This Samuel Raison was the brother of Levi. He married Margaret Salisbury of West Chinnock in 1855. Levi married Francis Parker of Chiselborough about 1850.
| 1851 | Chiselborough | RAISON Levi 22, Labourer born West Chinnock RAISON Frances 22, Glover born Chiselborough RAISON Elizabeth Ann, 4 mo, born Chiselborough |
Levi was son of Robert Raison & Mary Patten. Frances died after 1855 in Australia. |
Immigration to New South Wales, Australia
Information from New South Wales Immigrant Index 1844 – 59 at: http://www.records.nsw.gov.au
| 1855 | “Himalaya” | RAISON Levi 27 RAISON Frances 27 RAISON Ann 4 RAISON Female infant Born on Voyage |
| 1857 | “Zemindar” | RAISON Samuel 26 RAISON Margaret 25 RAISON Tryphena 1 Died on voyage |
The Families in New South Wales
Information from the New South Wales Births Deaths and Marriages Indexes at: http://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au
| PARENTS | CHILD | BIRTH | DIED |
| William & Anne PARKER | Frances Raison (First wife of Levi RAISON) | 1857 | |
| Levi & Mary RAISON
Levi RAISON Married (2nd) Mary M ANDERSON on 8th July 1858, registered at |
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| 1. Edward | 1859 Kiama | 1859 Kiama | |
| 2. Robert – later married Annie FAULKS | 1861 Kiama | 1895 Wollongong | |
| 3. Donald – later married Emma Jane BALL | 1865 Kiama | ||
| Levi & Susan RAISON
Levi RAISON married (3rd) Susan HAZELTON in 1870, registered at Wollongong, New South Wales |
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| 1. Charlotte Hannah | 1871 Kiama | ||
| 2. Isabella Mary | 1873 Kiama | ||
| 3. Susan | 1875 Kiama | ||
| 4. George William | 1876 Kiama | ||
| 5. Henrietta E | 1879 Kiama | ||
| 6. Jessie | 1881 Kiama | ||
| Robert RAISON | Levi | 1904 Albion Park | |
| Samuel & Margaret RAISON | Samuel | 1859 Kiama | |
| Hannah | 1861 Kiama | ||
| George | 1863 Kiama | ||
| Mary A | 1865 Kiama | ||
| John | 1867 Kiama | 1867 Kiama | |
| Mary J | 1869 Kiama | ||
| Robert & Annie RAISON | |||
| Albert | 1885 Kiama | ||
| George | 1887 Kiama | ||
| Robert | 1888 Kiama | ||
| Charles | 1889 Kiama | ||
| George | 1891 Kiama | ||
| Elsie A | 1893 Kiama | ||
| Lily | 1895 Wollongong | ||
| Robert & Harriet RAISON | Harriet | 1908 Granville | |
| William H | 1869 Sydney | ||
| Robert H & Agnes E RAISON | Robert H | 1898 Sydney | |
| Isabella | 1921 Redfern | ||
| George W & Marion RAISON | Marion P | 1905 Albion Park | 1905 Albion Park |
| Robert | 1909 Wollongong | ||
| Grace M | 1913 Wollongong |
I’ve had a few people contact me about immigration of Raisons to Canada.
NOTE: I have made a few corrections to this section on 16th July 2007 – notably changed all the “Tabitha”s to “Talitha”s, after an email from Doug Sly.
Doug Sly’s wife is a descendant of the Raison family, who came to Leeds County in 1875 from West Chinnock, Somerset. Sarah Jane Gray was a daughter of William Gray and Harriett Chant, of West Chinnock. Sarah Jane married John Raison, one of the sons of Joseph Raison and Barbara (nee Lacey). Their daughter Sarah Jane Raison was born about 1871, just before her mother died. John then married Talitha Selina Langdon in 1874, and daughter Susannah was born in January 1875. The family then emigrated to Canada later in 1875. Sarah Jane married Edward Randall in Delta, Leeds County, Ontario, Canada, in 1898.
John & Talitha Raison went on to have 11 children together.
The following shows the descendants of John Raison:
| John Raison (1848) and Sarah Jane Gray (1852 – 1871) | Sarah Jane Raison (1871) married Edward Randall in Ontario in 1898. |
| John Raison (1848) and Talitha Selina Langdon (abt 1852).
|
Susanah Langdon Raison (13 Jan 1875 Somerset) Barbara Ellen Raison (30 Nov 1876 Harlem, Ontario, Canada) George Henry Raison (24 Oct 1878 Harlem, Ontario, Canada) Edward Raison (13 Nov 1879) Martha Victoria Raison (25 Oct 1880 Harlem, Ontario, Canada) married John Henry Pattemore (born 11 Feb 1881 in Chantry, Ontario, Canada) Marriage date: 11 Feb 1902, Methodist Church, Harlem, Ontario, Canada Levi Raison (1 Nov 1884) Talitha Raison (23 Apr 1887) Alice Elizabeth Raison (23 Aug 1889) Arthur Edward Raison (10 Apr 1892) Stanley Raison (5 Apr 1894) Florence May Raison (7 May 1898) |
Thanks to Doug and also to Jenny Addison for the detail on these Canadian Raisons.
The John Henry Pattemore mentioned above was son of George Pattemore, born 26 Dec 1853 in West Chinnock, and Martha Ann Leeder. George and Martha married in Chantry, Ontario, Canada in 1878. In turn, George was one of 10 children of Thomas Pattemore (born about 1820, Merriott) and Anne Hallett (born about 1818 West Chinnock).