John (1) Frost

Brief biography

John (1) Frost was probably the son of Thomas Frost and his wife Martha, being christened at St. Paul, Deptford on September 9th 1781 [IGI: Batch C006303].

On June 4th 1801 he married Diana Cowdell at Northfleet in Kent [IGI: Batch 7831734] and by her produced at least the children listed below.

Diana was one of at least eight children born to William Cowdell and his wife Mary (nee Hill), who had married on February 8th 1778 at St. Paul, Deptford [IGI: Batch M006301]. Diana was christened there on April 22nd 1781 [IGI: Batch C006303].

He appears to have taken a second partner, perhaps following Diana's death. The 1851 Census appears to find him at age "69" living at 7, Chilton Street, Rotherhithe where he was occupied as a carpenter. His birthplace is given as Deptford. With him is a "wife" named Bet. (Betty/Elizabeth?) Wilgress Frost aged "64" and born in Woodbridge, Suffolk.

His partner probably died as "Elizabeth Frost" in 1852 [Death Index: Bermondsey 1d 65, 1852 (Dec)] and he probably died in 1854 [Death Index: Bermondsey 1d 256, 1854 (Sept)].

His children by Diana Cowdell

these christenings are recorded in the IGI

1. Charlotte Frost - christened on September 13th 1801 at St. Paul, Deptford
2. John (2) Frost - christened on December 25th 1803 at St. Paul, Deptford
3. Eliza Frost - christened on February 2nd 1806 at St. Paul, Deptford
4. Thomas Edward Frost - christened on July 24th 1808 at St. Paul, Deptford
5. Sarah Frost - born on April 30th 1810; christened on May 20th 1810 at St. Paul, Deptford
6. Mary Frost - born on February 10th 1812; christened on March 1st 1812 at St. Paul, Deptford
7. Adelia Frost - born on February 5th 1814; christened on March 6th 1814 at St. Mary Magdalene, Woolwich
8. Delia Diana Lucina Frost - christened on July 27th 1817 at St. Mary Magdalene, Bermondsey
9. and possibly others ...

Mary Frost married in 1833 to Robert (2) Bathurst, becoming his third wife.

Delia Diana Lucina Frost has not yet been found in the 1841 Census. In 1843 she married in Sussex to a cow keeper Charles Painter [Marriage Index: Battle 7 339, 1843 (June)]. He was born in Wiltshire around 1816 and was probably christened to parents Joseph Painter and Mary (nee Cary) at Ashton Keynes on November 29th 1818 [IGI: no batch reference given]. The 1851 Census finds Delia and Charles living with several children at 79, Beresford Street in St. Mary Newington; his birthplace is given as Purton, just 5 miles south-east of Ashton Keynes. The 1861 Census finds them living with several children at 11, Argyle Terrace in St. Mary Newington; here his birthplace is given (probably as an enumeration error) as Preston, Wiltshire, which lies 10 miles south of Ashton Keynes. She died aged "49" in 1867 [Death Index: Newington 1d 129, 1867 (June)] and he died very soon afterwards aged "51" [Death Index: Newington 1d 134, 1867 (Sept)].