See also
| Husband: | Francis Gell (1767-1836) | |
| Wife: | Catherine Jay (c. 1766-1847) | |
| Children: | Francis Richard Gell (1786- ) | |
| Ann Gell (1789-1863) | ||
| Elizabeth Gell (1791-1820) | ||
| Marriage | 21 Feb 1786 | Lancing, Sussex |
| Name: | Francis Gell | |
| Sex: | Male | |
| Father: | Francis Gell ( -1810) | |
| Mother: | Ann Fox ( - ) | |
| Birth | 14 Dec 1767 | Westham, Sussex |
| Baptism | 11 Jan 1768 (age 0) | Westham, Sussex |
| Residence | 1805 (age 37-38) | Wouldham, Kent (gentleman) |
| Will | 14 Jun 1810 (age 42) | Executor to father's will |
| Will | 10 Jul 1829 (age 61) | Date of Will |
| Occupation | 1829 (age 61-62) | Farmer |
| Will | 22 Jan 1833 (age 65) | Codicil to will |
| Death | 3 May 1836 (age 68) | Applesham, Coombes, Sussex |
| Probate | 8 Jun 1836 | Date of probate |
| Name: | Catherine Jay | |
| Sex: | Female | |
| Father: | - | |
| Mother: | - | |
| Birth | c. 1766 | Sussex |
| Census | 1841 (age 74-75) | Independent, Liverpool Place, New Shoreham, Broadwater, Sussex |
| Death fact | 1847 (age 80-81) | 1847 Dec Qtr, Worthing, 7/379 |
| Will | 8 May 1847 (age 80-81) | Date of will (see notes) |
| Death | 1847 (age 80-81) | Worthing, Sussex |
| Probate | 17 Feb 1848 | Probate to Ann Gell, daughter |
| Name: | Francis Richard Gell | |
| Sex: | Male | |
| Birth | 1786 | Lancing, Sussex |
| Baptism | 1786 (age 0) | Lancing, Sussex |
| Name: | Ann Gell | |
| Sex: | Female | |
| Birth | 1789 | Coombes, Sussex |
| Baptism | 19 Nov 1789 (age 0) | Coombes, Sussex |
| Fact1 | 10 Jul 1829 (age 39-40) | Mentioned in father's will |
| Fact1 | 8 Jun 1836 (age 46-47) | Executrix to father's will |
| Census | 1841 (age 51-52) | Living with mother |
| Will | 17 Feb 1848 (age 58-59) | Executrix to mother's will |
| Census | 1861 (age 71-72) | Fundholder, unmarried, 6 Liverpool Terr, Broadwater, Worthing |
| Death fact | 1863 (age 73-74) | 1863 Sep Qtr, Worthing, 2b/182 |
| Death | 13 Aug 1863 (age 73-74) | 6 Liverpool Terrace, Worthing, Sussex |
| Name: | Elizabeth Gell | |
| Sex: | Female | |
| Spouse: | Philip Boghurst (1786-1848) | |
| Birth | 1791 | Wouldham, Kent |
| Baptism | 4 Apr 1791 (age 0) | Wouldham, Kent |
| Death | 1820 (age 28-29) | Ashford, Kent |
| Burial | 1 Jun 1820 | Frindsbury, Kent (aged 29) |
Since the late 18th century, the parish of Coombes (Sussex) has been almost continuously occupied by three families, the Gells (c. 1786-1836), the Hamptons (1837-c.1886) and the Passmores (since 1901). Under Francis Gell, the very enterprising farmer of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, arable land in the parish was greatly extended at the expense of pasture. A new river wall was constructed c.1792 outside the saltmarsh in the east part of the parish, which was thereby made cultivable. On the downs c.180 acres of pasture was broken up for leys in 6 large closes, the fertility of the land being increased by the application of raw chalk to counteract the acidity of the clay-with-flints soil. Two hill barns had been built by 1840, and three others were built during the next 35 years. The former saltmarsh was still being cropped in 1840, but later reverted to pasture. To the crops previously grown in the parish Gell added potatoes, clover, turnips, and sainfoin. More than 1,000 sheep were recorded in the parish at the beginning of the 19th century.
Source: 'Coombes', A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 6 Part 1: Bramber Rape (Southern Part) (1980), pp. 215-19. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=18253
Will of Francis Gell of Applesham in the Parish of Combe, Sussex, farmer, 10 Jul 1829
To wife Catherine £156; to Richard Lidbetter £100 for performing trusts contained in will; to daughter Ann Gell and William Tyler of Petworth Gentleman and the said Richard Lidbetter of Magdalen Farm in the Parish of Bramber Yeoman, execs, £7,800 to be placed out at interest and apply the dividends as follows, one equal moiety in half-yearly payments to wife Catherine for life; the other moiety during my wife's life and after her decease the whole sum of £7,800 to be divided between my granddaughters Elizabeth Boghurst, Catherine Ann Boghurst and Laura Frances Boghurst for their maintenance and education until 21 and afterwards for life; to execs my freehold messuage in the Parish of St Anne Lewes, also my leasehold stable and coachhouse in Irelands Lane in the same parish, my freehold messuage in East Street in the town of New Shoreham and my three pieces of meadow land in the Parish of Wellesborough, Kent and all other real estate to be sold and the proceeds considered part of my personal estate and to be paid to my daughter Ann Gell.
Witnesses: James Challen, George Smith, Richard Gould jun., Petworth, clerks to Mr. Tyler
Codicil 22 Jan 1833. Instead of the sum of £7,800, the sum of £8,914, part of my stocks in the Bank of England, to be applied as in the original will.
Witnesses: John Gould, Petworth, clerk to Mr Tyler, Henry Humphrey, Brighton, bricklayer
Proved at London with Codicil 8 Jun 1836 to Ann Gell daughter and Richard Lidbetter, the surviving execs.
Will of Catherine Gell of Worthing, Sussex, widow, 8 May 1847. I appoint daughter Ann Gell and three granddaughters Laura Frances Henty the wife of Edwin Henty Esquire Elizabeth Gore the wife of Henry John Gore Esquire and Catherine Anne Boghurst execs; to execs the money which I may leave in the house at the time of my decease and all other personal estate; a thousand pounds in the 3 1/4 percent annuities to be disposed of as follows: £600 to granddaughter Laura Frances Henty for her own sole and separate use and benefit; £200 to granddaughter Elizabeth Gore; £200 to granddaughter Catherine Anne Boghurst.
Witnesses: Wm Foard Tribe, solicitor, Worthing, Henry Tribe, attorney at law, Worthing.
Proved at London 17 February 1848 to Ann Gell spinster the daughter; power to other execs.