Reproduced by kind permission of The Royal Pavilion and Museums, Brighton & Hove
Brighton and Beyond
A History of the Cowley Family
From William Woolley (pre 1800)
I must confess that I have not done a great deal of research on the Woolley family although they undoubtedly warrant further ‘exploration’. What I do know is that James Priestnall Woolley (b abt 1819) was born in London. In the 1861 census he is living in Brighton with his wife, Elizabeth Adriana , a ‘teacher of drawing’, and James is listed as a ‘Hat Maker employing one man and two boys. James’ and Charlotte’s daughter, Charlotte Louisa (b abt 1849), seems to have followed in her father’s footsteps. In the 1881 census she is also listed as a ‘hatter’. There is a fascinating piece of family history associated with the Woolley and Naylor branches of the family contained within the pages of a book that was handed down to me some years ago by my late father. Click on the link below to read about “Pinnock’s History of England”.