Lovell, James

Singer

Collection date: Jul 1908

Area: Somerset - Bridgwater Surrounds

---

James Lovell of Broomfield 9 miles W of Bridgwater (1833-1914): age 74, 11 songs commencing 31 July 1908: Lovell’s best song ‘William Taylor’ (FT1741) was published in Folk Songs from Somerset vol 5 and then in the Novello School series set 5 (click vwml link above).

There is a little confusion in the VWML archives because 5 of James’ songs can be found with a location ‘Ball’s Covert’ and the other 6 at the location ‘Ball’s Cover’. These are the same location ‘Ball Covert’ on modern maps - about 2 miles west of Broomfield OS Grid Ref: ST 2010 3221. It is a wooded area. James Lovell was there, aged 78, in 1911 census (RG14/14265 schedule 16) with his wife Sarah, 87, and daughter Emily.

James was baptised on 19/5/1833 at Broomfield church, son of Eliza Lovell, single woman. He had an elder sister Bessie (bp 21/11/1830). Eliza then married George Sealey, agricultural labourer at Broomfield in March 1842 and they had 3 children. James Lovell was in Enmore with that new family in the 1851 census. On 25/3/1857 he married Sarah Gatter, daughter of Francis Gatter, blacksmith. James could not sign his name in the register. They had 9 children. James worked as an agricultural labourer throughout his life. In 1881 he was at Ivyton Farm, a mile south of Ball Covert. James was buried at Broomfield 27/10/1914.