help with occupation on death cert

[jan57]

And in 1841, James age 19 is with Marquis of Camden's household as male servant at his house in Belgrave Square.

 Al little  about James'  employer 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Pratt,_2nd_Marquess_Camden

[lesleyhannah]

Thanks to everyone who helped with this search. I have been trying to find out more about Richard the Beadle and am still waiting for a death cert which I hope will be his, and may help with the next step. We're really keen to find out where this family came from - there are family rumours about an Irish connection, but I still can't make any connection. But thanks again for all your help. Lesley

[Louise43]

Hi

New to this, but came across your questions while trying to find out info myself on James Townsend.

I have the following on him;

Born abt 1823 Bromley Kent
1851 a footman for the Marquess of Camden at Wilderness Park, Kent
1860 he marries Catherine Salter Leare of Chudleigh, Devon in London but I cant find him in any of the census for 1861. Catherine is back home with her parents.
1871 and 1881 he is at 6 Upper Belgrave Street working as a butler for Robert Pulsford.
He retires and go to live with Catherine and their many children in Devon to run the Plymouth Inn in Chudleigh. I still have them both alive and in Chudleigh in 1901, he is 78 and she 68. There oldest daughter and their son-in-law are now running the pub. Catherine dies in 1907 in Richmond, Surrey which seems odd, so perhaps it isn't her although dates and name match and cant think there are that may Catherine Salter Townsend's, and London has played a big part in their lives.
I dont have a death cert for James.

The family myth is that Catherine and James met in London while she was visiting with her parents. She either became pregnant by him or he was persuaded to marry her because she was in trouble by another. Don't imagine we will ever know the truth!

[josey]

Welcome to rootschat Louise. I hope Lesley sees your post. When you have made 3 posts you could contact her via the personal message [pm] system by clicking on the text icon under her name.

I have been trying to find out more about Richard the Beadle and am still waiting for a death cert which I hope will be his, and may help with the next step.

Lesley - did you get the death certificate & was it the right one? What were the details?

Josey

[lesleyhannah]

Hi Louise and Josey - I'm still trying to unpack the Townsend mysteries, but I did get the death cert and have found more info. I'm not at home now so don't have the facts at the moment but as soon as I get home I'll post the info I have. Louise - is this your family too? If so I can supply info about the wider family - and a lot of certificates!
Speak to you soon. If I don't get back in a couple of days please post on this thread again, as the webmaster reminds me whenever a new post appears here (I do suffer from senior moments!)
Thanks to  you both for your help and interest. Lesley

[lesleyhannah]

Hi - just got in and decided to look up the family tree while I think about it.

The death certificate was Richard's. He died November 1856 in Bromley aged 64 of apoplexy. His wife Sarah (nee Austin?) was present at the death. His occupation was parish beadle, which is what identified him.

I also have his wife's death certificate. Sarah - given as widow of Richard Townsend a Beadle - died in February 1882 of general dropsy. The informant was Emma Ellund her daughter who was present at the death in Teddington Middlesex.

The next generation was a bit difficult to keep up with.
All Louise's info from the censuses matches mine.

We were equally bemused by the deaths of James and his wife Catherine Salter Leare in Middlesex. I have these death certs - Catherine in 1907 (Surrey) and James in 1911 (Richmond). Their son Harry (our branch of the family) remained in Torbay (where many of the family still live), but James and Catherine's daughter Eliza and her husband Sydney were living in Richmond, so maybe the parents moved to be near them? A younger son Frank Camden townsend (named after the Marquess) also moved to the south-east. This son died by suicide in 1916 - a family mystery we had heard about but have still not managed to solve (he didn't appear to be serving in the War),
James's mother had died in Teddington and James's sister Emma lived there so maybe James just wanted to return home?

When  searching online family trees we found some had attached our Beadle Richard to an aristocratic Irish Townsend family. I think this is a mistake - there were 2 Richards born about the same time in London. However I'm not certain there is no connection. Our Townsends seem to have a lot of interaction with the aristocracy - even if we were the downstairs lot!

We're hoping to find out some more about them via other branches of the family - and keeping our fingers crossed.

Lesley

[Louise43]

Hi Lesley

Yes, James is my family too. Harry and Ethel Townsend were my great grandparents. Any info you have that you are happy to share would be great 

Returning to London and being near family seems very plausible for James and Catherine

Louise

[lesleyhannah]

Hi Louise - I've sent you a personal message (if you have problems finding it, just ask). I've given my email address - and will gladly share the info I have including info from certificates etc). Look forward to hearing from you. Lesley