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Thank you everyone for your contributions.

The only other birth I have found was for a Kate Little who was baptised in Walcot in Bath on 06 May 1853, family living at 14 Mount Pleasant. She was buried aged 2 weeks on 15 May 1853 in Walcot. Residence is again given as 14 Mount Pleasant. I have found no other baptisms that seem to be the couple's children. I have found a burial in Bath for a John Little in the fourth quarter of 1854, which would possibly explain why no further children were born of the marriage. Susan would most likely based on if this is correct be illegitimate, but I have also considered that the lack of father in her marriage certificate could be a result of her not knowing who her parents were considering that she grew up in an industrial school, it is possible that she was a literal or defacto orphan from a young age.

Good day all.

Susan Little married George Edwin Abbott in 1881 in Beverley in East Yorkshire. In the marriage record George's father is listed, but hers is not. The marriage took place after the census so she was still listed under her maiden name. In the census she is listed as being a 19 year old general domestic servant who is staying with her employers. Her place of birth is listed as Wandsworth in Surrey. This would give her a date of birth of circa 1862.

Looking back at the 1871 census I have found five individuals with the name Susan/Susanna Little. Only one of them could be my Susan as the others were born in Cumberland, Hampshire, Middlesex and Scotland respectively. The final Susan was nine years old and living at the North Surrey District School in Anerley, Surrey. Her place of birth is given as Wandsworth, Surrey.

I have found no baptisms or birth registrations for a Susan Little in Wandsworth. I have though found a baptism of a Susanna Little in 1862 in Lambeth, Surrey. I ordered the certificate and it lists that this Susanna Little was born on 5 May 1862 at the Workhouse in Princes Road. Her father is listed as being John Little, her mother as Susanna Little, formerly White. Her father is further listed as being a journeyman Bricklayer. The birth was registered by her mother who is listed as residing at the workhouse in Princes Road.

I would please like to see if anyone can find anything that would contradict my belief that this is the birth of my Susan who married George Edwin Abbott in 1881.

Being born in a poorhouse and then growing up at the North Surrey District School, would explain why she did not know who her father was with regard to listing him on her marriage record.

Now it does not appear as if there was a Susanna Little (Susan's mother) living at the workhouse in question in the 1861 census. I thus looked for the marriage of any John Little to a Susanna White in the preceding years. I have only found two marriages, on in 1756 who's participants could not possibly be Susan's parents, the other was a marriage between John Little and Susanna White in 1850 in Bath in Somerset.

This couple appears in the 1851 census in Bath. John is listed as a Masons Labourer (which I believe would match John's occupation of Journeyman Bricklayer given in the birth register of his daughter Susanna). Susanna Little, formerly White, is listed as being 21 years old, so born circa 1830, and her place of birth is given as Bath, Somerset.

I have not found the couple at all the 1861 census, but I did find a Susan aged 30 who was a house servant in Islington. She is listed as being 30 years old and her place of birth is given as Bath. She is also listed as being a widow.

Now I believe that this Susanna Little, formerly White, must be Susan's mother, as I can find no evidence of any other White-Little marriage, the occupation of the listed father matches, and the mother appears to be in the region the year before the birth in question. Now this will naturally also mean that Susanna lied on the birth register because if she was a widow the previous year, John could not possibly be the father of her daughter. Hence I would think that she is Susanna's illegitimate child who she possibly passed off as her deceased husband's child?

Any thoughts on this reasoning would be much appreciated and would appreciate anything anyone can find that would contradict or support this narrative. Is it reasonable to make the assumptions I have and is it reasonable to think that Susan is the Susanna born in Lambeth and that she possible lists herself incorrectly as being born in Wandsworth. All the residents as the school in the 1871 census on her page had their place of birth listed as Wandsworth, Surrey.

Regards,

Duncan

Good afternoon all,

I have a bit of a conundrum and would like the opinions of a few others.
I have been busy with a family that is being a pain to keep track of. What I have is that there was an Arthur Abbott from Christchurch in Hampshire (now Dorset) who married Sarah Jenkins on 03 January at the Old Church in St Pancras.

An Arthur William Abbott who was baptised in St Pancras, son of Arthur and Sarah, on 05 February 1826 was possibly their son. If he was he is likely the Arthur who was buried at the age of 14 months on 14 March 1827 in St James in Piccadilly.

They definitely had another son Arthur, baptised at the All Saint's Church in Swallowfield in Berkshire on 20 January 1828. I also have found baptisms for William (31 March 1833, St Pancras), Sarah (16 Nov 1834, St Pancras), George (5 Feb 1837, St James, Westminster), Edwin (7 October 1838, St James, Westminster), Alfred (12 July 1840, St James, Westminster) and Priscilla (16 April 1843, St James, Westminster).

I have not been able to find the family in the 1841 census and I think that they may have been missed or part of the census is missing.

Sarah Abbott (born Jenkins) dies at the age of 47 and was buried in 1848. Arthur then marries the Widow Eliza Foreman 11 April 1850.

They appear together in the 1851 census in Westminster along with the children listed above with the right places of births and age, with the exception of the addition of a Charlotte Abbott born around 1830 for whom I have not been able to locate a baptism. Arthur is listed as a master bricklayer born in around 1800 in Christchurch, Hants.

Now in the 1861 census he is living in Lisson Grove Street in Marylebone. Again he is listed as a bricklayer born in around 1800 in Christchurch, Hants.

Now this time around he is living with his sons Edward Abbott (27, so born around 1834), an "out pensioner of Chelsea" George Abbott, a Bricklayer (25), Alfred (22), a bricklayer and his daughter Charlotte (20), his niece, Charlotte Bostock (10) and his daughter in law Harriet (22) [she is the wife of Alfred]

Arthur, Edward and Alfred are listed as married, George and Charlotte as unmarried. Now the question comes around the identity of Edward as he does not appear in the 1851 census, and I also do not have a baptism for him.

Now, his son Edward, who appears in the 1851 census (born around 1839, matches the baptism of 1838), appears to marry Sarah Jane Sorrell on 26 February 1854 in Notting Hill. His father is listed as Arthur, and hers as George. In this record he is listed as 20 years old, which would make his birth around 1834 (which matches Edward's). The couple seem to only have had one son, George Edwin, baptised on 3 September 1854, Edwin's occupation is listed as a French Polisher (this is also the occupation George Edwin lists for his father when he married in 1881). Now in the 1861 census, George Edwin is living with his grandmother Elizabeth Sevoir the remarried widow of George Sorrell. His parents are not with them, I have found no trace of Sarah Jane in 1861. I have also found a service record for an Edwin Abbott (aged 22 years and two months when he enlisted on 13 November 1855), So born around September 1833 (this fits Edward's dates and Edwin's marriage age. Edwin who was baptised in October of 1837 may have also been born around September. This Edwin was deemed unfit for service and discharged due to consumption on 27 November 1860, hence this Edwin would most likely be a Chelsea pensioner in 1861. This Edwin in the record is listed as being born in St Pancras and a labourer by profession.

Am I correct in thinking that Edwin and Edward are likely the same person and that this military record is likely his. I have found no other military record for an Edward or variant that would fit the age of the pensioner in 1861. I cannot explain the confusion in age in different records for Edwin though.

Regards,

Duncan

Hi Monica, I am currently trying to trace the children, but am not at this point having much luck.

Hi DonM, the will was drawn up in 1840 (that is when it was signed when you go into to read the actual image of those files, it was filed in 1853 (I take it he died in or shortly before 1853, I have not yet found a burial though to confirm this date)

James/Horn had 7 children from 1838-1851.  This James was a Collier and they were married 05 Jun 1833 in Barony.

Are you absolutely proof positive this James is the same as the one who married Scott?

It was Thomas, son of James and Margaret who married Mary Horn on 27 Nov 1838. That James that you seem to be referring to, who married on 5 Jun 1833 is a unrelated individual who I have not come across. This is most certainly not the James who was the husband of Margaret Scott as as far as I can work out he was deceased by the time the will was drawn up in 1840.