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« on: Tuesday 21 January 14 10:41 GMT (UK) »
Hello,
For so long now one of my earliest brickwalls has been the Williams family. My ancestor Charles was born in 1840 in Battersea, the son of John (brewer's labourer) and Emma Louisa (surname unknown). With such a common name I failed to find a likely marriage.
Desperate to solve this, I went back to the 1841 and realised there was a Frances Soundy (aged 65) living with them. John and Emma had a daughter Frances, and then the major breakthrough happened, when I found the marriage between John Williams and Emma Soundy on 2 June 1832 in Westminster (both left a mark; witnesses Hannar [Hannah?] Soundy and John Astell).
So I theorise that Emma Louisa Soundy is my ancestor, probably the daughter of Frances Soundy and her husband John, who christened children in Lambeth in the late 1790s/early 1800s. Frances is very interesting as I've found details of many letters she wrote to the parish about her poverty and describing her hard life. In one of those letters (1831) she mentions she has a daughter who would start to go to work selling things on the streets, but couldn't as she had no suitable clothes. Emma would have been about 16 then, so seems to fit.
Emma was born circa 1815, birthplace Battersea/Fulham (according to census returns). I just can't find a christening for her at all, which is a shame as that would be the confirmation I need.
I would greatly appreciate any assistance/advice.
Thank you