Thanks Tricia
It's always amazing when you find somebody researching exactly the same name at exactly the same time!
All the references for Rebecca, Esther and anything mentioning a Finch I agree with! I can add later Finch references on request!
But just going back to what I thought I had found for Job, I have been going down a completely different track...
The Job Hurd who I thought was Rebecca's alternative father can be found in 1841 at HO107 942 8 ff14 p21 with wife Elizabeth, not Catherine:
Job Hurd 35[-39] Labourer
Elizabeth do 35[-39] Wool Picker
Susan do 15[-19]
Matilda do 15[-19] Worker at Woolen Factory
Ann do 10
Eliza do 8
William do 3
Address is 'Thornes Square' Frome and all born Somerset.
Again in 1851 HO107 1932 ff471 p34 he is in Frome with Elizabeth:
Job Hurd Head Mar 56 Labourer [Som't Frome]
Elizabeth Hurd Wife Mar 54 Cloth worker do do
Eliza do Daughter U 17 Silk worker do do
Address is 'Thornes Square, Butts, Frome.
Daughter Matilda is still in Frome (in Brandy Lane) as a lodger at HO107 1932 ff257 p10:
Hurd Matilda Boarder U 20 No occupation [Somerset] Frome
Elizabeth Hurd dies Mar Q 1857 in Frome which is why Job is a widower in the 1861 reference RG9 1692 ff39 p19. (By the way, Esther Hurd had married Alfred Butt Jun Q 1858 in Bath registration district):
Alfred Butt Head Mar 27 Brewer & Publican Hants Haughton
Esther do Wife Mar 28 Dress Maker Som't Frome
Alfred do Son 1-9mo _ do Bath
Jane Finch Niece 8 Scholar Essex, Woodford
Peter Butt Brother 31 Brewer's Ass't Hants Haughton
Job Hand Fa in law Wid'r 81 Formerly Gardener Som't Frome
Job's age I took as an anomaly and therefore ignored.
Matilda stays in Frome RG9 1655 ff26 p7 by herself in an area called Fromefield:
Matilda Hurd Head Un 31 Silk Winder Somerset Frome
Eliza can be found in Little Keyford RG9 1655 ff55 p8 as an unmarried housekeeper with a daughter:
Henry Short Head Mar 25 Labourer in Stone Quarry [Somerset Frome]
Eliza Hurd House Keeper Un 28 Formerly at the Silk Factory do do
Elizabeth Dau'r do 3 do do do
Job actually remarries Sep Q 1861 Martha Keeping so Job can be found with her in the 1871 census RG10 2432 ff48 p9:
Job Hurd Head Mar 75 Pauper Somerset Frome
Martha do Wife Mar 66 do do Road
They are still in the same house - Butts Square, Frome.
Esther is still in Bath with her family RG10 2491 ff45 p6:
Alfred Butt Head Mar 36 Brewer Hampshire Houghton
Esther do Wife Mar 38 Dressmaker Somerset Frome
Alfred do Son 11 Scholar Somerset Bath
Catherine do Dau'r 9 do do do
Wally do Son 4 do do do
Ada E do Dau'r 2 do do do
Francis do Son 6mo _ do do
Matilda seems to marry William Beauchamp in Jun Q 1864 - haven't traced them in the 1871 census yet.
Job and Martha are still alive in 1881 RG11 2402 ff26 p8 at 7 Water Lane, Frome:
Job Hurd Head Mar 82 Pauper [Somerset Frome]
Martha do Wife Mar 81 do do do
Interestingly, two doors down at no9:
Wm Hurd Head UnM 50 [Gen'l Labourer] [Somerset Frome]
So this probably the son William aged 3 in 1841.
This Job's death is recorded Jun Q 1882, when he died apparently aged 82.
From all of this, we can tell ages were not the Hurd family's strong point! This Job was probably born around 1800 but this could be out five or so years either side! The 1861 age as mentioned above had to be ignored.
I went down this route because Job is mentioned as a gardener in 1861 and this was closer to a labourer. He was also born in Frome rather than Nunney [how far away are they?]. Rebecca's marriage certificate for March 20 1846 does not help at all as both fathers' professions are left blank and there are no obvious links to the witnesses.
Rebecca and Esther are sisters though with no known links to Job and Elizabeth. Certainly Esther is not 'at home' in 1841! Moreover the death of a Job Hurd can be found in Bath Sep Q 1861.
I suppose the only way to be certain which Job is which is to order the Bath death certificate to see who registered his death. Esther's marriage certificate might just help as well. I haven't found Esther in 1851 yet either. In the meantime I think I am going to amend my records from Job and Elizabeth to Job and Catherine! Iam now wondering whether Job [+ Elizabeth] was another son of Job [+ Catherine] - there is about 20 years between them and a family link with Little Keyford.
Thanks for provoking my complete reinvestigation of this! I would love to know details of Job and Catherine's family (IGI/parish registers?). Any other thoughts anyone?
Best wishes,
Colin
