12 September 05
Hi Louise, I'll think about Valda's great discoveries and thoughts about Samuel/Benjamin later but I've been back to the beginning and your reference to the thread re WILSONs and HILTONs of Scarborough at
http//www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,69234.0.html
But before moving on to that, I was thinking about Thomas Doughty VIPOND. As no father was named on his birth cert, it suggests (though of course does not prove) that (a) Thomas VIPOND was not his father, and (b) Thomas VIPOND was dead (I thought that a living husband was automatically assumed to be the father). I suppose you have been through the full index (not just FreeBMD) for appropriate deaths for Thomas? Incidentally, are Ellen's descendants aware of Thomas Doughty )It also occurs to me that the death certificate of Thomas Doughty VIPOND in the Mar qtr 1882 might be of interest (of course it might not!) - who was the informant, what was the address. Also his burial. It has crossed my mind that perhaps the boot was on the other foot i.e. Eliza did not tire of Samuel but vice versa, he rejected her, and she had no choice but to give up baby John in order to survive. Or even if he did not, remember that Samuel BENN was unemployed in 1881 - and perhaps already unwell. And yes, definitely a good idea to follow up on John's birth cert to see whether it actually said Wilson rather than William. Back to the WILSON/HILTON connexion. Perhaps following it up may help the whole search? On the other thread, you said that family folklore was that John Wilson/William BENN, as a baby, had been taken in by a WILSON family and that John had grown up as a WILSON but had come to believe by the time of his marriage that he was a BENN, son of Samuel - his name being given as John Wilson BENN and father as Samuel BENN deceased. The marriage was in 1903 in Scarborough to Daisy Kate HILTON John was a soldier with the Northumberland Fusiliers and was resident in Lotts Yard, Scarborough (might be worth a look at who was living in Lotts Yard in 1901- drawing a long bow, I know!).Their children were named Wilson BENN. Another version of the folklore was that John changed his middle name to Wilson in recognition of the parent(s) who had brought him up. You said that family folklore was that the WILSON family had connexions with the HILTON family that John eventually married into in 1903 and an Ethel WILSON aged 1 was with the HILTON family in Throxenbury Barracks, Scarborough in 1891 - Ethel May WILSON was the daughter of Charles WILSON, a soldier at nearby Throxenbury Barracks, and wife Annie FLYNN. This might or might not be the relevant WILSON family (it's not an uncommon name). A family of a Charles WILSON, wife Annie has been found in 1891 (no John with them) but this Charles is a publican (might have left the army after Ethel's birth). You also said that the witnesses at Eliza's 1884 marriage to John LONG were ladies named HILTON (initial possibly R/N/A) and E WILSON (how did you know they were females). Perhaps they can be traced. Also, in 1891, at 105 Church St, Manningham (part of the Bradford registration district) there was a Nellie WILSON head wid 48 silk weaver b.Kirkheaton with a son Jno Wm 10 b.Bradford and boarder Nellie SENTONE 20 b Lincolnshire. Nellie had been at the same address in 1881 with 38yo husband Robert, a 13yo son Tiras (Thomas?) and Robert's mother Jane 65 b Idle. Could Nellie WILSON (Nellie often a pet name for Ellen) be the E WILSON of Eliza's 1884 marriage certificate? There's a possible Bradford death for Robert on FreeBMD - Robert Rawnsley WILSON, 45, Jun qtr 1888. Jno Wm was not in the 1881 census with them - of course he might have been born after the date of the census. Have you found the birth of a possible John William WILSON to Robert and Nellie? Do you have Nellie in 1901?Let's hope John's army papers can be found and are helpful. Not to mention any Poor Law papers relating to Samuel or to Eliza.
JAP
Here's a fascinating snippet. There are only 7 HILTONs in Bradford in 1881. And one is Ann HILTON Might be no connexion (just sheer coincidence) but fascinating.
RG11/4446, Folio 12, Page 18
GAUKROGER Abraham, Head, 43, Dyer, b Sowerby Bridge Do
Eliza Ann, Wife, 50, Housekeeper, b do
HILTON Ann Step Daur, 22, Unemployed, b do
Do Mary, Step Daur, 17, Rover in Factory, b do
Do Betsy, Step Daur, 14, Spinner in Factory, b do
The marriage of Ann Dyson HILTON in Bradford in 1889 is on FreeBMD - but is no help. Males on the page are Joseph CROSSLAND and Alfred Ernest TAYLOR Ann Dyson HILTON is probably a red herring. There's the marriage of an Eliza Ann DYSON on FreeBMD - Halifax, 1852 - and with an Irwell HILTON on the same page