Smallman, Austin and Caroline (Northamptonshire)

[Chris1959]

Hi all you fantastic people I have been trying to find some info on my husbands Great Grandparents Austin Smallman and Caroline Tattam (Northampton). Their marriage has been an impossibility according to the 1911 census they have been married 29 years but I cant find anything to prove this. I have just received an email from GRO saying they have found nothing. At least in 1911 the children are sons and daughters in 1901 they were all boarders and Caroline was a servant to Austin. Any help from you great people out there would be most appreciated. Thanks Chris 

[seahall]

Hi Chris.

Welcome to Rootschat 

I can't even see his birth in the indexes maybe he didn't get registered
or had the same name as his father so was called by the name Austin.

Caroline was a dressmaker and then became a housekeeper.

As Caroline's surname was Tattam it seems as though the 6 children
on the 1901 are illegitimate?  not born in the Workhouse though.

Looking like yourself Chris I can not see any info that is relevant.

Sandy

[seahall]

Just had another look around.

Her father is noted as Ebenezer Tatham at death and he and his wife
are buried in Billing Road Cemetery

Sandy

[suzard]

Have you found the birth reg/bapt of any of the children?

Most of them when given the name Tattan/Tattam/tatham seem to have S as middle initial - for Smallman?

I have a theory!!!!

There is a marriage FreeBMD
Dec qtr 1879
Northampton
on same page
Caroline Eliza Tatham
Charles Cummings

then 1881 census
5 St James Square Northampton
Charles Cummings Head M 29 Shopman in Hardware shop Ashton under lyne
Caroline Cummings wife M 29 Dressmaker Northampton
John F Cummings son 5mths Northampton
plus 2 lodgers
RG11 1553 60 21

It looks like John F in 1891 is given Caroline's maiden name

Possibly Caroline left Charles Cummings and moved in with Austin Smallman and had children with him - maybe Charles died???

Maybe worth further research

Suz

[seahall]

Information to go with suzard's.

Charles Cumming married Caroline Eliza Tatham on  17 Nov 1879 Kingsthorpe - St John the Baptist

Sandy

[seahall]

There is also another possible child born to Charles and Caroline a
George Charles born in 1882 dies in 1883.

Maybe someone can look in Kingsthorpe and St. James Parish records to
see if there are any baptisms noted.

Sandy

[Chris1959]

Thank you so much Sandy and Suz, further to the info you found. I have a 1891 census RG12/1197 in which "Carrie" is Austins housekeeper, the children are all there as sons and daughters with Tattam as surname and S as a middle name living on Cyril St St Giles. Funny thing my husbands fathers name was Cyril, his Grandfather was Ebenezer who was 5 at the time. The RootsChat community is amazing!

[suzard]

But have you found birth reg's for the children

I think I may have found Charles Cummings living in Birmingham 1891 with "wife" Annie and a few children

Suz

[Chris1959]

Hi Suz, talk about timing I have just received Caroline's B/C, Austin's D/C and Ebenezer's B+D/C. Ebenezer s B/C has him named Ebenezer William Smallman with Caroline's surname Tattam and no father. So I guess they probably weren't married! Interestingly as well I've just Google mapped and All Saints is a 6 minute walk to St Giles and Cyril St and St James are only a 17 min walk. All is possible. Wish there were still some relative alive! I actually met my husbands aunt on 2 occasions (the informant noted on Ebenezer's D/C) when she visited Australia, but had never thought I might be doing this one day!