Author Topic: John William Bevis / Beviss / Beavis b1855 Chard RD  (Read 4419 times)

Offline Jomot

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 3,664
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
John William Bevis / Beviss / Beavis b1855 Chard RD
« on: Sunday 08 March 15 23:34 GMT (UK) »
Apologies for the long post but I've got myself in a muddle trying to separate three people with the same name who were born in the Chard Registration district within 4 years of each other and desperately need some help please before my brain explodes!

In 1881 John William Beavis married Rose Hannah Goodrum in York.  Unfortunately Rose was already married to my Great Grandfather at the time so I am trying to piece together who John was and how & when they may have met - although the latter is probably an impossible task!

In the 1881 census John & Rose were living in Hull and John gave his birth place as Bristol.  He died in Michigan in 1932 and the transcript of his death gives his DoB as 14 Sep 1855. His occupation is variously Ironwork Labourer (1881), Coachman (1883) and Stone Grainer (1910).

The best fit I can find is John William Beviss whose birth was registered Oct-Dec 1855 in Chard.  In the 1861 census he was living with his parents Robert & Sarah in Donyatt along with siblings Elizah (Elizabeth) and Edwin Robert, although it seems his father died very shortly afterwards. 

This is where it starts to get messy!  In 1861 there are two other boys named John Beviss also born in Chard:

1) John Beviss aged 8 living in Chard with his parents (also Robert & Sarah) plus siblings Robert, George & Harry.

2) John Beviss aged 6 living in Winsham, Grandson of Elizabeth Beviss aged 73. They are lodging with Alfred & Sarah James, both aged 25.

In 1871 the only two I can find appear to be the two above and both are mason's labourers.  I can find no trace of John William Beviss, although there is a John Bavis aged 15 working as a farm servant in Illminster, which is also given as his PoB.

I have also come across newspaper reports of a John Beviss, Native of Chard, jailed for 1 month in 1879 for leaving his children chargeable to the Cardiff Union.  An 1874 article also mentioned a John Beavis, mason, charged in Cardiff with theft. 

There are earlier reports of a John Bevis(s) being involved in the bread riots in 1867, but from his age this looks like the one born in 1851.

So can anyone please help me find / confirm John William Bevis(s) / Beavis in 1871 and / or confirm which - if any - of the three John's were in Cardiff in 1874-1879?

I also cant find John travelling to Michigan, although I've found Rose arriving in Quebec in July 1882 travelling with "George Beavis aged 7".  I know who this is, but he wasn't born as George, or Beavis  ::)  They cant have stayed in Canada long though as in Jan 1883 Rose gave birth to a daughter in Detroit.

For info, Rose was originally from Acle, Norfolk but married my Great Grandfather in Thornaby, North Yorkshire in 1876 (recorded as Goodium). 

Any help gratefully received!
MORGAN: Glamorgan, Durham, Ohio. DAVIS/DAVIES/DAVID: Glamorgan, Ohio.  GIBSON: Leicestershire, Durham, North Yorkshire.  RAIN/RAINE: Cumberland.  TAYLOR: North Yorks. BOURDAS: North Yorks. JEFFREYS: Worcestershire & Northumberland. FORBES: Berwickshire, CHEESMOND: Durham/Northumberland. WINTER: Durham/Northumberland. SNOWBALL: Durham.

Offline Jo Harding

  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 1,604
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: John William Bevis / Beviss / Beavis b1855 Chard RD
« Reply #1 on: Thursday 12 March 15 10:32 GMT (UK) »
Hello Jomot,

I note there are Family Trees on Ancestry for John William Beavis and the information suggests he was born in Bristol. This is based on census returns for 1881, England, 1900, 1910 and 1930 USA.

This also shows that he arrived in the US in 1882, source being the USA Federal Census.

You should bear in mind that Bristol covers two counties, Somerset and Gloucestershire.

Have you obtained his marriage certificate? That would show the name and occupation of his father.

I cannot find any entries for a birth registration of John Beavis in Chard, or anywhere else in Somerset in the timescale mentioned. What sources did you use to find these?

I have seen some entries in the outbound passenger lists for a John Beavis that look to be right. Do you have these?

Jo.


Offline KGarrad

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 26,063
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: John William Bevis / Beviss / Beavis b1855 Chard RD
« Reply #2 on: Thursday 12 March 15 10:50 GMT (UK) »
1871 census has a John Beavis, age 13, born Bedminster, Somerset (but now part of Bristol!)?

Class: RG10; Piece: 2520; Folio: 80; Page: 9
3 Jubilee Place, St Mary Redcliff, Bristol

Beavis, George  Head  M  53  Shipping Agent  b Horsington, Dorset
Beavis, Eliza  Wife  F  52  b Bristol, Somerset
Beavis, Mary  Daughter  F  21  General Servant  b Bristol
Beavis, Samuel  Son  M  18  Porter  b Bristol
Beavis, Sarah Ann  Daughter  F  17  General Servant  b Bristol
Beavis, John  Son  M  13  Porter  b Bedminster
Jones, Elizabeth  Lodger  F  34  Machinist  b Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire

All the above who were stated to be born in Bristol, were enumerated as "Somerset, Bristol".


Chard isn't close to Bristol, it's 60 miles away, and on the Devon border. So I think that's a red herring?!
Garrad (Suffolk, Essex, Somerset), Crocker (Somerset), Vanstone (Devon, Jersey), Sims (Wiltshire), Bridger (Kent)

Offline Jo Harding

  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 1,604
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: John William Bevis / Beviss / Beavis b1855 Chard RD
« Reply #3 on: Thursday 12 March 15 13:32 GMT (UK) »
There is a marriage in Bedminster, Somerset, on 25/12/1879:

John Beavis, father George Beavis, to Sarah Jane Martin.

That might be worth checking out.

Ancestry has the 1861 census for a family by the name of Beans but it shows this is incorrect and should be Beavis. The details match those posted for 1871, so it seems to be the same family.

George Beavis, Head, married, age 43, Steam Packet Porter, born Dorset, Horsington.
Eliza Beavis, wife, age 42, born Bristol Temple.
Eliza Beavis, daug, age 22, House Servant, born Bristol Redcliffe.
George Beavis, unm, age 17, General Porter, born Bristol Redcliffe.
Rosezellah Beavis, unm, daug, age 15, Stay Maker,born Bristol Bedminster.
Charles E Beavis, unm, son, age 13, scholar, bron Bristol Bedminster.
Mary Beavis, daug, unm, age 11, scholar, born Bristol Bedminster.
Samuel Beavis, son, age 9, scholar, born Bristol Bedminster.
Sarah A. Beavis, daug, age 7, scholar, born Bristol Bedminster.
John Beavis, son, age 3, scholar, born Bristol Bedminster.

They were living at Colson St, Bedminster.

Reference: RG9/1703 Folio 24 Page 42.

John Beavis is shown on the Canadian passenger lists as arriving in Quebec, Canada in 24/08/1910. He is aged 55, a Stone Polisher and destination Michigan, Detroit. The ship was The Royal George. Port of departure was Bristol.

The Trees on Ancestry show a daughter, Claria M Beavis, born 1883, Michigan.

Some of the Trees show John's parents to be George Beavis, 1818-1881, and Eliza Kingdon, 1819-1878.

The position is still confused as there are trees showing John Beavis, married to Sarah Jane Martin with his parents as George and Eliza Beavis. There are census entries for John and Sarah living in Bedminster and Bristol, 1891 to 1911. John Beavis died in Bristol in 1935.

Jo.







Offline Jomot

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 3,664
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: John William Bevis / Beviss / Beavis b1855 Chard RD
« Reply #4 on: Thursday 12 March 15 21:06 GMT (UK) »
Thank you all for your replies - a lot to take in but some good pointers to work through.

I have the marriage certificate on order, but the reason I thought he was possibly born Chard RD was the date of birth of 14 Sep 1855 given on his death certificate.  This seemed to tie in with John William Beviss whose birth was registered Oct-Nov-Dec 1855 in Chard (Vol 5c, Page 533).  Also searching the 1861 census for John William Beavis / Bevis(s) or similar turned up only the one living in Donyatt - the others were just plain John. 

Quote
The Trees on Ancestry show a daughter, Claria M Beavis, born 1883, Michigan
.
Yes, Clara is their daughter, but the tree with the most information was actually copied from mine when it was still a rough draft.  As the owner has copied huge chunks of my family and rammed it into his own tree alongside a load of relatives that are completely unconnected, I know for a fact that no research has gone into this (in fact he is the reason my tree is now private)  ::) 

Quote
Some of the Trees show John's parents to be George Beavis, 1818-1881, and Eliza Kingdon, 1819-1878.

The position is still confused as there are trees showing John Beavis, married to Sarah Jane Martin with his parents as George and Eliza Beavis. There are census entries for John and Sarah living in Bedminster and Bristol, 1891 to 1911. John Beavis died in Bristol in 1935

I'm pretty sure this is a different family entirely - as you say, this John appears to have died in Bristol and 'my' John died in Michigan, but hopefully the marriage certificate will clear that up one way or the other.  If this shows his father as Robert the Thatcher then I've got the right birth & I guess I'll have to get the marriage certificate of the John Bevis who married in Cardiff in 1875 to see if they were the same person - in which case then John & Rose were both bigamists....
MORGAN: Glamorgan, Durham, Ohio. DAVIS/DAVIES/DAVID: Glamorgan, Ohio.  GIBSON: Leicestershire, Durham, North Yorkshire.  RAIN/RAINE: Cumberland.  TAYLOR: North Yorks. BOURDAS: North Yorks. JEFFREYS: Worcestershire & Northumberland. FORBES: Berwickshire, CHEESMOND: Durham/Northumberland. WINTER: Durham/Northumberland. SNOWBALL: Durham.

Offline Jo Harding

  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 1,604
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: John William Bevis / Beviss / Beavis b1855 Chard RD
« Reply #5 on: Friday 13 March 15 11:42 GMT (UK) »
Hello Jomot,

Yes, this is a difficult one to solve.

It may be worth a post on the Roots Chat Board for Glamorgan as I had ancestors who married in Cardiff and someone kindly provided the information I wanted on this via this site. I think some of the Rootschatters have access to the Cardiff parish registers.

I can see where you are coming from with the birth registration of the John William Beviss in Chard.

It had occurred to me that John Beavis may have had families on either side of the Atlantic but it is extremely unlikely. I doubt whether it would have been possible in those days as far too complicated!!

I noticed the entry on the 1930 USA federal census showed his age of marriage as 16. It looked more like 18 to me. Rose shows her age of marriage as 18. Both John and Rose show their year of arrival in the USA as 1882.

On the 1900 USA census, they show they have been married for 26 years. That puts the marriage at c1874. The plot thickens!

Jo.




Offline Jo Harding

  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 1,604
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: John William Bevis / Beviss / Beavis b1855 Chard RD
« Reply #6 on: Friday 13 March 15 13:57 GMT (UK) »
I have now approached this from the other perspective and found the marriage of Rose Goodrum in 1876. From the information available on her and her first husband, I wonder if the fact John Beavis and Rose emigrated was due to their marital status, ie at least one of them being married already. May be safer in the USA.

The John Bevis who married in Cardiff in 1875, married either Mary Jane Michael, or Cecelia Punter. The details are on FreeBMD.

Jo

Offline allibaker

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 7,105
  • Census information is Crown Copyright http://www.n
    • View Profile
Re: John William Bevis / Beviss / Beavis b1855 Chard RD
« Reply #7 on: Friday 13 March 15 19:07 GMT (UK) »
hi
trying not to add to any confusion i found this burial for a robert bevis -
robert bevis aged 38yrs buried blessed virgin mary donyatt on 21st april 1861
regards
alli
Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk.
somerset- quick,baker,stephens,atyeo,rowswell,callow,marks
durham- marshall,fairbairn
worcestershire- stephens,bishop
gloucestershire - stephens
middlesex - chesney

Offline Jomot

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 3,664
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: John William Bevis / Beviss / Beavis b1855 Chard RD
« Reply #8 on: Friday 13 March 15 20:25 GMT (UK) »
Hi Jo

I have no doubt that John & Rose emigrated because they had just committed bigamy and then lied about how long they'd been married to cover up that John was not the real father of Rose's son 'George' who travelled with her to Canada in 1882 (John appears to have travelled out separately earlier the same year, although I haven't found a record for that yet).

I know quite a lot about Rose's history in England, and prior to her first marriage she was involved with a definite 'bad boy' so I wouldn't be at all surprised to find that John was the same one who abandoned his children in Cardiff. 

Ali - thanks for the burial info for Robert.  That's the one Id found too.  If the marriage certificate shows that John Beviss from Donyat is mine then Robert will be the key to identifying the John who married & then abandoned his children in Cardiff.  I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt for now but they are definitely my 'Jeremy Kyle' branch - although they did produce a grandchild who became a nun so maybe they repented in later life  ;D
MORGAN: Glamorgan, Durham, Ohio. DAVIS/DAVIES/DAVID: Glamorgan, Ohio.  GIBSON: Leicestershire, Durham, North Yorkshire.  RAIN/RAINE: Cumberland.  TAYLOR: North Yorks. BOURDAS: North Yorks. JEFFREYS: Worcestershire & Northumberland. FORBES: Berwickshire, CHEESMOND: Durham/Northumberland. WINTER: Durham/Northumberland. SNOWBALL: Durham.