STEVENS Family - Crondall, Hampshire

[Duncan Bennie]

It's quite possible that James & Thomas were brothers.  If so Susan and Susanna were cousins

Mmm that does seem like a possibility There was definitely a John Stevens who married Ann, who was also in South Africa, and they appear as sponsors in the baptism of each others children. It is thus also possible that they were cousins or siblings that both emigrated.

[Duncan Bennie]

Will need to try and find both James and Thomas' baptisms to see if they had the same parents, Hopefully they were both born about the same areas if they are siblings as that would at least narrow it down

[Little Nell]

It is possible that James & Thomas were brothers.  A couple named James & Ruth Stevens baptised the following children in Crondall:
Elizabeth bpt 6 Aug 1796
James bpt 7 Dec 1797
Ruth bap 10 Feb 1799
Robert bp 15 Feb 1801
Thomas bp 18 Apr 1802
Sarah bap 16 Oct 1803
Ann bp 3 Feb 1805
Mary bap  6 Apr 1806                               
Martha bp 1 May 1808
Eliza  bp 11 Mar 1810
Harriott bp 16 Jun 1811
William bap 8 Aug 1813
Sophia bp 19 Nov 1815
John bp 27 Sep 1818
George bp 2 Apr 1820                                     

The baptism date for this Thomas seems to fit quite well with the later information.

Nell                                     
           

[Duncan Bennie]

It is possible that James & Thomas were brothers.  A couple named James & Ruth Stevens baptised the following children in Crondall:
Elizabeth bpt 6 Aug 1796
James bpt 7 Dec 1797
Ruth bap 10 Feb 1799
Robert bp 15 Feb 1801
Thomas bp 18 Apr 1802
Sarah bap 16 Oct 1803
Ann bp 3 Feb 1805
Mary bap  6 Apr 1806                               
Martha bp 1 May 1808
Eliza  bp 11 Mar 1810
Harriott bp 16 Jun 1811
William bap 8 Aug 1813
Sophia bp 19 Nov 1815
John bp 27 Sep 1818
George bp 2 Apr 1820                                     

The baptism date for this Thomas seems to fit quite well with the later information.

Nell                                     
         

Thank you Nell, that looks very promising, James Jr. Had a daughter named Ruth, so it looks like this could be them.

[CaroleW]

I know I said I wouldn't - but I've changed my mind so here's the 1841 entry I mentioned previously

Living in Crondall and guess what - right next door to Thomas & Kezia.  All born in county

James Stevens   43 agric labourer
Elizabeth 40
Julia  15
Susan 14
Sarah  11
Emma  6
James  4
Kezia  2 Months
HO107 Piece 394/5 Folio 9 Page 13

[Duncan Bennie]

Thank you Carol, I have found a few of the extended families baptism records, the fathers are all described as basket makers in the records it seems

[Duncan Bennie]

Hi everyone again, I have appeared to have made some progress with these families, but have hit a few walls again. Forgive me that I will be repeating things that have already been stated here, but I need to put it all together.

James Stevens married Elizabeth Frankum on 23 May 1819 in the All Saints Church in Wokingham in Berkshire.

In Wokingham the couple baptised:

• Edey on 18 Oct 1820
• Jonas on 07 Sep 1823
• July [Julie] on 21 Jul 1825
• Susan on 24 Dec 1826
• Sarah on 03 May 1829

James is listed in the 1820 baptism as being a labourer. The other four baptisms give him as a basket maker which I believe is supposed to imply that he was likely a gypsy?
They were living in Ashridge Wood in 1820, Rose Street from 1823-1826, and near the New Warren in 1829.

The 1841 Census as you have all pointed out before has them living in Crondal in Hampshire. They were living on Itchell Farm.

Only James and the couple's youngest daughter, Kezia (born in 1841) are listed as having been born in Hampshire. I have found the following for the remaining two children:
Stevens, Emma baptised on 20 Mar 1835 James & Eliza   Basket Maker   Wokingham BRK
Stevens, James baptised on   11 Feb 1837 James & Elizabeth   Basket Maker   Wokingham BRK

James Stevens' brother, Thomas Stevens also married in Wokingham. He married Kezia Frankum on 27 March 1824 in the All Saints Church. Kezia was baptised on 01 Apr 1804 in the All Saints Church in Wokingham. She was the daughter of John Frankum and Susannah Lane who were married on 21 January 1786 in Tilehurst in Berkshire. She apparently had siblings who were born in Wiltshire and Hampshire. I have not been able to establish if Elizabeth Frankum is related and if so, how, to Kezia. Elizabeth is given as being 40 in 1841 Census.

Now while the age is not necessarily correct, there was an Elizabeth Frankom who was baptised on 04 Oct 1801 in Overton, Hampshire to a John and Susannah. She is listed in the 1841 census as not having been born in Hampshire though. It is possible that she believed that she was born outside of Hampshire or that she was just baptised in Hampshire, but I do not know how much weight should be given to that idea.

The couple either died before 1851 or left for the Cape Colony with their children. Their daughter Susan married James Mileham on 27 Dec 1846 in Crookham Cum Ewshott (He was also residing on Itchell Farm in 1841) while the couple's son, James, married Ellen Hill on 22 May 1860 in St Mark's Cathedral in George in the Cape Colony. She was residing with her parents on Itchell Farm in 1841 and emigrated with them before 1851.

Ellen Hill's mother. Ellen nee Barnett is stated in the 1841 census to have not been born in Hampshire so I believe she will forever be a dead end.

If anyone can point out any mistakes I might have made with my conclusions or have any hints on how to progress any further with these lines, it would be much appreciated.

Kind regards,

Duncan