George and Mary Francis - married and disappeared

[Annette7]

Eldest son William - said to have been born ca.1861 - thought he was the John William Francis  birth Mar.1861 Poole but this child was the son of a Charles so can't locate his birth - and George's birth registered Dec.1863 Poole.   Looks like Mary probably died due to childbirth as a Mary Francis death registered Dec.1863 Poole.

Annette

[dragonlady403]

Ok that would work in terms of dates.  Looks like my next step is to get a BC for one of the kids to identify the mother's maiden name. 

Unfortunately it would also give me a dead end re finding out how a 6 year old ended up (with no parents) in NZ.

Thanks:)

[keyboard86]

Hi the John William birth looks to be for another family aged 4 months as John Wm Francis RG09/1341/34/18
Keyboard86

  Apologies did not spot the extra post by Annette!

[dragonlady403]

Yes the issue I am having is there are George Francis's who fit the age and timeline, but the children have the wrong mothers of the children i.e. Sarah, Charlotte and Edith (checking baptisms for Dorset).

[Annette7]

Clearly George wasn't prepared to take on this child - as I think the child was born 1856 it's more than likely he was placed with the Parstoe family sometime between his birth and 1861 as, having been deserted by childs father his mother would have needed to work to support herself.   

I'm guessing the parish authorities decided young Godfrey was a 'drain' to resources and effectively an orphan with his natural father having absconded and his mother dying in 1863 so became one of the many youngsters who got sent overseas.   Seems unbelievable to us now but sadly that's what they often used to do.   The Parstoe family would only have kept Godfrey if he was supported either by Mary or the parish and after her death it seems the parish no longer wished to do so.  Harsh times!

Annette   

Ps I cannot locate Mary Francis at all in 1861 - presumably having just given/about to give birth to William.

[Annette7]

As already posted by keyboard86, George (shown as married) was with his father in 1861 but heaven knows where Mary was as I just can't find her.

Annette

[dragonlady403]

Yes it's been a VERY long haul with this family and they certainly "endured" in order to survive. 

While, over the past two years researching them I have managed to obtain a fair bit about the Reece family, Mary just seems to "drop off the map" after her marriage to George Francis.  I know for sure it is the correct woman on the marriage cert because the names are correct, as is her father's name and occupation.

There must be some record of the woman somewhere???!

It also appears, as you said Annette, that the new husband wasn't willing to take on the boy.  But one would have thought someone in her extended family would.  They were fairly "stable" relative to a lot of people in the day.  I have checked various siblings of Mary's to see if I can find Godfrey's early life through them - but no luck.

I am recently arrived in the UK and last month drove to Glos Archives and visited the GFHS to see if I could find out anything more ... but that wasn't fruitful unfortunately, so I keep picking away at it.

I have conducted fairly extensive research in NZ on the boy but there is definitely a gap between 6 years and 22yrs old.

Mind you on the plus side--- I was over the moon yesterday when a very kind Rootschatter managed to find a photo of Godfrey Reece!.  I only recently discovered he worked as a tram driver in Dunedin NZ and through RC requested info about the transit system and a day later they turned up with a photo of him:)  I mean really, how fantastic is that    Keeps me motivated.


Regards, Carol

[Capetown]

re: 1861 census with George FRANCIS aged 25 (c1836) born Shillingstone and father John


http://www.opcdorset.org

Under Shillingstone  (had a quick look)

Children of John (labourer) & Grace FRANCIS - residence: Edward Acton

2 Dec 1827 : Morgan
39 Augst 1829 : William
2 January 1831 : Jane
20 October 1833 : Henry
7 February 1836 : George


and also John & Grace marriage is on there i.e.

21 March 1826, John FRANCIS of Shillingstone and Grace HART - of Shillingstone, married by Banns

witnesses: Richard HART, Amey HART and Charles PAYNE


----

This record is held by the Dorset History Centre

Settlement examination, with notes, of John FRANCIS, labourer, 4 May 1829; brief, opinions, sessions orders draft indictment, and other papers concerning the removal of John FRANCIS, his wife Grace, and their seven children from Shillinstone to Fifehead Magdalen, 1845; also papers, including examinations, concerning removal of his son William FRANCIS from St James' Poole to Shillingstone 1854.

[Annette7]

You are only missing Mary on the 1861 census - she died 2 years later!   Unfortunately, people did get missed off the census - they moved house a lot in those days and if in the process of moving can but be omitted by the enumerator from the house they are leaving and not picked up by the enumerator at their new abode.  Since both their children are said to have been born in Poole, George was in Poole with his father, one would expect her to be there too.   It's possible, as she had no family in the area, that she had to go into the workhouse to have her baby and could possibly be listed there under initials only.   I'm clutching at straws here but all scenarios are possible.

Sometimes people are 'missing' from a census purely through mistranscription of a surname but sometimes they really have been missed for whatever reason. 

Annette