Ada Bunch (b. 1880) - potential black ancestor?

[singerjess]

Hello all!

This is a photo of a lady named Ada Bunch. My detective work leads me to believe she was born in 1880 in Aston to Benjamin Bunch (1846-1925) and Clarinda 'Clara' Price (1846-1885). She married Howard Knight (b. 1877) in Aston in 1900 and I'm tracing her through the line of her daughter, Joan Mary Knight (b. 1938). Her great-granddaughter is convinced there must be a black ancestor in Ada's history due to the way she looks (especially her hair! We're sure that's afro hair) and that fact that her father suffers from health issues relating only to those of an Afro/Carribbean descent. Both my friend and her father appear completely caucasian.

I'm currently tracing her on Ancestry with the username 1_headlamp so if anyone spots that public tree, it's mine

Any help would be greatly appreciated - even if it's just an opinion on whether her hair is afro or not!

[Pennines]

What a beautiful photograph!

It isn't only her hair which looks Afro-caribbean to me. It's also her features, especially her mouth. Have you traced both parents back through census records to discover if they are there on all of them?

[singerjess]

I know, she's stunning! I thought that about her mouth and her nose slightly too... Very exciting!

So Benjamin Bunch (1846-1925) appears on all census' from 1851 and I'm pretty sure that his parents are William Bunch (1909-1869 born in Dudley) and Catherine (b.1909 in Dudley). He was born in Dudley and lived in Birmingham/Aston in most of the census'.

Clarinda 'Clara' Price (b. 1846) appears from 1851 too and I think he parents are Joseph Price (b. 1811 in Exeter, Devon) and Caroline/Catherine (b. 1814 in Droitwich). She was born in St Andrew's Droitwich and moved to Warwickshire when they got married in 1870.

I have them living in Lancashire in the 1871 census which is the only anomaly to their Midlands life!. So both parents are traceable via census. Will it say in parish registers if someone was black or not? I'm guessing that's my next move?

[Pennines]

I do remember seeing a comment on a baptism record to the effect that a child was black --- but I can't remember when or why I saw this! (Useless aren't I !) However I don't think it was custom and practice to do so.

My initial 'thoughts' are of Caribbean slaves coming over here --- or the child of a soldier who had married abroad. Trouble is - if the line tracks back to a slave - they didn't initially have surnames and took the names of their masters, or even the captain of the ship on which they came over.

In addition -- we don't know which side of the family, or which generation this foreign ancestry may have come from - I think all you can do is trace backwards, as you would with any family research. You could also try the on line newspapers as you go - just to see if any of the names crop up and whether there are any clues there.

I hope someone can help more than I can - and have better ideas.

Good Luck -- she was a beautiful lady and it's a fascinating case.

[jaywit]

My first thoughts would be to try and follow up the link to Devon.

This is a history of black people in Devon, be warned it's long.

http://www.blacknetworkinggroup.org/75/

[singerjess]

Oh that's interesting that there was a note... hopefully I'll get something as obvious (if only it were that easy all the time!!)

Yes, we were wondering if it might lead back to slavery, but I hadn't thought about the child of a soldier - would that be common practice for a British soldier to bring a black wife and child home?

I searched Birmingham newspapers for Ada and her parent's generation but I'll definitely branch out some more. As for working backwards I was afraid someone might say that! 

That's a good shout for Devon, I didn't realise that there was a history there. I'll definitely follow that up. I'm trying to get my friend to do a DNA test so we can see where abouts her ancestor came from and then I can narrow down ships logs and slavery registers.

Thanks both, I'll keep you updated and I look forward to hearing more ideas!!

[singerjess]

I'm having some trouble finding Joseph Price (b. 1811) on the 1841 census... I've found a potential entry his wife Caroline/Catherine and two eldest daughters Jane and Ann Maria (down as Mary) living together, but nothing concrete. I'm also searching for any kind of marriage record and well as baptism records of his kids: Jane (b. 1837), Ann Maria (b. 1839), Daniel (b. 1843), Clarinda (b. 1846), William (b. 1849) and Thomas (b. 1855). If anyone can point me in the right direction I can start narrowing down parishes to search!

[Pennines]

Haven't time to look properly at the moment - but Clarinda baptised 2/2/1846 Dodderhill, Worcestershire - parents Joseph and Caroline.

Sadly this is only a trnscription so no real details.
Will search more later.

[jaywit]

Possible baptism for Joseph Price.

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N1L8-NFH