James Loveridge and Margaret Parker

[peggysmum]

Hello. hoping for a bit of help. My 3 xg granny Margaret parker has been a bit of a mystery to me. I have been told about her via her son's granddaughter. She was known as peg leg as she was disabled and walked with a crutch. She mostly traveled around the bedfordshire, herts area. I have been unable to find her on any census record and only had her on birth certificates of 2 of her known children Eliza my 2 xgg and solomon her brother. The other children as far as i was aware were Leonard known as Lemi, Mariah,Margaret, Lena and Fanny. I have not been able to find birth regs for any of those. I think Lemi might be a Lemuel parker bn 1875, herts. He uses the name Leonard when he gets married in 1898 to Lemontina Draper but when he passes away he is registered as Lemi Loveridge Parker. I had no idea who the father was. Well i had a brilliant discovery last weekend a newspaper article. I am certain it is my granny peg leg, so i know now she had 2 more children Jane and Elisha and her chap James Loveridge aged 60 in this article, dated 1873. I have had a good look for the family under loveridge, parker, smith under there first names i have looked in villages and towns i know she was in. She died and is buried in Stotfold so i checked there in 01 but no. I have looked just for James but still nothing. There is a possible James who was born in 1813 in Bucks and who died in 1881 in beds. I ordered the death cert and it came today. Unfortunately he died in the work house in Ampthill, Beds so death reported by the master. Very annoying. Is there anyway i can find any more out about him in the workhouse. Perhaps the names of any family.
I have looked for a possible James bn in bucks in 1813 and there is one, the son of Henry Loveridge and Ann Halford. He is shown in the Rtfhs Loveridge fam tree book as having a partner Maria Loveridge his cousin. They had 4 children Milly 1837-1847, Henry 1840, Mirena 1845-1847 and phalender 1851. Ive tried to look for this family on the census and nothing, ive tried to look for Marie maybe dieing but nothing. Im not saying it is the same James but i have to wander 3 of those kids are born and buried in Beds.
So has anyone got any thoughts, or do they know anything about the James son of Henry and Ann. Could he be my James.
What could i try next to find them. his family are driving me potty how they manage to avoid every census. I have Solomon, Eliza, Mariah and Lemi from 01 to 11 but nothing sooner. I dont have anything on Fanny, Elisha or Margaret.
thanks Tracey

[kaziah]

Hi Tracey,
Could the Lena Loveridge be an Angelina??
Do you remember that Comfort and Alf baptised a child jointly with an Angelina - I was wondering if it could be a Loveridge family name...

I have found a Solomon Loveridge living in the same time frame as James Loveridge, he appears to have a disability too.  I will look around for more on him too.

There was a significant ages difference between James Loverage and Peggy "the Leg" Parker.  Perhaps James had had a partner before...

Have you looked back in Alf's tree to see if anyone fits the profile.  The Loverage tree book is about the only one I don't have.  Think I'll get it.

Have you been able to bring any of Peggy's children forward other that Eliza, Lemi and Solomon?
Kazi

[peggysmum]

HI Kaziah thanks for replying, i was beginning to think these are just to hard. I know Mariah partnered John Loveridge and they had a lot of children. They are next door to solomon as James and his partner Florabella and her brother Sylvanus and mirena in Markyate in the 01 census. fanny i think died in about 1931 in essex and her partner was a joseph smith. they had 4 sons. Elisha i think i have a death record for 1932 but i would have to order the cert. i have found nothing on him or jane, margaret or fanny in the census. Lena i have no idea about i only know there was a lena. she could be selina or carolina or indeed angelina, i do remember kotg posting a record John and Angelina but ive never been able to find more about them.
Alfred doesnt seem to have had a brother called James , he would be a lot older anyway. Ive had a good look and i just can not found him in the census at any point. I have looked and looked i just can not find anything more. I seem to have one step forward and twenty back with my family.I would be so very grateful if anyone had any suggestions. thanks Tracey

[kaziah]

Hi
I thing that death for Eliash Loveridge isn't our one. I think I saw a newspaper article. Would need to check it out again.
Isn't Sylvanus also linked with Despair Loveridge?
I can't believe they dodge EVERY census. Even my Smiths didn't manage that. And they left a good newspaper trail...!!!
Will poke around the paper again.  My logic is that the family kept close and a lot of "intermarrying"  was still done...  The answers is out there.  If we all share out thought or suggestions we should be able to crack it.
Kazi

[stevew101]

There was a lane between Norton (Stotfold) and Baldock which was used by travellers frequently during the period that you are looking for.  It was just known as "The Lane" or sometimes Gypsy Lane".  Those staying there would frequently visit the houses in Norton End, Baldock, selling pegs and lucky heather.
It was an area frequented by the well known gypsy Bartholomew Smith and his wife Susan Lee.  (Susan was my 1st Cousin 4x removed)
Not sure if it helps but there are still Loveridge families in the Baldock area.  When you seach for Loveridge names in Baldock during the period you are looking at, some come up as registered in the Hitchin District which covered Baldock.  Not found your names though.
Cant seem to find any Loveridges in Stotfold.

The lane was in the Parish of Norton (Just down the road from Stotfold).
Do you know which area the newspaper article is from? and have you searched Court cases on Bedfordshire Archives?

Steve

[peggysmum]

The death regi in1932 is for Elijah Parker not loveridge. Sylvannus is the brother of florabella and my great grandad stevie. The children of Henry Loveridge and sarah smith. Myrenna is a daug of Nelson parker aka Israel draper and Naomi smith. there youngest dau married Lemi.
The only thing i can think is they were either expert and dodging any officials or there names are just spelt wrong or totaly different. I wouldnt have found Lemi in 1911 if it wasnt for the names of his kids . I looked for them and found all four with a James Parker and Emily. I guess maybe Emily was described as emmie or lemmy which is what she was called and the old enumerator put down Emily. James well i dont know maybe he was in a hidey mood.
Stevew. the article above was in the Bedfordshire times and Independant. I found another version of the same story which is slightly different i shall post that. I think i have found a couple of cases for James on the beds gaol site where he is charged with vagrancy and been imprisoned. I will be looking at paying for some research in the beds archives. I cant get there myself as im disabled and dont live nr beds. i will check the census for those areas. I have looked at a few villages around ampthill for the 81 to see if they are about. He died on 22nd april 1881 census was 3/4 april. He had emphysema and if she was with him she was disabled so i dont think they could have been to far away from ampthill.

[stevew101]

There is a James Loveridge who was commited to 21 days hard labour in 1879 for vagrancy.

http://apps.bedfordshire.gov.uk/grd/results.aspx

Steve

[peggysmum]

yes that is one of the ones i found. the age and area would fit with my chap.