Wife and children of William Lightfoot - Bedford

[Lexi73]

Dear all,
I've come up to a little brick wall and was hoping you could help me break it down.

It's about my ancestor's brother William Lightfoot. He was born (well, baptised) in Clapham in 1772 as William Foot, son of John and Elizabeth Foot. His siblings were also baptised as Foot, between 1763 and 1782. From about 1790 onwards, however, his siblings start marrying under the name Lightfoot. But that's another story and another thread.

In the 1841 and 1851 census William Lightfoot is still alive, and living with some of his children in Bedford. In the 1841 census his name is misread as Lightford, but he is living with two young Lightfoots, John (20) and Jane (15).
In the 1851 census son John has meanwhile gone off to start his own family, while William (aged about 82, and once again misread as Lightford) is living with daughter Jane (28) and her young son (Daniel) William (5).
William may also have had another son, Daniel, born around 1818, who names his son the same as Jane does (Daniel William or William Daniel). There seems to have been close contact between the branches of this family, as one Daniel William ends up taking care of the orphaned son of the other Daniel William (cousins) in the 1891 census.

But for the life of me I can't seem to trace down any marriage for William nor births/baptisms for any of his children. It also struck me that he would have been quite old when he fathered the above three, so there might even have been more children and these three were the last ones. Or these were children of a second marriage? As I said, it is quite a brick wall...

Perhaps anyone here can help? Who was William married to? Who was the mother of Daniel, John and Jane? Were there more siblings?

Any help welcome! Thanks very much in advance!
Regards,
Lexi.

[avm228]

What do census entries tell you about birthplaces for Daniel, John and Jane?

[amondg]

Ref:1851 census daughter Jane born St Paul's Bedford.

Found on ancestry
Joseph baptized St Paul's 30 August 1825 son of William and Phoebe, died/buried 3 September 1825
cannot see original entry recorded as death date.
Joseph baptized St Paul's 10 December 1825 son of William and Phoebe.

[amondg]

Familysearch Possibilities
William Foot married Phoebe Odell, 24 January 1808 at Clophill, Bedford.

William son of William Foot and Phoebe bap 6 June 1809 Maulden, Bedford

[bedfordshire boy]

The transcript fiches show the marriage date as 24 Jan 1808 but it's the last entry in 1808 ie out of date order, and the comment is that it was probably 1809.  There's no other detail in the Maulden register for the 1809 baptism.

David

[bedfordshire boy]

Jane and Ann, daughters of William and Phoebe, were baptised at St Paul Bedford as FUTT - per the IGI at www.familysearch.org

[bedfordshire boy]

Joseph baptized St Paul's 30 August 1825 son of William and Phoebe, died/buried 3 September 1825
Joseph baptized St Paul's 10 December 1825 son of William and Phoebe.

As the second Joseph was baptised only 3+ months after the baptism of the first Joseph, who must have been at least 6 months old on his baptism at the end of August,  it seems to show that they were pretty lax about baptising their children, which is perhaps why baptisms for John and Daniel haven't been found.

[bedfordshire boy]

William may also have had another son, Daniel, born around 1818,

It's only the 1851 census which implies an 1818 birth. As it appears he was with a second wife I think he may have been hiding his true age, which was probably around 1814.

[johnP-bedford]

Bedford St Cuthbert's marriage on 12 Oct 1847 of Daniel Lightfoot, widower, aged 31 bricklayer; father William Lightfoot, mason.... to Ann Brooks aged 24, father William Brooks

Also at St Cuthberts, marriage 16 Feb 1848 of John Lightfoot age 28 labourer, father William Lightfoot, bricklayer... to Ann Flora Johnson age 23

Burial Bedford St Cuthberts 23 Apr 1830 of Phoebe FOOT age 47