Stephen Halstead (born around 1835) puzzle

[LizzieL]

There is a 4 year old Stephen Halstead in the household of George and Elizabeth Halstead at Thorp, Halifax in 1841. The children are listed in descending order, except that Stephen is listed below a 3 year old child so might not be their son.

[Deirdre784]

Thanks Lizzie, given that i'd found nothing, that looks promising. Will have a look at home later.

Thank you 

[LizzieL]

It might be the wrong one. I have the family in 1851 and Stephen is listed as son and 10 years old. If same Stephen it may be that he was supposed to be recorded as 4 months not 4 years in 1841 and that would make sense him being below his 3 year old sister. That matches with a birth reg in Q4 1840 in Todmorden district. Several of the older children of George and Elizabeth were baptised in Heptonstall which is in Todmorden reg district.

see correction above

[LizzieL]

I can trace this Stephen through censuses up to 1901, he marries an Emma and is a joiner, builder and later an undertaker as well, so it looks like he's definitely a different Stephen.

[LizzieL]

Can't find a marriage for Stephen and Emma.  wonder if it is the same Stephen after all and he left Elizabeth in 1866ish and moved in with Emma.

[Deirdre784]

Thanks Lizzie, you've been busy. Will have a good look at your posts tonight 

[Deirdre784]

Can't find a marriage for Stephen and Emma.  wonder if it is the same Stephen after all and he left Elizabeth in 1866ish and moved in with Emma.

Just found a marriage for a Stephen Halstead and Emma Fielden in Todmorden, Q3 1863.

[Deirdre784]

Hi Lizzie, looks like this Stephen died in 1908 and Emma in 1911, but her 1911 census says married 45 years with 13 children.

I guess it has to be a different Stephen, esp as the marriage to Emma was before 'my' Stephen's marriage to Elizabeth, where he says he's a bachelor, and doesn't name his father (though it could all be a lie I suppose!). But in roughly the same area would be a bit risky.....

[Deirdre784]

I've found Stephen's baptism    On 6 March 1836 at St Mary's, Elland, son of Sarah Holstead, spinster.

In 1841 he's living with his mother, her husband (William Hill), her parents and siblings, and another child John Holstead (aged 3, also baptised at Elland as son of Sarah, spinster), at Elland with Greetland.

In 1851 Stephen is with his mother, stepfather and brother (in Elland with Greetland), and in 1861 he's with his mother and stepfather - but listed as Stephen Hill, son.

Still no sign of Stephen after his marriage, and a few other puzzles... another son Joe, presumably a twin to Walter, born and died MarQ 1865, not baptised with Walter so maybe died very soon after birth. 

William Hill Halstead, born DecQ 1870, with his mother in 1881 but not found afterwards. But there is a death of a William Henry Halstead in Halifax, in the JunQ 1881 which could be him  . I guess the 'Hill' could be a reference to Stephen's step-father 

Another twist is that on his marriage (20 Oct 1888, St Matthew's Rastrick) John Richard Wood, Betty's son before she married Stephen, lists Stephen Halstead Wood, woollen engineer, as his father, though this has been crossed out. Wondering whether John said Stephen Halstead when asked but the vicar added Wood as that was John's surname.... If Stephen was his father though, it ties in with the 1911 entry for Betty, 6 children born, 3 have died. 

So if the children (born 1862 to 1870) are all Stephen's, then maybe he did go to America at that stage, which would explain why he's not on the 1871, 1881, 1891 or 1901 censuses, and it is only in 1911 that Betty has the opportunity to say where he is (and he's described as deceased on Joseph Edgar's marriage on 31 Aug 1912 at Rastrick).