Hi all,
I need a push in the right direction...
Windmill Street is haunting me.
My 4th great-grandfather, James Henderson, son of James and Ann Henderson, was born in December 1810 in Windmill Street, st James Westminster. He was baptised in the Anglican church on January 20th 1811, at the church of St James Piccadilly.
We have already established in a previous thread that the James Henderson who died on Windmill Street in 1822 was *not* his father, as it is a different Windmill Street in St Pancras, not St James, and there is no mention of a wife or any children in that will.
Through witnesses at marriages, the census records etc, I know my 4th ggfather had 2 brothers, George and Thomas. With some certainty (but not 100%... just based on same name of parents, same baptism place, and fitting dates), I could add to those brothers John and William, and sister Elizabeth.
During my search, however, I came across another couple James and Ann Henderson. Just like my ggparents, they were tailors. They had two children: George Rae Henderson (1810) and James Henderson (1813), both baptised into the Scottish Church at Swallow Street. This couple seems to be James Henderson and Ann Rae from Edinburgh. They had several children in Edinburgh between 1800 and 1808. I an almost sure they then moved to London and had George Rae and James there, as at least one of their Edinburgh daughters (Grisel Rae) got married in London, and the dates add up nicely.
Now, the haunting thing... Their first London child, George Rae, was born in... Windmill Street, St James Westminster!
Could anyone tell me more about this Windmill Street? Was it a particularly popular street among Scottish tailors? Is it a mere coincidence? Or should I be looking into the possibility that the James and Ann from Edinburgh are actually related to the ones from London? Maybe they are cousins and Edinburgh James came to stay with his cousin after arriving in London - having a pregnant wife - while looking for his own place? The second son, James, was born at another address.
As far as I know, London James was also born in St James Westminster, but his (probable) father Michael Henderson is a mystery. If it is probable/possible that both James' are related, that might give me a hint as to where Michael came from. His first mention is 2 years before his second marriage, in St James. At his 2nd marriage he was a widower. Nothing on his birth place. As in 1776 he was at his second marriage, he was most probably born before 1750 and was already dead in 1841 at the first census.
Any tips or hints are welcome!
Regards,
Tom
ADDITION:
My first thaught was that I was mistaken in James' parents, and maybe my 4th gg-father was actually the James born from the Edinburgh James & Ann. But that would mean a big mystery concerning his brothers George and Thomas. Edinburgh James & Ann never had a son called Thomas, and George (my 4th gg-uncle) and George Rae are definitely not the same person, as they married different people and are both present on the census.
Also: the cencus state consistently that my James was born around 1811, which fits better with the 1810 date than the 1813 date. One census also specifies Windmill Street as his birth place, while in the Edinburgh family son James was born on Panton Square, it was his brother George Rae who was born on Windmill Street 3 years earlier. So that doesn't quite fit either.
So I am quite sure they are 2 different James'.
