Looking for Susannah STEPHENS in Maker

[British Kiwi]

Hi
I was going through some records I have for the STEPHENS part of my family and realised that there are records that don't look quite right and I was hoping for some help. Sorry if this seems a bit longwinded. I have been going over things to make sure I haven't gone wrong later on.

My great x 2 grandfather is William John PHILLIPS b. 13 Dec 1940 in Whitstable. His birth certificate shows his mother as being Susannah PHILIPS formerly STEPHENS. Father is Thomas PHILLIPS Coastguard.

The marriage certificate for Thomas and Susannah shows her name as Susanna STEPHENS and a spinster and her father is Richard STEPHENS in the Coastguard Service. Both Thomas and Susannah are resident in Swalecliffe Kent 17 May 1839.

The 1841 census has been destroyed, but the 1851-1881 gives her year of birth as approximately 1817 to 1881. They all say Devon and either Kingstone, Kingsland or Maker. All the parish records I can find seem to based in Cornwall.

I don't have any censuses with Susannah with her parents, but I have census for 1851 which shows Richard and his wife Catherine. There is also a visitor William John PHILLIPS, so pretty happy that this is her parents.

I then tried looking for both her parents marriage and her baptism and this is where things get confusing.

The marriage looks like it should be 1821 in St Clement. I have found a few family trees that have that and shows the mother is Catherine KESSELL. However, the marriage is after Susannah's birth. I have found baptism records for the siblings showing Richard and Catherine STEPHENS and I believe the locations match his locations for the coastguards (using ADM 175), however, I couldn't find Susannah.

I did find a Susannah STEPHENS which matched one of the census, but the parents are Edward and Mary STEPHENS. I did wonder if they died and Richard adopted, but I think I have found them in a census too.

I also found a Susannah PHILLIPS which also matched one of the census year of 1817, but parents are Nicolas and Mary PHILLIPS.

I have tried to see if there was a previous marriage for Richard Stephens and also looking for Susannah KESSELL but no luck.

Any help would be greatful!

[PaulineJ]

Bit muddled in the century there.

So My great x 2 grandfather is William John PHILLIPS b. 13 Dec 1940 in Whitstable (1840)?
Parent's marriage was Swalecliffe Kent 17 May 1839? (what names witness?)

As you say, 1841 Swalecliffe census is missing...

what's the reference for the 1851 census for susanna's parents?

This one? https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SGLX-WS4

adelaide's baptism. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JQWY-1RK

[PaulineJ]

Tracking other 1851 kids.

Mary Ann Stephens    10 Oct 1824 Lanteglos-by-Fowey, Cornwall, England
Julia Eliza Stephens 7 January 1827   Lanteglos-by-Fowey, Cornwall, England
Jemima Stephens    7 January 1827   Lanteglos-by-Fowey, Cornwall, England

wondering from census if  they were covering their bases with jemima

Name   Jammia Stephens Birth Date   27 Oct 1822 Father   Richard Stephens

Christening Date   10 Apr 1823   WESLEYAN METHODIST, LISKEARD CIRCUIT, CORNWALL

[PaulineJ]

The 1821 marriage?
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NFZC-SLM

indexed as    Richard Stephens to    Catherine Kepsoll

Name   Richard Stephens  to Catherine Mc Intire
Event Date   23 Oct 1814 @ Stoke Damerel, Devon,England

[British Kiwi]

Bit muddled in the century there.

So My great x 2 grandfather is William John PHILLIPS b. 13 Dec 1940 in Whitstable (1840)?
Parent's marriage was Swalecliffe Kent 17 May 1839? (what names witness?)

As you say, 1841 Swalecliffe census is missing...

what's the reference for the 1851 census for susanna's parents?

This one? https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SGLX-WS4

adelaide's baptism. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JQWY-1RK

Oops, yes very muddled. Brain is a little frazzled. It's evening here in Melbourne so think my brain has gone to sleep!
It was 1841 and both of those references are right.

I am going through properly Richard's records for the coastguard to make sure they match all the baptism records I have, but they don't cover 1817.  As in, he wasn't in the coastguard then.

[British Kiwi]

The 1821 marriage?
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NFZC-SLM

indexed as    Richard Stephens to    Catherine Kepsoll

Name   Richard Stephens  to Catherine Mc Intire
Event Date   23 Oct 1814  @ Stoke Damerel, Devon,England

I think this is it. I found it on the Pallot's marriage index, but unfortunately i didn't download it and now I've run out of Ancestry subscription so need to go to the library to get a copy. But there are a few member trees that includes Kessell as her name. I'm just trying to find another record.

[British Kiwi]

The 1821 marriage?
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NFZC-SLM

indexed as    Richard Stephens to    Catherine Kepsoll

Name   Richard Stephens  to Catherine Mc Intire
Event Date   23 Oct 1814  @ Stoke Damerel, Devon,England

I think this is it. I found it on the Pallot's marriage index, but unfortunately i didn't download it and now I've run out of Ancestry subscription so need to go to the library to get a copy. But there are a few member trees that includes Kessell as her name. I'm just trying to find another record.

Okay found it. It's
First name(s)   RICHARD
Last name   STEPHENS
Birth year   -
Marriage year   1821
Marriage date   14 Jan 1821
Parish   St Clement
Place   ST CLEMENT
Groom's first name(s)   Richard
Groom's last name   STEPHENS
Bride's first name(s)   Catharine
Bride's last name   KESSELL
County   Cornwall
Country   England
Record set   Cornwall Marriages
Category   Life Events (BDMs)
Subcategory   Parish Marriages
Collections from   England, United Kingdom

But no idea what is right.

[PaulineJ]

can you relate his coastguard records?

[British Kiwi]

So far they match, but I got so far and then need to download them and I'm having issues. Just waiting on the National Archives to get back to me.