Westbury Family

[BAC3]

Hello,

The Westbury Family is fully documented by the 1841 England Census: HO107/604/3/38, p.28.

The difficulty arises in that, apart from the criminal activities of both the father, John, and son, George, in the 1840's and 1850's, and their respective releases from prison in 1852 and 1857, I cannot track the family down, say from 1861 onwards.   Possibly they migrated?  Can anyone help please?

Thank you

BAC3

[lizdb]

Is this the family we are talking about?

Main Street, Thurmaston
John 35 Lock M  Y
Elizabeth 30 Y
John 12  Y
William 9   Y
James 6  Y
MAry 4 Y
Johannah 1 Y

You imply you have them in 1851? Can you give us a transcriot of who is there then, and where they are?

[lizdb]

Here is son John in 1851

17 Goodacre Rd Leicester
John Westbury 23 framework knitter bn Thormaston
Elizabeth wife 22 bn Thorm.
Ann 2 bn St MArgarets Leicester

[lizdb]

And here is the main family.  Apart from going to prison they have been busy having more children

1851
South Thurmaston
John Westbury 46 bn East Hilton
Elizabeth 44 bn Thurmaston South
William 18
James 16
Hannah 14
Theodocia 9
Elizabeth 6
Eliza 3
Henry 3 mths

[BAC3]

lizdb,

Thank you for that piece of research but, unfortunately, not the WESTBURY family in the 1841 Census that I gave the reference for:

John 30;
Sophia 35;
Sarah 9;
George 7;
Harriott 5;
Charlott 3: and
Eliza 2 months.

Possibly I should have mentioned that a descendant of the family I have been corresponding with is also having difficulty unearthing them in later years

BAC3

[lizdb]

This looks possibly like them in 1851, if Sophia remarried

1851
East Goscote Street
Sophia Mason 44 married  Domestic bn Lyston Leicestershire
Sarah Ann Westby 18 Warehousewoman bn Mount Sorrel
Harriet Westby 14 Glove stitcher bn Lyston
Charlotte Westby 12   bn St MArgarets Leicester
Morris Mason 12 bn St MArys Leicester

I cant see a marriage for Sophia to a MAson, but maybe Mr Westbury was still alive and she wasn't free to remarry, but had left him due to his criminal activities.

[BAC3]

A remarkable piece of research........thank you.   However, it throws up much to discuss.

John, Sophia's husband she married 1829 was, according to criminal records, still alive on 09/03/1852 when he was released from Shorncliff Barracks in Chatham.   Divorce was not easily obtained then (Act of Parliament required if my history serves me right!!!).   Possibly she just left her husband, who had actually spent 8 years in prison since they were married, and adopted the Mason name??  Or she committed bigamy??  The Westbury girls, with slightly different spellings, complete the profile, given that George the second eldest child was still in prison.

I wonder what response the descendant I have been in correspondence with will say about this development

BAC3

[lizdb]

As I said, I couldn't see a marriage to Mason, so suggested that maybe she hadn't actually married him. Shame he isn't at home on census night to get a first name. And I haven't successfully found Morris (who presumably is Mr Masons son from a previous marriage/relationship) on 1841 to find his parents.

[Bunnygirl]

Hi
Don't know if you already have this, but here is the marriage taken from Leicester Marriages cd
Rothley 12 January 1829 by Banns
John Westbury of this parish & Sophia Needham of Syston.
Rothley Parish Register has the witnesses Isaac Preston (Churchwarden) & Thomas Palmer.

Mountsorrel Parish Register  has this burial
18 August 1830 John Westbury Infant 

Syston Parish Register has this baptism
Sophia Needham 24 May 1807 parents John & Sarah

Regards
Bunnygirl