HYAM / HYAMS - Plumstead, Kent 1890 onwards

[chempat]

Just to point out that you can now look for Hyam/Robinson births in the GRO index, as they are now showing mother's maiden name pre-1911.

https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/indexes_search.asp

However, free bmd has Charles as birth with Charles not Charlie  (as does GRO index).

[Linda]

Hi Sharon
Yes, I am the grand-daughter of Albert Edward, brother of Charles.  Their father, Thomas Hyam, has been a nightmare to research. He seemingly appeared out of nowhere in 1890 upon his marriage to Emma Jane Robinson. I believe I found him by process of elimination but no documented proof. 

[Linda]

Thank you chempat for the useful link.

I believe father of my Albert, and apparently Sharon's Charles, may actually be Cornelius Thomas Craddock Hyam, birth registered in 1855 Sept Qtr in Thetford. 

Cornelius was known as Thomas in some records, his father was a publican as was father of our Thomas, and he most certainly had good reason to hide his real identity upon the marriage to Emma, if indeed this was the same person.

Thomas (Cornelius) magically disappeared in the 1880's (he was incarcerated and never reappeared, but no death record found), and "our" Thomas fell out of the sky in 1890 with no previous records found.

I realize that is not proof but have spent an insane amount of time trying to find information with the help of some very serious researchers, and eventually decided to move on to something else.

[Sharon S]

Hi Linda

After reading your last post I dug around a bit more and although not certain, I am pretty sure that our great grandfather Thomas was not Cornelius.
Cornelius came from Brandon Suffolk and was born I think 1855 and his father was a Cornelius Hyam.
Our great grandfather Thomas was born in 1856 and as we know his father was Charles Hyam and his mother was Elizabeth nee Piggott.
Now I have found that Charles and Elizabeth lived in Middlesex for a time, and there is a Thomas Hyam birth rrecorded in 1856 in Middlesex. 
See if you can find this one.
Sharon

[Sharon S]

Hi Linda

I just found that in 1861 Charles and
Elizabeth Hyam lived in Kensal Green, Willesden, Middlesex, England.

Sharon

[Linda]

Hi Sharon

How did you find the mother's name and birth year of our Thomas? Do you have his birth certificate? I looked in the GRO birth index for 1856 and found no Thomas Hyam.  Was his last name spelled differently in his birth record?

In 1861 census, Charles and Elizabeth that you mention have no children with them.
I found the same Charles and Elizabeth in 1871 census, still no children with them.
Charles was a labourer in both records, not a publican.
How did you manage to connect our Thomas to this couple?
Did you find our Thomas in any census before 1891?

[Annette7]

I think I agree with you, Linda - in 1861 the family are in Brandon - transcribed as Hyson on FindMyPast, and Hysom on Ancestry - where Cornelius senior is Inn Keeper of the Bell Inn, Cornelius the younger listed as plain Thomas.

Cornelius Hyam, widower, Brewer, married Jane Craddock 1854 St. Geo.Han.Sq., London - he states his father as Charles Hyam, Gun Flint Maker

Cornelius senior died at Brandon in 1870.

I noted some trees have Cornelius as son of a Joseph but this is incorrect.

Familysearch shows Cornelius Higham bp.19/7/1812 Brandon, son of Charles and Susan plus siblings Hemson in 1811 and Martha Anne in 1814. 

I think that Charles died young - Charles Heigham aged 23, bur.28/7/1816 Brandon which means he was very young when he married ca.1810/11 (I cannot find a marriage).

In Brandon records surname varies between Hyam, Higham, and Heigham.

So, with Cornelius dying in 1870 what happened next?  In 1871 younger son Albert is lodging in Brandon, sister Agnes is working as a servant aged 13 (and not 63 as transcribed by ancestry).   Can't find his widow Jane nor the 'infamous' Thomas i.e. CTC Hyam, nor can I find him in 1881.   The latter married an Emily Cooke Thacker in 1878 and she dies Mar.1880 (I'm guessing due to childbirth as a son Edward Thomas Charles born Mar.1880 who died in Mar.1881) - he then remarries to a Louisa Adams in Dec.1880 and in 1881 in Brandon she is living alone.   I can't find Louisa in 1891 but in 1901 she is again living alone in Newington, London, still shown as married but can't see that they had any children!!

However, as I suspect you know, Thomas Cornelius Craddock Hyam, was sentenced to 5 years on 14/2/1884 for shooting at his wife Louisa on 25/11/1883 with intent to kill.   This was definitely a man with something to hide so can see why he 'reinvented himself' somewhat after his imprisonment.

I feel sure that this man and 'your' Thomas Hyam are the same person.

Annette

[Linda]

Thank you for posting all the details Annette. I do have all of that information, and more, but I'm sure Sharon will find it interesting.

A few missing bits:

According to another researcher, not checked by me, Charles who married Susan was born abt. 1784, as was Susan.  Perhaps the record found of his burial was mis-transcribed, he would have been closer to 33 not 23.

That same researcher has Charles and Susan with 5 children, John 1804, Charles 1806, Lewis 1807, Cornelius 1811 and Martha Ann 1814.

Prior to his marriage to Jane Craddock, Cornelius married Charity Talbot.  Before the marriage she was a charity case  having a son John, bap 1830 with no father named. (There is documentation of communication between overseers of the poor.) Charity died 1853 in St Olave, which would explain why Cornelius marriage to Jane took place in that neighbourhood - St George Hanover Sq. 1854 although doesn't explain why Cornelius and Charity were in that area in the first place.

Jane died in 1875 in a lunatic asylum which might explain why the kids were scattered in 1871 if she was already in the asylum and Cornelius already dead.

In 1871 found a possibility for Thomas in a pub in Norwich which might explain why in 1891 census he shows Norwich as his birthplace.

I have detailed information on the prison records although nothing specifically which states when he was released, but it would certainly be before the 1890 marriage of Thomas and Emma.

I decided not to spend any more time or money researching further back, at least not until evidence comes up that shows Cornelius alive and well after 1890, or Thomas with publican Charles prior to that.

Just another note, during WWII my dad was on a train coming home on leave and met another fellow with the same name as my dad and during their discussion they realized they were related.  Too bad I did not ask my dad at the time for more details.  Anyway, using available online information, and without ordering any certificates or any other proof, I traced a *possibility* for that fellow back to Albert, younger brother of naughty Cornelius Thomas in Brandon.  Food for thought 

[Sharon S]

Hi Linda

I have just found records for Thomas Hyam born in Thetford, Norfolk in 1859 to a Charles Hyam, and also records of his father Charles Hyam born 1825 in Norfolk and his family.

They have no connection to the Cornelius Craddock family from Brandon, as all these records are from Thetford.

I don't know how to get in touch, if you have an email  I could send some records to you.

Sharon