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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Wiltshire => Topic started by: chris61 on Sunday 08 July 07 09:25 BST (UK)
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I have been trying to locate the details of marriage for a William Hams and a Jane Baker but to no end. I know that William was born around 1826 and Jane Baker was born around 1821 and in the 1851 Census they were living in Melsksham, Wiltshire with their children William born 1845, Jeremiah born 1848 and a Sarah born 1850 but she died 1851. In 1856 they had another daughter named Sarah and the migrated to New South Wales, Australia before the 1861 Census. I have been searching all over the place for these people but to no avail. I know that my great grandfather was injured during WWI had spend his recovery time with family in Kent, so it possible that William Hams may he originated from Kent. Would be grateful for any information relating to these people. Thanks Chris
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Hi Chris ;D
Welcome to RC
There is a marriage June Qtr 1844 Melksham for Jane Baker
Vol 8 p595 but unfortunately no one else on the same page
Do you have their arrival details in Aus, if they were assisted immigrants there should be some recorded details giving parents etc.
Cazay
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Hi Chris.....WELCOME TO RC
Cazay.....
William Hams Melksham vol 13 page 595 q june 1844
Are the volume numbers out?
Tazzie
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Snap, Tazzie
Just came across that myself...........
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Hi all,
Yes, that period in the Melksham RD is only 65% transcribed by FreeBMD.
The reciprocal entry can be found in the FULL GRO Index.
William HAMS Melksham Vol 13 Page 595
So the diffn in Vol # has meant that they werent paired up by FreeBMD
The original Index pages for bothe entries are clear - so a perfect example of GRO mistranscription ...
Vol 8 / Roman numerals VIII is correct ...
Registration County : Wiltshire.
Created : 1.7.1837.
Abolished : 1.4.1936 (succeeded by Trowbridge and Devizes districts).
Sub-districts : Melksham; Trowbridge.
GRO volumes : VIII (1837-51); 5a (1852-1936).
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Morning Newfy....
Yep if you look at Melksham marriages 1840-1850 I have randomly checked the years and all those checked are vol 8 listings non show vol 13.
The entry directley below William Hams starts vol 13 --- so the transcriber looks to have copied from the wrong entry.
Tazzie
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Mornin Tazzie - yep, either that or cant count in Roman numerals - possibly took the V as an X ? :D
Not sure when the typewritten ones were transcribed for the 1840s ....
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Hi Chris,
As you are aware the 1851 census shows William and Jane Baker living at Little Worth, Whitley and they were born WIL Melksham. I think that today this is or is close to Littleworth Lane, Whitley. Whitley is a village a couple of miles north west of Melksham.
Next time I'm in Trowbridge I'll have a look at the parish records and see if they feature. Should get back to you in a few days.
Cheers Dave
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Might this be a possibility for William with parents?
1841
Bradford Wilts
Jeremiah Hams 45 ag lab
Leah 45
James 15
William 14
Sophia 7
Sarah 5
John 4
Susan 20
all b County
HO107 1166 19 14
then 1851
Folley lane Melksham
Leah Hams Head widow 59 Parish relief Corsham Wilts
John Hams son 14 Farm labourer Bradford Wilts
HO107 1840 172 26
then 1861
Shaw Hill bath FL?
Melksham
Leaha (transcribed Sarah) Hams head W 69 past labour Corsham Wilts
Sophia Hams daughter U 29 Melksham
Sarah daughter 4 Melksham
James Webb inmate 19 Labourer Colworth Bradford upon Avon
RG9 1294 8 10
marriage cert should confirm William's father
Suz
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Chris, if you can find their deaths in Australia, parent's names, if known, are included. You may wish to see if anyone on the Austalian board can help find their deaths (and include a link to this post).
Added later ....
I had a look at this site:
http://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au/familyHistory/search.htm
There is a death for a Jane Hams died 1871, father James, mother Esther
There is a death for a Jeremiah Hams in 1889, father George, mother Mary.
Maybe some connection with your Hams ... or maybe not.
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William and Jane (and family) migrated to Sydney, NSW in 1856. Their only surviving daughter Esther, born in 1860 in Ultimo, Sydney, was my Great-great grandmother.
She died in 1938, as Esther Thompson. Her brother Jeremiah witnessed her wedding certificate in 1879. Jane died in 1871
There is a Headstone in Kadina (SA) cemetery with the names of Jane & William.
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Welcome to rootschat gabrielsfolk. The original poster hasn't been on rootschat for a couple of years now. They should receive notification of your reply, but if you don't get any response you can contact them via Personal Message after you've made three posts. To do this just click on their name and fire away. :)
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William was dead by 1789, when Esther married James Thompson. They lived (literally) on the shores of Botany Bay, and had 11 children.
My Mother's generation remembered her fondly, as 'a lady' and "a Godly woman'
A delightful if children's story "Russell and the Star Shell" by Maurice Saxby & Astra Lacis, (published in Sdyney, 1990 by Margaret Hamilton) Features James and Esther as key characters in the story, based on a true incident in their lives.
I don't understand the Kadina connection, but the names and dates are right for Jane and Wlliam.
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Immigration information suggests that many Hams who migrated , 'tho not Jane & William, made a beeline for Kadina, South Australia's "Copper Triangle" where there was a mining boom. A long way from Sydney in that century, but possibly there were family visits. NSW BDM have good online records for family history, but not Kadina.
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NSW records office now has migran ship lists online.
Page 4 Pasengers on the Ship Lloyds
Arrived 1 August 1855
William 29 Excavator (ie miner?) reads
Jane 34 reads
James 10 reads & writes
Jeremiah 7 reads
Sarah 1 born in Islington, London.
all others from Melksham, Wiltshire, all C of E
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Hi
This William Hams was my 2nd great, great grandfather and all that I have been able to locate about him was that he died before 1872. I am fairly certain that he died a pauper in Sydney. I do have a fair bit of information about William and Sarah if you are interested.
Looking forward to hearing from you
Cheers Chris
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Welcome to Rootschat Chris.
Looks like JEREMIAH/LEAH Hams/Hames liked mass Christenings for some of their Children;
Corsham, Wiltshire;
28 June 1817, ELIZA
15 August 1819, MARY
Atworth, Wilstshire;
05 October 1823, SUSAN and JAMES
11 April 1830, SARAH
17 June 1832, WILLIAM and SOPHIA
28 June 1835, SARAH
28 May 1837, JOHN
JOHN Hams c 1838 Married twice, record has Father as Jeremiah;
07 Aug 1867 to Mary Ann CANTELLO
18 Dec 1869 to Elizth GORE
ELIZA Hames Married William WEBB 1840, Father Jeremiah
MARY Hames Married Alexander PLANK 1840, Father Jeremiah
Jeremiah HAMES Married Leah MAY 10 December 1816 Corsham, Wiltshire
Source of Records Familysearch.Org
Trish :)
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Thanks Trish that was really helpful.
Would be really interested in making contact with gabrielsfolk as there appears to be a direction connection.
Cheers Chris
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Dear Chris 61
I’d love any information you have on the ancestors, and will give you what Info I can.
William and Jane were married around 1844 - 5.If I can track down the wedding record I'll send it.
There' was more than one William Hams in Sydney in the 1860s.
My GG GF William Hams came out, with family and wife Jane in 1855. Esther - my GGM, the only (surviving) daughter, was born in 1860. Her mother Jane (nee Baker) died around June 1871. There’s a newspaper record of the funeral. Her father was dead when she married James Thompson in 1879.
I can’t find William’s death in BDM, but I did find this newspaper cutting:
The Maitland Mercury & Hunter River General Advertiser (NSW : 1843 - 1893) (
November 28 1871
A magisterial enquiry was held bv J K Dovle, Esq, touching the death of an old man named William Hams, at Will Willu Bah, Bokirah Creek The result of the inquiry was a finding, on the evidence, of " Death from natural causes "
Other family trees say he died in WA in 1878, but no documentation. I doubt he could afford to travel to WA.
All the records I have are of the family living in Sydney. Some, alas, are police records. Esther was the token white sheep. I agree with you, William almost certainly died a pauper. Esther was ‘in service' when she married James Thompson of the Botany fishing village.William was an ‘excavator’ on the immigration list, and the part of Sydney where they lived was a slum area.
gabrielsfolk
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Hi Gabrielsfolk,
In regards to the death in WA, it was his eldest son James who died in WA. Have a fair bit of information relating to the siblings of William, senior, and Jane Baker. Like there was another child born who appears to have not been registered. On Jane Hams (Baker) death certificate if states that there were 2 more siblings that what have been registered. I have found one but the other one I feel died in infancy and the death was not recorded as I feel the family did have a lot of money and it cost money to register a death in the late 1800's. I am very happy to swap information with you.
William senior appeared to have been in and out of trouble with the police for petty theft which might have caused some problems with some of the siblings and the left New South Wales for Queensland and WA.
Looking forward to hearing from
Cheers Chris
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Hi Gabrielsfolk,
Just checking through my notes and the death notice you located for William Hams in 1871 around the Maitland area was not our William Hams as our William was in court on larceny charges in 1872. These charges were laid by his son James for theft of personal property.
Cheers Chris
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Thanks, Chris.
I saw that report years ago, but can't now locate the source. Didn't his son accuse him of pinching something from his house?
And yet Esther was so honest, that when she found a purse full of money in the street, she advertised in the Sydney morning Herald for the owner.
What about the police report of William having ten or eleven quid 'stolen while drunk' from him,n ear is house in Wyndham Street?
Or the charge on Jeremiah of deserting his wife and child? Jeremiah was the one who presented Esther with a huge family Bible, 'on the occasion of her marriage'
What a colourful family
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Hi
In regards to the William's claim that he was robbed of 11 quid, personally I feel he was an alcoholic and made the report to cover the fact he had spent the money at pub. The description was pretty vague to say the least. In those days 11 quid was a lot of money, in today's terms would equate to around a couple hundred dollars.
James had his father in 1872 charged with stealing his personal belongings. The charge was brought before the Quarter Sessions but not to sure what happened after that. Then James and family moved to northern Queensland were their son died in 1882. Sadly there were no other children.Then James and Louisa moved to the goldfields in WA were he worked as a brick layer until his death in 1915 in Beverley.
Personally, I think all the surviving children were distancing themselves from William as William George (1864) was known as George and another child, William Walter, whose birth was not recorded moved to the Mount Morgan & Rockhampton region of Queensland. I feel that William senior was an alcoholic and the family were fed up of his antics and moved away from him after the death of their mother.
Jeremiah was my 2nd Great grandfather and he was charged with refusal to pay support for an illegitimate child. He went to Victoria for 2 years and this occurred prior to his marriage to Catherine Carey (Carew). Jeremiah only lived for 41 years.
Do you know if the family bible has survived as the information contained in there would be invaluable?
Have tried to sent you a copy of what I have but RC will not let me upload it because I think the file is too big. My email address is (*) and I will forward you what I have.
Cheers Chris
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