RootsChat.Com
England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Devon => England => Devon Lookup Requests => Topic started by: mike175 on Saturday 06 February 16 16:24 GMT (UK)
-
There is a baptism on the FHL for "Susannah James Baker Didham" b.11 May 1837 Halberton, Devon mother: Mary Didham.
There was a marriage in Stepney 20 Dec 1863 of William Henry Stuttle and Susannah Didham spinster, father: William Didham farmer.
I have followed her through the censuses, several of which show her born in Halberton so I'm fairly sure she must be the same person. In the 1851 & '61 she was with her widowed mother Mary, but I haven't found her in the 1841.
The puzzling bit is the inclusion of "James Baker" in her name on the baptism transcript. I am wondering if it is an error, possibly copied from the previous line, or if James was Susannah's father :-\ If the latter, where does William Didham fit in?
As the image does not seem to be available online I am wondering if anyone has access to the original to see if we can make sense of the name.
Mike.
-
Re: fathers name on marriage cert. Many illegitimate children made up a fathers name when they married so as to appear "respectable". In some cases it was a totally fictitious name and in some it was the name of a family member (eg) grandfather/uncle etc
Suspect James Baker may be her biological father if the names are confirmed
-
Thanks CaroleW, I was thinking along those lines. The only complication was that there was an older (by 6 years) sister living with her and her mother in 1851. It occured to me that maybe William was Mary's husband but perhaps he died before Susannah was conceived :-\
If nothing comes of this I will try a deeper search for William . . . and for James
Mike.
-
Is this the right 1851 entry?
Somebody called Hollie Adams has notified a correction to the 1851 entry surname which is transcribed as Didlam but has not amended the christian name which is Savan rather than Susannah. All Didhams b Halberton
Mary Ann Didham 57
Jane 19
Savan (Susannah) 13
Plus lodgers both b Taunton
Sarah Mead 22
Emma Mead 1
HO107 Piece 1923 Folio 86 Page 4
-
Here's Jane's baptism
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NB89-NB4
-
Other possible children born to William & Mary all in Halberton - see Family Search
John 1818
Elizabeth 1819
Ann b 1820 bapt 1821
Charlotte & Robert 1828
Eliza 1829
Benjamin 1834
Samuel 1836
-
Yes, that's the one I found for 1851. I think the original may actually be "Susan", but it does look a bit like "Savan" so an excusable error.
Thanks for the baptism entry for Jane, don't know how I missed that :-[ It certainly looks as if William was Mary's husband. Just need to find out whether he or James was Susannah's father :-\
Oh, wow! just seen your latest. Thank you for that. As you can probably tell I have only just started researching this bit of my tree ::) You've given me a kick-start 8)
Mike.
-
Benjamin Didham is a visitor in his brother Robert's household in 1851 - living in Glamorgan
Robert is back in England in 1861
-
Thanks CaroleW
With your prompting I have now found 11 probable siblings for Susannah . . . no wonder her father died ;D
It is Susannah's husband I am related to so I'm not really looking any further than her siblings in that line, but I do like to complete the immediate family. It sort of rounds things off.
I'm still interested if anyone has access to the original baptism register, or the FHL film, to see if James Baker is a red herring . . .
Mike.
-
Finding a death for William would tell you for certain if she was illegitimate.
Looking at the 1841 for James Baker in Halberton shows 2 possibles
One aged 40 - possibly single or a widower - occ farmer. Age could be up to 44 and Mary would have been approx 47 in 1841
HO107 Piece 222/4 Folio 7 Page 8
The other is 35 married with a 4 mth old son - a bit younger but would have been single when Susannah was conceived. Occ agricultural labourer
HO107 Piece 222/3 Folio 8 Page 9
-
I have found what appear to be William and Mary and their family on two Ancestry trees, but Susannah is not mentioned. William's death is 1836 on one but 1842 on the other, both at Tiverton, so not much help really ::) Mary's stated birth date of 1794 makes her 6 years older than shown in both the 1851 and '61 censuses, which sows seeds of doubt.
The marriage is shown as 1818 between William Didham and Mary Jutsum, from Pallot's Index.
So it still looks as if the original register is the only hope of clearing up the confusion.
-
After all that I think I've solved my own puzzle, with much assistance . . . thanks again CaroleW :)
I bought some FindMyPast credits when I discovered they had the actual register image available. Still not sure why I couldn't find it before. She is listed as:
Susannah =
James =
Baker
base Dr. of Mary Didham, Halberton, Farmer
So it looks as if William must have died in 1836 and James Baker was the father. I can't think of any other reason for his name to be there :-\
Mike.
-
That at least confirms she was illegitimate which puts one puzzle to bed. Susannah was baptised May 1837 and Samuel 1836
Depending on her actual birthdate - say April 1837 - she was conceived approx July 1836. Have my doubts that William died 1836 - think it was before then
-
Susannah's birthdate: 11th May 1837
These look like the family, all in Halberton:
Samuel baptised 17 Jan 1836 to William & Mary
William buried 18 Jan 1836 age 39
Samuel buried 20th Mar 1836 age 6 months
It seems strange, but I suppose there's no reason why she couldn't have baptised her son the day before his father was buried ??? He presumably died at least a few days before the burial.
Mike.
PS: No mention on Samuel's baptism that his father had died.
-
I've found them in 1841 - indexed as Denham living in Somerset and all shown as not born in county
Mary 35 charwoman
Charlotte 13
Eliza 10
Jane 9
Benjamin 7
Susan 4
HO107 Piece 972/1 Folio 6 Page 4
-
Thanks yet again. Nice bit of detective work. I'd searched Somerset but obviously not as well as you did.
Mike