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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Topic started by: Tiki1962 on Sunday 19 August 12 12:50 BST (UK)

Title: Help needed - Birth of Catherine Sommerville and Robert Hewitt
Post by: Tiki1962 on Sunday 19 August 12 12:50 BST (UK)
My ancestor Catherine Sommerville married Robert Hewitt in 1843 in Portsmouth. Her father is listed as James Sommerville. I can't find her birth anywhere as the wedding certificate states where she was living at the time of the marriage, not where she resided. She was born in approx 1825. Robert was in the British Army and I believe this is where he was garrisoned with the 70th Regiment of Foot, he was a corporal. His father was unreadable, possibly Frank or Sanck. He was born in approx 1822. Can anyone help me find their births please.
Title: Re: Help needed - Birth of Catherine Sommerville and Robert Hewitt
Post by: rosie99 on Sunday 19 August 12 12:54 BST (UK)
Hi

Have you any idea when either of them were born please.  :)

Rosie
Title: Re: Help needed - Birth of Catherine Sommerville and Robert Hewitt
Post by: Tiki1962 on Sunday 19 August 12 12:56 BST (UK)
Hi Rosie, I don't know where and I can't seem to find them anywhere. I have modified my original post to include approx dates. Thanks Tiki
Title: Re: Help needed - Birth of Catherine Sommerville and Robert Hewitt
Post by: rosie99 on Sunday 19 August 12 13:08 BST (UK)
Did they stay in the UK?

Could you please give details from the marriage certificate including witnesses.

Thanks,  Rosie  :)
Title: Re: Help needed - Birth of Catherine Sommerville and Robert Hewitt
Post by: Tiki1962 on Sunday 19 August 12 13:23 BST (UK)
Hi Rosie. No Robert was sent to India and Catherine went too. They married on the 7th October 1843 at St Thomas Church in Portsmouth. Robert was a corporal in the 70th Regiment, living at the Longstore Barracks, father was Sanck?? Hewitt who was a miller. Catherine lived at 13th or Bk Row and her father was James Sommerville, a weaver. Witnesses were Agnes Sommerville and Robt Harnion ( this is also hard to read) - these both were the marks of. Thank you for any help. Tiki
Title: Re: Help needed - Birth of Catherine Sommerville and Robert Hewitt
Post by: rosie99 on Sunday 19 August 12 13:37 BST (UK)
AMENDED

There is a James(?) Sommerville living in Portsea in 1841  :-\
H0107 / 414 
Book   6 Folio 41
Page 7

age 62 occ (crossed out) Warrant Officer Widow not bn in County
also there a Harriet Sommerville age 20 bn in County occ Dressmaker

I think that this is probably Jane not James - In 1851 a Jane Sommerville is living with dtr Harriott Scott -  Jane Sommerville, Mother in Law   Widow age  73   an Annuitant
bn Crail, Fifeshire




Rosie
Title: Re: Help needed - Birth of Catherine Sommerville and Robert Hewitt
Post by: rosie99 on Sunday 19 August 12 13:42 BST (UK)
There is also a christening/burial at St Thomas, Portsmouth where Catherine was married on familysearch


Margaret Somerville
christening   24th January 1836   
death   21st June 1836   
parents   James Somerville,​ Catharine

These could be her parents

Rosie
Title: Re: Help needed - Birth of Catherine Sommerville and Robert Hewitt
Post by: osprey on Sunday 19 August 12 16:34 BST (UK)
is this Robert's burial?

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FGL5-32J

and Catherine's remarriage

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FGN4-62B

It could be coincidence, but there's an army record for a James Sommerville in the 70th regiment who was a weaver by trade, born Perth about 1797.

Children to George & Catherine

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FG3X-L5H

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FGSV-1Z6
Title: Re: Help needed - Birth of Catherine Sommerville and Robert Hewitt
Post by: Tiki1962 on Sunday 19 August 12 21:33 BST (UK)
Thank you Osprey and Rosie, i have just realised something. Agnes Sommerville was a witness at the wedding in 1843 and Catherine named her daughter Agnes. So ... are there any Agnes's born before 1825 and maybe i can find a link that way to the family. Catherine was 18 when she married the first time working from her age at the time of the second marriage. I am presuming Agnes would have been older. Would that be correct to be a witness at a wedding?

Also Osprey where did you find the army record? That would help a lot to know and I could do side searching for James too.

Thanks again Tiki
Title: Re: Help needed - Birth of Catherine Sommerville and Robert Hewitt
Post by: osprey on Sunday 19 August 12 22:51 BST (UK)
the army records are on Findmypast.There won't be a record for Robert as they are pension records and he died in service.

  Agnes may not have been older. There have been posts in the past about ages of family witnesses. She could have been younger than Catherine, but she may have been older.

I see from other posts that the Thomas family ended up in New Zealand. What sort of info is on NZ death records? Would an obituary mention place of birth?
Title: Re: Help needed - Birth of Catherine Sommerville and Robert Hewitt
Post by: Tiki1962 on Sunday 19 August 12 23:25 BST (UK)
Hi Osprey. I am still trying to find out where he died, as I dont know. I have tracked the family to New Zealand and he was pensioned off in Auckland due to developing epilepsy. But I am not sure if he died there as the name is quite common. Can you tell from Army records when the payments stopped? If so I can go back and check his again as I do remember a signature and the date 1878. I am still hoping to crack this one. Finding Catherine, Robert and George was by fellow Rootchatters!
Tiki
Title: Re: Help needed - Birth of Catherine Sommerville and Robert Hewitt
Post by: osprey on Monday 20 August 12 22:37 BST (UK)
don't think there's any mention of payments on the records, just when the man left active service.

 :-\
Title: Re: Help needed - Birth of Catherine Sommerville and Robert Hewitt
Post by: Tiki1962 on Wednesday 22 August 12 22:37 BST (UK)
I have just received an email that states that Robert Hewitt's father was Samuel. I did not see that but older style writing can prove difficult to read! He was a Miller by trade. Catherine's dad was James and he was a weaver. Hope this helps to try to track this family.
Thank you for any help you may give. Tiki
Title: Re: Help needed - Birth of Catherine Sommerville and Robert Hewitt
Post by: Tiki1962 on Thursday 13 September 12 21:17 BST (UK)
Hi Osprey I have tried to find James Sommerville, weaver from Perth born 1797 on the records. Can you tell me how to find it? I have the credits but can't find the record. If this is my link I have just found a whole new branch of my family tree! Thanks Osprey for your marvelous piece if detective work!
Tiki
Title: Re: Help needed - Birth of Catherine Sommerville and Robert Hewitt
Post by: osprey on Friday 14 September 12 20:14 BST (UK)
where are you looking? I found it under the armed forces records & then British Army Service Records.

Possible baptism for James

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FM95-784

 :-\
Title: Re: Help needed - Birth of Catherine Sommerville and Robert Hewitt
Post by: Tiki1962 on Saturday 15 September 12 00:13 BST (UK)
 Thank you. I am still learning how to navigate all the different sites. I have downloaded and I believe it is him! Did all members of a regiment go overseas on a posting? Or did some stay behind?
Title: Re: Help needed - Birth of Catherine Sommerville and Robert Hewitt
Post by: osprey on Saturday 15 September 12 20:27 BST (UK)
not sure about that. You'd need to ask on the armed forces part of this site.
Title: Re: Help needed - Birth of Catherine Sommerville and Robert Hewitt
Post by: Jeff Guyett on Saturday 09 January 21 13:00 GMT (UK)
hi,
 I have a Phillip HEWITT (b1824)in my tree , he Married a Mary Farley in India in 1849,, he was in the 70th Foot.. hes Father was also  Samuel,, Brother?

Jeff
Title: Re: Help needed - Birth of Catherine Sommerville and Robert Hewitt
Post by: Eyesee on Tuesday 12 January 21 07:57 GMT (UK)
Farnham, Surrey PRs

Baptism
1819 Jul 18, Samuel, s/o Samuel & Lydia HEWITT, Farnham, Miller
1821 Dec 16, Robert, s/o Samuel & Lydia HEWITT, Farnham, Miller
1824 Sep 19, Philip, s/o Samuel & Lydia HEWITT, Farnham, Miller
1828 Apr 27, John, s/o Samuel & Lydia HEWITT, Farnham, Millers labourer
1833 Apr 3, Lucy, d/o Samuel & Lydia HEWITT, Farnham, Miller

Marriage
1818 Sep 19
Samuel HEWITT, otp
Lydia BARNETT, otp
married after banns
he signed she made her mark in presence of Thomas Hewitt, Ann Cranston

Burial
1834 Aug 11, Lydia HEWITT, Farnham aged 36
1842 Feb 25, Samuel HEWITT, ?? Mill aged 49
1842 Mar 9, Samuel HEWITT, ?? Mill aged 21

A number of trees on Ancestry for this family.

Ian C