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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Dorset => Topic started by: Lisajj on Tuesday 27 January 15 22:48 GMT (UK)
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Can anyone help shed any light or find missing people? Here goes..
I have a Mary A. Bowditch b.1841 in Ryme, Dorset
On the 1871 census, I have:
Mary A Bowditch, Head, Marr
Ellen Bowditch, 14, Step Daughter
James Bowditch, 11, step son
Thomas Bowditch, 10, step son
Frederick Bowditch, 8, son
Matilda Bowditch, 4, dau
Frank H Bowditch, 2, son
On 1881 Census:
Mary A. Bowditch, Head, age 42, marr
James Bowditch, 22, son
Frederick Bowditch, 18, son
Frank Bowditch, 12, son
Alfred Bowditch, 8, son
Amy Bowditch, 7mths, dau
On 1891 Census:
Mary A. Bowditch, Head, 53, wid
James Whittle, 32, son
Alfred Bowditch, 18, son
Amy Bowditch, 10, dau
On 1901 Census:
Mary A, Bowditch, Head 60, wid
James Bowditch, 40,son
Amy Bowditch, 20, daug
I can't find the 3 "step-children" before the 1871 census.
I don't know who the father is as he never appears on any census return. There are a couple of possible marriages of a Mary Ann XXX to a Mr Bowditch, but not sure which one.
Can't find anyone other than Amy on 1911.
Why did she say they were step children on one census, but not any other and why did James have Whittle as his surname on 1891 but not the others?
Did Mary A Bowditch actually marry or was Bowditch her maiden name?
Any help would be fantastic!
Lisa
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Birth of JAMES WHITTLE
James Whittle
1859 Oct-Nov-Dec
Sherborne Dorset
5a 370
Baptism
James Whittle
11 Sep 1861
Sherborne, Dorset, England
MOTHER: Mary Anne Whittle
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Marriage of Mary Ann - Elias was a widower and Mary Ann a spinster.
Elias Bowditch
9 Sep 1865
Upwey, Dorset, England
Father: George Bowditch
Spouse: Mary Ann Whittle
Spouse father: George Whittle
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This looks as if it might be Elias and family in 1861
RG 9; Piece: 1348; Folio: 95; Page: 4
Poxwell Dorset
Elias Bowditch 36 ag lab Netherbury, Dorset
Frances Bowditch 34 Wareham, Dorset
John Bowditch 12 Netherbury, Dorset
Elizabeth Susan Bowditch 9 Netherbury, Dorset
Ellen Bowditch 5 Beaminster, Dorset
Jane Bowditch 2 Beaminster, Dorset
Mary Bowditch 34 visitor Netherbury, Dorset
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I can't find any trace of Elias after his marriage to Mary Ann, but presuming the younger children were his, he must have been around somewhere.
If you do a search for deaths after 1865 and leave the end date open there is only one, a baby, so not him, but perhaps a relation.
March 1891 Bowditch Elias Peach 0 Sherborne 5a 259
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Frank Henry's baptism - father still a labourer
Frank Henry Bowditch
21 Feb 1869
Radipole, Dorset, England
Father: Elias Bowditch
Mother: Mary Ann Bowditch
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Frank Henry Bowditch married on 13th February 1899 and gaves his father as deceased.
Matilda Bowditch married 1st June 1889 gives her father as Elias Bowditch, labourer but doesn't say he is deceased.
So, if both were telling the truth, he died between those dates. Or did he leave the family and they either presumed he was dead or wanted it to appear that way? If he was alive in 1889 why isn't he on the censuses?
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Here is Thomas's baptism
Thomas Bowditch
11 May 1862
Poxwell, Dorset
Father: Elias Bowditch
Mother: Fanny Bowditch
A Fanny Bowditch died Sep 1864 Weymouth 5a 210
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Here is Elias's baptism
Elias Bowditch
12 Sep 1824
Netherbury, Dorset
Father: George Bowditch
Mother: Phabe
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There is a possibility that Elias was in trouble in August 1866
"Petty Sessions, Saturday Before H. Williams, Esq. (chairman), E W. Williams, Esq., E. Pearce, Esq., and Major Steward.— Elias Bowditch was summoned James Lovelace, his master, for misbehaviour in service"
It seems that he had an arguement with the farmer who employed him under a contract as a yearly servant and refused to go to work. He claimed he and his lad were owed money and that he had a wife and seven children to support. The magistrate disolved the contract.
Perhaps that meant he had to go elsewhere to work and changed his name.
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Thank you so much - you did all of this while I was asleep!
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Morning.
It was lucky that James reverted to his real name once he was an adult, as that was the key. Once I'd found his baptism the rest fell into place quite easily, especially as they weren't common names.
The mystery is what happened to Elias - after his wedding and the court case, he just disappears. There is no death record, so unless he went abroad to work and died there, he must have changed his name. The fact that Mary Ann had 4 children after this means he was either around somewhere, or they weren't his.
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Thanks - I'm going to get all this entered into my tree now.
It's actually a branch off the tree - my mum's cousins mum's tree.
I'm thinking of sending off for Amy Rosetta Bowditch's birth certificate, as she was one of the youngest of Mary Ann's children - maybe it will tell me who her father was. I haven't found a baptism for her yet.
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I have a suspicion that Amy may not be Elias's daughter, there is a huge gap between her and the previous child, unless Elias popped home between censuses. However, her certificate would probably still show him as her father, as that would be assumed as Mary Ann was married to him.
Looking at dates, if all were telling the truth, we can narrow Elias's death down to two years - between 1889 when his daughter marries but doesn't say her father is dead and 1891 when Mary Ann says she is a widow. My gut feeling is that he abandoned the family and used another name, after him being missing for several years, Mary Ann decided he was dead and called herself a widow.
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I suppose being a widow was less shameful than admitting your husband was a criminal of sorts.
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I've found Mary Ann and Eliza Whittle in the Union Workhouse on 1851 census, but not any of their other siblings (yet, but I havent looked that hard)
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1861 for Mary Ann
RG 9; Piece: 1359; Folio: 22; Page: 37
Harriett Whittle 30 widow Farm Lab Ryme Intrinseca, Dorset
Mary Whittle 11 daughter Ryme Intrinseca, Dorset
Ann Whittle 6 son Ryme Intrinseca, Dorset
Herbert Whittle 3 son Ryme Intrinseca, Dorset
Mary Ann Whittle 21 lodger single Farm lab Ryme Intrinseca, Dorset
James Whittle 1 lodger Ryme Intrinseca, Dorset
John Little 78 father in law Ryme Intrinseca, Dorset
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Possible for Mary Ann's family in 1841
HO107; Piece: 292; Book: 14
Ryme Intrinsica
George Whittle 30 ag lab
Ann Whittle 30
James Whittle 12
Harriet Whittle 10
Jane Whittle 7
Eliza Whittle 5
Susan Whittle 2
Mary Whittle 2 Months
So it looks as if Harriet may not have been married, although John Little is described as father in law in 1861.
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Deaths of Ann and George? Might explain why the children are in the workhouse in 1851
Deaths Sep 1843
Whittle Ann Sherborne 8 66
Deaths Mar 1849
Whittle George Sherborne 8 74
(Ryme Intrinseca is in the Sherborne registration district)
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There is this baptism, so did Ann die after giving birth, the dates fit?
Sarah Whittle
9 Jul 1843
Ryme Intrinseca, Dorset, England
Father: George Whittle
Mother: Ann Whittle
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I have a lot of information collected about Elias and Mary Ann Bowditch. The son Alfred shown in several censuses became my grandfather.
The greatest puzzle is - what happened to Elias? And who was my great grandfather (Alfred was born after Elias disappeared and no father is on the certificate)?
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I have a lot of information collected about Elias and Mary Ann Bowditch. The son Alfred shown in several censuses became my grandfather.
The greatest puzzle is - what happened to Elias? And who was my great grandfather (Alfred was born after Elias disappeared and no father is on the certificate)?
Hi Tony,
Elias would have been my Great Great Grandfather. I would love to know more too! Dad (Simon) and myself are working on the family tree. My father has found this but we are not sure if we are barking up the right tree!
The only referenced I can find to an Elias or Eli Bowditch is as landlord of
a Pub in Bristol : 1878 - 1881, he would have been 54 - 57 by that time.
EAGLE TAVERN Willway Street. Bristol
1871 - 77. Samuel Hardwick / 1878. Eli Bowditch / 1881 - 82. William Fewings
/ 1883 - 91. William Hill / 1892. Joseph Wring 1896. Mary Jane Wring / 1899.
Henry Nichols / 1901. William Bryant / 1904. M. Broomsgrove.
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Is there an 1881 census return for the Eagle Tavern that might show where Eli came from?
Are you a descendant of Alfred Bowditch, or of one of his siblings?
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Fanny Burden Elias first wife was the sister of my 4 x grandmother.
She was married 24th September 1849 in Netherbury.
The witnesses were Fanny Bowdich and Elias Burridge both signed their name. I have always taken it that it was actually Elias Bowditch ( husband and wife as witnesses. )
Like Fanny her sister Mary Anne was from Wareham and on all other records she and her husband are to be found in Wareham except their marriage.
Mary Anne was 7 months pregnant and her husband was 26 years her senior when they married so I am guessing she went to be with her sister in Netherbury to marry and give birth to avoid a scandal back in Wareham.
So did Elias also use the name Burridge ?
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Is there an 1881 census return for the Eagle Tavern that might show where Eli came from?
Are you a descendant of Alfred Bowditch, or of one of his siblings?
Hi Tony - we must be cousins :) I'm a descendant of Frank. I've been through Ancestry with a fine tooth comb but he does seem to fall off the edge of the earth before 1881!
LMFAO - I think you might have got mixed up with the Other Eli Bowditch who lived in Wareham at about the same time. He is younger than my great great grandfather Elias and the spouses, although both called Fanny, the Elias Bowditch I'm stalking married Fanny Lovelass / Lovelace. I'm a relative newbie to all this and stand to be corrected!
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Hi - welcome to roots chat
Interesting that we disagree on Elias 1st wife.
The dates I am using for Elias are born c.1824 Netherbury disappeared off census after 1861.
Fanny Burden born 1827 Wareham
Marriage 22/2/1848 Wareham
I know it is wrong to assume anything but my greatgrandmother Mary Ann Burden went from Wareham to Netherbury to marry and Fanny and Elias Bowditch were witnesses so I took it that it was Fanny Burden her sister.
What facts do you have it would be good to compare.
Or if someone else has any ideas who 1st wife was.
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LMFAO - Thanks for the reply. I think I'm going to have to eat my words! I went back to double check myself (after replying) and I think I'm wrong and you are right! I have just found wedding banns for Franny Burden and Elias Bowdich. I can't find anything marriage related for the previously mentioned surname Lovelass - luckily I haven't gone too far off down that line.
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Any info on the bowditch family my great grandfather was called Isaiah Wells Bowditch and he had two sons Edward Percy Bowditch and Arthur William Bowditch. Arthur was my Grandfather. would love have more info on the family.
Thanks
Sarah Bowditch