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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Essex => Topic started by: taonga1 on Monday 21 August 17 04:23 BST (UK)
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I'm on the tail of a family line that looks like breaking one of my brick walls, but having a tricky time untangling vital records for the family.
What I most want to isolate, are the names of the 8 children of William Seaman STEVENS (b. app. 1778) and Mary Foot. William was a composer and organist in London, and a schoolmaster at one time, at Stanstead, and Albion House in Loughton. Mary Foot was daughter of William Foot, farmer of Charlton near Shaftesbury.
I know their oldest son was William STEVENS, of the law firm Stevens, Wood, Wilkins and Satchell.
I know their youngest son was Francis Worrall STEVENS, who spent time in New Zealand, and returned to London where he died.
There are at least two other William Seaman Stevens (b. 1816, 1926) who are likely to be descendants.
Unfortunately most of the records I'm finding don't include the middle name, and without that, it seems every William Stevens married a Mary! I can't seem to narrow down a 'family church.'
I'm working backwards from the 1830s in Loughton, Essex.
My Mary Stevens married William Messenger, and their son attended Woodford Academy.
I noticed that a Francis Worral Stevens owned the school at one point, and that his son Francis came out to New Zealand and worked alongside my Messengers for a time.
Francis Worrall Stevens went on to be a stockbroker in London, with various little scandals, and lived at Strawberry Lodge in Carshalton.
The 1841 census has Barbara Stevens (wife of Francis Worrall Stevens) and an Ellen Stevens (a sister?) in residence at the school house, as well as son Francis in attendance. I am hoping my Mary Stevens will prove to be his sister too.
Anyone familiar with the Stevens?
Min :-)
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Have you got them on the 1851 census which would narrow down birthplaces? Then we could check parish records?
I've found Francis worrall on 1851 which gives his birthplace and dob as about 1807 Lambeth carshalton. He married Barbara vickers in 1830 hackney.
You might be better posting this on the London board, as William and Mary's children are unlikely to be baptised in Essex?
Possibly post on Hampshire board too, as William Stevens seems to marry mary for in Hampshire 2/4/1783. Her birthdate is given as c.1763.
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Thank you - I need to get my head around the geography/counties around London!
Francis Worrall Stevens bought the school from his father in 1827, and his son Francis was apparently born in Loughton around 1833 - I'.m not sure where he might have lived before that.
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Hmmmm - Francis Worrall Stevens gives his father's birth year as 1778, which would make a 1783 wedding not possible!
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Thank you - I need to get my head around the geography/counties around London!
Francis Worrall Stevens bought the school from his father in 1827, and his son Francis was apparently born in Loughton around 1833 - I'.m not sure where he might have lived before that.
St John the Baptist, Loughton
a child called Barbara and Francis baptised October 28th, 1833.
There is a William Stevens buried in same church 5th November,1834 aged 73 yrs.
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William Stevens married Mary Foot, by licence on 3rd April, 1783 in Berwick St John, Wiltshire. The groom's residence at the time was St George, Bloomsbury, London. Witnesses were Henry and Dorothy Amey.
The marriage license allegation says he was 22, bachelor and a gentleman,she was 20 and daughter of Sarah Foot. One of the bondsman was a William Foot.yeoman. Nothing about Seaman as a middle name.
So this man could quite possibly be the death I found, as the approx birth year ties in.
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That sounds likely to be the right family - so Francis Worrall Stevens reported his father's birth year incorrectly, I imagine!
I think I recall that Francis Worrall ceased teaching in 1834, which may be due to his father's death/inheritance?
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Just found a snippet saying that my Mary Stevens was born around 1801 and was from Waltham Cross, but unsure whether that was her birthplace, or residence at time of marriage. Marriage date 28 Nov 1829. This is from family papers
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William Stevens, bachelor
Mary Seaman of St George, Middlesex
15th May, 1760
Witnesses
Thomas Orchard
?? Williamson
St John the Evangelist, Westminster, London
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There is a Will for William Stevens , died 1834, of Albion Street, Loughton, schoolmaster, everything left to wife Mary, who is also sole Executrix.
Written 18 April 1834, proved 3 Dec 1834
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I have found your Mary's baptism: Mary Ann Stevens born 30 Dec 1801 but baptised march 1815 to William and Mary. No middle name for William but he is a musician, which seems too much of a coincidence so I think it's them. They gave their abode as Brighton, but the baptism was st Thomas the apostle, city of London.
Also found baptism records for Joshua semen Stevens at Berwick St. John, Wiltshire 24/6/1787. He is buried at st Mary Whitechapel, London, 7/3/1824. He married Elizabeth May and they had a child George Dec 1820 spitalfields, Stepney, London.
Also James monatgue Stevens baptised Berwick St. John 7/9/1789. He married Martha malpass but he was a widower at the time. Haven't found his first marriage. He is buried 12/9/1845 crowhurst, Surrey. He left a will leaving everything to his wife Martha. Says he was formerly a coach maker.
These two last baptisms were just to William and Mary Stevens but as Joshua has the middle name semen, I think it is right. Also, they married in Berwick St. John, so first children born there doesn't seem unreasonable. So now you have five of William and Mary's children! (Haven't seen an Ellen yet.)
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You're amazing, thank you! That does look very promising!
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I was just now hunting for Ellen - the census gives a birth date range for her of 1817-1821, and Francis Worral, who I thought she might be sister to, said he was the youngest in the family, born around 1806. So she may be a niece?
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Yes and as Mary would have been 51-54 by the time Ellen was born, it's unlikely that they are mother and daughter.
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So, that baptism for Mary Ann is the one I'm seeing on FamilySearch at St Thomas Apostle in London? You'll be seeing a fuller version of the record :-)
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Yes. You'd need to subscribe to ancestry to see that, if you want a copy of the image, you could pay £9.99 and you get to see twelve pages or for £13.99 you can get a month's subscription.
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You'd need to subscribe to ancestry to see that, if you want a copy of the image, you could pay £9.99 and you get to see twelve pages or for £13.99 you can get a month's subscription.
Free access this weekend apparently.
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=777438.msg6312592
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You'd need to subscribe to ancestry to see that, if you want a copy of the image, you could pay £9.99 and you get to see twelve pages or for £13.99 you can get a month's subscription.
Free access this weekend apparently.
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=777438.msg6312592
Even better!
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Omigoodness - I guess that means I won't be going out anywhere this weekend!
Thank you, thank you! I've been trying to unknot this Stevens ancestor since the 80s, and didn't manage it even back when I did have an Ancestry subscription! Sometimes it just takes one puzzle piece to send you in the right direction :-)
I had better drag myself to bed - it's sooo tempting to stay up and keep searching for more.
Min
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Nannyj - I just saw your signature line with Cullens from Dublin. I have some of those too. If you come across Cullens married into the O'Hara/Canavan family, they'd be mine :-)
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Those names don't come up in mine. However, my nan's mum died in childbirth and her dad disappeared shortly after so there's not much into on that side. I did find my mum's first cousin recently though. Neither knew that the other existed.