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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Hampshire & Isle of Wight => Topic started by: jojo06 on Friday 04 May 18 21:56 BST (UK)
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Trying to find James Vivian Gower's birth (Born Abt. 1861), parentage and where he is from.
James Vivian Gower(age 40) married Caroline Ellen Hodgson(age 39) (2x Great Aunt) Sept 1901 in Southampton and died 1911 (Before the census). On the marriage record James states his occupation as Hairdresser (Master) and his father George Gower, Master Saddler.
I have found a James Vines Gower born 1864 from Odiham, Hampshire and ruled him out as a potential, as his parents are James and Sophia and lives beyond 1911...
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Do you know from the 1901 marriage if he had been married before?
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He states he was a Bachelor
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I have attached a marriage record for James and Caroline
Full certificate removed , ages added to first post.
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I've looked through the census and FreeBMD and found nothing.
Searching the internet for a George GOWER who was a saddler I came across this research
http://www.insoleresearchgroup.co.uk/Rhondda%20Coal%20Cardiff%20Gold%20updates-1.pdf
Could James have been a son of George GOWER & Helen INSOLE and born in South Africa ???
It mentions 4 children - a son, George, and 2 daughters.
Could be total fantasy but it's an avenue to follow.
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Well, a bit more digging (on Rootschat!) and I found this thread
George Gower, born about 1814 in Swansea, his wife Helen (nee Insole), born about 1820 in Worcester, and his son George Insole Gower, born 1843 in Cardiff, emigrated from Cardiff to South Africa sometime between 1843 and 1848. Their daughter Julia Helen Gower may have accompanied them or may have been born in South Africa. Three more children were born there, John Gower, born 1849 and died 1850 in Graaff-Reinett, Hannah Margaret Gower born 1851 in Richmond and died 1951 in Modderfontein, and another daughter born 1855 in Richmond. George Gower died in 1875 in Cradock and Helen in 1895 in Grahamstown.
which names the 4 children and disproves my theory - back to the drawing board........
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Shame that one didn't pan out.
Can't find a thing :( and they didn't have any children per census so no avenues there.
Where was Caroline in 1901? James may have been nearby for them to meet and marry that year.
Oh and who were the witnesses to the marriage? Too much to hope any were called Gower I suppose!
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On the 1901 census Caroline was with her parents Frederick & Caroline and brother George at Canal Walk, Southampton.
On the marriage certificate James gives his resident as 5 Sir George's Road, Freemantle, Shirley.
The witnesses are F Rossiter and G Bedloe, unable to locate G Bedloe in Southampton or in Hampshire. I have found a F Rossiter in Southampton on 1901 census (address on census is Hewitts Road, Shirley, South Stoneham), name being Frank Rossiter from Blandford, Dorset and his wife Emily (Dyer) from St Austell, Cornwall, neither of which have no obvious family links to either Gower or Hodgson.
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Hampshire Advertiser 12 May 1880
Mentions a James V Gower who was a 'fifth waiter' on the American - he was returned to England after it was 'lost'
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Thank you to all those who have taken the time to search for James Vivian Gower.
I am still looking into all possibilities. Out of interest from a post sent by rosie99, I have looked at the Hampshire Advertiser, very interesting. Checked out the vessel "American" on the website Crew List Index Project, it gives Jas V Gower birthplace as St Kitts in the Carribean!!! If there is anyone out there who knows about researching the Carribeans, it would be a great help, just to establish if he is the right James or not....
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Certianly looks promising - Jas V GOWER was a barber on the Norman
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Again, Thank you all for your help.
I am 99 percent certain that James V Gower, who worked on the "American" and "Norman" is the right James who married Caroline Ellen Hodgson. The remaining 1 percent, is to establish if his father is George Gower...
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I would post a birth/baptism look-up request for James Vivian GOWER on the Other Countries Board.
Someone may know where to find St Kitts records.
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Thank you for the suggestion Bearkat, I shall look at doing just that.... :) :)
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Have a look at the third to last post on this message board (it's fairly recent).
https://www.ancestry.com/boards/localities.caribbean.stkittsnevis.stkitts/318.3/mb.ashx
Your nearest LDS Family History Centre may have access to the records.