RootsChat.Com

I've struggled with my 3xgrt grandfather George Hay for years. I have a copy of his will proven in 1823 which names some family but haven't been able to find anything based on the names it contains. I'm trying to find clues to his wife, parents and three of his four children.
 

Transcript of the 1823 will; 

This is the last will and testament of me George Hay of No 10 Clerkenwell Green in the County of Middlesex Clock and Watch Maker that is to say I give and bequeath to my mother Barbara Hay the sum of forty pounds to be applied by her in such manner as she shall think best in or towards maintenance and bringing up of my youngest daughter Sarah Hay and as to all the rest residue and remainder of my personal estate & effects whatsoever and wherever I give and bequeath the same unto my Brother in Law Thomas Bates of ? Dorogate Hill [it might be Ludgate, badly transcribed] upon trust by sale to convert into money such part of the said Residue of my Estate as shall not consist of money and by and with the same and my ready money in the first place after payment of all expences attending such sale to pay all my just debts funeral and testamentary expences and subject thereto to pay or apply the Residue for the use and benefit of my three other children namely George Hay Jane Hay and Frederick Charles Hay in such manner as the said Thomas Bates think best and most eligible and I nominate and appoint the said Thomas Bates sole Executor of this my last Will and Testament In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the eleventh day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty three George Hay Signed sealed published and declared by the said George Hay the testator as and for his last will and testament in the presence of us James Mc Kash Jacob Evans

Proved at London 18th April 1823 before the Worshipful Jesse Addams doctor of Law & surrogate by the oath of Thomas Bates the sole executor to whom admon. Was granted having been first sworn dult to adm.

==

The son named George in the will was baptised in 1810 at Clerkenwell, mother noted as Mary. Later documents for him consistently quote 1810 and Clerkenwell birth details including census & coastguard application. I also have three marriage certs for him each noting his father as George, clock and watch maker. Several unsourced ancestry trees have his mother as Mary Unknown 1794-1810 and his father as George Hay 1794-1839, somewhat surprising given the 1823 will.

A couple of weeks ago I finally managed to find a close contact to a half brother of mine born in the 1950's. A few days passed until they broke the news to him and a further few days for it to sink in before he sent me an email. This week we swapped phone numbers and the 'quick chat' we planned ended up being a 90 minute phone call.

In the 17 years I've been searching for him I've found and contacted several other half siblings, many have met with each other and the rotten buggers have nicknamed me 'Cilla'. There are rumours of another 4 though no indication of where, when or names. I may be dragging myself into the modern world and going down the DNA route in an effort to try and answer the questions family rumours pose. Whether I will succeed or not is unknown, lots of things beyond my control for sure but I won't give up searching.

I've lost a relative after 1918.

Born Eliza Chambers in 1892 in Lincoln, baptised as Eliza Graby Chambers at Lincoln in March 1903. Dob on the baptism record is 29th Jun 1892, parents George Henry and Sarah Jane.


Marriage cert 1st Oct 1918 at the Register Office, Lincoln;
Elizabeth Graby Chambers, spinster aged 26 to Ernest Brace aged 33, widower.
Father of the bride George Henry Chambers.

After that I'm stuck, there is a possible son registered in Guildford in 1921 but no other births with the right surname combination. (I don't have the 1921 birth cert as proof they were there and the death of an 11 year old by the same name in 1932 ain Edmonton RD on freebmd is a red herring, the record is actually for a 66 year old man).

I'm struggling to see anything close for Eliza/Elizabeth and Ernest after the marriage in the 1939, bmd or migration records.

I have a couple of newspaper articles noting a marriage in 1843 but haven't been able to find a GRO ref for it. I've tried the usual sites, tried forenames only, surnames only, full names and every combination of bride and groom separately and together I can think of.

Short of some real mishap between the local registrar and creating the GRO index I'm stumped. I think the local registrars are probably my best bet  but it's not an area I do a lot of research in.  I'm floundering a bit with the churches that might be relevant before trying the local reg office.

Copy of the article attached, marriage date would be 8th Oct 1843.

The couple had a son the following year with a Middlesex birth reg and are in Middlesex in 1851.  Martha is a widow in Lincoln in 1861,  living with her sister and brother in law and dies at their Lincoln address in 1864

Caroline Chambers b1890 married George Smith in Lincoln Nov 1908.

Details from cert include;
Groom George Smith aged 21, occ Groom
Bride Caroline Chambers aged 19
father William Henry Chambers
witnesses Walter and Sarah Speck (brother in law and sister of the bride)
Address of bride and groom 7 Cooling Street

the 1911 entry for 7 Cooling Street includes;
William Chambers (head)
Walter Speck (son in law)
Sarah Speck (daughter)
Dorothy Mary Smith, grand daughter, aged 1.

Birth ref of SMITH, DOROTHY MARY mmn CHAMBERS
GRO Reference: 1909 S Quarter in LINCOLN Volume 07A Page 479
Dorothy remained in Lincoln, married in 1929 and died in Lincoln in 1981.


I've found a married Caroline Smith of the right age at the spread Eagle in 1911, no sign of George in 1911 but I have no idea where/when he was born though the 1908 marriage cert states he is 21.

I can't find anything for Caroline or George after 1911.