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Messages - RW1

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1
Family History Beginners Board / Re: Joseph Bennett
« on: Friday 01 January 21 16:19 GMT (UK)  »
The 1841 Census does show Joseph Bennett as "N", ie not born in Middlesex; oddly his wife and first child are not listed on it with him.  Joseph is with his mother-in-law, Mary Watkins.

Obviously not being born in Middlesex doesn't help, nor does being both called Joseph Bennett and having a father called John - which is, at the moment, all I have that connects them.

Joseph must have gone to Canada earlier, (possibly on "Westminster" in 1842) as Mary Watkins, Sarah and the two children (Ann is three months old) are on the "Hendrick Hudson" arriving in New York in June 1843.  Also with them is 79-year-old Henry Watkins - not Sarah's father, who was called James.

2
Family History Beginners Board / Joseph Bennett
« on: Friday 01 January 21 12:55 GMT (UK)  »
Hi

I have two Joseph Bennetts that I've researched:

No 1 - was baptised on 8 March 1818 at East Blatchington, Sussex; father: John Bennett, labourer; mother: Hester Bovis.  At their earlier marriage, Hester had signed her name, but John made his mark.  I have nothing more on this Joseph.  Some trees have a birthday of 7 March 1818, but this isn't on the baptism record.

No 2 - was married in London (father noted as John Bennett, farmer) in 1839 to Sarah Watkins, had two children (John and Ann) and then emigrated to Canada with mother-in-law, Mary Watkins.  He was a farmer, who moved on to Michigan, USA, and later became a United Brethren minister.  He died in 1886, but the parental information column on his burial record is blank.  At the time of his marriage, he was a schoolmaster, I believe, at Manor House, Holloway - at least this is given as his residence, and appears to have once been a school.

Trees on familysearch and ancestry put these two as the same man, but I can find nothing that connects them at all.  I wonder if I have missed something?

Many thanks for any pointers, help, etc.

3
The Common Room / Re: Mary Ann Grosser 1855-?
« on: Saturday 19 September 20 14:51 BST (UK)  »
Update

William's father wasn't James, a painter (that was a poor transcription on a church records website) - he was James Lever Entwistle, a PRINTER.

That has led me to James Lever Entwistle and Margaret Wolstenhulme (various spellings of this) as William's parents and his birth was registered in the June qtr 1846 at CHORLTON (birthplace on Census given as MANCHESTER).  He (or another relative of the same name) was a witness at his sister's marriage at Church, Lancashire, in November 1871.

After his marriage, as a soldier, to Mary Ann Groser in 1872 as detailed in my earlier post, I can't find either of them.

I wondered if this extra information might be enough for someone to hit on something?

As ever, very grateful for any suggestions.  Many thanks.

4
The Common Room / Hampshire Library Service
« on: Monday 24 August 20 18:14 BST (UK)  »
Following a customer consultation, Hampshire Library Service has taken the decision to cancel the subscription to ancestry.co.uk, so, at some point in the future, this will no longer be available through the free digital access in Hampshire libraries.

In the questionnaire, Hampshire Library Service proposed a cancellation, stating that this was a service that "duplicates Find my Past".  This rather unfortunate wording resulted in 74% of respondents agreeing or strongly agreeing with the statement; another 12% were indifferent.

It's a shame - but I understand there is limited money to go round.

5
Family History Beginners Board / Re: Missing Merchant Seaman
« on: Sunday 16 August 20 16:13 BST (UK)  »
Thanks.  I need to work through these possible anomalies and find something that lists his correct birthplace (Portsea/Southsea) and age (born April 1850), that puts him in the merchant navy as early as 1869 - just to clarify if these records are actually him with incorrect birthplace and age, and even surname.

For the first, Sam Topley sounds right, but he would be 19 and not born in "Lester".  However, there is no Sam(uel) Topley born in Leicester between 1845 and 1855 on freebmd.org or GRO.

For the second, there's only one Samuel (James) Topless on freebmd.org, who was born c.1859, so wouldn't be at sea at 10, even in 1869?  So Topless is incorrect?  This may be Samuel Topley with an incorrect age - he was 19 - but this time the birthplace of Portsmouth is correct.

Going back to my original question - I'm going to look for Rhoda (his wife) in Southampton's Archives to see if I can find a grave.  Even if Samuel died at sea or abroad, he might be noted on her headstone?  I hope so!

BTW he's my great-great-grandfather!

Thanks for all the effort you've made to help me.  Much appreciated.


6
Family History Beginners Board / Re: Missing Merchant Seaman
« on: Sunday 16 August 20 11:45 BST (UK)  »
Quote from: bbart on Sunday 16 August 20 08:09 BST (UK)
Just throwing this out there:

There is a John Topley, age 54, that died in S. Stoneham in Mar Quarter of 1905.  I am wondering if somehow there is an error with the first name, or perhaps your Samuel had a middle name of John? 
I cannot find any John Topley running around S. Stoneham in any census prior to 1905.

Topley    John    54    S.Stoneham    2c    [23]2

Thanks, could be a hospital administrator getting it wrong?  I've seen deaths before, registered by officials, where the middle name is wrong, or the first name is misspelled - but not completely different.  And no, Samuel had no middle name at all.

7
Family History Beginners Board / Re: Missing Merchant Seaman
« on: Sunday 16 August 20 11:20 BST (UK)  »
Quote from: hanes teulu on Sunday 16 August 20 10:35 BST (UK)
FindMyPast has the register for Woolston School, Southampton which records
 
Samuel Topley - born 2 Jun 1895. Admitted/readmitted - 6 Feb 1905. Parent/Guardian/Address - blank. Date of last attendance - 25 Sep 1908. Reason for leaving - work.

Had hoped to find Samuel Snr's details under "Parent" which would narrow down death period.

Great.  Thanks for that - a little snippet I didn't have about Samuel Jr (he died in the explosion - see first post).  That probably is him, although birthdate is wrong.  Samuel III (as I call him) was registered in the December quarter 1894 (not to be confused with his brother, also Samuel - born and died 1892).

8
Family History Beginners Board / Re: Missing Merchant Seaman
« on: Saturday 15 August 20 19:47 BST (UK)  »
Quote from: Jebber on Saturday 15 August 20 18:31 BST (UK)
Quote from: hanes teulu on Saturday 15 August 20 18:21 BST (UK)
"... born April 1850 in Portsea ..."

The 1901 Census has place of birth "Leicester, Leicestershire". Do you have information that contradicts this?

Probably an enumerators error, his  birth is registered in Portsea.

Born at 13 Corporation Road, Southsea, which is still on Portsea Island. To be fair to the enumerator on this occasion - Samuel's father was born in Leicestershire, so probably a family error. Maybe his wife muddled the two?

There are plenty of relatives in Leicestershire, but they're not him!

9
Family History Beginners Board / Re: Records Wandsworth Prison
« on: Saturday 15 August 20 10:15 BST (UK)  »
Hi

I had a relative who was admitted to Wandsworth Prison in 1911.  When I contacted the museum there to ask about records, I was told that Wandsworth Prison Musuem did not maintain an archive and I was doing the right thing to be heading to the London Metropolitan Archive.

I went to LMA and was able to take photos of the admissions register, which listed: dates; name; details of crime and sentence; education level; trade; physical description; religion and place of birth; previous convictions; discharge; and other remarks (which, for my man, included the date of his transfer to Portland Prison, which was handy to know).

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