BARNES Charles Harding

[sabrina]

Is anyone researching this person.  He was born illig. in 1837 to Ann Barnes at Burwell, Cambridge.  He appears to have two illig. brothers.  He married Mary Bowers in Burwell, and then moved to Norfolk.

I believe his mother Ann Barnes married Mary's father Matthew Bowers in 1847, when the children were young.  I have a marriage cert., but cannot prove it is my Ann Barnes.  The 1851 census would prove it probably, but that census is missing.  I wish somebody would find the census where ever it is.
She died before the 1861 census.  I would appreciate any help.

sabrina

[Manchester Rambler]

I've found one Bowers family on the 1851 census with parents Matthew and Ann:

HO107/1766/182/20 - Thomas Lane, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire

Matthew Bowers  Head  38  Farm Labourer  Boughton, Norfolk
Ann Bowers  Wife  34  Labourer's Wife  Tid St Giles, Cambs
John Bowers  Son  12  At home  Tid St Giles, Cambs
Rebecca Bowers  Dau  9  At home  Tid St Giles, Cambs
Abigail Bowers  Dau  7  At home  Tid St Giles, Cambs
Matthew Bowers  Son  4  Scholar  Leverington, Cambs
Anthony Bowers  Son  2  Scholar  Wisbech St Mary
Sarah Ann Bowers  Dau  7m  At home  Wisbech St Mary

Hope this helps.

Rambler

[bedfordshire boy]

Burwell 1851 is lost, and is most unlikely now to be found, so that's water under the bridge, albeit frustrating!

So what firm facts do you have:

Charles H Barnes was baptised in Swaffham Prior in 1837, son of Ann (per baptism index on the Cambs FHS website http://www.cfhs.org.uk/Search.html). Swaffham Prior and Burwell are only a mile apart.
John C Barnes, base born son of Ann was baptised in Burwell in 1834.

Do you have baptism details of Charles' mother, where hopefully you'll pick up her parents and possibly her father's occupation? (on the same baptism index there's an Ann baptised in Burwell in 1810 daughter of John and Sarah). John and Sarah appear to have been the only Barnes family in Burwell judging from the baptism index.

Have you found Ann, Charles or John in 1841. I can't see them in Cambs (although there is a John aged 7 in Swaffham Prior living with Henry & Elizabeth Downham, both aged 60. But there is another Barnes family in Swaffham with young children so he might be one of theirs)

Turning to the Ann who married Matthew Bowers in 1847 in Burwell, was she described as spinster? Matthew presumably was a widower? The IGI shows her father as John - what was his occupation as shown on the marriage certificate? Does it correlate with the John, father of the Ann christened 1810? Unfortunately her age (as shown on the IGI marriage entry) of 33 doesn't match the 1810 christening, but she wouldn't have been the first person to have been economical with the truth with marriage ages!
Who were the witnesses on the marriage cert? Are there any clues there?

Have you traced Ann's other two illegitimate sons? Sometimes looking laterally can help. Did they name a father when they married (a stepfather's name is sometimes seen)? Who were the witnesses at their marriages? You need every scrap of information you can find!

If it's not the same Ann Barnes there are an awful lot of coincidences, but proving it is another matter, particularly without the benefit of the 1851 census.

Was Matthew also dead by 1861?

When it boils down to it this is one of those nice to know, as opposed to need to know, facts! You know Charles mother. You know Mary Bowers' parents. You know, or can find out, when her mother died. It's just nice to know that her father married his mother! And as far as I can see marrying your step sister was not one of those banned relationships.

Hope this helps

Regards

David

[sabrina]

Thank you for trying to help.  The people mentioned on the census 1851 were not them.  Matthew Bowers had 3 daughters -Sarah, Mary, Ann, and Ann had 3 boys Charles, Albert, and I think David or John.

Ann Died early, and Matthew married Tabitha Larner - Newmarket 1867.  I have a Ann Bowers died 1851 Swaffham, and Ann Bowers died Newmarket 1865.  Yet another decision to be made.

The witnesses at the marriage were William and Keturah Barnes - I thought this looks good.   However they were married in London, and he came from further south.  One would wonder why they were so far from home, if not related.   I would be quite happy to stop here, but have no proof that the two parents who married, are actually the parents of the children.  I feel the lost census for 1851 is the only place which would have told the story.

I have been unable to find out if there are any bastedry files for the area.

Sabrina