Dilemma!! Can you please help me sort this out?

[PrueM]

Hello friends 

Well I've been going along happily, tracing the family of a friend of mine, but something had been niggling at the back of my mind abour one particular branch, so I went back to check the family papers my friend gave me to start my search from.  What I thought was straightforward is now, I think, very confusing, so I am enlisting your help to try to work out what's what 

My confusion is with the parents of one Thomas GALPIN.  I have the following documents from the family:

• extract from parish register for the marriage of William GALPIN and Amelia HUNT in Ilchester, Somerset, 1828. 
• extract from parish register for the baptism of Thomas GALPIN in Great Torrington, Devon, 1831.  This shows his parents to be Thomas Forster GALPIN and Amelia.
• marriage certificate of Thomas Forster GALPIN to Elizabeth RACINE in Hackney, Middx, 1854.  This shows Thomas's father to be William GALPIN, a glover.

I have been under the impression that the Thomas GALPIN baptised in 1831 is the same as Thomas Forster GALPIN who married Elizabeth RACINE in 1854, and that his parents were William GALPIN and Amelia HUNT.

Thomas Forster GALPIN and his sister Julia were living with their uncle in 1841 - the family story is that his parents had died prior to that.    The uncle was a FORSTER, married to a HUNT - thus the relationship.  It is possible that Uncle Forster adopted young Thomas, explaining why he took Forster as a middle name.  I cannot find a William GALPIN married to an Amelia in the 1841 or any later census.

The problem is, then:  who is the Thomas Forster GALPIN shown as the father of Thomas baptised in 1831?  Can I assume that the details on the extract are wrong?  And that his father was really William?

I hate making assumptions like this!  I would be grateful if anyone can get their head around these details and try to make some sense of the matter....please let me know if you would like me to clarify anything (I realise this is a bit of a long-winded plea)

Thank you for taking the time to read this - I know it's long.  I hope someone can help!
 
Prue

[Arranroots]

Hi Prue

First thing that strikes me is the geographical distances between the events you list above.  Somerset and Devon are adjacent, but the parishes are quite distant from each other.  What does the marriage say about "of this parish" - or not?

Have you found a suitable baptism for Julia?  Might be helpful in confirming the parents' names.

The William GALPIN glover is not noted as being deceased, so have you located him on censuses?  Trades directories might also be useful.  Any idea what might have brought this Thomas all the way to London?

Is the census for 1841 in Devon or Somerset and what does it say about "born in county" - although this is not always reliable.  What is the uncle's occupation?

kind regards, Arranroots 

[Elizabeth Revel]

According to the baptismal extract you quote, Thomas Forster GALPIN was already a named person at the time of his son's baptism in 1831, married to Amelia. If Amelia died while the children were quite young it would be reasonable for them to have stayed with relatives where there was a woman to help care for them. Did Thomas migrate to London in order to better support his family and meet Elizabeth late in life and marry her?
Perhaps Thomas's son William was named for his grandfather.
The William married to Amelia could be a brother or cousin to Thomas Forster.

Something to think about.

Beth

[Arranroots]

Here is the 1841 census in question - Thomas & Julia already in Surrey, so not so far from London

1841 census HO107/1068/3/22/5

Factory Square, Streatham, Surrey

Thomas FORSTER 30 manufacturer of india rubber waterproof goods N
Eliza 30 N
William 8 N
Mary  3 N
Mary Ann 15 mo Y
Amelia HUNT 60 N
Thomas GALPIN 10 N
Julia GALPIN 3 N

1851 census  HO107/1579/373/1

Similar, but Thomas's birthplace is given as Gt Torrington, Devon - which answers my question abovve about why he moved to London.  Amelia HUNT is born Ilchester, Somerset, which ties that in (as is Eliza FORSTER).  It would make perfect sense for her daughter to marry in her native parish, but have her son baptised elsewhere 3 years later.

Julia's birthplace is given as Walworth in 1851 and In County in 1841, so possibly her mother moved them all to Surrey?  It would help to find her death.

A 

[Arranroots]

Do you have these?

Death

GALPIN Amelia Wandsworth Vol 4 Page 406  Dec Q 1838

GALPIN William Wandsworth Vol 4 Page 405 Dec Q 1838

[Elizabeth Revel]

Also:

Death

GALPIN Amelia Jane Bradford W. Vol 5a Page 75 Jun Q 1862

Consistent with two ladies named Amelia GALPIN

[PrueM]

 
Gosh you have all been busy!!

Thank you all for taking the time to work on this.

Yes, Thomas and Julia were in Surrey in 1841 along with their grandmother, Amelia HUNT.  Amelia would have been the mother of both Amelia (mother of Thomas) and Eliza (wife of Thomas FORSTER with whom they are all staying in 1841).

I did not have the deaths of William and Amelia, so thank you Arranroots, you seem to have confirmed the family story that they died of typhoid fever, leaving the children to be brought up by relatives.  I don't know why they all decided to move down to Surrey from Somerset/Devon.

In the marriage extract I have, William GALPIN is shown as being from Crewkerne, and a bachelor, and Amelia HUNT is a spinster from Ilchester.  Witnesses to the marriage were Elizabeth HUNT and William HUNT.  These could be Amelia's brother and sister, as found on the IGI (parents Benjamin and Amelia).

I am still unsure of the relevance of the Thomas GALPIN being baptised in 1831, in Great Torrington, Devon, with father Thomas Forster GALPIN and Amelia.  If this is the Thomas living in Surrey in 1841 with his uncle and grandmother, then surely the father would be William?  Why the names Thomas Forster Galpin?  There was probably a connection with the Forster family by that time, but not to the extent of Thomas's father re-naming himself!  I think I understand what Elizabeth is saying above about Thomas Forster GALPIN re-marrying later in life but I can't work out how or when that would have happened...

I think I am confusing myself even more now!! 

I have not found a baptism for Julia GALPIN on any of the online sources I've got access to.  I haven't yet found her in 1861 either, but I know she married in 1866 to Robert SMITH in Edmonton, Middx.

My friend is not in a position to pay for certificates and suchlike - neither financially nor intentionally (she is basically just wanting to finish off the history that her late grandfather started) - so I have to make do with what I (we!  ) can find out via indexes and such. 

So, what we have now is:

• Thomas GALPIN baptised 1831 in Devon.  Parents names given as Thomas Forster GALPIN and Amelia.
• William and Amelia GALPIN died 1838 in Surrey.
Thomas and Julia GALPIN with FORSTER family in 1841, in Surrey, along with their grandmother - Mrs FORSTER's mother - Amelia HUNT.[/li]

• Thomas GALPIN marries 1854 in Surrey.  Father's name given as William GALPIN, a glover.
• 2006 - Prue in Murrumbateman gets very confused by it all 

I have noticed through the census, at least in 1841 and 51, that there are quite a few GALPIN families in Somerset, and most are glove-cutters or otherwise connected with the leather glove trade.  That's incidental, but interesting.

I really appreciate all the help you've given me so far.      I'm going to bed now...maybe my poor brain will sort things out for me while I sleep...(if only!  )

Thank you all 

Prue

[Arranroots]

Afore ye go...

William and Amelia GALPIN died 1838 in Surrey

This is the case, BUT no ages are given for these people - the William could be Amelia's husband, father in law or even son!

Shame about the certs...

Have you looked for a will?

A