CROSS in Devon

[jstomlin]

Hi all
This is my first post to the Devon board.
I'm trying to tie up a few loose ends on my wife's tree.
My wife's gg g'father was Thomas Cross.  He was born circa 1847 in Newton St Cyres, and his marriage certificate from 6 Apr 1871 names his father as Thomas Cross, a farm bailiff.
The problem I have is that I can't find a suitable entry in the BMD to get Thomas junior's birth certificate.  In the 1851 census, Thomas junior is living with Elizabeth Huxtable (b 1784) and not his parents - does anyone have any suggestions?  Maybe His father married a Huxtable?
Much appreciated
Jules

[janan]

Hi Jules
As he is listed as Elizabeth's Grandson then there is a high chance that his mother was a Huxtable. You say you haven't found a birth entry for him - may be he was born a Huxtable? Any sign of a Thomas Cross marriage to a ? Huxtable? Any sign of Thomas Cross Farm Bailiff in 51?

Jan

[jstomlin]

Hi Jan
I've searched high and low on BMD for a Thomas Cross marrying a Huxtable, but can't find one.
I've also yet to find a Thomas Cross farm bailiff.  The problem i have is that I don't know his age, where he was born, name of wife, date he died and whether he was a farm bailiff in 1851.  That was his trade per his son's marriage cert in 1871 - again, don't know if he was dead then or not.
Cheers  Jules

[janan]

There is a Thomas Cross born Dec qtr 1847 in St Thomas district which includes parishes very near to Newton St Cyres. Have you found Thomas junior in 1861? The only match I can see is a Thomas Cross born Rewe a servant plough boy in Silverton. Rewe is in St Thomas district but isn't far from Newton St Cyres. There is a Thomas Cross Widower born 1819 in Rewe in 51 he's an Ag Lab but maybe later became a bailiff.
Have you already explored these people and discarded them?

Re Huxtable Thomas's grandmother may have remarried so her daughter had a different surname or daughter was illegitimate and married under her birth name. there is an 1846 Thomas Cross marriage in Crediton district

Jan

[jaywit]

I suspect Farm Bailiff may be an exaggeration, could be deliberate, to make the family background appear grander than it actually was, or he perhaps just didn't know any facts and just guessed. I suspect his parents were not married and it all probability he was registered, if in fact his birth was registered at all, under another name. Difficult I know but sometimes you wish they had left the fathers name blank on the certificate then at least you don't spend time running round in ever decreasing circles. I think the only thing to do is send for the birth cert janan found and see what that says.

[jstomlin]

Jan / Jay
Thx for your help in this.  Coming from London I didn't know what was and wasn't close to Newton St Cyres.
Is Crediton nearby as well? I think I'll order that marriage certificate.   I'll order the 1847 birth certificate as well.
Thinking about Huxtable, she could be Thomas senior's wife's mother or I guess maybe his maternal grandmother - did they bother distinguishing between great grandmother and grandmother on census returns?  Anyway, hopefully the certificates will reveal all.  I'll let you know when i get them.
By the way, we're on a fortnights holiday in devon this year - I'll take my wife and kids to some of the towns / villages her ancestors came from - Bondleigh, Sampford Courtenay, Bideford, Ilsington, Bovey Tracey, Crediton , Hennock, Kingsstenghton, Cheriton Bishop and Plymouth to name just a few - and she thought she was Welsh!
Cheers   Jules

[janan]

Jules
This is a good link if you want to know which registration district a parish is in  http://www.fhsc.org.uk/genuki/REG/

Newton St Cyres is in Crediton District, Rewe about 4 miles away is in St Thomas - they're all just north of Exeter

Hope the certificates turn out to be the right ones - let us know

Have a good holiday in Devon

Jan

[jstomlin]

Okay - I have the certificates.

Marriage
Thomas Cross (of full age, father John Cross) married Mary Ann Harris (of full age, widower, father William Huxtable) on Feb 8 1846 in Newton St Cyres.  So that proves the Huxtable thread.  Also, in addition to Thomas junior (4) living with Elizabeth Huxtable in 1851 census, there is also Richard Harris (7), both listed as her grandsons.

Birth
Thomas Cross - born to Francis Cross and Susan Cross (formerly Townsend) in Christow - so a dead end there, but I guess the above does away with the need for a certificate.

I can't find Thomas senior or Mary Ann on the 1851 census or later ones.  Has anyone any further ideas about where to look. 

Jules

[jorose]

It's quite possible that one or both parents had died by 1851.  How old was Elizabeth Huxtable in 1851? If we can find Mary with her in 1841 that at least gives us some idea of how old Mary would be in later censuses.

I can see a marriage between Robert Harris, possibly, and Mary Ann Huxtable, Dec 1842 in Crediton district, on freebmd.