John Worrell CHANDLER of Margate and Dover

[rhoosesue]

Am trying to chase up descendants of John Worrell CHANDLER, born about 1790 in Margate, Kent. His wife was Susannah Elizabeth, born Northamptonshire - maiden surname unknown but I suspect it may have been DEVONSHIRE as I think Abraham DEVONSHIRE may have been a brother or near relation.

John Worrell CHANDLER was a cordwainer/master shoemaker and he and Susannah had two children, John and Martha, born in Margate in 1813 and 1815. Shortly afterwards they moved to Limekiln Street, Dover, where they had the following children
Margaret 1817 (m Fitzgerald)
Mary Ann 1819
Susannah Elizabeth 1821 (died toddler)
Thomas White 1823 (died toddler)
Joseph 1825
Richard Devonshire 1827
Abraham Devonshire 1829
William Devonshire 1831
Sarah Rebecca Louise (m Griffiths)
Robert Henry 1833
Robert Henry 1836

My great great grandfather John Chandler (b Margate 1813) was the eldest son and married Amelia Downie. John had been apprenticed to Abraham DEVONSHIRE (his uncle?) as a painter, plumber and glazier and in the 1850s he and Amelia moved to Norwood (probably to work as a glazier on the Crystal Palace) and had seven children. Then John CHANDLER disappears off the face of the earth. Amelia is not listed as a widow and I can find no trace of John on a census or death index after the birth of his youngest child in 1856. Amelia and the children are on the 1861 and 1871 census in Norwood.

As for the other children of John Worrell CHANDLER, apart from Margaret marrying John FITZGERALD in 1838, and both Susannah Elizabeth and Thomas White dying as toddlers, I can find no trace of all the other children on the census. I wonder if the brothers all emigrated somewhere and my great great grandfather went out to visit and didn't come back? Any clues welcome.

Sue

[casalguidi]

Sarah Rebecca Louise CHANDLER married John GRIFFITHS 1860 Dover (Holy Trinity) http://extranet3.kent.gov.uk/sp/rois/marriagesearch.cfm

There is a death for a John Worrell CHANDLER registered in the Dover registration district March quarter 1864 ref. 2a 580 - could that be the father?

http://www.ancestry.co.uk

Casalguidi

[rhoosesue]

Thanks, yes. I did have the 1864 death of John Worrell CHANDLER but not the marriage of his daughter, so a big thankyou for that. John's death was registered by S.L. DAVISON of 74 Limekiln Street, and I did wonder if this was Sarah's married name, but obviously not. Probably just a neighbour.

Sue

[rhoosesue]

Especial thanks to Casalguidi for the tip that Sarah CHANDLER married John GRIFFITHS. This has enabled me to locate her on the 1861-1891 censuses and to add a fascinating twig to my tree. John GRIFFITHS was a lighthouse keeper and in 1871 they were at Dungeness, then in 1881 in Hartland Devon. Their elder son was called Fitzgerald (Sarah's sister had married a soldier called FITZGERALD) and the younger son was Arthur Hartland Devonshire GRIFFITHS, down on the 1881 as Hartland GRIFFITHS aged 5. At first one would assume the Devonshire also came from his place of birth, but I am increasingly convinced that DEVONSIRE was the maiden name of Sarah's mother. Time to revisit this long dormant branch of my research!

Sue

[rhoosesue]

Susanna Elizabeth's maiden name was, I think, definitely DEVONSHIRE. Her youngest daughter Sarah CHANDLER (she who became Mrs. GRIFFITHS above) was missing on the 1841 census but I found her via Ancestry living with Thomas and Martha WHITE. Not only was Thomas WHITE also a shoemaker, and not only did John and Susanna call one of their children Thomas White CHANDLER, but Martha WHITE, like Susanna Elizabeth, was born in Northamptonshire. The IGI shows that on 19 April 1821 in Dover Thomas WHITE married Martha DEVONSHIRE. Also living with Thomas and Martha in 1841 (in Bridge) was four year old Louisa COLLIER, who was still with them in 1851 and described as a niece. On 27 July 1823 in Dover Jonathan COLLIER married Mary Ann DEVONSHIRE, and the census reveals that Mary Ann was also born in Northamptonshire. Martha, Susanna, Mary Ann and Abraham were obviously siblings.