my mystery Bennett!

[jacks]

I have a William Bennett who is defying my attempts to find him.

He appears on the 1881 census giving his birth as India 1829, so i search everywhere and in every census search and he doesnt appear anywhere else. However I know his daughter Elizabeth is born in Bristol in 1860 so he must have been around somewhere!

Now whilst trying once again to pick something up i found a William Bennett (right age) living in Rustington with an Elizabeth born in Bristol (right age again) and even a welsh wife (legend holds that my nan had welsh roots) one problem, it says he was born Gloucester Patching. So why can't I find Patching in Gloucester?

I could be barking right up the wrong tree here and trying to make square pegs fit round holes but has anyone any ideas wether it existed? I keep wondering if the elusive Mr Bennett didn't actually put his correct birth place down!


sorry if this is a bit confusing I'm just frustrated!

[Necromancer]

His PoB is Patchway, Glos .... look in GenUKI and you'll see the Registration District is Thornbury.

Theres a mention of Almondsbury too ...

[Necromancer]

according to :- www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/media/word/r/d/Genealogical%20handlist%20for%20Website.doc

there are no Patchway records deposited ...

[Geoff E]

according to :- www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/media/word/r/d/Genealogical%20handlist%20for%20Website.doc

there are no Patchway records deposited ...

 ... perhaps because it appears to have had no church

www.old-maps.co.uk

(You need to move south a couple of clicks)

[jacks]

Thanks for those prompt responses! Looks like I may still be in the dark though! I can't seem to track the man anywhere like I said I'm assuming he has given different answers to his place of birth as given that he is born 1828/9  he should appear on the censuses. I can't imagine why though. 

[Arranroots]

Hello Jacks

Can you give a bit more detail on what you know of the family?

What is your nan's name**?  Have you found a marriage for them anywhere?  Do you know of any siblings for Elizabeth - often it is easier to find the children, especially if you know when & where they were born.

**I have them in 1871 in Rustington, Sussex - her name is Elizabeth too.  How do you know this is the correct family?  Do you recognise the siblings names?

Do you have your nan's birth certificate, as this will give valuable information about her parents?

kind regards, Arranroots 

[Necromancer]

So, no Church - altho it was in the Diocese of Bristol, and grouped with Hempton .
So it looks like locals used Almondsbury, as I suspected ....

Pity that Glos records used the phrase 'no records deposited ...' rather than a X-ref to Almonsbury ...

Hempton, with Patchway
HEMPTON, with Patchway, a tything, in the parish of Almondsbury, union of Thornbury, Lower division of the hundred of Langley and Swinehead, W. division of the county of Gloucester, 6½ miles (S. by W.) from Thornbury; containing 356 inhabitants.

From: 'Hemley - Hendon', A Topographical Dictionary of England (1848), pp. 474-78. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=51024. Date accessed: 13 December 2006.

[jacks]

 The only concrete information I have is that Elizabeth Bennett is the daughter of William Bennett.  She marries Frederick Brown on 15th Dec 1878 at St Philips Bristol. She is aged 19 at the time of the wedding. On the 1881 census William is a widower staying with Frederick and Elizabeth Brown. His place of birth is given as India. Elizabeth generally gives her birthplace as Bristol and on one occasion as St Philips Bristol. My dad is insistent that my nan said she had welsh roots. I havent found anybody on her line who is welsh. Her maternal line on  both sides come from dorset. As i havent been able to find William I have no ideas as to any siblings at all! Oh and William is listed as being a Labourer so nothing unusual there!


As i said I'm probably clutching at straws here.

 

[Arranroots]

You mention Elizabeth's maternal line - so you know who her mother is??

Have you found a marriage for William then?

Puzzled... 

A