1841 / 1851 / 1861 ~ GLOUCESTER ~ look up please

[tropicalj]

Hello  there Ishtat and welcome to rootschat!

Now how exciting for Lucy to  get so much more information on  John Richings!!

having travelled down  the path of history with her via rootschat  I  am very excited  to find  out  about his background.

kind thoughts Jenn

[Lucy2]

Hi All

I'm here !       I'm here !   

Have just picked myself up, off the floor !           
                                   ------------------


Later Edit :       Thanks Osprey and Jenn  ... yes, how exciting is this new info ?      (Sorry, I was in a tizz - earlier).

[Lucy2]

Hi ishtat   

 ....  and from me ... a huge Welcome to RootsChat !   

(Yes, you have done a splendid job, with your first posting to this board) !

Thank you so much for sharing all this amazing information.
I'm utterly blown away ... never, ever, did I imagine that there might be "more to be had" on the life of John RICHINGS ?

Of course, I too, am his g-g-grand-daughter (through Lily, one of two New Zealand-born children, he had with Annie HEASMAN (MORININI).     

But, I expect you will have already read through the (very long) thread on the Australian board, and gleaned something of the "antics" of John (alias "Thomas") ?   
Quite a tale it is, too.           
None of this "story" though would have been possible, without the brilliant and truly generous help, of fellow RootsChatters - a number of whom went above and beyond the call of "duty".        I'm (still) in awe of all the wonderful contributions which have been made by so many.

So, there WAS a DIVORCE !      Wow !     (Speculation had been, that John simply "turkeyed" off (deserted) ... and that Sarah Ann had had him declared as deceased after 7 years, enabling her to re-marry) ?    But she went to that effort - of divorcing him - and what's more, it's all documented !   Wow  (again) !    Divorce would have been a fairly rare occurrence back then, I'm thinking ?     (Seems he might have had a penchant for for dames named "Amelia" ?    Annie HEASMAN was officially - "Ann Amelia") 

How wonderful that your Mum has been able to provide some RICHINGS family history for you  ... and photos of the family members are such a "bonus".     Lucky you.   
[I only discovered the RICHINGS name on a marriage certificate ... and it would seem only a handful of persons of that surname, ever ventured to New Zealand.   From our family, the only other who made these shores, was William (Will) the son of Samuel (John's brother). ]

Obviously, I'd love to know a little more about this divorce - but only of course, if you are happy to share that information.   (I'd be pleased even if you could just supply me with a reference number, so I could obtain my own copy). 

So grateful that you decided to contribute to this RICHINGS thread ... and as you can see, you've made more than just one person happy ! 

Look forward to hearing from you again.   

Kind regards
Lu
   

[JAP]

What fantastic news!

The divorce reference is in the National Archives but would we have picked it up?  Sarah is listed as Sarah Jane instead of Sarah Ann, and the name BLIZARD does not appear.  See:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATLN=7&CATID=-3062058&j=1

Welcome ishtat.

I'm so pleased for you, Lu.

JAP

[trish1120]

WA HOO Lu

What a saga When is the book/movie coming out

So pleased for you

Trish

[Lucy2]

Hi JAP   

Absolutely  ... fantastic news, isn't it !     Who would have thought  ....  ?     

Yes, I'm truly "blown away".   

Many thanks for the Archives link.   

Hmmm ... "Sarah Jane" (rather than "Sarah Ann") ?     For my part, I'd never entertained the thought, that there might have been an "actual" divorce ?     And well done "ishtat", for finding it !
 
Whilst I'm obviously over the moon - the very best part is to still be sharing in the new developments, with those of you who have made such fantastic contributions to the Richings/Heasman search.   

Lu

[Lucy2]

Hi Trish   

Beaut  ... huh ?         Thanks.

Hmmm ... the book?     Seems it's sort of "writing its self" ... right here ?

What's probably needed now,  is a good Aussie bookmaker.
A bit of punting on whether this "story"....  will ever end ?

Cheers
Lu

[ishtat]

I found my copy of the divorce papers for John Richings/Sarah Ann Armitage formerly Richings nee Blizard this afternoon and realised I had made a mistake in calling the coffee shop adulterer Amelia Underhill . Her name was in fact Isabella.

Looking quickly through my files I believe that I probably have a fair bit of information and documents, birth, marriage certs, coroners reports etc. you may not have. Nothing earth shattering but it will fill in a few gaps. However, I am going away for a few days and will not be back in Sydney until after the weekend; I will then look through to see what might be useful.

I have lived in Sydney for 32 years but am very familiar with the WUE family as I often visited there as a child and have recently spent 2 years in UK at Berkeley and Uley, both about 7miles from WUE..

My Aunt Nora 1915 to 2000 kept a diary in which amongst other things she wrote down comments about various relatives which she had been told by such people as John Richings sister and Sarah Ann herself who didn't die until 1926. I cannot give you a copy of that because some of it is very personal but I can quote from it some of the thoughts of Sarah Ann about her first husband.

 

[cello]

Hi Lucy and Ishtat

Well this just gets more interesting by the day - I wish I had found Rootschat in 2007 when you started this post as I could have sent you some of the information then from research I did in 2004.

Do either of you have anything on John Richings (senior) born 1817.  I have been trying to follow this John backwards for some time.  His parents were John Richings (born approx. 1791) and Hannah and the saga of the wayward Richings continues with John and Hannah.  It appears from what I have found that John deserted Hannah and took up with their servant, possible even divorcing Hannah and marrying Eliza.  I will look up my notes tonight when I get home as I have Census details and information I found at the W-U-E History Centre some years ago.

John (Thomas) Richings who deserted Sarah Ann, was the brother of my 2 x great grandfather, William and I thought my Richings family was quite staid until I came to the mystery of John deserting Hannah, and now all this!!!

Seems you both live in Aus.  I was born in Aus but have lived in the UK for 10 years, about 40 miles from WUE.

Regards
CW