Hello everyone
I would welcome opinions on this one please, those of you who were familiar to my plight last year to try and find the birthplace to enable me to further my research with Maria Lewis will know that I came to a bit of a dead end. Well thanks to Dave who is a regular 'life safer' on the Wiltshire board a Maria Lewis baptism at a place called Brinkworth in Wiltshire was found. On censuses that I have my ancestor Maria on, it did look like Brokeworth on one and a Brackhurst on another, with no county mentioned on either. I trawled through baptism records in Hampshire (for the Brackhurst (Brockenhurst) one) and was yet to look at Gloucestershire (for a Brokeworth (Brockworth) one).
The census birthplace can be checked out from the 1851 (HO107 1699 Thomas Davies aged 40 b Middlesex and Maria Davies aged 39 ) 1871 (RG10 1321 Thomas Davis aged 61 and Maria Davis aged 58), both of these censuses were taken from Chiswick Middlesex. On the 1861 census it states Chiswick as a birthplace for all the family, as most of my research is in Middlesex the baptism of Maria Lewis had been thoroughly searched in that area. Previously it had been mentioned to me to try Brinkworth in Wiltshire so a great deal later I did that.
I don't know if this is relevant but as I was looking for these census details to post I found a Michael Selwood with wife Ann (b Surrey) living as a neighbour to Maria Davis on the 1851 census, his birthplace is given as Charlton Wiltshire which is a stone's throw from Brinkworth, looking at later censuses he moved to Birmingham with a differently named wife. If I could find marriage details of Michaels there may be a possibility that a Maria Davis was a witness, (if they knew each other and were from the same area) especially if the marriage took place in Middlesex. Unfortunately, I have since found on the 1841 this Michael Selwood living with an older Michael Selwood (aged 70) and a Frank Selwood (aged one) in Charlton, but this is the disappointing part, it is Charlton within the registration district of Pewsey Wiltshire and not the registration district of Malmesbury Wiltshire from where I have records of Lewises living. So even though in 1851 Michael Selwood who lived near Maria Davis (nee Lewis) in Chiswick was born in Wiltshire it was not the same Charlton as first thought. Big shame.
Sorry I have diversed, I am trying not to miss out any details that may help.
Well .............. a Maria Lewis baptised 1811 daughter of Harry Boulton LEWIS and Mary LEWIS was found in Brinkworth. The problem I have is this really really her, I need help to prove or disprove is this the same Maria that I have been searching for.
This particular Maria, I now have has the following siblings - Ann b 1805, Jane b 1807 and a Henry b 1818, I have not been able to find their parents on the 1841. I have found a baptism for this Maria's father Harry Boulton LEWIS in 1771 Brinkworth and his marriage to a Mary Flux in 1804 so it appears he was quite an oldie when he married (nothing wrong with that). On Maria's marriage certificate in Middlesex 1843 her father was stated as being Henry a gardener. These Lewises from Brinkworth and surrounding areas appear to have been farmers with people working for them, so I ask would a gardener be grouped in with that occupation?
Also, interestingly I have found a Thomas Lewis b 1809 Brinkworth with wife Sarah, in 1852 they named their daughter Maria and then in 1854 another daughter was named Jemima. My Maria who married a William Davis also named her daughter Maria Lewis DAVIS in 1852 and her other daughter in 1851 was named as Jemima DAVIS (in Middlesex), a son was named as Henry, could these names hold a clue I wonder. This Thomas would have fitted in well as a brother to the Maria, but his parents are a Martha and John Lewis. Then, I was hoping to find perhaps a brother to Harry Boulton LEWIS named as John, I have put a request on the Wiltshire board but have had no luck as yet.
Henry Lewis (b 1818) married an Ann in 1845, they lived locally in Brinkworth and had a daughter named as Emily Maria Lewis. Another naming clue perhaps? I have found a Henry Lewis aged 20 on the 1841 living with or next door to a Henry Lewis aged 71 in Charlton (very near Brinkworth), could this be relevant?
I appreciate that when looking at the details and information that is given by someone else it can be difficult, as the background is unfamiliar to them so any help with this, or any advice/suggestions as it would be so nice to find Maria Lewis, any ideas with what else to look at or look for would be welcomed.
Please anyone feel free to ask any questions what so ever that may help confirm this is the one.
Many thanks
Ewan
