Chapman Family Prestbury

[PeterRG]

Is anyone else researching the Chapman Family of Prestbury?  I have a Benjamin Chapman born about 1800 married to Elizabeth Bolt born about 1801.  One of their three children was Robert Carnel Chapman born about 1827 who married Mary Claudine Hogg (born India) in 1832. They had 9 children: Mary Claudine, Robert Dixon, Charles Highford, Louisa Charlotte, Emily Mitchell, Francis K.F., Rosina Connelly, Agnes Kate and Reginald Cureton. Benjamin and Robert are listed as horse dealers.  Robert's home was The Oaklands, Prestbury.  Does anyone know any more than this about the family?  Benjamin was my three great's grandfather and my line is through Mary Claudine Chapman who married Colin Dunlop Donald (born Melbourne, Australia in 1851)  Thanks for your help.  Peter

[ChasH]

Peter,

There are two Ben' C's in the IGI - both extracted - but neither at Prestbury.

Have a look at the Cheltenham and Brockworth Batches at http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~hughwallis/IGIBatchNumbers/CountryEngland.htm#PageTitle

Regards

Chas.

P.S. Prestbury is only 2 miles from Cheltenham - get Parloc from http://parloc.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/parlocdl.html 

C

P.P.S.

If you hunt around the 1890 map of Prestbury - go to  http://www.old-maps.co.uk/ - you'll find that Oaklands is only a field away from the Parliamentary and municipal boundary of Cheltenham.

[kinsbourne]

Because of my interest in the Donald family, I would like to know the names and dates of the children of Mary Claudine Chapman and Colin Dunlop Donald. Can you help me?

[Liz in France]

Hi Peter,

Here are some baptisms for Benjamin and Elizabeth's children.  All were baptised at St Mary Cheltenham.  St Mary's is the parish church and is in the centre of Cheltenham a few miles away from Prestbury.

Elizabeth   bap 6.9.1824                           labourer
Robert Samuel  bap 15.12.1826               stable keeper
Benjamin   bap 17.12.1828                       stable keeper
Adelaide Bult Chapman bap. 25.2.1831    stable keeper

Can't find a marriage for any of them in Cheltenham.

Hope this helps.

Elizabeth

[Liz in France]

Hi Peter,

Following all the above through, I was a  bit put out by the name Carnel for Robert.  Having checked the marriage entry and the death entry, it is definitely Carnel, so where does the Samuel come from.  It must have  been mistranscribed on the registers.  Perhaps someone could look the original entry up for you.

Robert was born in Cheltenham going by the address of his parents but moved out to Prestbury sometime after returning from Melton Mowbray where they were in 1871.

Did you  have his death entry of 4/1893 registered Cheltenham age 66.

I think you probably missed Benjamin and Elizabeth's son Benjamin as he does not appear on the censuses at all.  Will check his death and come back to you.

Elizabeth

[Liz in France]

Hi again,

Benjamin junior was buried 26th May 1832 Holy Trinity Church , Cheltenham.  He was aged 3.

Benjamin senior died 4th quarter 1873 registered Cheltenham.

Elizabeth died before 1871 as Benjamin was a widower by this time and was living with his niece Lucy.  That means there must be a brother of his around as well.

Best wishes,
Elizabeth

[PeterRG]

Hello Elizabeth:

Thanks so much for the help on the Chapmans - it is very much appreciated.  Do you have the source of your information - I don't doubt it but would like to be able to say where it came from, e.g., a microfilm, book, other family members, etc.

I was in Cheltenham in September and found Robert and Mary Claudine's grave and was surprised and excited to find their son Reginald Cureton Chapman buried with them - until then I had no idea he existed!  And I was able to find The Oaklands the home Robert lived in - it is still standing and has been split into two private residences.  A write up in the Cheltenham archives indicates that Robert  was a friend/acquaintance of the Prince of Wales the future King Edward VII so he must have moved up very quickly from being a stable hand to entertainer of princes!

My grandmother, the child of Colin Dunlop Donald and Mary Claudine Chapman, who you're interested in, was Mary Claudine Stirling Donald.  If you would like more information I can send it to you.  She was an only child.  I haven't yet been able to find when her mother died (the 1911 census shows she was alive then) and her father died in Staines in a hunting accident in 1889.  We were always told she was an orphan which based on this information is wrong - I think she must have said she was because she had a falling out with the family or something like that.

Look forward to hearing from you.

Peter (in Canada)

Peter

[PeterRG]

Hi Elizabeth:

I have found a marriage between an Elizabeth Chapman and Henry Carnell in 1844 - I suspect that she is in "our" Chapman family and this is where the Carnell in Robert's name came from.  She was born c. 1819 so not part of Benjamin's family and Henry was born at about the same time.  They appear in censuses right up to 1891 but I can't find them in the 1901 census.

Peter

[PeterRG]

Hello Elizabeth:

Mary Claudine Donald's nee Chapman child was Mary Claudine Stirling Donald, born May 2 1882 in Cheltenham, died 16 March 1966.  Colin Dunlop Donald, her father, was killed in a hunting accident in Staines Jul/Sep 1889.  Her mother died sometime after 1911 (she is in the 1911 census living on the Isle of Wight).  I haven't found her death yet.  MCSD married firstly John Alexander Fraser 19 October 1905.  He was born 28 October 1871, died 28 Aug 1914 in the battle of Le Cateau.  They had two children, Margaret Stirling Fraser born 21 July 1909, died 1949, and Mary Alexander Agnes Fraser (my mother) born 30 September 1914, died 29 January 1997.  Mary Claudine Stirling Fraser married John Alexander Fraser's cousin, Francis Richard Fraser on 9 Feb 1919.  They had one child, Peter Basil Fraser, born 29 Dec 1921, died 10 Aug 1996.

Hope this helps.

Peter