Jefferiss in Coventry

[PerthWA]

Hi

I am trying to find the birth/baptism information for Thomas Jefferiss.  He married Maria Hill on 2nd June 1827 at Holy Trinity, Coventry.

Has anyone come across this person / family?

[Ruskie]

Welcome to rootschat PerthWA!

Do you have Thomas and Maria in any censuses? IF so, where does it say Thomas was born?

As you probably know, a couple usually married in the bride's parish, so we might guess that Maria is from Coventry, but we need some clues as to where Thomas was born.

[PerthWA]

Unfortunately I can't find them in the Census records.  I've spent a lot of time on RootsUK trying to find them. It's almost as though they vanished.  There are a number of Jefferiss (spelled that way) in Gloucestershire, but I can't make the connection.

I know they lived at Well Street Coventry between 1828 and 1832 and that Thomas was a Dyer. They had 4 children, Thomas (1828), Elizabeth (1832), Maria (1834) & James (1835).

James is my direct line. When he came to Australia in 1859, he was a watchmaker & jeweler.

[Ruskie]

I have not been able to find any of the family on the 1841 census, which suggests that the surname has been dreadfully mistranscribed.

However I was able to locate them in 1851:
84 Union Street
Southwark
Surrey
HO107/1558/443/13
Thos Jefferiss head wid 47 dyer b London
Elizabeth daur unmar 18 silk winder b Warwickshire
James son unmar 15 errand boy b Warks
Maria daur 14 nurse girl b Warks Cheshire

So we've now discovered that father Thomas was born about 1804 in London. I would still like to confirm this by finding him in another census, and hope that we can narrow it down a bit. "Born London" is not really good to see, as it will be like looking for a needle in a haystack.  We also know that mother Maria has died between 1835 and 1851 ....

[PerthWA]

This is fantastic!  Thank you.

One of the main reasons I kept looking at Warwickshire is that James was a watchmaker & jeweller and there appeared to be plenty of them there, including another James Jeffries (watchmaker).

I had a look at the RootsUK 1861 Census but couldn't find anyone.  I know James was in Australia by then and I suspect the 2 girls were married.  It was interesting that Maria was listed as a Nurse in 1851 and that there was a Maria Jefferies in London in 1861 (10 Alfred St, Islington) listed as a Nurse, but aged 70, widow and born in Coventry Warwick. I'm not sure what to make of it.

FreeBMD shows a marriage of Elizabeth Jefferiss in Jun qtr 1855 at St. George Southwark. There are 2 entries for Maria Jefferiss, one in Jun qtr 1854 East London and the other in Sep qtr 1856 Bermondsey.  I guess I'll have to order some certificates.

[PerthWA]

I've just noticed that Maria in the 1851 census is younger than James.  The baptism I have shows her older, so the first Maria must have died before 1836-7. 

I downloaded a copy of the 1851 census from RootsUK and noticed that Maria was born in Cheshire, not Warwick.  That was unexpected! I still haven't been able to find them in the 1841 census, but it does change the focus.

[Ruskie]

Hi PerthWA,

I must apologise for my sloppy transcription and not putting Maria's place of birth as Cheshire. My excuse is that I was rushing and not taking enough care. 

I also hadn't noticed the age difference between the Maria in the 1851 census (b 1837) and the Maria b 1834. Where did you get the birth dates for the children of Thomas and Maria?

Though it is tempting to try to connect the Maria Jefferies, nurse in 1861, with your Jefferiss, I think it might be safer to put her to one side for now. 

Regarding Maria:
I'm not sure what "nurse girl" is. I didn't see her as being a nurse, but I really don't know. I wonder if "nurse girl" is another term for "nurse child" which I have seen before. Description:
A "Nurse Child" is a young child being "brought up", "looked after",
"minded" or "nursed" in the household of someone other than the
parents, usually, but not invariably, for money.
Also: http://rmhh.co.uk/occup/n-o.html#N

She may have been a relative, and this may account for the difference in age to your Maria, and the birth place of Cheshire. All just speculation of course and I may be way off the mark.

If, in fact she was a daughter of Thomas and Maria then I should amend Maria's death  from between 1837 and 1851. 

I will keep digging to see if I can find anything more ....

[Ruskie]

How do you know the family lived in Well St Coventry between 1828 and 1832?

[PerthWA]

Hi Ruskie,

I've just checked my records and it would appear I have misplaced the OPR transcript.  I do know that back in 1986 I ordered (and viewed) microfilm copies of the St. Michael OPR's from the Mormon Church. I have the microfilm order slips, but no transcripts (Ahh!).  I believe the street and father's occupation were listed in the OPR.

The 1851 census shows Maria as a daughter so I'm reasonably comfortable to accept that the Maria, bapt 1834 must have died before 1836-7. 

Could there be a difference between "Nurse Child" and "Nurse Girl"? I wonder if she was paid to nurse other children?

Accepting the above means the family must have moved from Warwick to Cheshire in 1836.  Maria was listed as 14 in the 1851 census so it is likely she was born in late 1836 or early 1837, since the census took place on 31st March, so too early for registration.

It's a very difficult family to track down!!  The 1841 Census would be good, but I don't know how to continue the search as they could be anywhere from Cheshire to Warwick to London or Surrey.