*Completed*James and Susannah SIDNEY in 1851 and beyond

[Philcandy]

Dear listers

I have found a marriage between Susannah Toghill HARDING and James SIDNEY in Wincanton RD in the March Quarter of 1845 (Vol 10, page 817).

I have found Susannah's death in Bathwick in 1880, at which time she was aged 80; therefore being born about 1800.

Can anyone see this couple in 1851 or subsequent Censuses?  I am hoping that her unusual middle name will help in spotting her in the censuses, and thus help in finding her place of birth which currently is a mystery.  There is a promising entry for a Susannah T SIDNEY in Dorset in 1861, and another Susannah J SIDNEY in Wincanton RD also in 1861, so this might be a useful starting point.

There are several other members of the HARDING family with the middle name Toghill, but she is a full generation earlier than the others, and I am keen to find how the families are related, if they are.

Kind regards and thanks in anticipation.

Phil Candy

[Tati]

Hi Phil,

1851
HO107/1931 660 15
Bruton, Somerset
Silver St Plox House
James Sidney, head, 65, Perpetual Curate of Redlynch, b. Mddx St Botolph Aldgate
Susanna T, wife, 50, b. Dorset Melberry Bubb
Ann C Hearding, cousin, 3, b. Dorset Peddlehinton
+ 2 House servants

The image isn't very clear but I do think the cousin's age is 3.

[Tati]

1861
RG9/1651 44 33
Bruton, Somerset
Silver St
James Sidney, head, 75, Clergyman of the Church of England (something) cure of souls, b. London St Botolph Aldgate
Susannah T, wife, 60, b. Dorset Melbury Bubb
Julia Harding, cousin, 18, b. Dorset Stinsford?
Anna C Harding, cousin, 13, scholar, b. Dorset Piddlehinton
+ a cook and a house servant

[Philcandy]

Hi Tati

Many thanks, as ever, for these very helpful look-ups (or should that be looks-up?!)

From these entries, I have been able to identify Anna C HARDING from Piddlehinton, and also Julia HARDING from Stinsford. They are indeed cousins and are therefore also cousins of Susannah Toghill HARDING.  However, when I looked up the website for Melbury Bubb, it gives the date of Susannah's baptism (6 April 1801) but infuriatingly doesn't mention her parents' names!!

I have now managed to locate a marriage between William HARDING and Ann TOGHILL in Milton Clevedon Somerset in 1763.  One of their children - George - was born about 1774 and he seems to have married Ann WELCH in about 1799, which would be the right age to have a daughter named Susannah in 1801.  To add to the story, William HARDING had a brother James who married Elizabeth WELCH in Milton Clevedon, and a sister named Mary who married  William WELCH also in Milton Clevedon, so it's quite possible that George married his first cousin Ann WELCH.

Of course this is all speculation, but at least it gives me something to search for.  I have a feeling that many of the answers are going to be found in Milton Clevedon, Somerset, but unfortunately the registers are not fully online yet.

Thanks once again for your kind help.

Phil

[paula9172]

Just started sorting out my husbands family tree today and came across your posting. I have in front of me a copy of the will of James Harding's (Milton Clevedon) (1816) which indeed mentions his wife Elizabeth and his brothers William, John, Robert and Thomas. It also mentions his daughters Ann, Sarah, Elizabeth, and Jane.

I have also noted that a Robert Welch (of Milton Clevedon) is mentioned as is a James Welch (of Batcombe). There are a number of different properties bequeathed and connections mentioned but it is a hand written 14 page document so quite difficult to read.

I have no idea yet how (or what generation) this connects to my husband although I am thinking it must be his g-g-g-g-grandfather. Sort of started this whole thing a bit backwards really.

So I think you are definately on the right track.

[Philcandy]

Hello Paula

Thanks very much for this intriguing posting. Jame's Will certainly sounds like a long and complex document, but it's likely to be a real treasure trove, especially if it mentions  all those various relations.

Please let me know if you manage to decipher any more of it, as I'd love to sort out this branch of the Harding family.  In particular, does James give the married names of his daughters? I'm assuming that James is the one who was born in about 1740 and married Elizabeth WELCH in 1763.

I'll look forward to hearing from you again. In the meantime, thanks for sharing the will you have.

Kind regards

Phil Candy

[paula9172]

Glad to help further once I have deciphered it all, hoping to transcribe it up - so when I have completed it I will contact you again to send a copy if useful to you.

I have in the meantime had a quick glance at the scribbled notes I made from my first look and there are two daughters married names quoted as follows:

Ann (daughter) wife of Benjamin Hoddinott
Elizabeth (daughter) wife of Joseph Highett.

Apparently James Harding bought Henley Grove House in Milton Clevedon in the late 1700's and the family lived there (according to british-history.ac.uk) until the late 1800's  - so I think I might have a go at trying to piece together the property occupants from each census - this should help narrow down the dates for the daughter marriages from when they left the family home as well as sorting out there respective ages and order of siblings.

Will be in touch when I have more
Regards,
Paula

[Jo Harding]

Hello there,

As another Harding descendant (mine are from East Cranmore, Cloford, Leighton and Wanstrow) I wondered if you had heard of the book written on this family. It was by Nicholas Royal and titled, "The Harding Family; a short history and narrative pedigree from 1480 to the present day". Published privately in 1970. They hold copies in the Somerset Record Office.

Very many of the Harding line are shown in the borad of a certain website and I can look for the people mentioned if you have not already done so.

Jo.

[Philcandy]

Many thanks for this kind offer. I do in fact own a copy of Nicholas Royal 's book, but it is in storage as I have been living abroad for the past six years. There are multiple intermarriages between the Candy and Harding families especially in the villages you mention, and I included all that information in a booklet I published in 1982 modelled on Royal's, but called 'A Short History and Narrative Pedigree of the Candys of Somerset.'

In the intervening 25 years I have found a lot more information, including even more connections between the Hardings and the Candys. This includes the marriage between Stephen HARDING of Sheep House Farm Bruton to Ann CANDY in 1801. They were married (and eventually buried) at Milton Clevedon, which led me into this particular branch of the HARDINGs.

Thanks so much for both postings.

Kind regards --- Phil Candy