This is going to be a complicated Hunt this week, but James knows this and has an alternate if it becomes too difficult. Please read Post 1 and Post 2 before going ahead.
Good Luck and Good Hunting.
Barbara
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Apologies if this is rather lengthy but an outline of the family needs to be shown first. It is a rather complicated one this week!
Anyhow, here it is:
Lodington/Edwards
My 2nd Great Grandmother Mary Edwards married William Hold on 2 August 1880 at the Parish Church at St. Mary, Newington, Surrey. Her father is indicated as Beverley Edwards. Witnesses to the marriage were Beverley Edwards and Buley Edwards.
Beverley Edwards is actually Beverley Purton Edwards Lodington and he was born in 1826 in Harwich, Essex. He married Eleanor Sarah Fortye Millis on 26 September 1848 at Trinity Church, Lambeth, Surrey. His father is Thomas Edward Lodington. Witnesses to the marriage were Sarah Avery and Ellen Lodington.
Beverley Lodington is found with his father Thomas Lodington, mother Mary and sister Bessie on the 1841 census in Gee Street, St. Luke, Finsbury. At the time of his marriage to Eleanor Millis, he is resident at Carlisle Street, Lambeth and is a Sailor.
HO107/668/5/ En. Sch. 7 Page 6
At the 1851 census he is living with his wife Eleanor at 40 Gravel Lane, Christ Church, Southwark and working as a Waiter.
HO107/1557/420/51
After this, everything starts to become interesting.
Two children are born before the 1861 census but after the 1851 census:
1. Edward Melville Richard Lodington - born March Quarter 1852 in Poplar Registration District; died March Quarter 1853, St. George Southwark R.D.
2. Beverley Edwards Thomas Richard Lodington - born September Quarter 1853 in Poplar.
At the time of the 1861 census, Beverley Purton Edwards Lodington is resident at 7 Bedford Place, Walworth (and now a Potman). However, he is now called Beverley Edwards and is living with Buley Edwards (more about her below), his eldest son Beverley (now also surnamed Edwards) and 4 other children:
3. Mary Edwards - born about 1855, Newington (my 2nd Great Grandmother mentioned above)
4. Thomas Edwards - born about 1856, Newington
5. Candler Edwards - born about 1858, Newington
6. Elizabeth Edwards - born about 1859, Newington
In 1871 (RG10/611/100/7) they are now living at 74 Wellington Street, St. Mary Newington (Beverley is now a Broker) with 3 more children:
7. Buley Edwards - born 8 December 1861 at 7 Bedford Place, Alfred Place, St. Peter Walworth, Newington. She is daughter of Beverley Edwards and Buley Gerrard
8. Ellen Edwards - born about 1863, Newington
9. Matilda Elly Edwards - born June Quarter 1867, Newington
In 1881 they are resident at 129 East Street, Newington (Beverley is a Carman and Broker) in 1891 and 1901 they are at 181a Peckham Park Road, Peckham (Beverley is a Furniture Dealer).
Buley is noted as wife in all census except the 1881 where she said to be Niece (with a rather non-committal mark in the Marriage column for her)
Now to the searches I am after:
1. Beverley Purton Edwards Lodington's christening (perhaps in Harwich -- his eldest brother Edward Clarence Lodington was born and christened in France whilst his other older brother Candler Lodington was born At Sea but no christening has been found for him either) so I can prove who his mother was
2. Did Beverley Purton Edwards Lodington marry Buley Gerrard? - I cannot find any proof they did
3. What happened to Beverley's wife Eleanor Sarah Fortye Millis? - I can find no death, or any trace of her after the 1851 census
4. The children Mary, Thomas, Candler and Elizabeth Edwards cannot be found on FreeBMD (although I may have found Mary) -- who was their mother?
5. Was the son Beverley Edwards Thomas Richard Lodington, later Edwards, the son of the wife Eleanor?
6. When did Buley Edwards aka Gerrard die?
7. Ultimately, any thoughts about why Beverley Lodington changed his surname. Was it due to the presumed living in-sin with Buley Edwards?
