William John FRANCIS vanished

[Alexander.]

I have traced my relative William John FRANCIS (b. 1812 in Tooting, Surrey) through all the censuses up to 1861, living in Surrey and later Wellingborough, Northamptonshire. Then, in 1863, I believe he married Edith Clarke (a widow). I have been able to find neither since and I haven't a clue what county they might be in in 1871.

This is the info from his marriage:
Married 21 Feb 1863, St. Marylebone All Souls, Middlesex
William John Francis, full age, Bachelor, Shoe Maker, All Souls District, Thomas Francis, Gardener decd
Edith Clarke, full age, Widow, ---, All Souls District, Samuel S__ls, Labourer decd

As you can see I can't read Edith's father's name to find her maiden name. It could be Souls or Sails or Seals.

Any ideas for tracking William and Edith? I'm not sure if they died before 1871 or what.

Thanks,
Alexander

[jorose]

I think this is Edith in 1871:

RG10/1547 75/10
Horselow Street, Potton, Bedfordshire
Edith Francis, 54, widow, b. Beds Eyeworth
John Clarke, son, 14, b. ditto
Minnie Clarke, daughter, 2, b. Potton (probably actually the illegitimate daughter of one of Edith's children?)
William Walker, married, lodger, 62, boot maker, b. Wilstead.

and in 1861:
RG 9/995 114 page 7
Cottage, Eyworth, Bedfordshire
Edith Clark, widow, 46, Ag. Lab's widow, b. Eyeworth
George, son, 23, shoe maker, b. dit
Edward, son, 21, Ag Lab's son, b. dit
David, son, 14, apprentice shoemaker, b. dit
Simeon, son, 11, ditto, b. dit
Mary, dau, 8, labourers daughter, b. dit
John, son, 4, labourers son, b. dit

(next door there is a family headed by Samuel Soul, 51, b. Eyeworth - Edith's brother?)

Edith appears by herself in Potton in 1881.

[Alexander.]

Thanks, that is probably her! So William must have died between 1863 and 1871 - any ideas for when/where it could be?

Alexander 

[jorose]

I don't see any obvious entry - there's one William John Francis in Shoreditch in 1864, and a couple of plain "William Francis" in Biggleswade which does cover Potton and Eyeworth - one in 1865 and a 60-year-old in 1869.

[Alexander.]

Thanks very much for checking.

Alexander