Lost: One set of Great,Great Grandparents from Guernsey, Channel Islands.

[RnD]

Hi Everyone,
I am looking for any information or leads that will point me in the right direction to locating my partner's greatx2 grandparents. Have been told both were born at St Peter Port, Guernsey, Channel Islands.

William John Mitchell about 1859
and
Sarah Ann Ward about 1860

Proving to be very elusive. Can anyone help me?

Cheers from Australia

[Jeuel]

Where have you looked so far?

[RnD]

Hi Jeuel,
I have only been able to find him on the 1861 Guernsey census aged 2 years and the 1881 Guernsey census aged 22 years, living at home with parents,
Charles and Sarah J Mitchell. It listed William's occupation as a sailor, and have not been able to locate Sarah Ward at all.
Family sources are conflicted and personal family documentation is non existing(sorry about my spelling).
I have been trying to locate maritime records for Guernsey for this period and have found nothing to date.
Cheers,
Diane

[AMBLY]

Hi Diane

For ref: you have -1881 MITCHELL in St Peter Port Guernsey
RG11  Piece: 5625 /  Folio: 5 /  Page: 4
Charles 58,  Quarryman b England   & wife  Sarah 52, Dressmaker (b St Peter Port)
with children (all born St Peter Port) :
George  W 32, unm -Quarryman, William J 22, unm -Sailor,  Thomas A 12- Stone Cracker,  Emmalina 12,
plus a boarder, Jesse STILES 44, Butchers lab, unm - b England

For ref: you have - 1861 MITCHELL in St Peter Port Guernsey
RG9 /  Piece: 4379 /  Folio: 24 / Page: 19
Charles 36 Lab - b England & wife Sarah J 32, b Guernsey
with children (all b Guernsey)
George W 12, Clara T 8, Excelina E 5, William J 2,
Plus  a boarder Jesse STILES 22, Quarryman, unm - b Guernsey

This appears to be the same family in 1871 - though the age of Em(m)alina conflicts

1871 Vrangue Cottage No. 12, St Peters Port, Guernsey
Head: Charles MITCHELL 48, Ag Lab, b England
Wife: Sarah J MITCHELL 42, Seamstress, b St Peter Port, Guernsey
Son: George H, 23, unm, Ag Lab, b St Peter Port, Guernsey
Dau: Excelina 15, General Servant, b St Peter Port, Guernsey
Son: William J, 12, Errand Boy, b St Peter Port, Guernsey
Dau: Eva Jane 9, b St Peter Port, Guernsey
Dau: Emelina C. 7, Scholar, b St Peter Port, Guernsey
Dau: Alice L 5, b St Peter Port, Guernsey
Son: Thomas A 2, b St Peter Port, Guernsey
Visitor: Mary Les VOU?Z 29, unm, Gen'l Servant, b Castels,Guernsey
Visitor: Ellen S PIKE 21, unm, Gen'l Servant, b St Laurence, Jersey

(The boarder of 1861 & 1881 appears to be  lodging with another family in St Peter Port in 1871)

Is the  following William John MITCHELL in 1891 and 1901, now married to Sarah Ann WARD?

1891: 37 Glatney, St Peter Port, Guernsey
RG12 /  Piece: 4701 / Folio 61 / Page 11
Head: W J MITCHELL 31? 32?, Labourer, b St Peter Port, Guernsey
Wife: S A MITCHELL 32, b Cowes, Isle of Wight
Dau: F E MITCHELL 7, School, b St Peter Port, Guernsey
Son: C W MITCHELL 4, b St Peter Port, Guernsey
Son: W J MITCHELL 1, b St Peter Port, Guernsey

1901: Cotels, St Peter Port, Guernsey
RG13 / Piece: 5320 / Folio: 74 / Page: 7
Head: William MITCHELL 42, General labourer, b St Peter Port, Guernsey
Wife: Sarah MITCHELL 42, b Isle of Wight  England *
Son: Charles MITCHELL 14, Plumber (apprentice), b St Peter Port, Guernsey
Son: William MITCHELL 11, Errand Boy, b St Peter Port, Guernsey
Son: Clifford MITCHELL 8, b St Peter Port, Guernsey
Dau: Gladys MITCHELL 5, b St Peter Port, Guernsey

* Enumerator in 1901 has first written "Isle of Wight" for Sarah's PoB, then crossed out & written "England". Technically, since Isle of Wight is Hampshire, it equates to "England"  for  the enumerator who  only recorded the country of birth of those persons not born in the Channel Islands?

Cheers
AMBLY

[AMBLY]

This may well be Sarah Ann WARD 1861 to 1881 - not born St Peter Port Guernsey,  but born in Isle of Wight and later lived first in St Helier Jersey, then lastly in St Peter Port - and so St Peter Port is where she was "from" at the time she married William J MITCHELL?

Her Parents:
1861:  31 Poonah Road, St Helier, Jersey
RG9 /  Piece: 4397 /  Folio: 104 /  Page: 26
Head: John WARD 34, Sawyer, b England
Wife: Susan WARD 27, b London
Son: David WARD 11, Scholar, b Isle of Wight
Son: Loring? (Soring?) J WARD 7, Scholar, b Isle of Wight
Dau: Jane C WARD 5, b Isle of Wight
Son: William WARD 1, b St Helier, Jersey,
Dau: Temperance WARD 1 month. b St Helier,Jersey

Sarah is visiting elsewhere in 1861, possibly with family:
1861: 1 Elm Place, Southampton St Mary, Hampshire
RG9 /  Piece: 674 /  Folio: 183 /  Page: 36
Head: Charles FORDER 38, Labourer, b Redlynch, Wilts
Wife: Eliza FORDER 37, b Southampton, Hants
Dau: Alice FORDER 7 mths, b Southampton, Hants
Visitor: Sarah Ann WARD 2 & half years, b Cowes, Isle of Wight

1871: Aquila Road 49, St Peters Port, Guernsey
RG10 /  Piece: 5758 /  Folio: 10 /  Page: 9
Head: John WARD 44, Sawyer, b England
Wife: Susan WARD 38, b England
Son: Loving J WARD 17, Sawyer, b Cowes, Isle of Wight
Dau: Sarah A WARD 12, Scholar, b Cowes, Isle of Wight
Son: William WARD 11, Scholar, b St Helier Jersey
Son: Alfred J WARD 9, Scholar, b St Helier Jersey
Dau: Melina J WARD 5, b St Helier Jersey
Son: Walter J WARD 2, b St Helier Jersey
Dau: Susan WARD 10 months, b St Helier Jersey

1881: Clement Road, No 8. St Peters Port, Guernsey
RG11 /  Piece: 5624 /  Folio: 92 /  Page: 9
Head: John WARD 53, Sawyer, b England
Wife: Susan WARD 47, b England
Son: William WARD 20, unm, Mariner, b St Heliers, Jersey
Son: Alfred J WARD 18, unm, Sawyer. b St Heliers, Jersey
Son: Walter J WARD, 13, Stone Cracker, b St Heliers, Jersey
Dau: Sarah Ann WARD 22, unm General Servant, b Cowes, Isle of Wight
Dau: Melina J WARD 15, unm, General Servant, b St Heliers, Jersey
Dau: Susan WARD 9, Scholar, b St Heliers, Jersey
Dau: Matilda E WARD 7, Scholar, b St Heliers, Jersey

Cheers
AMBLY

[AMBLY]

MARRIAGE - FreeBMD:

Dec Qtr 1858 - Southampton
Charles FORDER and Eliza Ann WARD  - on same page, Vol 2c, page 30

So Sarah Ann WARD in 1861, is probably a niece to Mrs Eliza FORDER - with  Eliza being an older  sister of Sarah's father, John WARD.

Cheers
AMBLY

[RnD]

If I could send you a dozen roses and a bottle of fine champaine, I would!!!!
Thank you so very much for unlocking the door for us.
A Very Grateful Family,
Diane