John South: Looking for that vital link!

[RobinEssex]

Hi,

I'm looking for any advice regarding how i might find info that will solve a vital missing link.

My 4x great grandfather John South married Lucy Buckingham in Colchester, Essex in 1801.

The couple had five children, Lucy (1802) & John (1803) in Colchester, Samuel (c1808), William (1809) & Thomas (1813) in Woolwich.

In 1816, Samuel was belatedly baptised in Colchester.....his fathers trade noted as ' late private in royal artillery'.

I am assuming that John South met and married Lucy whilst stationed in Colchester and later the family relocated to Woolwich before returning to Colchester when John was discharged.

John South died in 1847,aged 71, in Colchester.

What I am missing is any definative proof of John South's place and date of birth.

The most likely candidate is the John South who was baptised in 1777 in Southfleet. The year virtually matches and the distance between Southfleet and Woolwich is relatively close.

The names John & Lucy gave their children neatly correspond with the father and siblings of the Southfleet's John South.......and Lucy's father.

I have looked at the Royal Artillery service papers of a John South from Kent, but unfortunately this John South was serving at least twenty years before my 4x great grandfather was born.

I'm looking for that vital piece of info that links the John South who married in Colchester in 1801 to the John South baptised in Southfleet in 1777.

Based on all the info above, how likely is it that i have got the right man?

If anyone is researching the South family (with links to Southfleet and Swanscombe circa 1770) and can confirm or eliminate this John South, I would be pleased to hear from you.

many thanks
Rob

[bearkat]

Here is the entry from the parish baptism register for Southfleet.

http://www.rootschat.com/links/0b08/

(you may have this already)

[RobinEssex]

bearkat,
thank you for your reply.

Yes,i did have the full baptism info but its the first time i've seen a copy of the actual handwritten registration so thank you for the useful link.

Disappointingly I did find in the burial registers a John South who was buried on 17 March 1791 in Southfleet. This is almost certainly the John South (bpt 1777 )  who i thought might be my 4x great grandfather. With no age recorded i'll never know for sure.

There was only one other South family in Southfleet, William & Anne South, who had a daughter Rebecca baptised in1792.

So was John South,buried in 1791, their child? With no baptism for that period and with no mention of 'Infant' in the burial registration, it seems unlikely.

It does seem that i've been on the wrong trail. Aghhhhhh......... 

[Annette7]

If I've got the right Lucy South she was bc.1774 and buried Holy Trinity, Colchester 15/12/1860. 

In 1841 she is living with son John in Colchester.   If I'm reading entry correctly in occupation it states Widow which has then been crossed through (probably because status was not supposed to be given on the form then).

1851 shown on Parish Relief and widow of sailor.

The John who died 1847 (bc.1776) was buried at Lexden 4/6/1847 and I don't think this is your John as he would appear to be the John South living in Lexden in 1841 who was a Labourer.

I think your John died before 1841.

Annette

[RobinEssex]

Hi Annette

Thank you for your very intereting reply.

I had never picked up on the crossed out 'widow' in the 1841 census but now that you've pointed it out, its clearly what it says.

On their sons,Samuel South's, baptism record it says that his fathers profession was 'late a private in the royal artillery' which i have taken to mean that he was an ex-soldier. But could the 'late' have meant that he had died?

The major contradiction though is that in the 1851 census, Lucy South is recorded as being a widow of a sailor !!

Perhaps John swapped his military career for that of a naval one?

The couple's last possible child was Thomas South, born in December 1813 although the mother was recorded as being Susannah South?

Just in case Thomas was the child of another John South, then the last confirmed child of John & Lucy South was William, born in March 1809.

Perhaps i should now be looking for the death of a John South between 1808 & 1816?

Thanks again for your suggestions and observations.

Rob

*Update:

Have just found a John South, aged 36, buried at St Paul, Deptford on 12th December 1813 which is looking promising.

The age is about right and Deptford i think is only about 6 miles from Woolwich.