annie maria coffoa-help please!!?

[Annette7]

I wonder whether this was Mary's husband - can only find 1 James Coffoa who was born in Tipperary, Ireland.   

He was a Gunner in the Royal Artillery having enlisted at Woolwich on 11/2/1863 - 5ft.9ins, fresh complexion, Grey eyes, Brown hair - a Labourer aged 19 (bc.1844) from Tipperary.

His service history shows his only service overseas was from 3/10/1872 to 26/7/1875 in Bermuda.   Prior to this - in 1871/1872 he was often absent without leave.   1871 Census shows him in Alverstoke, Hampshire but shown as unmarried.   However, service records show one reference to Pembroke so he was obviously there at some point.   Perhaps on a return visit he met up with Mary again only to discover she was pregnant (or maybe had already had the baby) and a swift marriage arranged.  Soldiers weren't supposed to marry without consent of commanding officer so perhaps this marriage took place without consent hence he stating he was unmarried in 1871.   

Can find no re-marriage or death for Mary Coffoa - so maybe he eventually came clean with the army and when he went to Bermuda Mary went with him and possibly died there.

James Coffoa remained in the army until 1886.   He married a Caroline Palmer on 28/4/1885 at Stoke Damerel, Devon per service papers but whether this was as a bachelor or widower I've no idea.   She was some 13 years older than him.   Caroline Coffoa died in East Stonehouse, Devon in 1907.   No trace of a death for James Coffoa in UK records but familysearch pilot shows a James Coffoa died Jun.qtr.1911 in Tipperary - it indicates a birth year of 1851 but I feel sure this is him and that he returned to Tipperary after death of wife Caroline.   

Annette   

[rachelralph]

goodness annette you have been busy, i also saw that james coffoa from tipperary but dismissed it as wrong becasue he was 'unmarried'.
i think that it may be a case of james got mary ann preganant, and a quick marriage arranged. the daughter annie maria was born 1869, the same year as there marriage.

i will certainly look more into the james coffoa from tipperary, thank you.

[Orielbenfro]

The only Mary Ann James baptised in or around 1851 was baptised at Pembroke St Mary to Thomas & Elizabeth James of the Eastend on the 07 May 1851 by W.M.D. Berrington..

I’ve been able to get a glimpse of the ’61 for Princes St Pembroke Dock and between the two Pubs of The Crown and Ellards Hotel reside Benjamin and Prisiclla James who among their 3 children are Mary Ann James aged 09 yrs. She states she was born in Pembroke St Mary, she may have been but she was not baptised there or anywhere in the area, her younger brother is Charles Lewis James he was baptised at Pembroke Dock St John in 1853 probably on the 21 Oct 1853 to Benjamin & Priscilla James.

I assumed finding the mrge of Benjamin and Priscilla would be easy, wrong. The only one that appears to fit is in London ?

Benjamin declares he was born at Millin. I first thought this was Milton at Crunwear, but have found nothing to suggest the location of his birth or baptism.

Priscilla declares she was born at Coedcanlass if so I have a reference to a Prsicilla Lewis baptised at Narberth in 1823.
 

Alverstoke was a village much frequented by Army personal and family stationed at Gosport, my own included.
Stoke Damarel was the parish used by most Army/Naval personal stationed at or around Devonport Dockyard, my own included.
East Blockhouse was a parish much in use by service personal stationed at or around Plymouth Dockyard.

Anna Maria Coffee was born in one of the many parishes, or chapels, or R.C. Churches covered by the Pembroke Registration District and not in the town of Pembroke. Given he was in the Artillery, he could have been at Defencible Barracks, one of the Martello Towers, out at one of the forts in the Haven, at one of at least 3 forts down at Angle and even over the side of the Cleddeau at Fort Scoverston which was covered by Llanstadwell also part of Pembroke Registration District.

As I stated previous there is no reference in Parish Registers to the surname Coffoa(various), given the Irish connection the male line must be R.C., for which no registers exist in Pembrokeshire.

There is no Benjamin James baptised south of the river to fit husband of Priscilla, I have found Benjamin baptised at Hubberston in 1831 and a Benjamin James baptised 1829 at Brawdy.

Not sure if any of the above assists your research, but if anything looks good and needs following up, let me know.

Rgds
Orielbenfro
ORIEL a welsh window on a surname

[rachelralph]

i have been googling the name coffoa and it seems to be a name only related to this one family.  i fear that the name got changed through accent.

also through googling i came across a thread on another site about james coffoa, and it would seem another person is searching the same man, and they seem to think james coffoa had a woman in most places.

i will return to this tomorrow i think, i just wanted to thank you for helping me and let you know i have read your post.
thank you xxxxxx