Hannah Rabbitt/William Leighton (completed)

[Craftyp]

Is anybody able to help me to find whether a Hannah Rabbitt and William Leighton who married in 1817 at St Pauls bedford had any children as it will be a little while before I will be able to go back to Bedford to continue my research and I cannot find anything about them on the internet.

CraftyP

[bedfordshire boy]

Bedford St Paul baptisms up to 1892 have been extracted onto the IGI but there's no sign of any baptisms to William and Hannah. Nor elsewhere in Beds in parishes that have been extracted. I can't see them in censuses nor are there any obvious burials in Beds.

What else do you know about them? Does the marriage entry give any clues eg witnesses?

[Craftyp]

I'm afraid I don't know anymore about them.  The marriage I got off of the igi.

Hannah is the sister of a John Rabbitt who I had come up against a brick wall for many years. Through the IGI I found his birth and to confirm he was the right one went to Bedford Record Centre who I give ten out of ten for their time and help. Having confirmed it was him I found out he had a sister Hannah but wish now I had stayed longer.

Looking on the IGI I believe that the Hannah who married William Leighton is her but like you cannot get any further and I think I will have to look at the marriage itself for extra clues when I get a chance to go back to Bedford .

Thankyou for your time in trying to help


CraftyP

[johnP-bedford]

Interestingly there's a marriage at Bedford St Paul on 10 May 1833 of Hannah Leighton to James Gooding. Was she a widow ?. As it's just after the burial of William Layton at Bedford St Paul on 3 Apr 1832 aged 64. But that'll make him born about 1768 - would he be too old for Hannah who was baptised 17/9/1786.

Is it coincidental that on 1841 census at Bedford St Paul there is a James Goodwin aged 60 with 'wife?' aged 50 who Anc* have transcribed as Souren ? & in same household is an Edward Rabbit ? who Anc* have as age 5 but I think that's wrong as he seems to have an occupation. 

John

[Craftyp]

You have given me something to think about. 

I have come across marriages before where the husband is a lot older than his wife .  If Hannah did marry that William Leighton (she would have been  about 31 which I thought was a little old for her first marriage) he could have been left with children so needed a mother for them. She may have been quite content to marry him having not found anybody else.

That 1841 census is very difficult to look at.  Frustrating.

 I am looking into what you have found.

Thankyou

CraftyP

[bedfordshire boy]

The 1841 on the CDrom set is quite clear
James Goodwin 60 sawyer
Sarah Goodwin 50 or 56 or even 30
Edward Rabbit 15 Lab
All born Beds

Definitely Sarah, not Hannah

An Edward Rabbit, possibly illegitimate son of Emily Rabbit, was baptised at St Paul Bedford on 1 Feb 1825. Who was Emily Rabbit?

[johnP-bedford]

An Edward Rabbit, possibly illegitimate son of Emily Rabbit, was baptised at St Paul Bedford on 1 Feb 1825. Who was Emily Rabbit?

There are 3 other baptisms at Bedford St Paul, only naming the mother as Emilia Rabbit. They are William Garside Rabbit on 13 Apr 1823, John Rabbit on 4 Jan 1831 & Alfred Rabbit on 9 Mar 1836. There is als a burial at Bedford St Paul of Charles Garside Rabbit on 20 Feb 1822 aged 12 months, but I cannot find his baptism. Plus the above William is perhaps buried at Bedford St Peter on 5 Jun 1823 aged 5 months as William Gartside. 

[Craftyp]

I don't know who this Emily is but looking on the Bedfordshire Archival website there is an Emily Rabbit mentioned in the quarter sessions who has a bastard child but that is 1820.

I don't have her on my list of names and the Sarahs I have all died as children.

A lot of the Rabbitts are in the Renhold area and I need to try to connect them in the future.

John and Hannahs' father I believe could have married three times and I have only found two children with his second wife -John and Hannah - although there does seem a rather large gap between the two.

CraftyP

[johnP-bedford]

On 1851 census Emily Rabbett is living in Harpur Street, Bedford, unmarried aged 50, charwoman. Her sons Edward & Alfred are living in Allhallows. Edward is married to Jane & they have children Edward & Richard. Edward seems to have married Jane Dawson in Sept 1847 in Bedford RD ref 6/80 - this based on the fact that son Edward Dawson Rabbitt married at age 37 in 1885 at Bedford St Paul. Edward & Jane also had daughter Emily Kate Rabbitt in 1856. I wonder if their marriage certificate names his father... doubt it though