The Heaths of Guildford

[djpegg]

Thanks again all of you. With your help I think I have my Heath line back to thee birth of Charles Heath in  1871. Valda, your information on the second marriage of Charles to Charlotte in 1858 was especially useful in that it gave Charlotte's maiden name. I hadn't thought that Lambeth was once part of Surrey. I was born nearby in Balham but a long time ago. I think one of the fun things about genealogy is that it allows you to "live" the experiences of your ancestors, and that is interesting in the context of local history. In the 18th century, most marriages would have taken place near Guildford bu by the middle of the 19th century, public transportation had advanced and 30 miles was no longer a long journey.
Thanks also for George's whereabouts at the time of the 1851 census.
Charle's occupation as a clothier fits with that of a slopseller listed in the will found by bdmayes. I looked up what a slopseller was. It was the selling of cheap,work-type clothes. A clothier! Interestingly, his son George's occupation is listed as a tailor. Still in the cloths business.
Charles wasn't the only one to go to London to find a spouse. It appears Mary Heath did also. She was married in Westminster. I need to find out more about her husband, Charles Boucher. Sounds French, doesn't he?
As usual, any comments or suggestions would be welcomed. Best wishes David

[Valda]

Hi

Mary was most likely in the London area (London then officially only the square mile of the City) working as servant. George and Charlotte would have had to be there for the three weeks the banns needed to be called before the marriage. People travelled to London - well before the C19th to marry because it afforded them anonymity, plus of course they got to see the big city. Charlotte was over 20 years younger than George.

There were three baptisms to parents Charles and Mary Boucher at St Mary Aldermary in the City of London

28th November 1828 born 7th November
Elizabeth, 16 Bow Lane, father's occupation hairdresser
married William John Mockeridge 21st September 1847 St John Hackney
with her mother on the 1841 census

14th February 1830 born 21st January
Mary Ann - same details as before

15th January 1832 born 17th December 1831
Jane - same details as before
buried 16th May 1856 Holy Trinity Guildford aged 24
with her mother on the 1841 census


Regards

Valda

[djpegg]

Thanks valda. I think I know the reason Mary Boucher returned to Guildford. On FamilySearch I found a Charles Boucher that died on 26 Nov, 1835.  He was buried in Westminster, Middlesex. This was only 8 years after his marriage, but enough time to have three children in 1828, 1830 and 1832. It didn't give the cause of his death. Mary must have moved back to Guildford soon thereafter. I think Charles was born in 1803 but I'm not sure about this.

The 1828 birth listed Charles as a hairdresser. I still think somewhere down the line there must have been a French, or maybe Belgian, connection with a name like Boucher.

Interesting thoughts about why Mary met Charles in London and why Charles decided to go to London for his second marriage to a much younger woman.

Do you have any suggestions on what I should do to go beyond Charles Heath. Are Parish records for Guildford available on CD? Thanks again. david

[Valda]

Hi


West Surrey Family History Society publications

http://www.wsfhs.org/publications.htm


IGI/Family Search coverage of Guildford parish registers
(this search - http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/frameset_search.asp?PAGE=igi/search_IGI.asp&clear_form=true)

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~hughwallis/IGIBatchNumbers/CountySurrey.htm#G


A Dictionary of British Surnames - P. H. Reaney

Butcher, Butchers, Bucher, Boucher, Boutcher, Bowcher, Bowker

Old French for butcher - he lists the surname found as far back as 1184 in England - Ailwardus le Bochere

Over 800 Bouchers on the 1851 English census, nearly all born in the British Isles (one in Grenada and one in Italy). Only one born France Louis Le Boucher aged 26.


Regards

Valda