Wynn Family

[crystal90610]

Hit a "brick wall" with my g g grandfather and wonder if anyone can help.

His name was Henry Smith Wynn (Smith was his middle name) and he was born in Berwick on Tweed (c) 1813.     Unfortunately I have not been able to find out who his parents were or if he had siblings.     Also cannot find out the maiden name of his wife .... all I know is that she was called Elizabeth.

Throughout his life it appears he was involved in some way with the theatre, either as manager, actor/comedian.   He and his family travelled around the UK rarely staying long in one area although it does seem as though they kept returning to Lancashire, Yorkshire and Berwick.     Maybe he died in Berwick??

Any help or advice would be greately appreciated.

Thank You

Linda

[runningbear]

hi linda, let me first welcome you to rootschat, i came across your post and found this

1841 census: bridgegate, glasgow

henry smith wyne...28...comedian

1851 census: Main street, leslie, fife

Henry wynn...age 39...lodger...comedian...born berwick-upon-tweed


1861 census: castlegate, berwick-upon-tweed

henry wynn...head...age 48...comedian
william...son...age 18...comedian
henry...son...age 14...scholar...born middlesborough


no sign of elizabeth!!! sorry there is no more i can do


happy hunting

the more posts the more replies

Joe

[crystal90610]

Hi Joe,

Thank you so much for posting a reply to my message.

I had found Henry Wynn and his two sons William and Henry on the 1861 census but could not find any records of them prior to this date.

Very interesting to hear he was living in Leslie, Fife at the time of the 1851 census but cannot understand where his wife Elizabeth and their two sons were.

Since my last posting, I have discovered his wife's maiden name was Smith and they married (c) 1846 in Sunderland, Durham.    Elizabeth died April, 1853 in Clitheroe, Lancashire along with their youngest son George who was only about 1 year old.

Thank you once again for providing this information, I can now add two more source records to the Family Tree.

Best Wishes

Linda

[runningbear]

hi linda, i wonder if his wife was left at home while he toured the country performing? need to have a wee check on the 1851 census for clitheroe

Joe

[runningbear]

hi linda, we appear to have 2 henry wynn's??? both comedians???

i apologise for my post relating to the 1851 census, rethinking about his sons, i rechecked the census and came up with this (thanks to your info about his wife elizabeth smith)

1851 census: netherton, broad street, dunfermline

Henry...head...age 36...comedian...born berwick
elizabeth smith...wife...age 29...born renfrewshire
william...son...age 8...born stirlingshire
henry...son...age 3...born middlesborough

there is 2 visitors in the house on the day of the census

jesse maccoll...age 21...spinster...born perthshire
mary darry...age 13...born glasgow

happy hunting linda, keep posting and looking for answers

Joe

[crystal90610]

Hi Joe,

Thank you so much for the information regarding the 1851 Scottish Census and for taking the time to find this.

These people were definitely my ancestors.    Strange about there being two Henry Wynns, both born in Berwick on Tweed around the same time and both comedians.    Seems too much of a coincidence but  I suppose they could have been related in some way .... cousins perhaps     Or there again, maybe old Henry was leading a "double life" 

Your information about Elizabeth confirms I did send for the correct marriage certificate copy ... until today I was not 100% certain.

The whole of the Wynn family are proving quite elusive, for example, after the 1891 census, they seemed to vanish from the face of the earth.     Henrys eldest son, William, died in 1899 but have no idea about my great great grandparents Henry and Elizabeth, great grandfather Henry Jnr. , his wife Eliza Finch (or it may have been Fincham, they couldn't decide !!) or, (with the exception of my grandfather and his elder brother William who died in the Boer War), any of their other 5 children. 

I am now going to scour the records of Ancestry.co.uk to see if I can find anything relating to Elizabeth Smith born in Renfrewshire and her father Alexander Smith although with such a common surname I do not hold out much hope.   

Thank you once again, I really appreciate your help.

Best Wishes

Linda