Finding Francis

[Roy G]

Hi.   I need the benefit of another pair of eyes, to try and find Francis Clifton of Brighton after 1871 or 1881.  As far as I know he was an unmarried servant and consequently I cant use a wife or children to help locate him.  Nor do I know who his last employer was.  I just have him in the following baptismal record and these census indexes.
Francis Clifton baptised in St Nicholas, Brighton, 1 Dec 1833,
1841   Blucher Place, Brighton (HO 107 1122/5 ED 12 p16)
1851   42 Montpelier Street, Brighton.                     (Waiter)
1861   20 Upper Brunswick (Place?) Hove.  RG9 604 page 8.     (Footman for household)
1871   27 Norfolk Square, Paddington, London.                 (Butler for household)
1881   Possibly incorrectly listed as Frances, an unmarried ‘female’ servant, Frome Street, Islington.
No trace after that date.   
It looks as though he may have gone to an English speaking community abroad, but where abroad, Oz, USA, Can, SA, India?     Any help much appreciated.   
 Thanks Roy G 

[CaroleW]

Per freebmd - incorrectly transcribed as Cliftton

Francis Clifton aged 57 June qtr 1890  Islington 1b 158

[Roy G]

Thanks so much Carol.  It was an inconsequential problem that had baffled me for years, and I just thought I'd give it another airing.  Amazing how you can spend over a decade on a transcription error. Another pair of eyes were just what I wanted   Thanks so much.  All that's left to do now if find where his brother William was between two censuses.  Am I pushing my luck to ask you to give that one a go too?

William Clifton
1827, Circus Street, Brighton (Bapt entry)
1838, Stone Street, Brighton (father's death Cert)
1841 Servant in Withyam (HO 107 1115/7  ED 37 p 9)
1849, Kemp Street, Brighton (daughters Birth Cert)
1850, marriage to Sophia Sayers of Henfield (Servant in Marylebone) m London 19 May 1850
1851, 31 Queens Gardens, Brighton (census)
1861, No William, but wife Sophia & dtr Emma at 8 Preeces Buildings Brighton RG9 598 p18
1861-1870 Wife Sophia Clifton died, but no idea where  A possible Death of a Sophia in Kings Lynn March ¼ 1864 seems unlikey.
1870, 120 Stamford Street Lambeth S London      1871 as opposite.   RG 10 folio 646
1871, marriage 2 Catherine Morrell (nee Mockford of Rottingdean) marriage in Southwark, London 17 Aug 1871
1881,101 Stamford Street, S London, (census)      1891, South London (census)
William died Lambeth, December ¼ 1896.

Regards Roy G

[CaroleW]

In 1861 he is living with Catherine Morrell as her husband - William Morrell

RG9 Piece 184 Folio 30 Page 1

[Roy G]

Hi Carole
How stupid of me, of course you are SOOOOOO right.  I have even seen that entry in Holborn before, but assumed it was Catherine's legitimate first husband.  Just another example of our ancestors proving that extra marital activities were not the prerogative of present day society, many of whom think they invented the concept.  I suppose it is unusual for the man to take the female partner's surname though, when so often it's the other way round.

Your great finding and a lack of supporting death for William's wife Sophia makes me wonder whether he became a bigamist, possibly leaving Sophia living under the surname of a new partner. Pity their daughter Emma (and her Aunt Lucy Clifton) married Marines in Portsea in 1869, otherwise mother & daughter might have still been together making identification easier.

Oh well, Onwards & Backwards.    Thanks again.    Roy G

[CaroleW]

I wondered about the bigamy angle but as William & Catherine were together in 1861 but didn't marry until 1871 - I thought it was more likely one or others previous spouse had died.

I can't find a marriage for a Catherine Mockford to a Morrell or vice versa
 

[Roy G]

It's a while since paid any attention to Catherine, she was one of those I only took a token interest in for she was not of the blood line.  Well you have to draw the line somewhere don't you.  But I do seem to recall complications with the early Rottingdean records and believe the Morrell name may have switched to Murrell at one stage or the Mockford to Mogford, so I'll have to look back at the notes I made at the time. 

There was an early connection with that area though, for William's father (Francis Clifton a coachman of Circus Street, born somewhere in Sussex c1800) died in Brighton's Stone Street, but his burial was at St Wulfran's, Ovingdean on 8 June 1838.  It just seemed illogical to take him from the Hove side of the district, to beyond the eastern side of the town boundary.
Roy G