information needed of two bargee families please

[spellweaver]

The short answer is yes.  I'll need to look it up, but I found Hannah on the 1841 census in Wombourne with her and Stephen's children.  One of the daughters was Tryphena I remember.  I'll look it up and get back to you.

[WOLVERHAMPTON HIGGS]

Hi, Thank you. However, please don't go to any trouble - I will probably be able to find the Census. Funnily enough, Sarah Bowater (Stephen's first wife) had a sister called Tryphena. You mentioned that Stephen had a sister Tryphena too. Perhaps it is a name that was commonly used by boating families, as I have not come across it before. 

[spellweaver]

Yes, I'm curious about this one as well.  Not a name I'd come across before, and so far as I know the only place or families it appears "on the boats" is Wombourne, in the Bowaters and Northwoods, which tends to suggest there may be another, earlier connection between the families.  My GGrandmother was also Tryphena, christened for her grandmother in Brierley Hill, but the name was not used again in subsequent generations (grateful for that) - on the other hand it helped with tracing the family because it is very unusual.
Now, on the subject of the Underhills - I will ask you to advise which were children of the first marriage, and which the second.
I have Stephen Underhill's parents as Edward and Mary, and he was baptised 29.2.1799.
First wife : Sarah Bowater
Second wife : Hannah Northwood.
Children : Mary 1822, Edward 1825, Sarah 1828, Tryphena 1930, Ann 1833, Louisa 1836, Stephen 1839
Stephen died young, and I have no idea what happened to the other children, and would love to know.
After Stephen Underhill died, Hannah remarried 31/10/1842 in Wolverhampton to James Wright, also a boatman.  I found them on the 1851 census at Wombourne, Hannah aged 50 and James 45.

Just for completeness, I also found a sister to Stephen Underhill, Rhoda Underhill, baptised 2/4/1804.  She married Thomas Gould on 25/12/1830 at St Peter's in Wolverhampton.
HTH

[spellweaver]

Sorry, forgot to mention website.  Search Google for "Spellweaver Canal Boats" should find it.  I extracted the boatman baptism records for Wombourne, only 1813 to 1830, but you might find them useful.  These confirm the first two children were Stephen/Sarah and subsequent children Stephen and Hannah.  A few Bowaters as well.  Also some newspaper articles from Wolverhampton.

[WOLVERHAMPTON HIGGS]

Thank you for your website information, I look forward to taking a look. Now I have more information I will do some hunting and reply here at a later date. So far this is what I know:

Stephen's parents, Edward and Mary had the following children:
Stephen (1799), William (01.02.1802), Rhoda (02.04.1804) Thomas (27.07.1806), Mary (05.03.1809).
There are a couple of possible death dates for Edward. One was buried 17.12.1808 at Wombourne and the vicar notes he "burned to death with his clothes catching fire". If this is our Edward, his last child Mary was born a few months later. At the bottom of the page which contains Mary's christening entry it states "This page has been copied and sent to the courts". Maybe it needed to be seen as part of the inquest into Edward's death?
Alternatively, an Edward Underhill was buried in 1832 at Wolverhampton as well.

There is a rich Underhill family line who reside in Wolverhampton during this time (Tettenhall and some at Penn, maybe other locations). In census' they have servants. They are not connected with the canal families (maybe were at some stage, not sure).

Stephen and Sarah only had two children - Mary and Edward, so the rest he had with Hannah Northwood.
Mary married William Rushbury on 20th Nov 1843 at Tipton. They had five children: William, Sarah Ann, Mary, Mark, John. They were residing on Canal Street when Sarah Ann was born, but seems they lived in houses, moving from the Bradley/Bilston Area to the Bilston side of Wolverhampton. John is my GG Grandad and we have family memories. I think they were quite poor - a large family in small workers' terraced houses.

As I mentioned previously, Edward Underhill continued to live on the canals. He married a Mary who has more than 20 years younger than him and does not appear to have had children, but could have as he moved around so difficult to find all of the Census'.

I have just quickly looked to see if I can find anything out about Sarah (Stephen and Hannah's eldest). In 1841 Hannah (Widow) is living at Bratch, Wombourne with all of her own children except Louisa. There are two records for Banns being read for a Sarah Underhill and Benjamin New - at Trysull and Wolverhampton. Both are in September and either 1849 or 1850. They are resident "Canal Str". In the 1861 Census Sarah is a "Boatman's Wife", living at Bratch, Wombourne with their children Ann, David and Julia.

That's all so far! 

[spellweaver]

I have an earlier marriage for Edward Underhill to an Emma.  Emma was buried at Merridale cemetery, Wolverhampton 12/3/1871 aged 40.  Burials of three of their children are also recorded :
Edward Underhill 1/3/1863 aged 4 years, living Bilston Street, drowned in the canal (Coroner).
Phoebe Underhill 12/1/1865, age 11 mo. Canal Street
Mary Jane Underhill 14/12/1870 age 18 mo, Montrose Street.
In each case, Edward is shown as a boatman.
What was the date of the second marriage?
I think I found a census record for Edward Underhill with wife Emma on a boat, but can't at present find it.  I remember it was very confusing, as the children's names were a mess (two with the same name as I recall)
Please let me know how you get on, Always interested in my boatmen and their families! HTH

[Rhubarb 19]

Hi Alilsomar
I recently came across your request for information on the Green and Crockford family lines and wondered whether you were still looking for information.
Henry and Priscilla are also my gx3 grandparents.

[jeanette smith]

I have ancestors who lived on the Canal in Wombourne, nr Wolverhampton.

Steven Underhill (1799-1838) married Sarah Bowater (1799-1825). He was a boatman and the Bowater's were also a canal family.
They had a daughter Mary Ann Underhill in 1821, who married William Rushbury and then lived in Wolverhampton.
Also a son Edward, who stayed on the canal and is captured in Census's living at Crescent Wharf in Birmingham in 1851 and at "No. 14, Boat on the Canal" in Wombourne in 1881.

If anyone knows anything about the Underhill's or Bowater's please get in touch.

Hi I have parish records for Wombourne and the surrounding areas, and am doing research on all the families of Wombourne for a History room that will be opened hopefully late 2023. So please get in touch and I will help where I can. I am also going to be doing a folder on the Canal/Boat families of Wombourne so any info which I could put into the folders would be of help thanks