Seal or Deal?

[OrganicJohn]

I am tracing some ancestors and there seems some confusion whether they were from Deal on the Kent coast or Seal near Sevenoaks.My gtX3 grandfather Henry George Steer(1793--1854)was b.Spitalfields and married Elizabeth Lawrence  1815 Camberwell.My gtx2 grandfather John Francis Steer was b.1822 Lambeth.Brother Henry George Steer(1817-1872)was b. Bermondsey but brother Thomas Steer (1828-1880)appears to have been born at Deal (or Seal).Henry George jnr. m.1839 AnnSarah E Steer who I believe was his cousin.She was b.1815 Seal (or Deal) and was the daughter of George Thomas Steer who was b.1790 or 1796.He was the brother of Henry George Steer snr.Some transcriptions give the place as Seal and some as Deal.It is hard to tell from the censuses.It is Henry George Steer snr that I am most interested in.On his son John`s marriage record he is described as "gentleman".I may have found him on a later census as "general dealer".How long was he living at Seal(or Deal)?

[casalguidi]

George and Ann STEER had the following children baptised Seal:

William 20 Jun 1813
Ann 5 Mar 1815
James Simon Bartholomew 9 Jun 1816
John 27 Jul 1817
Hannah 13 Mar 1819
Sarah 18 May 1821
Elizabeth 5 Dec 1830
Thomas 2 Mar 1828
http://www.familysearch.org

Ann STEER dau of George STEER, bricklayer married Henry George STEER son of Henry George STEER, gentleman 1 Sep 1839 St Saviour Southwark.

It looks to me that Thomas STEER was likely the brother of Ann rather than Henry George.

1841 Seal Street, Seal, Kent

George STEER 51 bricklayer
Ann 50
Thomas 14
John 10
Elizabeth 10
HO107/485 book 1 folio 41 page 12
................

1851 2 Chittendens Row, Tonbridge, Kent

George STEER head wid 62 bricklayer b.Seal
Elizabeth dau 20 b.Seal
HO107/1615 folio 207 page 2
...................

Other children of Henry George STEER senior
Charles Thomas STEER when he marries in 1843 gives his father as Henry George STEER a hosier.
Frederick William STEER when he marries in 1840 gives his father as Henry George STEER a gentleman.

Charles Thomas, Frederick William and Henry George were all baptised Rotherhithe with their father, Henry George STEER, a grocer of Paradise Street.

Casalguidi

[OrganicJohn]

 Thanks Casalguidi
I am sure you are right about Thomas (b.1828,Seal) being the son of George (B.1796) rather than George`s brother Henry George snr.Thomas was a bricklayer like his father.It would seem that George moved to Seal either before or after his marriage to Ann who was from Kent.I have not managed to trace her.There is no reason to think that Henry George snr. ever lived in Kent.It is easy to understand how FindMyPast had Seal as Deal as it does look more like Deal on one or more of the censuses.I am stuck on Elizabeth Lawrence who m. Henry George snr in 1815 at Camberwell.A witness was Sophia Lawrence who could have been a sister.Also I am still stuck on the Furminger family, charcoal dealers in S.London who were undoubtedly from Kent originally.John Francis Steer  son of Henry George snr.(b.1822) married Ellen Furminger dau of Thomas Furminger,charcoal dealer of Lambeth.

[CFP39]

Hi John

This may answer your Furminger query (familysearch)  Eleanor Furminger - born 15/8/1822  - ch. at St Mary, Newington on 15/9/1822 - daughter of Thomas & Ann Furminger    As the entry for her marriage on FreeBMD gives her name as 'Elinor' is seems a good match.

Regards
Lee

[CFP39]

Hi John

This may answer your Furminger query (familysearch)  Eleanor Furminger - born 15/8/1822  - ch. at St Mary, Newington on 15/9/1822 - daughter of Thomas & Ann Furminger    As the entry for her marriage on FreeBMD gives her name as 'Helinor' is seems a good match.

Regards
Lee

[OrganicJohn]

Hi Lee
It is very strange that Eleanor(or Ellen or Helinor or Helmer!) Furminger was ch.on the same day in the same church as her bride to be John Francis Steer.The entries follow one another in the church record.Perhaps the families were close neighbours and the children grew up together.I have currently failed to go back beyond Thomas Furminger,charcoal dealer,but think he may have come from the Crayford area,A number of other Furmingers were charcoal dealers in the S.London area and I feel sure they must have been related.It must be very hard for people transcribing records and I think on the whole they are very good.The name Helmer on one of the censuses did cause me some problems.Her daughter was also given as "Helmer".When I was unsure whether I Had the right family I tried researching the name "Helmer" thinking it might give some clues.Perhaps it could be Jewish or East European but after a while I concluded that there was no such name!