Christening of Emma Louisa Soundy c.1815

[CV-S]

Hello,

For so long now one of my earliest brickwalls has been the Williams family. My ancestor Charles was born in 1840 in Battersea, the son of John (brewer's labourer) and Emma Louisa (surname unknown). With such a common name I failed to find a likely marriage.

Desperate to solve this, I went back to the 1841 and realised there was a Frances Soundy (aged 65) living with them. John and Emma had a daughter Frances, and then the major breakthrough happened, when I found the marriage between John Williams and Emma Soundy on 2 June 1832 in Westminster (both left a mark; witnesses Hannar [Hannah?] Soundy and John Astell).

So I theorise that Emma Louisa Soundy is my ancestor, probably the daughter of Frances Soundy and her husband John, who christened children in Lambeth in the late 1790s/early 1800s. Frances is very interesting as I've found details of many letters she wrote to the parish about her poverty and describing her hard life. In one of those letters (1831) she mentions she has a daughter who would start to go to work selling things on the streets, but couldn't as she had no suitable clothes. Emma would have been about 16 then, so seems to fit.

Emma was born circa 1815, birthplace Battersea/Fulham (according to census returns). I just can't find a christening for her at all, which is a shame as that would be the confirmation I need.

I would greatly appreciate any assistance/advice.
Thank you

[Richard Knott]

So I theorise that Emma Louisa Soundy is my ancestor, probably the daughter of Frances Soundy and her husband John,

Do you mean John? I thought he was Emma's husband.

A James and Frances Soundy were having children in Lambeth between about 1797 and 1806. James died there is 1836, aged 64, in Battersea Fields (the same place as your Frances in 1843).

The only baptisms I can find are Charles Richard (1799, indexed as Sounds), Mary (1801), James William (1806) and Jane Catherine (1806) - with a James being buried in 1799 - but there are gaps for Emma.

There is an online tree that also includes John (1809). John may well be the one marrying as a widower in Lambeth in 1844, whose father James (decd) is a barge builder. The censuses do show a Charles Richard Soundy (bc1799 in Lambeth), and another Charles Soundy (b1783, Lambeth s William and Mary) who is also a barge builder; but I haven't established a connection.

Richard

[Richard Knott]

I found the marriage between John Williams and Emma Soundy on 2 June 1832 in Westminster (both left a mark; witnesses Hannar [Hannah?] Soundy and John Astell).

John Astell appears to have witnessed other marriages, but Hannah Soundy may be the one who died in Battersea Fields, as the others did, in 1843 aged 48.
She is also likely to be the Hannah Tottham who married John Soundy in 1827, as her death would tie in with John remarrying as a widow in 1844. One of the witnesses to the 1827 marriage is an M?. Soundy.

James and Frances didn't hve a great life as they apply to Pangbourne parish for help in the 1820/1830s. It appears from the following article that James hurt his arm. Frances' words in 1829 have been transcribed: ‘our disstres as not bene throw any misconduct but throw providing a home for our children and my husband being out of work’
It gets worse:
George Chadwin, vestry clerk for Battersea wrote to the Pangbourne overseers on 4 January 1819 to find out whether they would assist Frances Soundy or wished her sent ‘home’ since she ‘is unable to support her family’ due to her husband leaving her and her own illness
Frances Soundy reminded Pangbourne vestry in March 1830 that ‘thoe ican hearn a trifell by my needell i can not surport a family i now ham a old woman andmy sight is vary bad indead’

You can read about them in this article, where Frances is much quoted:
http://www.academia.edu/746243/Think_Wot_a_Mother_Must_Feel_Parenting_in_English_Pauper_Letters_C._17601834

It sounds as if the original letters are in the Berkshire Record Office (BRO D/P 91/18/6/..). They would make good reading, and might mention Emma, as they certainly name Charles.

Richard

Added later: sorry, I've just seen that knew this already.

[Richard Knott]

If the Pangbourne connection is right, it seems that William Soundy is the person who moved from there to Lambeth.

William married Mary Fellows in Pangbourne in 1766 where they baptised their first son, William the same year. They then appear to have had several children nearby in Reading (John, 1770; James, 1772; Maria, 1776; William, 1779), before baptising two in Lambeth (William Henry, 1781; Charles, 1783). In 1841 John, aged 70, is living with his sister Jane Young, and he is also a barge builder.

The dates fit, but one worrying counter fact is that there is a William Soundy, yeoman of Reading, who left a PCC will in 1795. You can read it here:
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=D319039

Richard

Added later: the will is online and it is a different William, whose widow is Sarah

[CV-S]

Hi Richard,

Thank you very much for all this information, lots of details to add to my notes. I agree the William Soundy who died in 1795 seems to be unrelated (may be distantly related) to this family, which I am quite confident with.
So with those baptisms it seems the Soundy's moved to Lambeth in about 1780. Always good to know that sort of thing.
Will keep looking, I think you're right and getting hold of the further letters will be a possible way to confirm Emma's existence in this family.
Thanks again.