William Pope Somerset/Stonehouse

[overlandermatt]

I’m investigating my GG grandfather, a William Pope from Langport Somerset born in 1811 and I’m struggling to find out more.

He appears in the 1861 census in Stonehouse, Plymouth as a seaman with a wife Mary Ann and 7 children born between 1842 and 1859. In 1871 he appears again but this time as a Greenwich pensioner. He died in 1878.

He married Mary Ann Martin 1837 in Stoke Damerell, Plymouth. Possibly there were two sons born in 1834 and 1837 too.

There’s quite a lot to go on. I’m interested why there is nothing from the 1841 and 1851 census listings. I’m considering some options…

Order his marriage certificate and birth certificates for his children born after 1837? Is there a less costly way to get this information?

He is dead when his youngest son Benjamin, my G grandfather is married. Would he be mentioned on the marriage certificate?

He appears to have lived around Stonehouse for most of his adult life so I wonder if any local records are useful? Stoke Damerell and East Stonehouse parish churches seem to feature in the family history…

The Greenwich pensioner angle is of interest too – I wonder if he was a Royal Marine – his son Benjamin was and in turn his 4 sons  were too.

Thanks in advance for any good ideas. Just getting started on this and I feel I have exhausted the free online options.

Matt

[..claire..]

Hi Matt

Welcome to RootsChat, just to start you off here are the details from his marriage cert

21 Sept 1837 Stoke Dameral

William Pope full age bachelor, PRIVATE IN R. MARINES.  (residence) Barracks. Father: William Pope ~ labourer
Mary Ann Martin full age spinster, (residence) 17 Turner Terrace. Father: William Martin ~ labourer

Both left their mark in register (X)
Witnesses: John Garrett and Sarah Pulmer

Possibly he was away at sea at the time of the census


claire

[overlandermatt]

Hi Claire,

Thanks you for that helpful input and your welcome. That's the first confirmation that I've had that he was also a royal marine. A quick question - how did you know that?

Strangely enough I went to school directly opposite that church.

Thanks again.

Matt

[Girl Guide]

Hi Matt

Welcome to Rootschat.

Claire would have found the marriage details on one of the family history sites.  I found this myself on Find My Past and there is an original image to view there.

Most sites will allow you to search records but to view the results payment is usually required.  It depends on what sites you search on.

There are many which are free to search and give results, it depends on what you are looking for.

The great benefit of Rootschat is that there any many of us who are willing to do look ups so that others can keep their costs down.

[Girl Guide]

I should have mentioned that the GRO now have an online search facility whereby you can search births and deaths.

The great boon with the births is that mother's maiden names are shown with the births from 1837 to 1916.  Deaths show how old the person was when they died from 1837 to 1957.

This is the link to the GRO search:- 

https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/menu.asp

Click on search the GRO indexes then choose either birth or death depending on which you wish to search.  Try it and see how you get on.  You may find that you will  need to register first before you can get started.

[overlandermatt]

Thanks Girl Guide,

I have to date used both FindMyPast and Ancestry to build up the tree so far - the information in FindMyPast which I no longer subscribe to had actually led me to an incorrect spouse for William and subsequent use of Ancestry helped put this right... It seems you need both to get what you are looking for!

I have now registered for GRO. I'll see what that turns up. It sounds like ordering certificates may not necessarily be the best way to go which I'm pleased to know.

Thanks again.

Matt

[jomcd967]

Hi Matt,
FindMyPast has Navy Allotment records with the following...
1849 - William Pope, Private aboard the Impregnable , allotment to wife Mary Ann, married at Stoke in Sept 1837, Mary Ann residing at 68 Back of George Street Stonehouse.
Jo 

[trish1120]

BAPTISMS;
All Saints, Langport, Somerset
WILLIAM Pope, 28 July 1811 to WILLIAM/BETTY*****
JOHN, 27 Sept 1812 to WILLIAM/BETTY
ELIZABETH Pope, 10 April 1814 to WILLIAM/ELIZABETH
MARY Pope, 16 Oct 1815 to WILLIAM/BETTY
GEORGE Pope, 1 Feb 1819 to WILLIAM/BETTY
ANN Pope, 23 Jan 1821 to WILLIAM/ELIZABETH
SARAH Pope, 8 Oct 1822 to WILLIAM/ELIZABETH
All have Fathers Occp as Labourer

William POPE Married Betty ROGERS, 10 January 1809, Combe Saint Nicholas, Somerset

All on FreeREG

Trish

[overlandermatt]

Thanks once again.

Thank you Trish. I had managed to find a few pictures of the parish records from Somerset that identified the parents too but have been trying to fill in a few gaps in William's life.

Thank you Jo. I did not know for certain he had been a marine before posting this thread and it certainly became a family tradition so this is good news that some ship records exist. I will pursue this one further and the Greenwich pensioner route later on. Overall, Find My Past seems to be moving ahead of Ancestry...

It also appears his wife, Mary Ann and three children appeared in the 1941 census - again that is a new one on me.

Thanks once again. All very helpful.

Matt