Brick wall help needed please

[JennMorgon]

You will see now why I was going around in circles.  I missed the Jonus and Ann marriage on Find My past - and have now downloaded it and saved it as its still a possibility.  The other family with the stone mason are definitely not the right ones.  It doesn't help matters with the change of spelling of surnames  Darke (and possibly Dark) and Wills (and Wells in every child's registration with GRO.

Thank you for your help -
Jenn Morgon

[[Ray]]

Hi

Ann Wells 20 seems to be with Frances Wells 46 IND nbic
in French Street Teignmouth  HO107 220 11 4(?) page2

That is VERY close to the railway station ( 50-100 yards = my estimate )

Ray

[JennMorgon]

My thoughts Ray, especially as he was a railway labourer in subsequent census returns and the GWR was being built in early 1840's.   It's possible that he is listed on 1841 census with a variation on the name Darke - but I just couldn't find it using resources available on Find My Past
Jenn

[[Ray]]

1851 HO 107 2443 44 339 Chepstow Monmouth , Davies Court

Josiah Darke 37  Rail Lab Hanham
Ann    Darke 30               Teignmouth
John              3               Teignmouth
Anne             1                Chepstow

 
Ray

[JennMorgon]

The 1851, and subsequent census all show he worked for railways as a labourer - and later as a nightwatchman.  My thinking is that he moved to Devon as part of the building of GWR.  The first children of the marriage, and the wife Ann, are listed consistently as being born in Teignmouth Devon.  Indeed, in one census it actually say Tinmouth.  I was born, and grew up in Exeter - so I realised that Tinmouth is the local way of saying Teignmouth.  I live in North Wales now - but can clearly visualise Dawlish and Teignmouth railway lines
Jenn

[avm228]

He was a farm labourer at the time of the marriage - so it looks as though he moved to the railways whilst in Devon, rather than moving to Devon for the railway.

I see that John Wells Darke was baptised at East Teighmouth on 5 March 1848 - parents Josias (timekeeper on the railway) and Anne, of East Teignmouth.

[JennMorgon]

That makes a lot of sense.  Thank you so much for your help
Jenn Morgon

[JennMorgon]

Still not sure if I have the right marriage.  Jonus Dark could not sign his own name on the marriage certificate in 1846 but Josiah is working as a time keeper on the railways by 1848.  I would have thought a job as a time keeper would have demanded a basic degree of literacy...   I am thinking now, that maybe Josiah and Ann simply did not marry !
Jenny

[avm228]

My strong instinct would be that it is the right marriage - it's in the right place and at the right time, and these names (especially Dark) are not common.  There does not appear to be a rival couple Jonas and Ann Dark to be found in later documents.  Also the names for both fathers are a match.

Bear in mind that Josias and Jonas (it doesn't say Jonus) can look very similar in manuscript.  Perhaps the curate simply made an error in writing up the register.  The bridegroom does not seem to have been literate so would not have corrected the error.   And I don't think poor literacy would be inconsistent with learning to use a railway clock.

Perhaps try tracing the witnesses, Francis Weeks (I think) and Jonas Adams, to see whether they can be linked to the couple?