Apologies…. I have asked about this person before but can anyone help to clarify whether if William is the Great (x3) Grandfather of my husband? And, where does the name ‘Bowles’ originate? (I am aware that some children take their parents last name as a middle name). But, the information I have found, to date, is that William (no middle name) was christened in 1806 to Catherine/Kitty Raynor (nee Frost) – no father is listed as he appears to be illegitimate.
Catherine Frost married Samuel Raynor in Nottingham in 1797 and they had one daughter Elizabeth before Samuel died in 1800.
Catherine then had 4 more children; Samuel 1802, Harriett 1803, William 1804, William 1806.
There is a lot of published information about Harriett who married John Fowlke and they and some of their children joined the Latter Day Saints and emigrated to Utah, USA where they became well known and there are lots of references to them on the internet. This information helped me finding details of William Raynor (1806) and his mother Catherine.
It is written that Catherine’s 4 illegitimate children were fathered by Thomas Roper who was also having children with his wife at around the same time. If this is the case why does William have Bowles as a middle name?
William Bowles Raynor married Mary York Else in 1822 making William only 16 years old at the time of his marriage? The witnesses were John Raynor and Mary Ann Alvey who later married but I haven’t found the relationship between John and William.
One other anomaly, is that on census records and certificates that are dated around the same time, William (Bowles) Raynor’s occupation is described sometimes as a Shoemaker and on other records he is in the police force as an Inspector and later in life he is described as Superintendent of Police in Nottingham. Is this right or are these 2 very different people?
(There are lots of newspaper articles with reference to William as a senior police officer).
The research that does seem to match up is that William Bowles’son William bn 1824 was also a Police Officer in Nottingham, like father, like son? And, the census addresses seem to match up even if the occupations differ.
I am also confused because in his will William Bowles Raynor leaves £100 to a Joseph Berrington, no other people are mentioned however, William seems to have had 9 children – wouldn’t they have been named in his will?
Can anyone help from the Raynor, Frost, Roper, York Else or Fowlke family line? I am going around in circles!!
Thanks very much
Bridget
