Tracing Huguenot Weaver History - Bethnal Green/East End

[Littlebn20]

Thank you again to everyone for your advice.

I have taken it and have found out (Henry) Robert Weaver's wherebouts for the periods between 1815 and 1830 through looking at the baptism record of the children. So I have Church Street in Bethnall Green which looks like a tenemant slum area at the time. Interestingly enough, searching though the tennants of the address I believe that I may have located Susannah Cooper's parents or grandparents, which is quite good! I also did some reading that the huguneot weavers had all but disappeared from that area by that specific area, which I founf quite interesting.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Nichol

Another address is Princes Street in Mile End. Alas, I can still not find census records, or birth records to match. Their parishes at the tme seem to be All Saints in Spitalfields, St Dunstan to the East and St Boltophs. So many Weaver surnames in their records and also a very interesting influx of 'De Wevers' from Belgium in around 1560. Presume this is what eventually becaume the surname Weaver. Thinking of going back in my family tree a few steps to see if I have missed anything as I sure that the answers should be clearer than this with such a prominent name for the area at the time! I think the problem is juast HOW many Weaver there seem to be. I could have gone wrong somewere (although, gut insticnct still says not as Robert is a running name throughout the generations of my family, it was also my granddads middle name). Alfred also appears a lot.

I will keep plugging away at this and let you know if I come up with anything. Hopefully I am getting closer but if there is anywhere else I should be looking, please let me know. For anyone remotely interested, this is where I have go to....

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/family-tree/tree/50875664/family/familyview

[pinefamily]

As avm228 has rightly pointed out, you need to concentrate on Robert Weaver first. Have you looked for his death/burial? Work back from the marriage of your ancestor where Robert is described as deceased. Alternatively see if you can see him in the 1851 census so you can narrow down the search.
You won't find a huguenot connection for at least 3 or 4 generations, if not more. Most surnames were anglicized in the 18th century.
If you do find such a connection there are plenty of resources online.

[Littlebn20]

That's what I have been attempting. Canr seem to find home on a census anywhere, that's the problem. I have addresses for him through his children's baptisms so I know thay he was in the area from 1811 to 1826 and the deceased by 1859. Can't find a birth record. I know that some of them were in work houses and have found a Henry Weaver in one on 1851 census. Strange thing is, I can't find her anywhere on a census either!

[Littlebn20]

Sorry to be a pain with all my questions. I have traced Henry/Robert now to about 5 addresses through his marriage and the baptism of his children. Does anyone know of a common reason that he might not appear on ANY census?

[brigidmac]

If he travelled for his job it might just be a coincidence that he wasnt home on census days
And lodgers are harder to find on searches than head of houses

If you list the childrens addresses that you found someone might come across those addresses on a different document .

Ps have you had any WEAVER or HALL s  at all from your DNA matches  yet

[Littlebn20]

That's useful, thank you. I have a Weaver/Hill DNA match, maybe two through James' brother Alfred I think. Not a particularly close one. I keep thinking that I have gone wrong somewhere but all the evidence points to begin correct up to Henry Weaver/Ann Hill. Other Ancestry member have the same family in their trees also. Very frustrating that I am still stuck after so long.

[Pheno]

I have Bethnal Green silk weavers in my paternal line, again with the suggested Huguenot link.  There was no Huguenot background but one of the children married into a Huguenot family so I think that is where that myth came from.

I eventually tracked him down to a birth in Alton, Hampshire from where he had been apprenticed to a weaver in Bethnal Green following the death of his father, so no background of silk weaving.  There were also a couple of settlement certificates for him in Bethnal Green which all padded out his life.

What I am really saying is keep a very open mind both about the Huguenot ancestry and where he originated from.

Try apprenticeship papers/settlement papers.

[Littlebn20]

Oh yes, I have learned this the hard way. Apparently it was quite trendy to say that you were Huguenots at the time and I can see how this is a conclusion/myth that could easily be drawn/led to by the surname Weaver and with roots in Bethnal Green and Spitalfields. It is certainly what my Grandad was always told/believed. Seems to be a lot of records missing. For example Roberts discharge from the workhouse, without any admission. No visible birth record etc etc. Understand that this is pretty typical of East London records as lots were destroyed during the war. 

[Littlebn20]

In the marriage records, if it says 'of this parish', does that mean that they had to be born there or could it mean that they just resided there at the time?

Thank you all