Wells of St Neots, basketmakers

[eppleton]

Looking for information on 2 x Thomas Wells of St Neots and their families please.

Thomas Wells (1) buried St Neots 02.11.1782
his wife Eleanor b c1840 buried St Neots 02.05.1815

Thomas Wells (2) their son, b St Neots c 1775, d Bedford 01.04.1857
his wife Mary b c1773, buried Bedford 12.09.1850

TW1 and Eleanor's possible daughter
Eleanor Wells, prob b St Neots 1774, d 02.10.1831
and did she really marry William Dunkley 1770-1838 on 11.11.1791 when aged only 17?

Any info on marriages, wives' names etc gratefully received.

[ciderdrinker]

Hello and Welcome to Rootschat
Let's see what we can find
Thomas Wells 1 married Eleanor Lugsden at Little Staughton 23 April 1764.Beds.
At a guess I'd say her parents were William Logsden and one of his wives Dorothy died 19 July 1724 or Ann Peppercorn married 10 April 1732 Bedford (buried 11.9.1755)  but I can't see a baptism for Eleanor.
William buried 17.1.1767 Little Staughton

Thomas Wells 1  took on apprentice John Richardson in 1765 when he was described as Master basketmaker for £6 10 s
In 1782 he took on William Buller a poor boy of Grantmanchester as apprentice.

Thomas Wells 2 married Mary Marks by licence 17 Oct 1794  Bedford St Mary
He is described as a basketmaker ,minor of St Neots.

That's all  I can see

Ciderdrinker

[eppleton]

Thanks so much, you made my week and it's only Monday!
Everything you say checks out:

William Logsden married Dorothy Fann 30.09.1723 and poor Dorothy seems to have died in childbirth, their son William was baptised 19 July 1724.
Eleanor Lugsden/Logsden c1740-1815, who married Thomas Wells 1, was daughter of WL's second wife Ann Peppercorn: they married at St Paul's Bedford 1732, exactly the parish where their grandson Thomas Wells 2 of St Neots ended up with his family, after marrying Mary Marks of Bedford in 1794.

Couldn't be neater. Now we have to find out where Thomas Wells 1 appeared from....
Thanks again for your help, we're very grateful.

[johnP-bedford]

I have some Lugsdens in my family tree

Thomas Wells was buried at Bedford Cemetery on 7 Apr 1857 age 82, abode High Street, St.Pauls

Mary Wells was buried at Bunyan Meeting on 12 Sept 1850 age 77, abode Fenlake Barns, Cardington noted as late wife of Thomas Wells

Thomas Wells, basket maker, minor of St.Neots married Mary Marks of St.Mary's at Bedford St.Mary's on 17 Oct 1794 by licence. Surety was given by Eleanor Wells widow of St.Neots, mother of Thomas and also by William Dunkley, turner of St.Neots

Regards John

[eppleton]

Thanks John,
all that agrees with what we have so far.
I'm particularly interested in your point about William Dunkley, turner of St Neots, providing surety for Thomas Wells's 1794 marriage: I think he's husband of of Thomas's older sister Eleanor (not Eleanor their mother) but don't have any firm date for her birth, and if she did marry in 1791 she'd have been 17 at best.
Something's not quite working there..
Best wishes,
Mike

[eppleton]

Sorry, meant to ask earlier:
I think Thomas Wells 1's apprentice Wm Buller may have been from Godmanchester (near St Neots), and not Grantmanchester wherever that is?
best wishes,
Mike

[johnP-bedford]

One further note from Beds Archives online catalogue...
....indentures of apprentice bound out of Bedford Charity
28 March 1785, Samuel Markes to Eleanor Wells of St.Neots, basketmaker

[eppleton]

Many thanks, yes we have that one already.
Seems that after Thomas Wells 1 died in 1782 his widow Eleanor carried on the trade - together with her son Thomas W 2, as soon as he was old enough.
I've only found TW2 and Eleanor Wells as her children, though a treeholder on Ancestry gives her about 5 but marked Private: any clues as to who they might be would be welcome?
Mike

[ciderdrinker]

Hi
Finding Eleanor's and Thomas 's children is a bit of a problem as St Neots christenings aren't on line.
I do have something on Mary Marks
Mary Marks bapt 30 May 1772 at Bedford St Mary d of John and Mary Marks

Their other children -William 2.9.1759,John 8.3.1761-11.5.1762,Richard 3.10.1762,John 19.8.1764,Rose 23.3.1766,Thomas 11.2.1768,Samuel 30.11.1770.

John married Mary Holms 17 Dec 1758 at Bedford.
John bapt 6 Dec 1730 s of John and Sarah. Bedford St Paul

There is a Thomas Wells on a poll book who may be yours in
Thomas Wells freehold house and land Eaton Ford  St Neots   October 1832

The burials I can see for earlier Wells family at St Neots (Huntingdonshire burial index) are these -
Thomas Wells Victualer buried 23.7.1756
Probably his son -Thomas s of Thomas buried 29 May 1739
Elizabeth a spinster 8.11.1764
John Wells a stranger buried 18.8.1753
Catherine a widow 10.12 .1766

So perhaps they were Thomas and Catherine Wells victualer  with children Thomas and Elizabeth and perhaps your Thomas?
Sorry but you really need those parish records from St Neots

Only guess I could take for other children For Thomas and Eleanor is a John Wells born c 1766 on the censuses at St neots.


Ciderdrinker