Titson family: my brick wall

[avm228]

This line has proved really hard.  On her deathbed my great-aunt said they were “gypsies”.  Who knows. 

I started a thread a long time ago: https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=287446.msg2148489#msg2148489 (things have moved on a little since then.  I do not believe the Lancs baptisms are relevant).

William Titson was my 4x g-grandfather. His life as known:

Born Surrey (per 1841 census) c1802-6
Married to Ann Millington, 27 March 1826 Islington.  Witnesses: Robert Farley, Eliza Smith.
Three known daughters born 1827-1835: Mary Ann, *Elizabeth, Jane Charlotte (*my ancestor)
1841: Living in (slum) Grotto Place, Southwark. William (35) is a measure maker.
1847: Wife Ann dies in Grotto Place, of typhus, in December, aged 41.
1848: William dies in Grotto Place, of typhus, in January, aged 45.

I have recently been able to establish that William’s mother was Susannah bc 1772-3, maiden name unknown, who married as widow Susannah Titson to Thomas Remnant in Chiddingfold in 1806.  I am confident in this Susannah because I have a DNA link to a descendant of this remarriage.  Unfortunately Susannah died in late 1838 - early 1839 (buried at Chiddingfold 2 Jan 1839 aged 66) so does not appear in any census.

I would love to know who Susannah was (maiden name), and who was the father of William Titson.  Any ideas much appreciated 

[ShaunJ]

There is definitely a Chiddingfold connection. FindMyPast has a transcribed Poor Relief record for St Saviour Southwark regarding William Titson, dated 1 July 1820, " Removed by an order from Chiddingfold".

[avm228]

Thanks very much ShaunJ.  Do you think that means he was born in St Saviour Southwark so could be sent back there?  If records are right as to his age, he would still have been a minor in 1820.

[ShaunJ]

Not sure what it means but that seems a possible interpretation.

Looking at that 1806 marriage, Susannah's name looks more like Pitson than Titson.

[avm228]

Looking at that 1806 marriage, Susannah's name looks more like Pitson than Titson.

It does, and is transcribed as such in some places, but given the DNA link to her subsequent Remnant offspring I am pretty happy that she’s Susannah Titson.

[avm228]

Perhaps I need to go to Southwark to look at that settlement record.

[avm228]

Perhaps I need to go to Southwark to look at that settlement record.

Update: I phoned Southwark Archives and they would need to call up the overseers’ records, but are pessimistic about the chances of their revealing anything much beyond the transcription.  One tiny new detail I have is that the 31 Oct 1820 record on FindMyPast referring to William Titson’s “discharge from HEY’s” is actually noting a discharge from a Mrs Hey’s house (further details not available, but the suggestion was that Mrs Hey might have kept a foster home, orphanage or similar). Something to look into.

[ShaunJ]

re Mrs Hey's

[avm228]

Brilliant. Many thanks.

So having been ejected from Chiddingfold in July 1820 he apparently spent not more than a few months in Mrs Hey’s (presumably rebuilt) poorhouse in Southwark before being discharged in October 1820.