Susan Little conundrum.

[Duncan Bennie]

Good day all.

Susan Little married George Edwin Abbott in 1881 in Beverley in East Yorkshire. In the marriage record George's father is listed, but hers is not. The marriage took place after the census so she was still listed under her maiden name. In the census she is listed as being a 19 year old general domestic servant who is staying with her employers. Her place of birth is listed as Wandsworth in Surrey. This would give her a date of birth of circa 1862.

Looking back at the 1871 census I have found five individuals with the name Susan/Susanna Little. Only one of them could be my Susan as the others were born in Cumberland, Hampshire, Middlesex and Scotland respectively. The final Susan was nine years old and living at the North Surrey District School in Anerley, Surrey. Her place of birth is given as Wandsworth, Surrey.

I have found no baptisms or birth registrations for a Susan Little in Wandsworth. I have though found a baptism of a Susanna Little in 1862 in Lambeth, Surrey. I ordered the certificate and it lists that this Susanna Little was born on 5 May 1862 at the Workhouse in Princes Road. Her father is listed as being John Little, her mother as Susanna Little, formerly White. Her father is further listed as being a journeyman Bricklayer. The birth was registered by her mother who is listed as residing at the workhouse in Princes Road.

I would please like to see if anyone can find anything that would contradict my belief that this is the birth of my Susan who married George Edwin Abbott in 1881.

Being born in a poorhouse and then growing up at the North Surrey District School, would explain why she did not know who her father was with regard to listing him on her marriage record.

Now it does not appear as if there was a Susanna Little (Susan's mother) living at the workhouse in question in the 1861 census. I thus looked for the marriage of any John Little to a Susanna White in the preceding years. I have only found two marriages, on in 1756 who's participants could not possibly be Susan's parents, the other was a marriage between John Little and Susanna White in 1850 in Bath in Somerset.

This couple appears in the 1851 census in Bath. John is listed as a Masons Labourer (which I believe would match John's occupation of Journeyman Bricklayer given in the birth register of his daughter Susanna). Susanna Little, formerly White, is listed as being 21 years old, so born circa 1830, and her place of birth is given as Bath, Somerset.

I have not found the couple at all the 1861 census, but I did find a Susan aged 30 who was a house servant in Islington. She is listed as being 30 years old and her place of birth is given as Bath. She is also listed as being a widow.

Now I believe that this Susanna Little, formerly White, must be Susan's mother, as I can find no evidence of any other White-Little marriage, the occupation of the listed father matches, and the mother appears to be in the region the year before the birth in question. Now this will naturally also mean that Susanna lied on the birth register because if she was a widow the previous year, John could not possibly be the father of her daughter. Hence I would think that she is Susanna's illegitimate child who she possibly passed off as her deceased husband's child?

Any thoughts on this reasoning would be much appreciated and would appreciate anything anyone can find that would contradict or support this narrative. Is it reasonable to make the assumptions I have and is it reasonable to think that Susan is the Susanna born in Lambeth and that she possible lists herself incorrectly as being born in Wandsworth. All the residents as the school in the 1871 census on her page had their place of birth listed as Wandsworth, Surrey.

Regards,

Duncan

[CaroleW]

Baptism of the Susanna you mention above -  Susannah Little 6th May 1862 Lambeth St Mary- parents John occ bricklayer & Susannah.  Abode was Workhouse

Can you confirm what Susan stated as her birthyear and birthplace from census entries after her marriage as I can't find an 1891 or 1901 matching the profile you have given

[Duncan Bennie]

Hi Carole, thanks for the reply.

Unfortunately not since her marriage no as she emigrated to South Africa shortly after her marriage and we have not found any record here that lists her place of birth. Furthermore unfortunately our branch of the family had no contact with her as she disowned her sons who married Afrikaners so our grandparents had no contact with their grandmother (Susan). The baptism would imply that John was alive which definitely contradicts my assumed narrative.

[CaroleW]

When no fathers name is shown on a marriage cert it's usually an indication she was illegitimate which doesn't seem to be the case if you are researching the right Susan. 

I agree she is very likely the 1881 entry as it's too much of a coincidence otherwise

Had a lot of problems finding the 1871 entry you mention as Ancestry has it as Siple so have notified a transcription error

Whether she is the daughter of John & Susanna I'm not 100% sure at the moment - more digging needed. 

The 1851 entry you mention shows John b 1828 Claverton & Susanna b 1830 Bath - surely there were more children before Susan? 

Parts of the London 1861 are missing which doesn't help

[avm228]

If the narrative is right she was illegitimate, because her supposed father appears to have died too early to have participated in her conception.  I have an example of this in my tree, where the supposed father (late husband of the mother) had been dead 3 or 4 years when the child was born.

[CaroleW]

There is a death for a John Little aged 25 June qtr 1853 Wandsworth 1d 279.  His burial record shows last address was the Lunatic Asylum

No other John Little death 1851-1861 fitting the profile.  However - John & Susannah were in Bath in 1851

[Duncan Bennie]

Thank you everyone for your contributions.

The only other birth I have found was for a Kate Little who was baptised in Walcot in Bath on 06 May 1853, family living at 14 Mount Pleasant. She was buried aged 2 weeks on 15 May 1853 in Walcot. Residence is again given as 14 Mount Pleasant. I have found no other baptisms that seem to be the couple's children. I have found a burial in Bath for a John Little in the fourth quarter of 1854, which would possibly explain why no further children were born of the marriage. Susan would most likely based on if this is correct be illegitimate, but I have also considered that the lack of father in her marriage certificate could be a result of her not knowing who her parents were considering that she grew up in an industrial school, it is possible that she was a literal or defacto orphan from a young age.

[Duncan Bennie]

In the 1871 census every scholar at the North Surrey District School has their place of birth recorded as Wandsworth. I wonder if it is perhaps possible that she was told this and did not know her actual place of birth. Wandworth is an intake area for the school so maybe her place of birth was given as Wandsworth as that is from where she was taken up by the school. There is another Susanna Little recorded in the 1871 census in London, her birth place is given as Lambeth, but her age is seven years, which gives her date of birth as around 1864. There was another registration in 1864 in Lambeth of a Susanna Jane Little, so I don't believe that this Susanna in London in the Susanna registered in 1862.