Thomas and Harriet Simmill

[mckha489]

Marriage Harriet STANTON to Thomas SIMMILL 1814, Stafford St Mary.
(Simmill has lots of variant spellings)

Can anyone see this couple subsequently OTHER than the Thomas & Harriet couple baptising many children at Gnosall, St Lawrence from 1815.

OR the other way round.
Can anyone see another Thomas SIMMILL & Harriet marriage that could be the parents baptising children at Gnosall

I’m just not 100% happy

marriage in Stafford says both of this parish

censuses - Harriet says born Gnossal, (yr of birth ranging from 1791-1795) yet the Harriet Stanton is likely to be a 1798 birth & baptism at St Mary’s Stafford daughter of William & Mary.  Not once does she say Stafford.

Thomas is an Ag Lab/Farm labourer, why would he be in Stafford?

There is a Harriott Smith baptised at Gnossal 1791 who would fit, although I see no marriage. However I can’t rule out the 1814 marriage because I cannot see them elsewhere.

Thank you

[joeparkerUK]

Hi - commenting only on Stafford for now however it is reasonable that an Agricultural Farm Labour could be in Stafford - there are several agriculatural areas even between Gnosall and Stafford (Bradley, Levedale, Derrington etc) so this would seem reasonable.

[Zen rabbit]

In support of the marriage of Thomas Simmill and Harriet Stanton. The marriage on 28 Oct 1814 of Thomas & Harriet is witnessed by John Child. A John Child was an executer of her father's will (1800)
The last will and testament of William Stanton of the borough of Stafford in the county of Stafford, Labourer. First I give and bequeath to my wife Mary Stanton my house and garden and all its apurtences lying and being situated in the Foregate for the Borough of Stafford in the county of Stafford and also that small parcel of land commonly called a but lying and being situated in the Foregate field in the said county with all my household goods endureing (sic) her natural life and after her dece(a)se to go to my son William Stanton and my daughter Harriote Stanton to be equealy (sic) devied (divided) betwixt them and if either one should die the surviver (survivor) shall take it all and the said Mary Stanton my wife shall not sell nor mortgage the same except the but in the Forgate field the household goods shall be equealy devioded (equally divided) betwixt my son and daughter above mentioned. I do hereby nominate constitute and appoint John Wright of Hopton and John Child of Great Haywood to be my executors in witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this twenty fifth day of December one thousand eight hundred.

Signed sealed published pronounced and declared by the said William Stanton as his last will and testament in the prescence of we the subscribers.



Richard Phillips

Ann Hodgkins

Benjamin Mill

[mckha489]

That is Very interesting Zen Rabbit.  Thank you.

[trish1120]

Is there possibly another Will for Mary ?

FreeREG has a MARY Stanton burial 20 May 1804, Wife of William.

[mckha489]

No, I don’t think there is a will for Mary.

It is uncommon to have “wife of” in a PR when the husband is already deceased isn’t it?

[Zen rabbit]

The burial is for Mary Stanton the wife of William Stanton (1762 - 1820) Parish record reads. Wife of William Stanton (nee Green)
 Recent investigations have lead me to believe that before his death in 1800 William (1767 - 1800) married a second time to Mary Brough, a girl some 13 years his junior (His first wife being Mary Barlow who died in 1793). John Wright was witness to the wedding and daughter Harriet was born in Sept of that year. It is hellishly confusing due to the high numbers of William and Mary's in the parish.
I have a tree constructed from parish records, wills, freeman record and apprentice records etc but it is too large to post here

[mckha489]

That is good to know Zen.  I have not looked at the Stantons much (at all really) because I was just so doubtful of that marriage, however that John Child connection does seem to add some weight.

I just do wish Harriet didn’t says she was born in Gnosall and also consistently suggest she is older than Harriet Stanton would be.

[Zen rabbit]

It is curious unless Harriet only had a vague idea of her birthdate. This however may be linked to the death of her father in 1800 when she was only two. Her half brother William (my 4th Grandfather) was apprenticed out to a Thomas Jackson shoemaker of Eccleshall but moved back to the foregate area of Stafford in later life. I do not know what happened to Harriets mother. Whether she died or re-married. If Harriet moved to Gnosall when young she may not have remembered Stafford.
I have included all Stanton records I have for the area.