Sarah Littlejohns born c1822 Plymouth

[CelticMom]

In 1857 in St Helier. I have found a Sarah Littlejohns marrying Moses Hayball

According  to the marriage she was born around 1822 in Plymouth and father is Edward Littlejohns supposedly a confectioner.

I can’t find a baptism for Sarah or find her father in any records.

However there is my ancestors Edward Littlejohns who married Sarah Eddy in 1817 in stoke dameral. He appears to be the only Edward of right age to father Sarah in 1822 in Plymouth. However his occupation is a carpenter/builder. This Edward died in 1828 in Plymouth.

To confuse things however. Edward was previously married to a Temperance Dodge. Their daughter Sarah Temperance Littlejohns born 1805 also ends up in St Helier with husband Robert Quarm. Her occupation was a confectioner.

Another child Edwin Littlejohns born 1828 (my 3x great grandfather) also ends up in St Helier where he marries my 3x great grandmother Jane Bennett. They then end up in London in 1851.

I am wondering if this Sarah Littlejohns born 1822 may actually be a child of Edward Littlejohns and Sarah Eddy, maybe she just gave the occupation of her half sister for the  marriage when asked what occupation her father had?

I just can’t find any baptism of this Sarah to confirm my theory. What do you think?

can anyone help me find out what happened to her? I can’t locate her on any census records and I also can’t find any death record.

[CaroleW]

Is Moses shown as a widower on that marriage cert &is his occ gardener?

[CelticMom]

Is Moses shown as a widower on that marriage cert &is his occ gardener?

Yeah he is a widow. He appears to marry quite a few times.

First to Maria Hawker in Somerset. He ends up on St Heliers with her. Then Dorcas Thomas and then Sarah Littlejohns.

There may also be a Mary Ann Quarm also as there is a burial in 1860 of Mary Ann Hayball daughter of Moses and Mary Ann Quarm but as yet I have not been able to find a marriage.

[CelticMom]

So Mary Ann Quarm I mentioned, ive just discovered more info on here and she does appear to be the daughter of Robert Quarm and Sarah Temperance Littlejohns (born 1805)

Mary was born 1830, I am not sure when she marries Moses Hayball, he is quite her senior. But they have a child in 1860 in Wimborne, Hampshire - Mary Ann Quarm Hayball. This child is buried in 1860 in St Heliers. Mother Mary Ann dies in 1860 in Wimborne, possibly from childbirth.

Moses is in Wimborne still in 1861, so it looks like someone brought the child back to St Heliers when the mother died.

I am even more convinced now that Sarah born 1822, is possibly the aunt of Mary Ann Quarm, see above. Just need to try and confirm this fully.

Can anyone find the marriage of Mary Ann Quarm to Moses? It would likely have been after 1857 when he married Sarah Littlejohns born 1822.

This may become confusing because of the two Sarahs. Whom I believe are half sisters.

[CelticMom]

I wonder if the marriage in 1857 of Sarah Littlejohns and Moses Hayball is actually Mary Ann Quarm.

Maybe for some reason Mary gave her mothers name, then named her mothers father as her father and her mothers occupation as her fathers occupation.

This mysterious Sarah Littlejohns born 1822 in Plymouth just does not seem to exist. She isn’t in any census prior to that marriage, no baptism, not death and I can’t find a marriage for Mary Ann Quarm, however we know she definitely ends up with Moses.

But if so why the lies? Names, age, father, fathers occupation etc. What was she hiding? She was definitely old enough or maybe Moses didn’t want people to know Mary was actually 8 years younger than she claimed as she looked older. So many questions.

[Hill]

Just to add to the confusion, there is a Sarah Littlejohn sentenced to 4 months hard labour in St Helier on 9th Dec 1848 and released 9th Apr 1849 for theft. Her age was given as 42.

I've noticed you've been writing Littlejohns but the indexes seem to suggest Littlejohn. Are they the same people?

Stewart

[LizzieL]

This is quite intriguing. I have been looking at the Hayball baptisms in Jersey.
There are 3 children of Moses and Dorcas Thomas said to be his wife. The records list birth as well.
William John Thomas Hayball born 17 Nov 1847
Susanna Elizabeth Hayball born 3 Dec 1848
Sarah Ann Dorcas Hayball born 29 Feb 1850 ! (1850 shouldn't have been a leap year)

I searched for them on the 1851 census and found matches for ages and forenames for the two girls, but as daughters of a Mary Ann Worden widow b England age 26 dressmaker. In the household is John Le Montais married age 27 plasterer. On 20 Nove 1851 Dorcas Thomas sp 26 married a John Le Montais bac 27 plasterer. Can't find them in 1861, but in 1871 they have a daughter Caroline.
Has anyone found burial / death of Maria Hayball nee Hawker, last seen on 1841 census in Jersey

[CelticMom]

Just to add to the confusion, there is a Sarah Littlejohn sentenced to 4 months hard labour in St Helier on 9th Dec 1848 and released 9th Apr 1849 for theft. Her age was given as 42.

I've noticed you've been writing Littlejohns but the indexes seem to suggest Littlejohn. Are they the same people?

Stewart

I am pretty sure this is Sarah Temperance Littlejohns born 1805 who married Robert Quarm not Sarah Littlejohns born 1822. The record is under her maiden name but, I am pretty sure it is her.

Yes on the marriage of Sarah Littlejohn to Moses Hayball it is Littlejohn, but they were both often transcribed each way Littlejohns or Littlejohn - even bad transcriptions too. The correct version is Littlejohns - Littlejohn tends to be more from the Scotland area.

[CelticMom]

This is quite intriguing. I have been looking at the Hayball baptisms in Jersey.
There are 3 children of Moses and Dorcas Thomas said to be his wife. The records list birth as well.
William John Thomas Hayball born 17 Nov 1847
Susanna Elizabeth Hayball born 3 Dec 1848
Sarah Ann Dorcas Hayball born 29 Feb 1850 ! (1850 shouldn't have been a leap year)

I searched for them on the 1851 census and found matches for ages and forenames for the two girls, but as daughters of a Mary Ann Worden widow b England age 26 dressmaker. In the household is John Le Montais married age 27 plasterer. On 20 Nove 1851 Dorcas Thomas sp 26 married a John Le Montais bac 27 plasterer. Can't find them in 1861, but in 1871 they have a daughter Caroline.
Has anyone found burial / death of Maria Hayball nee Hawker, last seen on 1841 census in Jersey

It certainly has given me a headache trying to work it all out. I can’t find a burial for Maria anywhere. Some of her children end up in Bristol area, but I can’t locate a death for her.

I am going to look at the other records you have found re: Dorcas and children as she was baffling me too. I haven’t found any marriage between Dorcas and Moses, so maybe they never actually married, just had kids together.

If Moses marries Sarah Littlejohns in 1857, then perhaps Maria had passed away by then and he was then able to remarry. I am convinced that this Sarah Littlejohns is actually Mary Ann Sarah Quarm the daughter of Robert Quarm and Sarah Temperance Littlejohns. Why she lied about her age and name and gave her grandfather as her father and her mothers occupation as his occupation we will probably never know. There must have been some reason why a lie was told.