Thomas Enser abt 1796 - Baptism Record

[softly softly]

Personally I know you feel the dates are suspect but the clincher for me would be “ 1851”” gameskeeper’s widow” and Thomas’s death in 1849.
John

[pegwill]

Hi John

Yes I do agree, the only thing is Thomas's age at the time of his death being stated on the GRO as 63

    Name:    Age at Death (in years): 
   ENSER, THOMAS        63 
GRO Reference: 1849  J Quarter in BICESTER UNION  Volume 16  Page 32

I guess it probably a transcription error - I'm not sure that buying a certificate with show anything different.

I looked for a Burial Record but could not find one.

Regards

Pegwill

Regards

[cuffie81]

I looked for a Burial Record but could not find one.

Burial:
name: Thomas Enser
buried: 14 Jun 1849; Bucknell
aged: 63 years
abode: Bucknell

Indexed under the name Easer, on Anc. It's always worth just browsing the parish records if you can't find your person in the index.


There's a Thomas Enser, of Bucknell, listed in newspapers over many years, for a gamekeepers licence. The last entry I can see is in 1848.

Oxford Chronicle and Reading Gazette
09 Sep 1848
Game List - County of Oxford
Persons who have obtained Game Certificates for the year 1848
List (3) Game Keepers, being Assessed Servants, at £1 7s 6d each
Enser, Thomas, Bucknell, appointed by T T Drake, Esq., for Bucknell

[pegwill]

Hi Cuffie81

Thank you for the information. It rules out a transcription error in respect of the age being 63.Having looked at the record it is quite clear it is a 63 and not 53 as I thought it might be, you know how the handwriting is sometimes.

According to the 1841 census he was a gamekeeper so that all fits, however it is clearly two different Thomas Enser's, within a few miles of each other.

My original research question is 'Who is Thomas Enser's parents and where is his baptism record?

I'm happy that the Thomas I'm after was born in 1796ish as shown by the 1841 census and it would also appear that he died around about 1848 as well, very strange.

The mystery continues.

Regards

Pegwill

[pegwill]

Hi Cuffie81

Of course they could have got his age wrong when he died - if so that would explain it nice. My other thoughts now are that his given name was not Thomas but that was the name he was known by so some further investigation and used all hie life.

Regards

Pegwill

[cuffie81]

I think Thomas' age at death is probably correct and that it's just the age on the 1841 census that is slightly off. It's not unusual for ages on censuses to be bit off, even by several years.

Looking at Elizabeth herself, her birth years across the 1841-1881 censuses differ somewhat; 1806, 1801, 1799, 1799, 1796. And her death registration, and likely burial, give her age as 89, born c1797. Even taking into account her age on the 1841 may have been rounded down, it's still a difference.

Elizabeth's possible burial if you hadn't seen it:

Burial
name: Elizabeth Enser
buried: 16 Aug 1886; Bucknell
age: 89
abode: Bicester


GRO ref:
1886 Q3 Death - Elizabeth Enser; age 89 (born c1797); Bicester; 03A; 468


If it was me, I'd be looking to get the death certificates of Thomas and Elizabeth. Elizabeth's would likely name her late husband and his occupation, and if that tallies with Thomas' then it's reasonable to assume that Thomas is her husband (not that I have any doubts).

[pegwill]

Hi Cuffie81

Taken you advice and certificates ordered (PDF).

Will let you know the outcome.

Many thanks

Pegwill

[softly softly]

Please do let us know the details of certa. It’s always good to here an outcome of one sort or another

John

[cuffie81]

This has thrown me slightly, there looks to be a will for the Thomas that was buried at Bucknell in 1849. Could Thomas Enser, gamekeeper, become a land owning yeoman?

Will of Thomas Enser, Yeoman, of Bucknell, Oxfordshire
Dated: 03 Jan 1849
Died: 09 Jun 1849
Proved: 26 Jul 1851, Oxford, by Elizabeth Enser

Names wife Elizabeth and no other family members
Names wife Elizabeth as sole executor
Left various property:
- Messuage or tenement with garden yard outbuildings and appurtenances, in the occupation of Mrs? Reading, situate in Aylesbury
- Closes or pieces of land, in occupations of Susannah Hill and _______ Holeman situate in Buckingham Road, Aylesbury
- And all other messuages, lands tenements, hereditaments? and real estate
- And all furniture, plate linen china, and other household goods and effects, and all other personal estate



Also, the following auction looks to be related to Elizabeth Enser. Although it only names Mrs Enser I can't see another obvious person it could be other than Elizabeth.

For what it's worth, Sheep Street is quite close to Church Lane, where Elizabeth appeared to live throughout most of the censuses.

Sheep Street, Bicester (Church Lane just south).
https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=17/51.89955/-1.15266


Bicester Herald
08 Oct 1886
Sale on Friday Next
Bicester
Five Freehold Stone Built Cottages
- with large piece of ground at back,
- situate in Sheep Street, Bicester,
- with a frontage of 46ft and depth of 104ft

- will be sold by auction
- at the George Inn, Bicester, on Friday, Oct 15
- by direction of the representatives of
- the late Mrs Enser

- two of the tenements are let to Mr E Egerton and Mrs Clifton,
- at rents amounting collectively to £13 10s per annum,
- and the remainder are unoccupied

- the above desirable property is excellently situated
- facing the principal Street in Bicester,
- and contains an area if some 540 square yards
- of valuable building land