George Handy - Birmingham, Warwickshire to Silverdale, Staffordshire

[PhilGH]

The first mention I’ve been able to find of my 2*great grandfather, George Handy, is in 1857 when he married Mary Espley in Wolstanton, Staffordshire. His father’s name is recorded as William Handy.  In the 1861 census he is recorded as living with Mary in Silverdale, Staffordshire, being 34 years old (so born around 1827), working as a forgeman and having been born in Birmingham, Warwickshire. He remarried in 1863 to Sarah Dale (née Rushton), with whom he had 3 sons in the four years before he died in 1867.

I’ve not been able to find any earlier definitive trace of him. He was 30 when he married Mary which seems a bit old for those times so I wondered whether he’d been in the military or in prison but can find no records.

Any suggestions?

[Milliepede]

His father’s name is recorded as William Handy

Is William on both marriage records as the father and what occupation did he have (father)

Witness names can be helpful if they were relatives so who were they please?

[PhilGH]

Millipede - Attached is the marriage record I found. There’s no record of William Handy’s occupation.

William Hewitt on the record is, I believe, Mary’s father as this was her second marriage.

[jim1]

That hasn't worked I'm afraid.
However father is William a labourer & there are
no family witnesses.

[PhilGH]

Jim1 - sorry about that. I’m new to this forum and don’t know why that PDF didn’t upload properly. 

May I ask where you found the information about William Handy being a labourer? All I have is a summary record with a list of names.

Thanks.

[jim1]

FindMyPast

[spendlove]

Hi,

To answer Milliepede  re name of George Handy's father on his second marriage to Sarah Dale 1863 he states  UNKNOWN.

Image on FindMyPast

Spendlove

[bevj]

This could be a complete red herring but in view of the above I am curious about the George Handy who in 1841 is living with William Croft (30), Mary Croft (30), Edward Croft (36) and Mary Croft (5) in Tipton.

Page Number   29
Piece/Folio   982/18
Registration Number   HO107

Bev

[PhilGH]

This could be a complete red herring but in view of the above I am curious about the George Handy who in 1841 is living with William Croft (30), Mary Croft (30), Edward Croft (36) and Mary Croft (5)

Bev

Thanks Bev. I’m using Ancestry.com and it didn’t find that record when I searched for George Handy but I can see it by searching for William Croft. I’ve now also found a George Handy/Hardy in the 1851 census lodging with the Pickstock family in Tipton. These could be my ancestor though I do wonder what would have prompted him to move from Tipton which was a major industrial centre and therefore source of employment.