Looking for Francis Edwards (Mariner) b.1836/7 in Newhaven

[markey164]

Hi all,

I'm trying to track down my gg grandfather Francis Edwards (Mariner) born Newhaven in 1836/7 with father also called Francis Edwards (Mariner). I've tracked him back to his 1st marriage in 1857 (age 21) to a Phillis Dale in Sunderland , but nothing before that. He listed his birthplace several times as Newhaven, which i always assumed was the one in Sussex (which has drawn a blank) but recently I learned there is one in Edinburgh too.

The Edinburgh connection seems to fit better with him and his father being Mariners, and him living around Sunderland which is much closer than Sussex.

Can someone do a lookup for me and see if there are any matching Francis Edwards (with same named father) in the Scotland Censuses of 1841 and 1851?

Or advise on any Mariner related records from that era

Many TIA :-)

[CaroleW]

No 1841 entry found

Have you looked for a birth entry on Scotlands People? 

www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk

[Forfarian]

There is no fran* ed*rd* in Scotland in the 1841 census index.

In 1851 there is one, aged 30, living in Glasgow. He is a commission merchant, aged 30, unmarried, born England, lodging in Glasgow.

In the 1871 census your Francis gives his birthplace as Sussex, Newhaven.

In 1841 there's a family in New Shoreham, Sussex, head Edward Edwards, fisherman, wife Sarah, and five children including Frank, aged 4.

Presumably, since he lived in England, the only place where you have found his father's name was his marriage certificate? Could that be an error?

[Milliepede]

You say a first marriage in 1857 so did he put the same father/occupation on his subsequent marriage(s) ? 

1861 has Sussex as well if he is seaman Frank age 24.

Is the grandmother in 1871 a clue - Elizabeth Beason 77

[Pheno]

See also this link

https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=631930.0

Pheno

[Forfarian]

This is the extract from the 1871 census. There is no way you could misread this as anything other than Sussex, Newhaven.

[markey164]

There is no fran* ed*rd* in Scotland in the 1841 census index.

In 1851 there is one, aged 30, living in Glasgow. He is a commission merchant, aged 30, unmarried, born England, lodging in Glasgow.

In the 1871 census your Francis gives his birthplace as Sussex, Newhaven.

In 1841 there's a family in New Shoreham, Sussex, head Edward Edwards, fisherman, wife Sarah, and five children including Frank, aged 4.

Presumably, since he lived in England, the only place where you have found his father's name was his marriage certificate? Could that be an error?

Thanks for the above forfarian. I've found all of those records too. The Shoreham record doesn't match the fathers name (which is also Francis rather than Edward), and also there's a burial record for Francis Edwards in the same location in 1850 age 12, so I'm confident that rules that one out as a match.

Yes i did get the fathers name from his Marriage Certificates (listed as Francis on both). So that's all i have to go on regarding a Father's name. I'm assuming his Fathers name and profession would be more likely to be reliable than his birthplace, which i'm less certain of given i can't find anything to support it so far!

[wivenhoe]

Marriage certificate, 1857....any addresses?.......what do you see for witnesses name?

Are all parties literate...bride/groom/witnesses?

[markey164]

Marriage certificate, 1857....any addresses?.......what do you see for witnesses name?

Are all parties literate...bride/groom/witnesses?

Hi Wivenhoe, 3 of the 4 parties are illiterate given they only put their mark. I don't who the witnesses are either. They don't appear to be relations as far as i can tell. The address given is the bride's family address, as she is living at the same address in the 1851 Census, so they all appear to be dead ends. I have attached the certificate below.