Family mystery re. Scholastica Seville (married name Randall)

[annikethierry]

Hello everyone,
This is my first post on RootsChat so I very much hope I'm doing this right. Let me know otherwise 

I'm searching for information about my 3rd great-grandmother. Scholastica SEVILLE (who later married Frederick RANDALL) was born in or around 1937 in Stroud, Gloucestershire (acc. to several Census documents). She was brought up by mother Rachel COXHEAD (1810-1889)- and stepfather Francis BOSETTI from 1846, but her biological father’s name, William SEVILLE - Gentleman, appears on her marriage certificate (dated 1856).

The surprising thing is that her mother Rachel COXHEAD married her Italian stepfather Francis BOSETTI in 1846 (when the girl was 9) without being mentioned as widow (just a spinster). So as this implies Scholastica's father William was still alive in 1956 when she got married, and few people at the time divorced, I wonder whether daughter Scholastica might have been born out of wedlock to this William SEVILLE… I was unable to find much information about this William SEVILLE, so I thought he might have been abroad. I then discovered the existence of an itinerant artist called William SEVILLE (1797-1866), who specialised in silhouettes (found an article about him online- some his work is at the V&A Museum in London). This man spent his whole life travelling around England, Ireland and Scotland, and I'm wondering whether he might be Scholastica's father - and might have been in Ireland (or travelling around/not being very present) during most of her childhood.

To sum up, I'm trying to check if this William SEVILLE, Artist (1797-1866), who was born in Manchester, died in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, is the right father. What I'm looking for is 1) a birth certificate for Scholastica, born around 1837 in Stroud, Gloucestershire to Rachel Coxhead and William Sevill/Seville (I only have the basic lists but not a proper certificate). 2) Any information that would show the artist might have been present in or around Gloucestershire around the 1830s (very difficult to prove as he was travelling constantly).

This website (impressive research done by Brett Payne) contains a lot of information about the artist in question : http://photo-sleuth.blogspot.com/2009/09/william-seville-1797-1866-silhouette.html

I'm also attaching Scholastica's wedding certificate (with mention of father William SEVILLE) and her mother's marriage cert to septfather Francis Bosetti, just in case.

Just one last detail, Scholastica had a daughter whom she gave the exact same name (Scholastica Seville RANDALL), but was born in 1860 and married John AUERBACH, so this is someone quite different. And there was another Scholastica born to a William SEVILLE in Gloucestershire, but this was several decades before she was born.

Any information about any of the above - or if you have any ideas about how to find who this William SEVILLE was, would be wonderful.

Thanks a million and best wishes to everyone reading this !! 

Niki

[Marmalady]

Just because William was listed on Scolastica's marriage certificate, it does not necessarily mean he was still alive at the time.
The question asked is "who is your father?" -- only if the bride / groom voluntarily give the information that their father is deceased is this  added to the certificate

As her mother married as Coxhead rather than Seville it might imply that she & William were never married -- but again, information was taken at face value and no checks were made as to the veracity of name or previous marital status

[Milliepede]

Also if she knew him as her father and he was an artist you might expect that to have been given as his occupation.

Afraid she was born just too early for a birth certificate.  The best you can hope for is a baptism record but I too suspect she was illegitimate and no father will be shown.

The 1841 census might be helpful but haven't found Rachel or her daughter so far - have you?
Or William in 1841 for that matter.

[Milliepede]

Here's a baptism for 2 children in Rodborough Glos 10 August 1834

Frances dau of Rachael Coxhead clothworker

Scolestiva dau of Rachel Coxhead clothworker

No father shown

[annikethierry]

Thanks for your thoughtful replies

Indeed, I guess there is no proof he was still alive, but I couldn't either find any records of death of a William Seville matching the right age/dates (and based on the webpage about the artist, he might have been abroad during that period, ie in Ireland - as mentioned in http://photo-sleuth.blogspot.com/2009/09/william-seville-1797-1866-silhouette.html - in 1830, and again in 1842-43, 1851, etc).

That's a pity about the birth certificate, I hadn't thought that it might have been too early (thanks about that!) and indeed I don't think she would not have been baptized in such a situation.

About the Census, Scholastica and Rachel both appear in the 1851 one as wife and daughter of Francis BOSETTI (in fact her stepfather), but indeed I couldn't find them in 1841 anywhere. If my hypothethis about the artist is right, they could have followed him to Ireland where he appeared to be (on and off) during that period.

Based on research done by myself and friends on the Censuses, there don't appear to be many William SEVILLEs of the right age in the right areas of England who would fit the bill as potential father. Do you think there is a chance the artist mentioned earlier is the right person ? The dates of his travels to Ireland could explain some things.

Finally yes it's puzzling she calls him a Gentleman, but maybe she didn't want to say Itinerant artist... Maybe it sounded more elegant ? Also he was doing portraits for local gentlemen and their families so maybe he became one, or thought of himself as one?

I've been doing research on this precise case for a few years, but being based in France makes it a little more difficult... so thanks for all your input, all suggestions are welcome !!

Good evening
Niki

[hanes teulu]

1841 Census - reference HO107  719  19  33

Scholastica Sevill + mother Rachel Sevill

[Marmalady]

Frances Chalestifor (?) Cockshead Sevile buried age 2 yrs 10 months on Jan 11 1835 Stroud.

[Galium]

I can't find a direct link just now, but there was someone named William Seville who died at Bisley, Gloucestershire in 1816.  Bisley is not far from Stroud, which is given as Rachael Coxhead's address in the baptism record of her daughters.  William was a clothier.

Obviously he wasn't Scholastica's father, but his estate was administered by his son, also named William Seville, and also a clothier and living at Chalford, also near Stroud So there is a William Seville somewhere in the area, quite possibly in the 1830s

[hanes teulu]

Gloucester Journal, 16 Feb 1807
Whereas James Tiley, of Rodborough, in the County of Gloucester, clothier, both by Indenture of Release and Assignment, bearing date the 15th day of February, now instant, conveyed and assigned unto Mr William Seville, of Chalford, in the said county, dyer ...

FindMyPast has the baptism (transcript only) -
William Sevill, bap 1787, place Bisley, parents William and Frances