William John Clark b.c 1850

[Pheno]

Hi, can anyone help untangle William John Clark for me please.

He is on the 1851 census (HO107/1548/333/p41) as aged 3 months with his 26 year old single mother Ann Clark, both born Middlesex. I have his birth registration at GRO as Sep qtr 1849 Shoreditch, which included both Bethnal Green & St. George in the East at that point.  I can't see another appropriate registration but this would make him a whole year older than recorded at the 1851 census. Of course, possible that he wasn't registered.

1861 (RG9/785/91/52) has Ann & John together with a visitor Esther Clark b.c. 1796 Dereham?, Norfolk.  I assume she must be related but this is the only reference I can find to her at all.

1871 (RG10/457/26/4) as a lodger with the Crump family
1871 Mar possible death of Ann Clark registered Hendon, Middx age 45

1881 (RG11/646/117/49) as a boarder in Battersea

1891 can't find him

1894 poss marriage to Annie Gill Kensington

1901 (RG13/358/78/2) as a boarder in Poplar

1911 (RG14/1125) with a son George b.c. 1896

Can anybody verify whether these are likely the same person - William John Clark (never Clarke) is a common name so some of the above could be a different person.

Any other life events?  Several Ancestry trees have him married to a Prudence Randall when he was younger with a stack of children but I am wary of this.

Thanks in advance if you can help sort him out for me.

Pheno

[jonw65]

Hi Pheno
From a quick look, I don't really see them all as the same person, but I may be wrong!
Not sure about that birth reg in 1849 either.

I've dug up a couple of other short threads started by you that help clarify things a bit for us (hope you don't mind)
Clark Family
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=772063.0

William Clarke/Clarke, wheelwright, East End
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=781169.0

You don't mention Hannah Elizabeth?
Baptized as Clarke, 19 June 1825, St. George in the East
Born 22 May 1825.
Father William, a Wheelwright. Mother Elizabeth. Abode Princes Square.

Did you get the death certificate of Ann from 1871?
Jon

[jonw65]

Is your man in Kensington in 1901 and 1911 with (second?) wife Annie and children
1901
William Clark, 50, Blacksmith, born London Whitechapel
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X941-D28

1911
William John Clark, 60
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XWLC-KZZ

[jonw65]

Is your man in Kensington in 1901 and 1911 with (second?) wife Annie and children

1911
William John Clark, 60
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XWLC-KZZ

George Frederick Gill, 20, is a visitor in 1911
Birth regs of the children in that census?
CLARK, WALTER       
Mother's Maiden Surname: RANDALL 
GRO Reference: 1882  M Quarter in KENSINGTON  Volume 01A  Page 115

CLARK, DUDLEY  CHARLES     
Mother's Maiden Surname: RANDALL 
GRO Reference: 1891  M Quarter in KENSINGTON  Volume 01A  Page 155

CLARK, FLORENCE  ADA     
Mother's Maiden Surname: RANDALL 
GRO Reference: 1893  M Quarter in KENSINGTON  Volume 01A  Page 136

CLARK, HILDA  GWENDOLINE     
Mother's Maiden Surname: GILL 
GRO Reference: 1898  M Quarter in KENSINGTON  Volume 01A  Page 151

Bobbie Harold?
Mother's Maiden Surname:
CLARK, HAROLD  RICHARD     
Mother's Maiden Surname: GILL 
GRO Reference: 1900  M Quarter in KENSINGTON  Volume 01A  Page 136

Seems to suggest two marriages for William John Clark.
Though Annie's claimed number of years married /children in the census extends back far enough to cover all the children enumerated and more!

Was Walter baptized with the second name Winter in Paddington, 25.1.1882
Parents William John + Prudence Clark. Father a Blacksmith.
There are others.

[Pheno]

Thanks for all this Jon - sorry I committed the cardinal sin of not checking what I had previously posted about William Clark.

Not had a chance to go through detail yet but I note you had doubts about whether the census entries were all the same person.  Much of that detail came from Ancestry trees which, I am sure, have muddled people up but because William Clark is such a common name I am unable to sort the wood from the trees.

Pheno

[Pheno]

Thanks Jon.  Having looked at all the info I believe you are correct in that William John Clark married twice and had lots of children!

I think he is the Kensington man in 1901 & 1911.

I have ordered the 1781 death certificate for Ann although not sure how much extra info it will supply.

Thanks very much for your help.  Pheno

[Pheno]

Just to update - the death certificate for Ann Clarke is not the correct one as she was the wife of a William Clarke whereas my Ann Clark (William John's mother) was unmarried.

Pheno