Hello
I'm looking for some help tracing a Thomas Vanhack Ovens (born 1816 Cornhill London to James Ovens and Margaret Allanson). His baptisim record shows first names as Thomas Vanhack and surname Ovens.
He married a Mary Ann Lynham on 9th Nov 1863 in Newport Hampshire. I believe they had a number of children on the Isle of White before they were married (Margaret 1858, Mary Ann 1861, Joseph 1863, Frances Ann 1865). I've found a possible birth of a son in Clifton Gloucestershire (Alfred 1868) and an Ethel Gwendoline in 1885 in Bath. Mary Ann Lynham was born in 1838 in Bath so she may have returned to her home town.
Before his marraige to Mary Ann, Thomas Vanhack Ovens had 2 sons (William 1843-1863) and Thomas (1849-1913) born possibly London to another mother. I've been unable to find any birth records only poor school records, census records, the marriage record of son Thomas and death record of son William. So we have no record of who the mother may be. My family line is through the son Thomas. Thomas and William had the surname "Vanhackovens" it appears it was incorrectly transcribed on the Poor School records. In the census data of 1861 they were at the Poor School in Hanwell Middlesex.
I've been unable to find Thomas Van Hack Ovens in the 1851 census as I had hoped it would show him living with William and Thomas and their mother. I can't find any death record and the last official record is his marriage to Mary Ann Lynham. The only other clue I have is on the marriage record of his son he writes his father was a mariner/seaman.
And to add to the mystery son Thomas for some reason changes his name to Henry Whitlock after the death of his first wife Mary Ann Meakings. But thats another mystery to solve! I have posted on the Middlesex forum some time ago and got alot of this information from there but I thought as he was last seen in South Hampton I would try here.
Many thanks
Julie
