Before Harriotte STILING married George WREFORD, she was living in Tiverton with Thomas & Sarah LEAMAN. As she was recorded in the 1841 census as a female servant (‘F.S.’), I presumed she was the LEAMAN’s live-in maid. This may still be true but somehow suspected there was more to this relationship.
(I can’t remember exactly how this suspicion came about but I recently rediscovered a note on my ancestry ‘TO DO’ list to investigate the relationship.)
It turns out that Mrs LEAMAN was actually Harriotte’s sister, Sarah STILING who married the widower, Thomas LEAMAN, Esquire (!) in 1840.
My reasons for accepting this:
John Stiling, yeoman is recorded as father (same as Harriotte’s marriage certificate in 1845)
Edward & Charlotte STILING are witnesses at the marriage – her siblings’ names
A Sarah Stiling was born to John & Grace of West Barton in Tiverton, yeoman (West Barton was Stiling residence for 60 years)
Sadly, the marriage was very short – Thomas died only 3 years later. I was unable to find the couple on the 1851 census but instead came across a mention in The Gentleman’s Magazine that Thomas died June 15, 1843 and had also been the mayor of Tiverton!
Strangely, I have not yet found any other information about this man, other than a note in the next volume of The Gentleman’s Magazine that his sister’s son would change his name as heir of Thomas’ apparent fortune:
The Gentleman’s Magazine, Vol 21, p193
I had learnt via the works of Jane Austen that women usually didn’t inherit from their husbands – but it still seemed a little harsh for this young bride. Sarah managed to get back on her feet with a later marriage to Richard BRANSCOMBE in 1849 and was visiting her mother and brother on the night of the 1871 census (retired farmer’s wife). It’s always nice to find evidence that families stayed in each other’s lives.
Next Steps:
Find out more about Mayor Thomas Leaman and his premature death
A while back, my mother emailed the above photo of her grandfather, Eduard LEMMENS with his siblings. The only ones identified at the time were Eduard (left) and his brother, Michel (right) whose records I had been unable to locate – I didn’t even have names of the sisters but at least the photograph was evidence that there were at least five.
It turns out that Eduard was in fact one of thirteen children born to Frederic Jean LEMMENS & Celine Marie VAN WOUW (blogged about previously) but only these seven had made it to adulthood.
A search for Frederic in the Dutch archives website (openarch.nl) led me to all the records in which he was listed as father.
one of the search result pages on openarch.nl for Frederic Lemmens
There seems to be a wealth of information available online for those seeking their Dutch ancestors, albeit a little tricky to navigate for the non-Dutch speaking users (like me). I was finally able to locate a birth record for brother Michel. His name had been spelled Micheal in the records which seemed to be the reason it was difficult to find him (unlike other ‘more fuzzy’ search engines I’ve used). All their children’s birth records were there (all born in Vlissingen, Zeeland), as well as death records for the five who died as infants/children. I have yet to translate these death records as I want to make a death counterpart to my ‘Super-Duper-Handy-Dandy Dutch Birth Record Translation Helper’ and am currently learning some basic Dutch to help me research this particular branch.
However, with this information I was able to find the names and birthdates of the surviving children and guess who is who in the photograph. Irma and Leontine were the easiest being the youngest but I have reservations about the older girls as I can only guess at their ages (sorry, ladies). The woman I labelled as Valentine looked the oldest to me, and ‘possible Anna’ looked younger than ‘possible Esperance’ but of course, I could be wrong. I am in the process of trying to date the photograph and glean as much information as I can from the image (ie. why the photo album on the table?).
Next Steps:
Date the photograph
Translate death records
Seek more photographs to help correctly identify each individual
The County Gaol (Vernon Gate) – Hannah’s second home! (via: Picture the Past)
At midnight on 21 October 1877, three police officers went to a house in Court No. 2, Rivett St and found a woman, Sarah Sharratt, bleeding from about ten wounds on the head and arm. She had been attacked by our dear Hannah ROLLETT [alias LAMB]. “[The woman] stated that because she interfered when her daughter and the prisoner were quarrelling, the latter attacked her with a drinking glass, which she broke by the violence of her blows” (Nottinghamshire Guardian 26 October 1877, p2 col3).
Nottinghamshire Guardian 26 October 1877, p2 col3
Hannah had been quarrelling with Sharratt’s daughter all day and threatened to throw the mother and daughter out of the house which they all lodged at together. The middle-aged woman “said she could not do so, and as alleged, [Hannah] then ran upstairs, and, after throwing the contents of a slop-pail upon her, struck her repeatedly on the head with a drinking glass, which broke with her violence… [Hannah] was arrested at an adjoining house the same evening. She was under the influence of drink, and had her hand cut so badly that a doctor had to be sent for” (Sheffield Daily Telegraph 08 November 1877, p7 col6). “Previous convictions being proved against the prisoner, she was sentenced to six months’ hard labour” (Sheffield Independent 09 November 1877, p2 col2).
Sheffield Daily Telegraph 08 November 1877 p7 col6
Sheffield Independent 09 November 1877, p2 col2
Of course I wanted to know more about these previous convictions but despite the Calendars of Prisoners being available online for the period 1761 to 1888, I have been unable to find Hannah or Alexander’s prison records. My visit to the record office in Derby proved fruitless too – perhaps the office in Matlock has more as there is no mention of records being destroyed.
Note: the newspaper reports record the street as being River, Rivet and Rivett St. Rivett St was located off Siddals Road. Since River Street is closest to her other addresses and Alexander is reported as being picked up drunk & disorderly on Rivers St in 1881- I am making the presumption that River Street is where the attack occurred.
Derby – OS Map 6 inch 1888 – 1913
Next Steps:
Locate prison/quarter session records for Hannah & Alexander
I’ve just spent a few days revisiting some old research and came across some notes I wrote regarding the LAMB family (starting with Reuben Henry LAMB):
Birth Record of Reuben Henry Lamb, 1898
Reuben Henry LAMB
18 April, 2005
Found in 1901 census with parents William & Hannah & sister Rosannah. In the same house(? – 1 & 2HC2 Willow Row) is Alice Green unwed mother of 3 year old son John Thomas. She is not listed as head – relationship is mother but she is only 30 so not mother of head William LAMB. Could she be William or Hannah’s sister – maybe Hannah’s maiden name is Green?) (Look for record of Hannah Green)
Find Hannah’s maiden name – marriage to unknown Bates. the marriage would be between 1872 – 1897 (SOLVED – see next entry)
Lamb family in the 1901 census
22 April, 2005
Found William & Hannah in 1891 census – here Hannah, Rose & another son John are recorded under the name ROLLETT. Hannah is listed as married (not to William – he is single) and is William’s ‘housekeeper’.
This confirms Rose RICHARDS’ memory (of Rolletts) but Reuben’s birth certificate lists mother as Hannah BATES so this is probably her maiden name. The record of a Hannah BANNER (nee BATES) marrying a William Henry is confusing. Will need to find record to confirm this – marriage to WH should be between 1891-1898 (Reuben’s birth). Perhaps she married again before William Henry or perhaps this was bigamous (ROLLETTS may have gone AWOL)
William is listed as a sweep but is neither employer/employed. This could reflect his journeyman status (1901 census).
Lamb family in the 1891 census (Hannah and children recorded under previous names)
13 October, 2007
Found marriage record of Ann BANNER marrying William Henry LAMB in 1891 (IGI) – Her father is listed as James BATES and his as John LAMB. So this seems very likely to be them.
Found marriage record of Hannah BATES marrying Alexander ROLLETT in 1872. He was living with a Selina BANKS (possibly married to a Henry BANKS in 1874 nee GARTON) [in the 1881 census] but they were both recorded as married with 2 children of each other’s surname.
Hannah/Ann’s parents may be James BATES and Ann TILBURY who married in 1854. By the 1861 census, Ann was listed as a widower.
Could the name BANNER come from her mother’s new partner? Hannah was very young when her father seems to have died. OR perhaps Hannah used a false name to hide the fact she may not have been divorced?
Marriage record of William Henry Lamb & Ann BANNER, 1891
The residence and profession match the 1891 census entry AND Reuben’s birth certificate, so this must be the same people but WHY has Hannah used a different name other than ROLLETT? Her marriage record to Alexander has the same name and profession of her father (who has died before 1872). She already lists herself as a widow – why not use the Rollett surname? Could the clerk copying the entry have misread Rollett as Banner? It’s possible.
It’s also possible that Hannah had lost contact with her ex-husband and so labelled herself a widower in order to marry William – since Alexander Rollett still seems to be alive throughout the next few censuses. I would need to see the original marriage entry to put that issue to rest.
Marriage record of Alexander Rollett & Hannah BATES, 1872
UPDATE: I have come to the conclusion that Hannah used the name Ann BANNER when marrying William to hide from authorities the fact that her husband, Alexander ROLLETT was still alive. Divorce was at the very least expensive and likely would not have been granted in those times (more info). Interestingly, Hannah continued to use the name Rollett and Lamb interchangeably through the rest of her life.
Next Steps:
View original marriage entry of Lamb/Banner marriage to check for mistranscription no mistranscription
Follow the trail of the Rollett children for any other clues
Research adult chimney sweeps in the Victorian era
Carnation LOVELL was born into her gypsy family in Willenhall, 1889. Finding her family has led me on a bit of a run around over the years and I have decided I need to find some solid records and check my information is correct so far (a previous post can be found here).
She appears on the 1891 census with her parents (Matthew and Maria LOVELL), and elder brother Chandos, living in a gypsy tent in Darlaston, Staffordshire.
1891 Census – Lovells
She reappears on the 1901 census, living in a caravan on Sneyd Lane, Bloxwich, as Carnation FLETCHER with brother Chandos, younger sister Elizabeth and what appears to be her mother listed as married to Eli FLETCHER. All the children and Maria now carry the name, FLETCHER.
1901 Census – Fletchers/Lovells
I started to wonder if this was the same Carnation. Carnation’s birth certificate cites her mother’s former name as Maria ANSLOW. Her marriage entry to Eli (7 years after their appearance as a family unit on the census) also records her as Maria ANSLOW, spinster. So, this is clearly the same woman. This also indicates that Carnation’s parents were never legally married. This makes me curious about gypsy marriage customs – was this usual? Was Eli a gypsy or not?
I am yet to find Carnation in the 1911 census. I’m presuming her name was mistranscribed but all the variants I’ve come up with so far have given me no joy.
Instead, I have decided to gather more family records and information about gypsy life paint a clearer picture of Carnation’s life in my mind.
