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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Leicestershire => England => Leicestershire Lookup Requests => Topic started by: mareanna on Monday 22 November 10 13:11 GMT (UK)
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Short Version:
Only one Caleb Simmon(d)s on 1841 census, b 1824 Loughborough (son of Caleb and Frances?). Three marriage GROs for a Caleb Simmons in 1844, 1850 and 1861. On 1851 census he is with wife (Mary Ann) and child (Caleb), the other wife (Mary Jane) a married lodger, with a child (John). On 1861 a Caleb and a Caleh Simmons (both b 1824 in Loughborough and boatmen) are with wives Mary Jane and Emma respectively. So he appears to have two wives on the go, first with Mary Ann and Mary Jane on the 1851 census, then with Mary Jane and Emma on the 1861 census. The pattern is repeated in 1871 and 1881, Caleb and Emma in Loughborough, Caleb and Mary Jane in Mountsorrel.
Long Version:
We were checking an entry for Caleb Simmons in our family tree. On the 1841 census there is only one Caleb Simmon(d)s from Loughborough born about 1824, parents Caleb and Frances/Fanny.
Caleb Simmon(d)s (B about 1824, Loughborough, a boatman) is on the 1861 census with his wife Mary Jane and brood in Mountsorrel. So far so good.
By a sheer coincidence, we found a tree on a genealogy site that has this couple, but with more children, two whose conceptions pre-date the marriage (now with a date of 25 December 1850 at Loughborough parish church). Nothing unusual, but alarm bells starting to ring.
Checking the GROs for the children, we decided to double-check the marriage for Caleb and Mary Jane. We now have GROs for a Caleb Simmons and Mary Ann Beadsley/Bradsley (yes there are two versions of the surname on the typed GRO list for this page) of 1844 Q4 Loughborough 15 231 AND Mary Jane Wakerley, GRO 1850 Q4 Loughborough.
Back tracking to the 1851 census, there is Caleb and Mary Ann in Loughborough with son Caleb, born in Loughborough (1849 Q3 Loughborough 15 146). Mary Jane Simmons is a (married) lodger in Mountsorrel with son John, born in Mountsorrel (1851 Q1 Barrow 15 38). No husband with her.
Further digging on the 1861 census reveals a Caleh (sic) Simmons (b 1824 Loughborough, boatman) now with Emma (Bamford, marriage GRO 1861 Q1 Loughborough 7a 156) and children (John 1851, Mary J 1853, Caleb 1855, Elizabeth H 1857) at John Street, Loughborough. Caleb (also b 1824, Loughborough and a boatman) is with Mary Jane and children (Charles W 1853, Walter 1856, Ann 1858, Mary J 1860) in Mountsorrel, North. [There is a death for a Mary Ann Simmons (GRO 1859 Q2 Loughborough 7a 83) but without an age, I can’t confirm that it was this Mary Ann, it looks likely though]
So was he a dirty rotten two-timer or did have a doppleganger? We’ve checked for Simmons/Simmonds and wider age spans, and for Calebs in Leicestershire. Everything points to the one man with two “families”
Can anyone check the parish records for the three marriages for Caleb (1844, 1850 & 1861 in LB, different churches?), and the births of the children Caleb (LB 1849) and John (BS 1851) to check their parents? If possible the 1824 birth/baptism details for Caleb to confirm his parents (IGI has a Caleb christened 22 Oct 1823 at All Saints, Loughborough, father Caleb, mother Amey – could this be Fanny?) Just for good measure, the death of Mary Ann Simmons in 1859, too.
PHEW :P
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Mareanna - phew indeed - quite a saga.
I've had a look at the pilot familysearch site and found for Loughborough All Saints
Caleb Simmons baptism 13 Sept 1812 parents Saml and Ann (listed twice - second version has church)
Caleb Simmons baptism 22 Oct 1823 parents Caleb and Amey
Caleb Simmons born 16 Aug 1825, baptised 5 Feb 1836 parents Wm and Elizth.
Caleb Simmons born 26 Oct 1826, baptised 25 Dec 1826, death 21 May 1827 parents John and Sarah.
Caleb John Simmons born 19 July 1849, baptised 15 Aug 1869 parents Caleb and Mary Ann.
Caleb Simmons baptised 21 Oct 1854 parents Caleb and Mary Ann
Caleb Simmons marriage to Amy Holmes 9 Jan 1815.
Caleb Simmons marriage to Mary Ann Beadsley 2 Nov 1844
Also at Emmanuel, Loughborough
Caleb Simmonds marriage to Mary Daubury 20 Feb 1842
I suspect I'm adding to the confusion, but it does seem a local name!
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The 1823 christening appears to be the Caleb I'm following. I decided to post two versions of the request, fearing that even the most hardened genealogist would have lost the plot before the end of the long version (but included to show what lengths we had gone to trying to get to the bottom of this one).
Simmons - with or without a "D" doesn't help but we've looked at both versions or soundex to investigate all the possibilities.
My money's on a bigamist, the doppleganger option gets long odds ;D
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Mareanna,
re death of Mary Ann Simmons -
The Derby Mercury, Wednesday June 1, 1859
Deaths
At Loughborough, on the 18th ult......... Mary Ann, wife of Mr Caleb Simmons, jun, aged 31
regards
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hanes teulu
Curious - why would a death for a Loughborough lass be in the Derby Mercury?
Unless you didn't want it to be read by the Loughborough locals ???
Good though that it confirms Caleb being named after his father.
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Mareanna,
i can check any of the Loughborough records this week. dates found on pilot site are useful - there may be more info on full record esp marriages.
Diddy
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Hello all....
Just noticed Diddy has kindly offered to do some look-ups.... but you may find some useful stuff out of this lot.
Mareanna...if your local library subscribes to the infotrac newspaper collection you will be able to access them at home with your library card as there are a number of references for Caleb Simmons......no wonder Caleb has been giving you trouble.... :P
All the Caleb Simmons burials I could see were recorded at Loughborough Cemetery
Caleb - 21st May 1827 - inf
Caleb - 29th July 1874 - aged 86
Caleb - 1st Nov 1902 - aged 82
Loughborough All Saints
Caleb - 17th Oct 1852 - aged 41
A slightly different account from the one from hanes teulu .......
The Leicester Chronicle: or, Commercial and Agricultural Advertiser), Saturday, May 28, 1859
On the 19th instant Mary Ann, wife of Mr Caleb Simmons; and on the 21st instant. the infant son of the above.
Re the burial for Mary Ann at Loughborough Cemetery - 22nd May 1859 - aged 31
Also William Simmons - 22nd May 1859 - inf
Nottinghamshire Guardian - Thursday, March 07, 1861
Marriage
SIMMONS - BAMFORD - At Emmanuel Church, Loughborough on Sunday last. Caleb Simmons (widower) to Emma Bamford (widow), both of Loughborough.
Nottinghamshire Guardian , Thursday, October 21, 1852
Deaths
At Loughborough, on the 14th instant, Mr Caleb Simmons, Butcher, aged 41 years.
Nottinghamshire Guardian Thursday, August 20, 1857
Deaths
At Loughborough on the 11th inst. aged 60, Hannah, wife of Mr. Caleb Simmons.
Leicester Chronicle and the Leicestershire Mercury), Saturday, July 22, 1871
Death
At Loughborough, on the 13th inst, aged 64, Fanny, wife of Mr Caleb Simmons, Rushes.
Leicester Chronicle and the Leicestershire Mercury Saturday, August 01, 1874
SIMMONS - On the 20th ult, at Loughborough, Caleb Simmons, gent, aged 86
Leicester Chronicle and the Leicestershire Mercury Friday, March 29, 1884
Deaths
SIMMONS - On the 25th inst, at Loughborough, Emma, wife of Caleb Simmons, Rushes, aged 47
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Forgot this marriage.....
The Leicester Chronicle: or, Commercial and Agricultural Advertiser - Saturday, March 20, 1841
Marriage
On Monday at Loughborough, Mr Caleb Simmons, coal merchant, to Miss Fanny Hubbard.
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These were reported as Simmonds........
Burial - Loughborough All Saints
Amey Simmonds - 12th Oct 1831 - aged 37
The Leicester Chronicle: or, Commercial and Agricultural Advertiser Saturday, October 15, 1831
Death
On the 7th instant, Amy wife of Caleb Simmonds, of the Rushes, coal merchant, aged 37, of Loughborough
The Leicester Chronicle: or, Commercial and Agricultural Advertiser - Saturday, February 26, 1842
Marriage
At Loughborough - On Sunday, Mr Caleb Simmonds, butcher, to Miss Mary Daubney.
The Leicester Chronicle: or, Commercial and Agricultural Advertiser - Saturday, November 09, 1844
Marriage
On Saturday, at the Old Church, Loughborough, Mr Caleb Simmonds, jun, to Miss Mary Ann Beadsley
The Leicester Chronicle: or, Commercial and Agricultural Advertiser - Saturday, December 21, 1844
Death
At Loughborough on Wednesday, Mary, wife of Mr Caleb Simmonds, butcher, Ward's end.
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wow Dizzi, thats great - might have saved me a job.
it looks like there were several caleb Simmons in Loughborough. I will wait until Mareanna has digested that lot (with a large pad of paper i should think) and then await any records she wants checking!
There if needed
Diddy ;D
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Hi Diddy,
I was hoping it might narrow it down a bit.....I got carried away with the Caleb's... :D
I see there is a Will on the National probate index for Mareanna's Caleb
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I have found the new probate records fascinating and very useful. Not found pots of money coming to me though!!
Diddy ::)
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It’s a good job I’ve a pile of scrap paper/GRO envelope backs. Thank you all for the details so far (I’ve e-mailed a query to see if my local library subscribes to infotrac)
It appears that (no short version here) :P
Caleb’s parents were Caleb and Amey Holmes, married on 9 Jan 1815. He died 29 July 1874 aged 86 and is buried at Loughborough cemetery. Amey died 7 Oct 1831 aged 37 and was buried on 12 October 1831 at Loughborough All Saints. Caleb then married Fanny Hubbard on 15 March 1841 (they are on the census) and she died 13 July 1871 aged 64. Fandabbydozee
Next Caleb himself (or his clones) and his partners. He married his first wife, Mary Ann Beadsley on 2 November 1844, and she died 19 May 1859, with their son (William) on the 21st I guess she died in childbirth. Meanwhile he had married his second wife Mary Jane Wakerley 25 December 1850 (according to the other genealogy web-site that started this malarky). He marries his third wife, Emma (nee Polkey, widow of William Bamford) in Q1 1861 (LB 7a 156) and she died 25th March 1884, aged 47.
The Caleb and Mary Daubney, married at Emmanuel Church, Loughborough and their children baptised there, are not as far as I can tell, part of this. Nor is the Caleb who died in 1902 aged 82 (who makes no appearances in the censuses until 1901). Neither Caleb the butcher. So many Calebs. Then we have a John Caleb, or was he Caleb John or both? I don’t think I can bear to look into that at the moment.
There is now a wager between me and hubby. My money is on bigamist, he is betting on there being more than one Caleb Simmons, both born about 1824 in Loughborough and both boatmen.
So Diddy, no pressure, can I please ask you check the Loughborough marriages of Caleb Simmons to Mary Ann (2/11/1844), Mary Jane (25/12 1850) and Emma (1861 Q1) to ascertain the groom’s father and any gleanings from the names of the church and witnesses? And if poss the Mountsorrel parish records for the birth of John Simmons in 1851 Q1 (GRO B-S 15 38)?
Once again, thank you all so much. ;D
ps couldn't find a probate entry for a Caleb Simmons around 1885 when I think this one died. :(
Mareanna
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can do - have time off this week inbetween music exams!!
Diddy ;D
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Dizzifish
Thanks, hubby found Caleb (senior) Simmons' probate index entry for 1874. No inheritors mentioned, just that he left under £100. Hubby thought he had found the "other" Caleb.
Bets are still on ;)
Mareanna
ps Diddy, after buying some family wills and noting the amounts, some would now be worth hundreds of thousands of pounds, why am I now not rolling in it (money rather than compost)?
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Hi Mareanna,
That was the Will that I meant...it wasn't until later I realised the age at death meant it must be Caleb senior....too many Caleb's and Loughborough boatmen.
I can't wait to see what Diddy finds....I bet there are two Caleb's..... ::)
I have boatmen in our tree who were on the Cromford canals; boatmen are not always easy to find on census night.
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trouble was with all the children they had the money soon got shared out...
Diddy
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OK folks eyes down - all betting closed!! ;D
Mareanne - you loose I'm afraid - hubby is right!!
marriages:
1. 2/11/1844
Caleb Simmons of full age bachelor boatman residing: the Rushes (suspect this would be in the canal basin itself) father: caleb simmons =
Mary Ann Beadsley, a minor, spinster residing meadow lane father; thomas beadsly
both signed. wit: George Hiffords? & Ann Gaine? (name diff to read)
2. 25/12/1850
Caleb Simmons of full age, bachelor . boatman. residing: Regent Street father: William Simmons,
coal dealer
=
Mary Jane Wakerley, a minor,spinster. residing: Regent Street father: John Wakerley, Tailor
Caleb his mark, Mary Signed. wit: William Wakerly & Elizabeth Draper (mark)
between Nov 1860 - Nov 1862 All Saints church was closed (couldn't read reason if given) so all ceremonies at Emmanual. hence:
3. 3/3/1861
Caleb Simmons 37, widower, boatman residing John St. father: caleb Simmons =
Emma Bamford, widow residing: John St father; William Polkey, boatman
caleb signed, emma her mark wit: John Landbury & Mary Ann Haynes.
transcription index of Baptisms in L'boro 1813 - july 1825
Simmonds
7/7/1815 Ann d/o Caleb & Amey hosier??
3/4/1817 Amey d/o Caleb & Amey coal seller
15/11/1818 Elizabeth d/o caleb & Amey coal seller
2/3/1821 Benn s/o " " " "
25/3/1821 Samuel s/o " " "
22/10/1823 caleb s/o " "
there were other simmonds that were boatmen but won't confuse issue here.
Diddy ;D
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Diddy
Any chance he fibbed about his father's name to avoid being found out as a bigamist, or should I just accept defeat now?
Mareanna ;)
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Well done Diddy!......that's solved that then :P
Commiserations Mareanna, hope hubby doesn't gloat too long....or worse the stakes were high! ;D
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Diddy
In my haste to post a reply, in the vain hope of getting out of paying up, I forgot my manners to thank you and everyone else for diligent investigation of the records. We were set to fork out for three marriage records just to sort this one out. It was that much of a grudge match.
I won't hear the last of it: I can see it now, on the porch, in rocking chairs, grey hair (can't afford to keep dyeing it when retired), remember that time you thought there was a bigamist in the family (chortles)?
Cheers
Mareanna
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it was a great story whilst it lasted!! better than thousands of ag labs....
btw - i found a direct ancestor link to Grace Darling of Northumberland the other day....... a light house keeper in the family. now theres looking up!! (get it?!!)
Diddy ;D
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As a post-script to this topic (that I guess is now completed), I thought I ought to say that the Caleb Simmons that is in the family tree married Mary Jane Wakerley, and he remained a boatman. Of their 13 (phew) children Mary Jane Simmons married Charles Goodman and from their brood Charles William Goodman married Pheobe Kate Antill, finally reaching the Antill tree.
Caleb and Mary Jane also had a son Walter Simmons and he was part of the exodus of sett makers (including Antills and Baums) to move from Mountsorrel Quarry to Nefyn in Caernarvonshire.
Mareanna :D
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Hi, I don't suppose anyone has a Sarah Ann Simmons of Barrow on soar, in their family, have they? She was m Grt. Gran, bt I don't know any of her own family at all.
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Thanks to Diddy, who helped me to find the father of Sarah Simmons, I too have found Caleb whom I think belongs into my tree.
As you say, it is difficult to know one Caleb from another!