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Beginners => Family History Beginners Board => Topic started by: Bonniest on Thursday 15 November 18 20:06 GMT (UK)
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Hello all, a newbie here hoping for help! Thank you in advance if anyone can.
I have the birth certificate for Alice Kate Mary Ann Spencer born Great Yarmouth 22 October 1876.
Her father was William Watts Spencer, b 1854 Chelsea, house carpenter. His father has same name.
Her mother was Sarah Spencer ( nee Steward, father John farmer). Sarah born 1851 Stokesby Norfolk. They married 5th June 1876, Fulham London.
I have marriage certificate for Alice Kate Spencer, aged 23, to Henry George 1st April 1900 Great Yarmouth.
Her father named as William Watts Spencer, carpenter.
The banns on 26th Feb1900 says Alice was residing in Great Yarmouth with her mother, no mention of father.
I have traced a William Watts Spencer ( carpenter aged 21) emigrating to Australia, Port Adelaide on 29 th July 1876, arriving November 1876. In 1878 he married Grace Ann Gillard in Yongala, Australia.
marriage certificate says he is a bachelor.
There is a Sarah Spencer who died in London 1876, but this can't be her as the banns of her daughter Alice says they are living together in 1900.
Obviously, anything is possible but does anyone else think this is what happened:
William Watts Spencer and Sarah Spencer married June 1876
WWS emigrated July 1876
Sarah returned to Great Yarmouth alone and their daughter Alice was born Oct 1876
WWS married again illegally in Australia 2 years later.
Does this sound feasible..... or am I missing something obvious!
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Well William married a pregnant Sarah in June 1876 and promptly did a bunk the following month in July. May well have been forced to marry her, wasn't happy with that and off he went.
Not unusual for someone emigrating to another country to claim to be single. Giving himself a clean sheet as it were.
Alice may or may not have been told about her father leaving the country. Does her marriage cert state William is dead?
Have you found Sarah and Alice in any census records?
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Welcome to Rootschat :)
Perhaps the narrative is that William and Sarah married (only) because Sarah was pregnant with Alice.
William quickly got cold feet and did a runner, abandoning Sarah to single parenthood.
Cross posted with Girl Guide’s very similar analysis!
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Should have said Welcome to Rootschat earlier ;D
Found what appears to be Alice with the Gerrish family in the 1881 census. No mother with her.
Registration district Fulham
Archive reference RG11
Piece number 67
Folio 70
Page 19
I'll see if I can locate her mother.
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In the 1891 census there is a Sarah Heape with a daughter called Alice Spencer and others in the household. Sarah is described as a widow.
Living at Bells Road, Gorleston, Mutford, Suffolk & Norfolk
Registration district Mutford
Archive reference RG12
Piece number 1496
Folio 45
Page 23
There is this marriage for Sarah Spencer
Marriages Sep 1886
HATCHMAN Jessie Josephine Fulham 1a 547
HEAPE Emmanuel Fulham 1a 547
HOWARD Frank Fulham 1a 547
SPENCER Sarah Fulham 1a 547
If this is indeed your Sarah then she committed bigamy herself.
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You have two marriage certificates for William Watts SPENCER with signature on each.
Do the signatures match?
Birth certificate for Alice Kate Mary Ann Spencer born Great Yarmouth 22 October 1876.....
Where was she born ie. residential address?.
Where and when was the birth registered?. Who was the informant?.
Who are the witnesses on the marriage certificate, Alice Kate SPENCER, 1900?
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If this is the correct Emmanuel then Sarah married a man considerably older than herself.
Deaths Dec 1887
Heape Emanuel 67 Mutford 4a 555
As he died before the 1891 census no check can be made on how old he was. Only the marriage certificate would state that. Unless he declared himself to be Of Full Age!
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In the 1891 census there is a Sarah Heape with a daughter called Alice Spencer and others in the household. Sarah is described as a widow.
Living at Bells Road, Gorleston, Mutford, Suffolk & Norfolk
Registration district Mutford
Archive reference RG12
Piece number 1496
Folio 45
Page 23
There is this marriage for Sarah Spencer
Marriages Sep 1886
HATCHMAN Jessie Josephine Fulham 1a 547
HEAPE Emmanuel Fulham 1a 547
HOWARD Frank Fulham 1a 547
SPENCER Sarah Fulham 1a 547
If this is indeed your Sarah then she committed bigamy herself.
Looks to be our Sarah
Also in the household is Kezia Bland - described as aunt to the head of the house (Sarah). Kezia born Stokesby, c1834. Maiden name Steward. she is sister to Sarah's father John
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I can only see one Emmanuel HEAPE on the 1841 and 1861 censuses. He is in the military and the age fits with the death previously listed. In 1861 he is listed as married.
There is a birth of a child to an Emmanuel HEAPE and mother Tabitha in 1944.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NV8X-CL8
A marriage:
Dec 1842 St Marylebone 1 220
HEAP Emanuel
FEETHAM Tabitha
Jamjar
Added: There is a Tabitha Heap death in 1893, aged 66. :(
Mm, here they are on the 1851 and Emanuel is a soldier:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SGXT-HM2
They aren’t together on the 1861, but she is listed as married and I can’t see her thereafter.
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Removed....posted to wrong board
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You have two marriage certificates for William Watts SPENCER with signature on each.
Do the signatures match?
Debra :)
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I would say yes they do match, so same man.
How many unrelated William Watts Spencers are there? Unusual middle name which is probably a maiden surname from his family somewhere.
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There is a William Watts Spencer who died on 28 October 1932. Buried in West Terrace Cemetery in Adelaide, Australia. No age stated. Is this the 1854 one?
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Wow! Thank you all so much for your prompt replies!
Answers to the questions as I know them:
William Watts Spencer is not listed as deceased on marriage certificate of Alice
No trace of Sarah in census
1901 and 1911 census for Alice and Henry George in Gt Yarmouth, Sarah not with them
Watts was surname of mother several generations previous
Residential address on birth certificate of Alice is Rainbow Square- lovely name but was a slum area!
Birth registered on 29th November 1876 by mother, Sarah
Witness on marriage certificate is Elizabeth George, sister of groom Henry George. don't know about other witness.
I'll have a look at all the info that's been suggested - I now feel I'm getting somewhere
Thank you
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22 Nov 1887 the will of Emmanuel Heape late of Gorleston in the county of Suffolk who died 23 Oct 1887 at Gorleston was proved at Ipswich by Sarah Heape of 2 Lower Cliff Road Gorleston widow the relict the sole Executrix.
Personal Estate £271 13s. 6d.
Gorleston was in the registration of Mutford so that would appear to be the correct death reg.
;)