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Buckinghamshire / Re: Seamons or Simmons ancestor ?
« on: Monday 19 January 15 23:06 GMT (UK) »
Thank you for the reply. I had hoped that information was available, but that's the way the search goes!
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Buckinghamshire / Re: Seamons or Simmons ancestor ?
« on: Monday 19 January 15 14:26 GMT (UK) »
Hello again: Another year of trying to untangle the Susan Seamons or Simmons mystery. I have been studying the Simmons family of Aston Abbotts. Robert Simmons (1767-1841) and his wife Sarah Hedges (1770-1851) had 10 children baptised in Aston Abbotts between 1790 and 1817 according to records I can see at ancestry. The Posse Comitatus of 1798 lists Robert's occupation as cordwainer, (which I find means he was a shoe maker) and shows he is the only Robert Simmons in Aston Abbotts at the time.
Now to James Simmons (1799-1877) of Aston Abbotts. I can't view the originals of the records at the ancestry site, only a transcription. His baptism record says his father was Robert Simmons of Aston Abbotts and wife Mary. Since there was only one Robert Simmons around at the time, I wonder if this is an error on someone's part. The question could be settled if a full copy of James Simmons marriage to Sarah Cock on 4 January 1821 were available because his father's name and occupation would be listed. Is it possible to obtain this information without purchasing a copy of the record?
As I said in my first post on this subject, my great great grandmother called herself Susan Seamons when she and William Kempster were married in 1845. After her death in 1867, her two youngest daughters went to live with James Simmons in Aston Abbotts. I now believe that Susan Simmons was her actual name, and like her aunt (a daughter of shoemaker Robert Simmons, who changed her name from Susanna Simmons to Susanna How Seamons around 1824-1828), and her sister Hannah Simmons (whose name is recorded as Hannah Seamons on her marriage to William Rayner in 1854) Susan followed the family trend of changing their name to Seamons.
To wind things up, can anyone find the details of James Simmons' baptism in 1799, and his marriage in 1821? It's a long story I know, and thanks for your patience if you made it this far.
Now to James Simmons (1799-1877) of Aston Abbotts. I can't view the originals of the records at the ancestry site, only a transcription. His baptism record says his father was Robert Simmons of Aston Abbotts and wife Mary. Since there was only one Robert Simmons around at the time, I wonder if this is an error on someone's part. The question could be settled if a full copy of James Simmons marriage to Sarah Cock on 4 January 1821 were available because his father's name and occupation would be listed. Is it possible to obtain this information without purchasing a copy of the record?
As I said in my first post on this subject, my great great grandmother called herself Susan Seamons when she and William Kempster were married in 1845. After her death in 1867, her two youngest daughters went to live with James Simmons in Aston Abbotts. I now believe that Susan Simmons was her actual name, and like her aunt (a daughter of shoemaker Robert Simmons, who changed her name from Susanna Simmons to Susanna How Seamons around 1824-1828), and her sister Hannah Simmons (whose name is recorded as Hannah Seamons on her marriage to William Rayner in 1854) Susan followed the family trend of changing their name to Seamons.
To wind things up, can anyone find the details of James Simmons' baptism in 1799, and his marriage in 1821? It's a long story I know, and thanks for your patience if you made it this far.
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Buckinghamshire / Re: Seamons or Simmons ancestor ?
« on: Thursday 09 February 12 23:28 GMT (UK) »
Hi: Here are William, Susanna and family in 1851 Weedon. Thanks for your interest.
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Buckinghamshire / Re: Seamons or Simmons ancestor ?
« on: Thursday 09 February 12 20:25 GMT (UK) »
Thank you for your reply:
First; I have not been able to find Martha in the 1861 census either. It's been a while but I think I did look at her Kempster great grandparents William and Elizabeth in Weedon, but she wasn't staying with them at the time.
Susanna Seamons only appears under that name once in all the records I came find: the marriage index. There is no mention of a Susanna or Susan Seamons anywhere else that I can find. There are several Susanna Simmons's but only 1 from Bucks. or Aston Abbotts.
When my grandfather George Kempster was taken in by Barnardo's Homes in September 1898, they recorded all of his relatives (siblings, aunts,uncles) that his mother Jane could recall. His father Joseph's three sisters Ellen, Martha and Hannah are mentioned in Barnardo records, and I have been able to trace their families down to the early 20th century quite easily. It's just Susanna's family that has proved a mystery. I don't have a marriage certificate to check her father's name. It is rather expensive, but might be the only option, I suppose.
It's great to share this problem with someone else. Two (or twenty) heads should prove to be better than one.
First; I have not been able to find Martha in the 1861 census either. It's been a while but I think I did look at her Kempster great grandparents William and Elizabeth in Weedon, but she wasn't staying with them at the time.
Susanna Seamons only appears under that name once in all the records I came find: the marriage index. There is no mention of a Susanna or Susan Seamons anywhere else that I can find. There are several Susanna Simmons's but only 1 from Bucks. or Aston Abbotts.
When my grandfather George Kempster was taken in by Barnardo's Homes in September 1898, they recorded all of his relatives (siblings, aunts,uncles) that his mother Jane could recall. His father Joseph's three sisters Ellen, Martha and Hannah are mentioned in Barnardo records, and I have been able to trace their families down to the early 20th century quite easily. It's just Susanna's family that has proved a mystery. I don't have a marriage certificate to check her father's name. It is rather expensive, but might be the only option, I suppose.
It's great to share this problem with someone else. Two (or twenty) heads should prove to be better than one.
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Buckinghamshire / Seamons or Simmons ancestor ?
« on: Thursday 09 February 12 17:58 GMT (UK) »
First time posting here, so: Hello all.
I am hoping that someone with more experience than I have can help see me through a roadblock in my family search. My gr-gr-grandfather was William Kempster, born in Weedon Bucks in 1824. William's father Joseph Kempster emigrated to Australia in 1848, taking all of his family except his two oldest sons William and Roger. According to all available records, William married Susanna Seamons in 1845. They had one son (my great grandfather) and three daughters. William died at the age of 31 in 1855, and Susanna died at age 44 in 1867. This left the two youngest daughters homeless. So, in the 1871 census, Martha Kempster and Hannah Kempster, both born in Weedon, are shown to be living with James Simmonds in Aston Abbotts. The 1851 census says Susanna was born in Aston Abbotts, and some online family trees give her father's name as James. However, Simmonds (or Simmons as it appears in all other census years) is not Seamons. The census lists the girls as his nieces, but he was born in 1800, and they were born 1850 and 1854, so I think it more likely his is their grandfather.
Now here's the problem: the Seamons family in and around Weedon is well researched and available online, but there is NO Susanna (or Susan) to be found. I know that the spelling of these similar-sounding names varied over the years. I traced the family of James Simmons back through the censuses 1871 back to 1841, and I thought I had traced them properly until I looked for their family tree on an...try, and found the right people, children, dates, but they say James died in 1857, and I know he was alive in 1871.
Susanna was born too early (1823 ish) to be in the birth index, and by the time of the first 1841 census, she was old enough to be out working, so she's not listed with the family. I found Susanna Simmons aged 20, born in Buckinghamshire, working as a servant in the home of surgeon Horace Middleton in Chesham, Bucks, not that far from home.
So finally, any suggestions from forum members? I live in Canada, thanks to another early death two generation later, and the Barnardo Homes program of sending destitute child abroad.
Many thanks for considering my problem.
I am hoping that someone with more experience than I have can help see me through a roadblock in my family search. My gr-gr-grandfather was William Kempster, born in Weedon Bucks in 1824. William's father Joseph Kempster emigrated to Australia in 1848, taking all of his family except his two oldest sons William and Roger. According to all available records, William married Susanna Seamons in 1845. They had one son (my great grandfather) and three daughters. William died at the age of 31 in 1855, and Susanna died at age 44 in 1867. This left the two youngest daughters homeless. So, in the 1871 census, Martha Kempster and Hannah Kempster, both born in Weedon, are shown to be living with James Simmonds in Aston Abbotts. The 1851 census says Susanna was born in Aston Abbotts, and some online family trees give her father's name as James. However, Simmonds (or Simmons as it appears in all other census years) is not Seamons. The census lists the girls as his nieces, but he was born in 1800, and they were born 1850 and 1854, so I think it more likely his is their grandfather.
Now here's the problem: the Seamons family in and around Weedon is well researched and available online, but there is NO Susanna (or Susan) to be found. I know that the spelling of these similar-sounding names varied over the years. I traced the family of James Simmons back through the censuses 1871 back to 1841, and I thought I had traced them properly until I looked for their family tree on an...try, and found the right people, children, dates, but they say James died in 1857, and I know he was alive in 1871.
Susanna was born too early (1823 ish) to be in the birth index, and by the time of the first 1841 census, she was old enough to be out working, so she's not listed with the family. I found Susanna Simmons aged 20, born in Buckinghamshire, working as a servant in the home of surgeon Horace Middleton in Chesham, Bucks, not that far from home.
So finally, any suggestions from forum members? I live in Canada, thanks to another early death two generation later, and the Barnardo Homes program of sending destitute child abroad.
Many thanks for considering my problem.
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