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Messages - susanmary

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1
Devon / Re: Bastardy quarter sessions BELL
« on: Tuesday 10 October 06 19:07 BST (UK)  »
Here you go .....

William James, son of Julia Bell of the workhouse, was baptised at St Thomas parish church on 27th July 1857.   :D

Sue

2
Travelling People / Re: finding angelina Orchard
« on: Monday 09 October 06 22:10 BST (UK)  »
Hi Louise,

I had found the James Orchard and Brittannia Crocker marriage too. I think that Thomas was James' brother and I know their father was also named James. I wondered if I had been too hasty thinking that Thomas married Susan Orchard as that was the only marriage I could find, but the Orchards were very keen on marrying their cousins which makes it so difficult to work out relationships. Every time I find out more information about them, I just get more confused!  ::)

Sue

3
Devon / Re: Bastardy quarter sessions BELL
« on: Monday 09 October 06 21:56 BST (UK)  »
Sorry, I was jumping to conclusions on this one.  :( When you said that William was born in Exeter, I thought you were talking about the city of Exeter. If Julia's place of settlement was Topsham, which was in St Thomas poor law union, her son would have been born in the St Thomas workhouse, not the Exeter one. In that case, he could have been baptised in St Thomas parish church. The Exeter Registrar would have a record of his birth though. Birth records for what was St Thomas registration district are now split between Newton Abbot, Honiton and Exeter Register Offices, which makes things extra complicated if you don't know the area very well.

Sue

4
Travelling People / Re: finding angelina Orchard
« on: Sunday 08 October 06 22:43 BST (UK)  »
Hi Louise,

I have just found a marriage on freeBMD of Thomas Orchard to Susan Orchard in June quarter of 1879 in Launceston registration district. Sound possible, doesn't it?

If you don't have time to look up the census returns before Saturday, I'm bringing my folder of copies etc with me to the open day. The Record Office is the other side of the road from the barn Owl. Drive through the park and ride car park and follow the signs.

Sue

5
Devon / Re: Bastardy quarter sessions BELL
« on: Saturday 07 October 06 22:05 BST (UK)  »
Hi,

I was probably wandering off-topic too! I mentioned the workhouse because often unmarried mothers had nowhere else to go to have their babies if they were poor. Sometimes the registrar made it less obvious that the child was born in the workhouse by writing the address as if it were a private house, eg 10 East Street.

Is it possible that your mother who was living in a house, not the workhouse, was in a home for unmarried mothers? You did not say what the year date was, so I don't know if this is likely.

Sue

6
Travelling People / Re: finding angelina Orchard
« on: Saturday 07 October 06 20:46 BST (UK)  »
Hi Louise,

In 1891Thomas was 35 and Susan was 40, and in 1901he was 45 and she was 48. No children with them in 1891 and Brittania age 9 in 1901. I know James was Thomas' father because he is living in the caravan with him in 1901. I can't find James earlier than 1891 because there are so many James Orchards. It doesn't help that his age is different in both census returns and his birthplace is Crediton in one and Gloucestershire in the other. I've got stuck here, so if you can help me out, I'd be really happy!

Sue

7
Devon / Re: Bastardy quarter sessions BELL
« on: Saturday 07 October 06 20:33 BST (UK)  »
Hello again,

This case is a bit more complicated just because it is Exeter. The quarter sessions records which are indexed are annual returns made by the petty sessions of affiliation orders so they are different from the disputed paternity cases which you mention. At this date, it was the responsibility of the mother to apply for maintenance for her baby, not the overseers of the poor. It is possible that William, as an illegitimate child, may have been born in the workhouse, but Exeter workhouse records were destroyed in the bombing in 1942. Exeter didn't have a poor law union, but a Corporation of the Poor, which dealt with all the poor law cases in the city parishes.

You could guess that William was born in the workhouse, and in that case he may have been baptised in Heavitree parish church, but it would be quicker to ask the Superintendant Registrar at Exeter to search for a birth record for you.

Sorry to ramble on :)

Sue

8
Devon / Re: Bastardy quarter sessions BELL
« on: Friday 06 October 06 22:36 BST (UK)  »
Hi  :)

When you say you have looked in the Quarter Sessions bastardy records, do you mean the little index booklets published by the Small Projects Group of DFHS? If so, these won't help you because they cover the county of Devon, not the city of Exeter. I know, because I wrote the foreword for the bastardy indexes!

If you have an approximate year of birth, you can write to the Register Office and ask for a copy of the birth certificate. The address is Castle Street, Exeter.

Good luck.

Sue

9
Travelling People / Re: finding angelina Orchard
« on: Friday 06 October 06 22:02 BST (UK)  »
Hi,

The only Thomas I have found is the son of James Orchard and is married to Susan. I think he is the brother of the James who married Britannia. Thomas and Susan are at Bodmin Beacon in 1891 and at Helland Downs in 1901. James the father is a widower in both censuses so I don't know who Thomas' mother was.

Is this any help?  ???

Sue

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