Amberley Baptism Lookup 15/02/1829

[downside]

Hi Jane

I've had the 1841 census for years but I didn't spot that, but then I wasn't looking for any connection until last week when this event suddenly popped into view.  It certainly implies there is a link between Ann Wakeham and Barnard West.  It's unlikely that it is just a coincidence they happen to living next door to each other.  Incidentally you listed the 1841 census for Rackham rather than Amberley.  I mention that because there was no obvious reason why Ann should be living in Rackham as she was from Amberley.  It would infer that she had family there.

As we know her mother had died around 1837 and it looks like her stepfather Thomas Gent disowned her as he wasn't her real father.  It looks like Barnard did take some responsibility for her - even though he was married with 6 children at the time.

The JANE WAKEHAM bit is a red herring I'm afraid.  Barnard's daughter Jane was born in Worthing in 1831 as were the first 3 children.  I have Jane living in London in 1861:-

Census 1861: 24, Dorchester Place, St Marylebone | Jane West | 29 | Sussex, Worthing.


I do not know who that particular Jane Wakeham is, even though I have loads of Wakeham's in my family tree.  It is true 2 Wakeham's (Charles and Reuben) married 2 West sisters (Jane and Eliza Margaret).  There were so many Wakehams that were born and married in Amberley, although one in particular has caught my attention.  A John Wakeham married a Sarah Braby on 19th November 1816 in St Michael's, Amberley.  I don't know whether they were the parents of Jane Wakeham, but it might explain why she was living in a Braby household.

Thanks for all your heroic efforts.

Has your looker upper come back to you with Ann's full baptism name?

Cheers

downside

PS Barnard had 3 wives and 19 children and he still ended up in East Preston Work House!

[Jane Masri]

This is the EXACT wording on the baptismal entry,

feb 15th 1829 number 290
Ann dr of - Baseborn
Harriet Wakeham
Amberley
Servant

Incidentally you listed the 1841 census for Rackham rather than Amberley.  I mention that because there was no obvious reason why Ann should be living in Rackham as she was from Amberley.  It would infer that she had family there.

1841 - HO107/1092/1/7/6  It is Amberley, it states, 'Amberley hamlet of Rackham'

As we know her mother had died around 1837    Harriet, Ann's mother died 1833 age 23 (dob 1810)

Thomas Gent disowned her as he wasn't her real father.    We don't know that Thomas even knew about her existance.  We do know that Thomas didn't keep his legitimate son with him 
Perhaps we can find out who this PESCOTT/PRESCOTT couple are.

Broadwater, West Sussex,  17 Feb 1829:
 Margaret FORD
 Bernard WEST, botp (B)
Witness wit: Eliza FORD; Henry WEST

Looks like Bernard & Margaret stayed in Broadwater for a time then by 1841 they are back in Amberley.
1851 shows Bernard & new wife, Mary in Broadwater again.  Jane is a servant in the household of George & Francis Haines at 6 Warwick Buildings, Broadwater,
Jane West  serv.  unm.  19  b. Rackham.

The JANE WAKEHAM bit is a red herring I'm afraid.  Barnard's daughter Jane was born in Worthing in 1831 as were the first 3 children.  I have Jane living in London in 1861:-

Census 1861: 24, Dorchester Place, St Marylebone | Jane West | 29 | Sussex, Worthing.  I think you're right.  This Jane is unm, laundress with a 3 year old daughter, Amelia born Brighton.

A John Wakeham married a Sarah Braby on 19th November 1816 in St Michael's, Amberley.  I don't know whether they were the parents of Jane Wakeham, but it might explain why she was living in a Braby household.

I had also spotted this on the SMI,

Amberley, West Sussex,   19 Nov 1816:
 John WAKEHAM, botp
 Sarah BRABY
 Witness wits: William WAKEHAM; Jane WAKEHAM
From the IGI extracted record they had Charles Wakeham Amberley, 1818.
On the SAME DAY,

 Amberley, West Sussex,  19 Nov 1816:
 William WAKEHAM, botp
 Jane HOPKINS
 Witness wits: Frank FARED; Robert BRABY

Looks like two brothers having a double wedding! I think they are the sons of John & Susanna Wakeham (nee Coote) married Amberley 1789.

jane
 


 


 

[downside]

Hi Jane

Henry West family arrived in Rackham from Henfield in 1799 and married Sarah Slaughter and started a family there.  The Pescott or Peskett family were already established there.  On the 1851 census John Pescott, aged 71 claims to have been born in Rackham.  So the Wests and the Pescotts had know each other most of their lives.  I can't see any other explanation as to why the Pescott's looked after Ann.  She probably worked as a servant for the Pescott's in return for board and lodgings.  I can only think that Barnard's wife Margaret must have been a fairly tolerant woman.

I don't know whether that is true about Thomas Gent not knowing that his wife had a daughter before he married her.  Was he that stupid or was it a matter of convenience?  Imagine Thomas and Harriett are walking down a street in Amberley and a little girl starts shouting "mummy, mummy."   If Thomas Gent disowned his son does that suggest he may not have been the father?  Don't tell me Barnard has been busy again!

So we have some strong circumstantial evidence that Barnard West was the father of Ann Wakeham.  I'd dearly like to get hold of some documentary proof so let's hope Janan turns up something.

Cheers

downside

[janan]

Given the extremely slow progress I'm making booking tickets for the Edinburgh Fringe I am unlikely to get to the RO today - probably be next week, Tuesday. Still I don't suppose after all this time the information will be going anywhere
Jan

[downside]

Hi Jane

I missed the mormon/emigration to USA bit:

1. More about ANN4 WAKEHAM ( HARRIETT3 JOHN2 JOHN1 )


She married EDWARD WILLIAM BRABY 10 Jun 1849 St Nicholas, Brighton, Sussex.


She emigrated to Salt Lake City, Utah, America in 1875.


She d. 17 Feb 1915 Salt Lake City, Utah.


She was buried __? Feb 1915 Salt Lake City, Utah


36
More about EDWARD WILLIAM2 BRABY ( ROBERT1 )


He is the son of ROBERT BRABY and RHODA HOLLIST & was b. 16 May 1827 Amberley, Sussex.


He d. 4 Jan 1909 Salt Lake City, Utah, America.


He was buried __? Jan 1909 Salt Lake City Cemetery, Utah



Notes


Both Ann & Edward were baptised into the Mormon faith on day of their marriage.


Found on Ancestry.com site
LDS Baptism 10 Jun 1849 Temple:
ID: Edward BRABY: 1104494610
ID: Ann WEST: 1104494611

downside

PS Janan you can't go to Edinburgh you have more important things to do 

[Jane Masri]

Hi Downside & Janan,
Thanks for the link to your site, Downside...why don't you add it to your profile? I really enjoyed reading it, you've done an excellent job 
With the extra info you gave on Edward Braby, I've now linked him up to the Braby tree I have for Amberley.

AS you said, Edward was the eldest son of Robert & Rhoda nee Hollist.  Married 1826, Amberley.
Robert was the youngest son (bap 1804, Amberley) of Daniel & Hannah nee Moore, married 17/5/1785, Amberley.
Daniel was the eldest son (bap. 1758, Amberley) of Robert & Ann nee Heward/Howard married 1757, Amberley.

Now to the identity of Jane Wakeham living with Edward & Ann in 1861.  The two brothers who married on the same day in 1816...the Sarah Braby who married John Wakeham was the sister of Edwards father.  John Wakeham & sarah had a daughter, Jane Wakeham bap 8/6/1824.  Jane Wakeham was Edwards first cousin!

By the way, there is a Removal Order from Coldwatham to Amberley in the name of, Robert Braby, Rhoda, Robert 6m & Edward 3 years Par/54/32/3/19 at the West Sussex Records Office.

Janan, have a great time north of the border 

jane

[downside]

Hi Jane

I do have a link on my profile to my website.  You see that little globe icon, that is a link to a roots chatter's website.

The other thing to mention is that I have 2 separate databases:

1) the website one that contains limited information about the Wakehams.
2) the one on my PC at home that contains a lot of non-West stuff i.e. other names.

One of my contacts has emailed me an attachment of the actual page containing Ann's baptism.  It just arrived out of the blue, I didn't realise they had it.  I think they must have scanned in a photocopy of a microfiche image and converted it to a .jpeg file.  It took ages to download when I opened my mail program.

Cheers

downside

[Jane Masri]

You see that little globe icon, that is a link to a roots chatter's website     Didn't realise that Downside, I thought they put an address on their profile...you live & learn!

Back to the point in question.  Yes, I would agree with you about Thomas Gent knowing about Harriet's illegitimate daughter.  I would think the whole village of Amberley knew about it    although things like that were fairly common place in those days.
I noticed on the LDS information you supplied yesterday about Edward & Ann joining the Mormon church on their wedding day, that Ann is down as Ann West, this is the first 'official' use of that surname I've seen.  Her baptism was WAKEHAM, her marriage was in the name of WAKEHAM.  Perhaps she was asked to provide the name of her birth father & knowing that was Barnard WEST, that's what she said.  Is there any way of seeing that document?  It might be the reason why the LDS has her with the name WEST WAKEHAM.

jane

[downside]

Hi Jane

I think the first course of action is find out what name she put in the father column of her marriage certificate.  If she did put Barnard West then it solves the whole problem, which is why I keep asking if someone would be kind enough to look it up.

If Barnard is not mentioned on the marriage certificate then it becomes more complex.  I have already written to one submitter who has her listed on rootsweb.com but have received no response.  I suppose I'll have to write to the LDS submitters who have included her in their trees and ask them for their sources.  It will be a long process as there are no email addresses.  As the files were submitted some time ago some of them may be dead by now.  I also suspect that all those LDS church submitters might be copying each others data - so it could be the blind leading the blind.

Let's see what the marriage certificate says.

Cheers

downside