EVANS, Bedminster

[Abby]

Mr G-grandfather, Francis Joseph Evans married G-grandma, Mary Ann Smith in Bedminster, 12 Febrary 1872, 8 days before they started their trip to NZ on the Bulwark.

I have just received a copy of their marriage certificate, which shows Francis Joseph Evans information as 29, plumber (journeyman), Coalpit Lane, Bedminster, Father - Jospeh Evans (farmer).

Mary Ann Smith information as 25, spinster, Hengaston, Bedminster, Father - Henry (or Harry?) George Smith, Gardener (master).

Would anyone have any way of finding information about either family please or suggestions about where to go from here?

Many thanks,
Abby

[osprey]

normal thing to do from here would be to trace the families on the various census entries. Luckily for you, they marries just after a census year and should therefore be reasonably easy to trace even with common surnames.

1871 Hengaston, Bedminster RG10/2509 folio 38 pgs 23-24
Henry G Smith head mar 56 market gardener b. Portsmouth
Mary A wife 58 b. Fishponds
Martha dau unm 31 b. Bristol
Mary A dau unm 25 b. Somerset, Wrington
Samuel son 21 greengrocer b. Bristol
Edwin son 20 gardener b. Bristol
John B son 19 b. Bristol
this is the last house in Hengaston, immediately before the start of Victoria Road. I've traced the family back through the census and there are minor differences in place of birth given and more children and a possible change of wife. I can post the details if you want me to. Francis is more of a problem as I cannot find him with his parents - he is listed as nephew in every census. I'll have another hunt as I haven't checked his uncle Moses in 1841 and 1851 to see if that gives any clues. It's not hopeless and the details give names of various relations to trace.

This is him in 1871 Bedminster Down RG10/2510 folio 125 pg 24
Lucy Rennolds(?) head widow 73 Beerhousekeeper b. Barrow Gurney
Harriet Newton sister widow 39 vest maker b. Bedminster
Francis J Evans nephew unm 28 Plumber b. Bedminster

Hope this helps

[Abby]

Thanks so much Osprey, this is wonderful.  Your information confirms Martha was Mary Ann's sister.  Martha was a witness on the marriage certificate and we have various entries from my Nana's (Mary Ann's daughter) notebook, but nothing that told me who Martha was, so now I know!   It all tallies and I now have a name for my GG-grandmother - she was Mary Ann too - that is unless the other wife was earlier?  I'm scurrying back to that notebook to check if other entries I've missed.

Another witness was Wm. Smith, so not sure how he fits - perhaps an older brother?

I would so much appreciate any help as this is my first glimpse of their family.  It must have been so hard for them to  travel so far and it was a really nasty trip too - took more than 7 months.

The information family have given me is that Francis Joseph Evans was born 8 May 1842, Bristol.  Mary Ann's birth date 11 Feb 1846 - no information on where., until now.

I guess a plumber would be handy for an aunt who's a beerhousekeeper - LOL

You can probably guess I'm really pleased.
Thanks again,
Abby   

[osprey]

From checking on Freebmd, I'm pretty sure that there were 2 wives and that the children are with the first wife.
1851 West St, Bedminster HO107/1945 folio 138 pg 31
Henry Smith head mar 35 gardener b. Hants, Portsea
Jane wife 37
William son 12 scholar
Martha dau 11 scholar
Henry son 8 scholar
Jane dau 7 scholar
Mary Anne dau 5 scholar
Samuel son 2
Edwin son 8 months
Sarah Cheese sister-in-law 7
all apart from Henry born Bedminster. There's 2 possible death registrations for Jane in 1851/1852 and possibly others that haven't been indexed yet. There's a marriage registration in 4Q 1852 of Henry George Smith and Mary Ann Fidler Bristol vol 6a pg 39. So there's your witness William. This is possibly Mary Ann's birth registration 1Q 1842 Axbridge(covers Wrington) vol 10 pg 351.

Francis' family is still proving a challenge. This is the only likely Joseph Evans and family in 1841.
Parson St, Bedminster HO107/376/8 folio 39 pg 15
Joseph Evans farmer 40
Ann 35
William 17
Ann 15
Louisa 12
Mary 10
Sarah 8
Harriet 6
Julia 4
Mary Stevens 30 f.s.
all born in county
Problem is I can't find any of them for sure in a later census. 1841 doesn't have relationships or places of birth, only the county and that's not always to be relied on. It's a pity that there was only one son as they are easier to trace than girls who tend to change their surnames, and there's more than one William Evans born Somerset to be sure. You'd need to get Francis' birth certificate to confirm this is the correct family - he was registered Francis Joseph Evans 2Q 1842 Bedminster vol 11 pg 70.
I have a couple of theories about what might have happened to his family. Could they have emigrated as well and as Francis was very young, he was left with family until he left as well?
Or could there have been some illness that killed most of them? In 2Q 1850, there are deaths registered of Louisa, Mary, Sarah and William Evans in Bedminster district. There are no ages given on the GRO index of registered deaths at that period, so it could just be coincidence as the names themselves aren't unusual. There's also possible 1851 census entries for Louisa and Sarah as servants - again no way of being sure without their places of birth.
There's no sign of uncle Moses as yet in the 1841, but I've found his death registered and his middle name was Rennolds so that confirms Lucy's surname.

[osprey]

Or perhaps the girls all married and I've got an over-active imagination. I checked Lucy Rennolds on the 1881 census  and who should be visiting but Ann Evans.
The Barley Mow, Bedminster RG11/2458 folio 102 pg 26
Lucy Rennolds widow 83 innkeeper b. Barrow Gurney
Harriet Green dau widow 49 dressmaker
Ann Evans visitor 75 annuitant

So, I had another hunt and found
1871 6 Caversham Road, Reading, Berkshire RG10/1281 folio 3 pg 2
William Lodge head mar 43 engine fitter b. Bedminster
Louisa wife 43 b. Bedminster
John son 19 pattern maker b. Reading
Elizabeth A dau 13 dressmaker b. Reading
Joseph H son 6 scholar b. Reading
Ann Evans mother-in-law widow 65 annuitant b. Somerset, Barrow

4Q 1846 Bristol vol 11 pg 241 William Lodge and Louisa Evans on same page of marriage index.

This family are in Reading in the 1851 census with 2 children b. Bedminster, one of whom is 1, so they haven't been there long. HO107/1692 folio 231 pg 42. In 1861, they are in Reading and living with William's parents and Thomas Walter Long and his wife, Julia and son, Edward RG9/747 folio 19 pg 34
4Q 1859 Julia Evans and Thomas Walter Long on same page of marriage index in Bristol.
That's 2 of the sisters accounted for but the others are eluding me for the moment. I've not had any luck finding Ann in the intervening years. There are a few possible death registrations for Joseph Evans in Bedminster in the 1840s and 1850s, so possiby the family broke up after his death. Does Francis' marriage certificate say that he was deceased at the time of the marriage? Not that the aliveness of fathers on marriage certificates is to be relied on especially as Francis was of age and wouldn't have needed parental consent. Were there any Evans witnesses? Or just the Smiths?

By the way, I think the Harriet Newton on the 1871 census is the daughter of Lucy Rennolds, not her sister, and appears to have married and been widowed twice in the gaps between census years.

[Abby]

Good morning from NZ and thanks so much for all this information.

This will take me a while to organise and digest - will be back to you as soon as have done so, but wanted to let you know how much I appreciate what you have done.  It is an amazing jigsaw puzzle!

Its a bit of a bother being in different time zones - shame we have to sleep!!!

So much appreciated,
Abby

[osprey]

I'll give the certain info about Francis as searching for his sisters is speculation without confirmation of his parents from his birth certificate.
1861 Avon Packet Tavern RG9/1704 folio 22 pg 40
Moses Evans head widower 61 Beerhousekeeper b. Bedminster
Francis Evans nephew 18 plumber & glazier b. Bedminster
Edward C Stovell nephew 6 b. St Paul's
plus 2 servants

1851 Coronation Rd, Bedminster HO107/1945 folio 78 pg 68
Moses Evans head mar 51 retailer of beer b. Bedminster
Emma wife 35
Ann Hitchman mother-in-law widow 63 assistant b. Banwell
Francis Evans 8 scholar b. Bedminster
William Stowell servant 17 b. Bedminster

there's a link on the Gloucestershire board to old and lost pubs of Bristol and Moses Evans is there under the Avon Packet, think William Stowell has it at one time as well.
The baptisms of Joseph and Moses Rennold Evans are on the IGI batch no C001765 in 1799 and 1802 with parents William and Mary. I've found a marriage of William Evans, farmer, to Mary Rennolds on 1/3/1781 in Bedminster by licence. If that is the right marriage, there should be other children in between but probably in another parish not covered by the IGI.
 
This is Mary's family in 1861
Hengaston Rd RG9/1706 folio 32 pg 19
Henry G Smith head mar 46 gardener & pork butcher b. Hants, Portsea
Mary Ann wife 49 b. Glos, Fishponds
William son 22 commercial clerk b. Bedminster
Martha dau 21 b. Bedminster
Henry son 19 gardener b. Bedminster
Jane dau 17 b. Bedminster
Mary Ann dau 15 b. Broadfield(?)
Samuel son 12 scholar b. Bedminster
Edwin son 10 scholar b. Bedminster

census ref for family in 1841 is HO107/376/8 folio 5 pg 4

Think that's everything I've found so far. If you need any more, let me know and I'll look up later as I'm off to work now.

 

[Abby]

I am so very thankful for all your hard work.  I have had an unexpectedly busy day, but now I have time at the computer. 

Two of the notes in my Nana's notebook make sense now - Martha Smith 4th Feb 1840 (her sister) and Mary-Ann Smith 2nd Jan 1812 - we can now assume to be her step-mother, but will work to confirm.  Unfortunately we have moved recently & some things are packed away, so still looking for the notebook in case there's more information there that will help now.

I will now be able to order Francis's birth certificate (thanks to you) and I will let you know as soon as it arrives.  Once I get that I can allow myself to get excited about all the Evans connections, but you have put a very convincing case - how do you do it?  Amazing!

To answer your earlier question - The marriage certificate doesn't  say whether the fathers were alive or dead, but would they have given their professions if they had died?  Wouldn't the have said 'deceased' instead?  No Evans signature on the certificate - only Martha and William Smith as witnesses (and the minister - Nathanial Fysh(?) at the Hebron Chapel, Back Lane, Bedminster). 

You are an amazing detective and my head is full of my 'new' relatives, but I seem to have lost a link somewhere - if his Uncle Moses' middle name was Reynolds, how does confirm Lucy's surname?  Sorry to be so dim, but my excuse is its nearly midnight.

You might be interested to know Francis and Mary Ann named their property in New Zealand 'Hengaston', so can make that connection too.    There was no-one to carry on the Evans name for them - descentdants through a daughter only. 

Its exciting to get a real 'picture' as all the pieces come together, so thank you again,
Abby

[osprey]

Those dates certainly look good as birthdays for Mary-Ann and Martha.The problem I had with Lucy's surname was that it was difficult to read and I only thought it said Rennolds - not the normal spelling. Finding a registration for Moses Rennolds Evans confirmed the spelling and I have now found other census entries for her as well. The relationship of nephew wasn't as defined as it is now, and Francis could quite easily have been the grandson of the brother of Lucy's dead husband. I've got an instance of a young girl living with some of my relatives described as niece on one census and granddaughter on another and she was neither, but an orphaned daughter of someone quite distantly related.

The occupation were, possibly still are, given on marriage certificates whether or not the person was still alive. When either party was under 21 (full age), parental consent was needed. People undoubtedly did increase their age or say father was deceased if no consent was forthcoming. As Francis was of age, he didn't need consent bit if the certificate had said deceased, it would have narrowed down the search for his father's death. Ages weren't shown on the GRO death registration index at that time, so finding a death can be very hit or miss, without further info like a date of burial.

I'm glad Francis and Mary Ann prospered in New Zealand even if they didn't have a son to carry on the name. It must have taken some courage to leave behind all they knew to go to the other side of the world, knowing they were unlikely to see relatives ever again. 

I'll keep the info I've got and search when I've got a few minutes. I used to live in Bristol so know quite a few of these places, although the thought of a farm in Parson Street needs a bit of imagination. Mining was really important in Bedminster and there are lots of Victorian terraced houses. I was looking at a website with old pictures of Bristol recently and I'm sure there were ones of Back Lane on it - can't remember what it was but it might be in the Gloucestershire board resources.