Looking for a Kent radical and his family

[casalguidi]

I don't know if you have this but there is a Charles MILLER baptised 1871 West Malling with parents John & Harriet http://www.west-malling.co.uk/baptisms.php5 - I can't positively identify them in the 1871 census though

Casalguidi

[Dane Falconer]

   Thanks so much with the extra information on the baptism record.  This fits in with the ship's manifest for when the family emigrated which shows a son named Charles aged two.  I tried to see if there was information on the site you mentioned about the other children William and Catherine but no luck.
William was possibly born en route to or in Portsmouth as the ship lists him as only two months old but Catherine Miller (my ancestor) was born in 1865 according to family records so I'm surprised that her records don't seem to be there.  I'm wondering if the fact that James and Harriet don't seem to have been married until !869 has something to do with it.  To what extent would families go to conceal illegitimacy I wonder.  If anyone can find info to confirm the birth/baptism of Catherine Miller to James and Harriet Miller and whether she was in fact born about 1865 (as it claims on her death certificate) or not I would be MOST grateful.  This particular branch of the family seems to be very elusive.

[casalguidi]

Hi Dane

Do you have a birthplaces ie. towns/villages for any of them from later certificates perhaps?  When/where was Harriett supposedly born?  Were there others from the same place travelling with them?  What are the sources that list Harriett's various maiden names ie. was she alive at the time or deceased - anything that might help locate them as we were previously concentrating on John and young Charles and didn't realise there were other children too.

Casalguidi

[Dane Falconer]

You're right, I definitely need to give out some more background information so here goes.  I don't have any info on the backgrounds of Harriet and John (i.e where were they born etc.) which was why I was finding  them so elusive. However this is what I do know: John and Harriet Miller emigrated to New Zealand in 1874 with three children Catherine (10), Charles(2) and William (2 months).   The Kent Union, with its executive in Maidstone, had already sponsored  the emigration costs of about a thousand labourers and their families.  In early 1874 sixteen families from the parish of Burham near Rochester were sent.  They were farewelled from the Walnut Tree inn in Burham and set out for Portsmouth. One of these sixteen families (most of whom were unemployed  brickmakers) was the Millers.  This ties in with the baptism entry for little Charles which lists St Mary's as their parish church  and that is the name of Burham's parish church. What I don't know is whether John and Harriet's families were natives of Burham or whether John and Harriet had moved there looking for work.  Catherine's daughter could only remember her mother referring to the fact that they came from West Malling.  Those are the only facts we know in the family.  Any help in filling in some of the gaps would be very welcome

[casalguidi]

Hi Dane

Thankyou - every little helps - and a lovely story.

This ties in with the baptism entry for little Charles which lists St Mary's as their parish church  and that is the name of Burham's parish church

Burham isn't that far from West Malling but they are not the same places even though the parish church of both is called St Mary see http://www.kentarchaeology.org.uk/Research/Libr/MIs/Location/01.htm

West Malling parish church http://www.nwkfhs.org.uk/mllw_c01.htm is where young Charles was baptised.

Still Looking

Casalguidi

[casalguidi]

Hi Dane

After much searching (thankyou everyone esp. Barbara ), I think we have them:

1871 Back Street, West Malling, Kent

John MILLER head mar 30 ag lab b.Hastings Sussex
Harriett wife 28 flag? cutter b.Barming Kent
Kate dau 7 b.Hastings Sussex

RG10/917  Folio19 page 29   

I can't see anything further jumping out at me - perhaps the next step would be to pursue a birth certificate for Charles or the marriage certificate of John and Harriett
     
Casalguidi

[BettyofKent]

There are two LANGRIDGE couples in Barming having children Baptised.
This might be of interest:

20th Feb 1842 Harriet daughter of James & Mary Ann.
James was a Labourer.

Plenty of Smiths, of course, but only one Harriet & that was in 1780.

Betty

[casalguidi]

Well done Betty - that looks interesting

1841 Hill House Corner, Barming, Kent

James LANGRIDGE 28 lab b.Kent
Mary 20 b.Kent
Matilda 2 b.Kent

HO107/456 folio 5 page 2
.............................

They are next door to a CROUCH family and I will post them (just in case it's relevant) because I looked for this Matilda later on to see if she had a sister Harriett and found a Matilda later on of the correct age born Barming with a CROUCH connection.

Thomas CROUCH 40 lab b.Kent
Rebecca 40 b.Kent
Jane 75 b.Kent

Casalguidi

[casalguidi]

Am wondering if this is Harriett with her mother remarried to a William SAMUELS

1851

3 Bunyard's Yard, Maidstone, Kent

William SAMUELS head mar 49 tailor b.Scotland
Mary wife 33 tailor's wife b.Barming Kent
Harriett dau 8 b.Barming
Thomas son 5 b.Barming
John son 3 b.East Farleigh
Charles son (?) months b.Maidstone

HO107/1617 folio 191 page 15

There is a marriage William SAMUEL(S) to Mary Ann LANGRIDGE in the Maidstone area 1845 http://extranet3.kent.gov.uk/sp/rois/marriagesearch.cfm# and http://freebmd.rootsweb.com

1861

William SAMUELS head mar 58 tailor b.Edinburgh Scotland
Mary Ann wife 42 b.Barming
Thomas son 15 b.Barming
John son 12 b.Maidstone
Charles son 10 b.Maidstone
William son 7 b.West Malling
Elizabeth dau 5 b.West Malling
George son 2 b.West Malling

RG9/485 folio 21 page 36

Casalguidi