Hi all (especially Deb and Bob)
My head's spinning as well Deb!
As you all know I recently found that the burial of Hannah TRAIES had taken place in St. Dunstan's, Stepney in 1818. I was also intrigued to see that a marriage had taken place in the same parish in 1809 for a William TRAIES and Jane ANDERSON and decided to look at the image.
I think this could well be the William TRAIES that according to Bob is the uncle to 'our' James TRAIES. (just mentioned in a message from Bob!) When I looked at the image of the marriage in 1802, I saw that William was a widower said to be of this parish and of the parish of MEOT (Mile End Old Town) and Jane was said to be of the same parish and a widower. The marriage had taken place 20 Sept 1802.
I then looked at the image of the marriage of William TRAIES and Hannah KNIGHT which I also thought may be of interest due to the Chelsea/Kensington connection. (I'd seen the entry in the past but not the actual image). When this marriage took place in 1819, Hannah was a spinster, but William was a widower.
Both 'our' James and this 'William' were in the same parishes in the East End at roughly the same time and moved West at roughly the same time (if indeed the two William's are the same person).
I think that William also had several wives (like James) and this is what is causing Bob problems connecting William the soldier (and a pensioner) and the young spinster Hannah KNIGHT.
I think William married someone unknown before marrying Jane ANDERSON (hence being a widower in 1802). Unfortunately, I cannot find a burial for Jane and if my theory is correct she must have died by 1819 when he married Hannah KNIGHT (when he is again a widower).
Like Deb, I discovered children to William and Hannah in St. Luke's, Chelsea, but did not make a note of all of them. I did note the christening in 1819 of a child, Jane, and wondered if this was why Hannah had decided to marry someone so much older than herself. As Deb suggested this child (Jane) died age 4 of small pox. The address was given as Queen Street on both the baptism and burial entries. I did note a baptism of James to William and Hannah (of Queen Street) but the date I have differs from that given by Deb. I have 13 July 1830. I will check this - maybe the James that Deb noted had died as a child or maybe one of us have the wrong date. We both agree that the entry we saw said pensioner.
I agree with Deb that William TRAIES died at Queen Street in 1840 (14 February) and that he was 82 years at the time of his death.
Well Bob, what do you think of my theory? I suppose it is just a theory at the moment and not concrete fact.
I'll leave it there for now.
Bernice
