The East Hanningfield Mystery

[EnglishErika]

Hi all

I feel bad asking if anyone has any parish records or access to any for East Hanningfield and surrounding areas, but I am in desperate need of some help and due to ill health can not travel down to Essex myself.  (have used all the online sources I have acces to Ancestry, Freebmd and familysearch)

I am trying to find a record relating to the birth/baptism of my Gx4 Grandfather and in the process hopefully establish where he was born and his parents full names.

The only information I have to date is complicated to say the least: -

His name was Henry James Harvey Wells, however, on the census returns I have found for him 1861 & 1871 (he died before the next one) his name is listed as James Harvey.
On two christening records for his children (the only two I could find, although they had five children) his name is recorded as Henry Harvey.
On his marriage certificate is name is Henry Wells (although could be read Wills and was recorded as such).
Finally his name on my Gx3 Grandfathers birth certificate is Henry James Harvey. 
The family name is actually Harveywells although it is not always used in entirety. 

He was born about 1826 and lists his birth place on the census return as East Hanningfield, Essex and Romford.  His father was Henry Harvey who was a farmer.

I have literally gone through every variation of the name for all those born in Essex for the 1841 and 1851 census and have either discounted them due to later marriages, deaths etc, or not been able to verify any connection what so ever with my family.

I would really appreciate help from anyone that would be willing to see if they can find an official record of some description to enable me to go further with my research.  I would hate to not be able to go further back.

Thank you for taking the time to read my post and thank you in advance for any help.

Erika

[Diblet]

Hi Erika

Yes, you have got quite a conundrum here! I have got the East HAnningfield parish regsiters on fiche but only starting from 1813. I think your mystery may start before that.....

However, hopefully I can help you to untangle a few bits which should have a knock on effect.....

Firstly, I think the James/Henry Wells you speak of may actually be two different people. There is a baptism on 23/10/1823 of a Henry Harwood Wells and then a baptism on 26/3/1826 of a James Wells. The parents are Henry Loughts Wells and Elizabeth Wells. He is a farmer in East Hanningfield.

That seems straightforward, but I happened to glance back to a baptism in 1813 and noticed that Henry Harwood Wells (the father) was also known as Henry Harwood Oates or Loughts.
You may already know about this?

Have another look at the census's and see if they make more sense now, then take it from there.....

Good Luck!!!!! 

[EnglishErika]

Hi Diblet

Thank you for looking, I really appreciate it.

I know that Henry and James are the same person he just used his middle name on the census return for some reason.  In 1851 he is Henry and also for his childrens birth records but the 1861 census shows him as James, then 1863 on christening for one of the children Henry, so it is definitely the same person.  Then of course I have the birth certificate of GGG Grandfather Alfred to say his dad's name was Henry James.

The baptism for James Wells is the right year, however I have a feeling that it is the James Wells I found on a census in 1841 and when I traced him forward he stayed in the village and married, whereas my James Wells moved to london and in 1851 married my great x4 grandmother. 

However, I did think maybe there would be a connection somehow to the family and am now wondering, thanks to your kind help, that maybe the Oates or Loughts family name.  Not sure how I would establish a connection there though.  I had not heard of Oates or Loughts until now.  The names used have always been Harvey or Wells or a combination.

Can I ask was it usual for people to chop and change their names so often back then?  My ancestors certainly enjoyed a variation or two!  If my Henry James changed his name could it be for some reason as simple as he was born on a relatives farm and adopted their surname?  (Sorry to ask such stupid questions but I am quite confused lol)

Well thank you once more and I shall have a look using the two surnames you found and see if anything makes sense on the census.

Erika

[Valda]

The most common reason for the use of two surnames is illegitimacy. That is also the major reason why marriage certificate information about fathers can be so unreliable since if they married out of area away from where they were known illegitmate people often legitimised themselves by giving a father with the same suname as themselves. The father's first name may be correct or it may be the name of a close male relative.

Therefore you also need to search the parish registers for the possibility of a Henry/James Harvey or Wells who may be illegitmate and checking the marriage register for a Harvey/Wells marriage before or after the date of Henry/James birth.

On censuses if an illegitmate child's mother married after the birth either to the father or someone else the child may appear in the surname of the head of household but revert to, usually but not always their mother's maiden name as an adult. It was not until 1926 that an illegitimate person could be legitimised by the subsequent marriage of their parents.


Regards

Valda

[EnglishErika]

Valda

Thank you for your help.  It is possible then that the whole Harveywells saga may have been born out of Henry James Harvey being illegitimate and maybe being born Wells (Marriage certificate) and then reverting to Harvey afterwards as all documentation shows him as Harvey.


Thanks again

Erika

[Diblet]

Erika

I just wondered where you got the "Harvey" bit of the name from? It's just that there's no mention of it in the baptism entries. Just the name "Harwood". There's certainly no Harveywells given as one surname either.

I agree that the chances are very high that the father Henry Harwood Wells/Loughts/Oates was probably illegitimate and this would easily be established with earlier registers.

Did you know that Essex Record Office sell parish registers on fiche? If you have access to a microfiche reader (perhaps in your library) it would be a very good investment. They're not expensive and save hours of time travelling to Chelmsford as well as all the petrol/accomodation costs involved.

Details of all fiche available are shown on the ERO website. SEAX may be worth a rummage too. 

[EnglishErika]

Thanks for the tip about the fische but I do not have access to a reader, unfortunately I am mostly housebound except for the odd visit to family or on a very good day to the shop lol.

The Harvey part.....I started with my mum, Harveywells and traced backwards.  Once I stopped finding Harveywells the name became Harvey with no mention of the Wells (My G G Grandfathers birth certificate has a note on the side to say that although written as Harvey the name should be read Harveywells) and so on until I reach Henry James Harvey/Wells.  His marriage certificate is in the name Wells (although recorded as Wills just to complicate matters), that is the only documentation with Wells (not part of Harveywells) I have found and it is definitely the right marriage.  On the certificate though there is no mention of Harvey.  And as I said before on the census he is recorded as James Harvey (which further complicated matters when trying to find him) until I found the christening records and birth certificate of three children stating his name as Henry Harvey and Henry James Harvey. 

I have to say the only considerate thing (from a family history perspective lol) my Gx4 Grandfather did was marry a woman with an unusual-ish name which allowed me to find their marriage and childrens records.

I am sure I will eventually get to the bottom of it all, I have only been researching for a month, it is just frustrating that really I have no clear lead on him.  The thought had crossed my mind that he was possibly a very early identity theft fraudster and that the entire saga with the surname was a result of him trying to hide his real identity lol!!!

Thanks for your help, I do appreciate it and I have been looking at the census returns trying to find an answer, but none have presented themselves as yet.

Cheers again

Erika

[Diblet]

Well Erika, if you've only been researching your family for a month I think you've started with a real shocker!!! 

The important thing is to work logically and in small steps to start with. You'll discover a lot of pitfalls and deceiving avenues upon the way but I can promise you one thing..... it'll be the most absorbing, interesting hobby you'll have ever done!

This is a wonderful website to help you along. You did well finding rootschat so early on in your research. 

Diblet 

[EnglishErika]

Diblet

Figures I would start with a shocker! lol.  It is very absorbing and I am a huge history lover so for me it is so interesting.

Thanks for the encouragement and the advice, I will get there in the end!

Erika