Martha DUCK and William EDWARDS

[GazT]

Hi,

I wonder if anyone can help me with a Martha DUCK born about 1824, in Marylebone or Putney? According to her marriage certificate she was the daughter of Stephen Duck and her death certificate lists her mother as Martha.

She married a William Edwards on Dec 25 1843 in Holborn, London and emigrated to Australia aboard the Bombay with their children John and Elizabeth in 1852. He was an engineer. The witnesses at her wedding were Abraham and Charlotte Duck, possibly her brother and sister in law.

The 1851 census shows what I believe is the family at 13 Field Tce, St Pancras, Marylebone. This suggests she was born in Putney and William was from Bernett, Hertfordshire.

But I have found nothing in 1841, nor anything on her father Stephen who apparently was a smith. I'd love some evidence of his existence, parish records or whatever. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

GazT
 

[Cazay]

Hi GazT

There is this entry in 1851

2 Margaret Court St Marylebone All Saints
H0107/1486  610/54
Stephen Duck 59 Cadney Somersetshire Smith
Margaret 54 Bath Somersetshire

Is the death certificate the only source where Martha is listed as the mother's name?

Cazay

[cissellby]

Hi GazT,
            There is a birth for Martha Duck, listed on LDS.
IGI, Birth, 13/05/1824. St Mary, St Marylebone.
Parents, Stephen, Margaret.

Cissellby.

[Cazay]

1841 St Pancras, Grays Inn Lane Middlesex
H0107/682 f16 p26

Stephen Duck (age NK) Smith (not born in county)
Isaac Duck 15    -----------------------

Isaac also listed on LDS with parents Stephen and Margaret

Cazay

[GazT]

Hi to each of you and thanks for that.

I was looking on Ancestry.com for the census material and neither of those came up. Where else might I find those entries?

I think they're right. The mother's name as Martha came up on Martha's death certificate of 1903. It also showed her father as Abraham, but I'd discounted that, having seen her marriage certificate.

Can anyone tell me if Putney is near Marylebone?

After receiving your posts I delved into LDS and saw the entries for both Martha and Isaac. I haven't been able to find more about Stephen or Margaret though. What I did come across was an entry for:
Stephen Duck
born 5 Sep 1820
Christened 24 Sep 1820
St Leonard's, Shoreditch, London
Parents Stephen, Margaret

I also found an entry for Abraham Duck marrying a Charlotte Ingelstaff
7 Feb 1836
St Leonard's Shoreditch

I think we're on the right track, but would love to trace Stephen and Margaret.
Thanks
Gaz
 

[Cazay]

According to the 1851 census Stephen and Margaret have their birthplaces as Somerset so you could try putting a new post on that board to see if anyone can help at all.  They may have married there as well.  I checked Pallot's marriage index, but no luck there either.

LDS have centres in Australia where you can order in the parish record films to view so this may be the way to go if you are not successful elsewhere.  The library catalogue can be found on their website and you can view the various titles.

Are there any other census that you haven't been able to find?  Sometimes just putting in the surname with an approximate birth year will find results, or the surname and county.  I use Ancestry too, so just mixing up the search methods will more than likely give better results.

Keep at it, they are there somewhere 

Cazay

[GazT]

Hi Cazay,

You're spot on. I found the census entries on Stephen by lateral thinking. I searched for both Isaac and Margaret and turned him up that way. The task now is to both work backwards, looking for his marriage and parentage, and forwards to try to find what happened to him. I'll definitely post something in Somerset and will let you know what turns up.

Thanks again
Gaz