Adolphus Brignall conjuror

[clairetje88]

I think I may have found him in the 1861 Census as an enlisted soldier but the name is recorded as A Brignall, so I can't be sure. He may have been the black sheep of the family. From 1851 Census the children seem to have been home-schooled by Ann who in the 1841 Census is Ann BOURNER, School mistress. The BRIGNALLs technically aren't his natural family, yet it appears he was 'adopted' by John BRIGNALL, who married Ann BOURNE(R) née BREADS. His real father would have been James BOURNE(R), who died in 1840.
I found a number of newspaper articles concerning Adolphus BRIGNALL on www.findmypast.co.uk.
They range from 1877 (Bury and Norwich Post) to 1890 (Grantham Journal).
Mostly they report of the evening's entertainment by Mr. Brignall re: magic tricks; slight of hand; ventriloquism and singing and playing the cornet. As an public entertainer he would have had to move around.
But the Bury and Norwich Post refers to the fact that he fathered an illigitimate daughter and was ordered to pay maintenance till she was 13. Perhaps that is why he moved from Cambridgeshire to Suffolk.

[Redroger]

Thanks Claire; Though there was no formal adoption process until 1929 I have come across many cases of informal adoption prior to this. Usually in my experience the children have retained their birth surname, which if Adolphus was a Bourner makes the case somewhat unusual. Certainly leaving home and army service were often done by children who found themselves with a new stepfather or mother. The usual form for adoptees in a census is "son (or daughter) in law" of the head of the household which was exactly what their legal status was.

[casalguidi]

His real father would have been James BOURNE(R), who died in 1840.

The James BOURNE who died Romney Marsh registration district in 1840 was born c1760 and was buried in Brenzett.  Would this be correct would you think or, perhaps more likely, the James BOURNER who died 1838 Tenterden could be Ann's husband thus leaving Adolphus illegitimate as suggested by his baptism at http://www.familysearch.org ?  Perhaps BRIGNALL was his father or otherwise an unknown person but it doesn't look like his father was James BOURNER unless I'm missing something

Casalguidi

[clairetje88]

What I have is that Ann BREADS married james BOURNE in q4 of 1838 in Tenderden Registration District, Kent.
The handwriting in the Census Return of 1841 reads as if it might be BOURNE or BOURNER. It's not very clear.
The Census Return of 1851 has the eldes son James I BOURNE(R) as 'grifted son' (not Adolphus - apologies about that) and Adolphus is Adolphus BOURNE(R) BRIGNALL and 'son' as relation to head.
Ann BOURNE married John BRIGNALL the 8 Nov 1845 in Hasings, Sussex.

[Redroger]

So; if i interpret that census entry correct and they followed the normal practice in these situations then Adolphus was the son of Bourne(r) and not a blood Brignell. We still have the mystery though as to why he appeared in 1881 in a street full of Brignells in Cambridge!!

[Graham32]

Hi Not sure whether this thread is still active. Came across it by chance whilst looking for some information on my grandmother Sarah Brignall ( Burn) Which I think makes Adolphus Brignall my gr grandfather. I have photographs of 5 of the 6 of Adolphus Brignalls children, namely John, Sarah, Ethel, Constance, & Bessie. When I was growing up in Clare I met Bessie quite often when she visited my father. I also visited Bessie in London, she lived quite close to the Angel of Islington. My father's first names were Richard Adolphus. His mother Sarah must have named him after her father, Adolphus.  Richard came from her husband Richard Henry, and his father was also named Richard. Sarah is buried in an unmarked grave in the cemetery in Clare Suffolk. Richard Henry Burn my grandfather disappeared and finished up in Canada after remarrying in England.
After WW1 he became a Canadian citizen and died in Vancouver in 1960.
I now have a question which at present I am unable to answer - In my grandmothers burial plot in Clare cemetery Sarah my grandmother was buried in 1914 ( I have a copy of her death certificate) however, I have recently been in formed that a S Dyson was also buried there in 1944. Given that Adolphus Brignall married Ellen Dyson, is there any family link?

[Graham32]

Hi
I have just remembered That I met Adolphus Brignalls son John more than once and I remember he taught me some magic card tricks. I guess he must have picked this up from his father.

[clairetje88]

I have not looked at our family tree in quite some time due to a family bereavement.
Sarah BRIGNALL was Bessie Naomi BRIGNALL's sister and thus you would be related to my husband! Are you then a son of Hymen?
I do not know an awful lot about the BRIGNALLs other than what I have posted before. I had contact before with another person whose grandmother had an illigitimate child by a Solly MARTIN who was married to Ethel BRIGNALL - another of the sisters. These sisters met once a week for high tea in Bessie Naomi's home, but they never went over to Ethel's house, maybe due to the fact that Solly MARTIN was a naturalised Jew from Germany. They had been together since 1906 yet my father in law only remembered being in their house just the once.
I would love to hear more as the English family tree seems to be easier to populate than the Irish side! Take care.

[clairetje88]

Also the S DYSON may have been Sarah DYSON, Ellen DYSON's sister? She was born in 1866...