James R Yeowell's Scavenger Hunt...Everyone Welcome To Join In

[ammonite]

OldBailey Online shows 2 cases involving Esbergers

The first cse involves a Mary Esberger in 1836 as a witness in a fake coin passing case.  It mentions Thomas Esberger in connection with Mary Esberger (although doesn't give the exact relationship) in saying he kept a wine and beer shop on Farringdon Street and the coin was passed to the servant who then passed it to Mary while the police were called
The second case involves Thomas Esberger on 3rd Jul 1843 (so he can't have been in prison for long.)  He is the witness in a theft case - he has had his handkerchief nicked on his way home from blackfriars (Can you imagine the police response these days if you went in and said your handkerchief had been stolen!)  He gives his profession as a Licenced Victualler - meaning it is likely to be our guy.

There also looks to be cases involving John Millis, a shoe shop owner in Eliza place, Clerkenwell in 1837

Might be worth a look.

Also there appears to be a marriage on FreeBMD for a Lydia Millis in around 1856, while no ages are given and I don't know when John Robert died, it could be a marriage later on in life as a widow.  Could be a very small possibility of this? or it could be a daughter.

Ammonite

[James R. Yeowell]

Thanks Shuan and Ammonite.  I shall follow these up as well.

The christenings of the later Millis children say they were of Eliza Place, so that is the same family.

Coincidentally, one of the children became a Licensed Victualler.

So we now have a proper reference for Anabel.  That is good but it still throws up problems about the Mary Esberger on the 1851 census.

---

I also still believe there could be two Thomas Esberger's.  Although it seems the age fits it to be the same Thomas Esberger.  I am still confused as to who Mary Esberger in the 1851 census is, though.

In 1841 he clearly is a Victualler.
In 1851 he is a Railway Porter.
After this he appears to be a Licensed Victualler again.

Although he was out-of-business for a short time, so maybe he worked as a Railway Porter/Servant in the interim?

If I remember correctly, he is a Railway Porter of 3 Little Canterbury Street when Anabell was christened in 1849 (although this appears to be a late christening for her).
He is a Servant of 3 Little Canterbury Street, when Emily was christened.

By the way, there is also a third child, Elizabeth Esberger.  She was buried 22 September 1849 at St. Mary at Lambeth, aged 2 (so a birth year of 1847 fits fine).

[ShaunJ]

NB Thomas Esberger's address in 1849-51 was 3 Little Canterbury Place.

Now what was his occupation in 1861?

I make it out to be "cellarman in ale stores"

[ShaunJ]

I am still confused as to who Mary Esberger in the 1851 census is

I thisk it's pretty clear that Mary is Thomas Esberger's estranged first wife Mary Millis, who is much older than him.

He has left her (or she him), sometime in the early 1840's, probably around the time that he is imprisoned for debt.

On his release, Thomas sets up home with Annabell. They are not married, or at least not legally married.

By 1861, Annabell has disappeared from the scene and Thomas is living on his own. By this time Mary has died and he is a widower

[toni*]

what do we actually know about Annabelle

[James R. Yeowell]

I am still confused as to who Mary Esberger in the 1851 census is

I thisk it's pretty clear that Mary is Thomas Esberger's estranged first wife Mary Millis, who is much older than him.

He has left her (or she him), sometime in the early 1840's, probably around the time that he is imprisoned for debt.

On his release, Thomas sets up home with Annabell. They are not married, or at least not legally married.

By 1861, Annabell has disappeared from the scene and Thomas is living on his own. By this time Mary has died and he is a widower

That was the conclusion I was coming to as well.

As I have previously noted, I did find a christening for a Mary Millis in 1798 in Finchley (a relatively small parish at the time -- the same surnames also crop up a lot) that would indeed suggest this is her.

However, I cannot fit her parents William Millis and Ann into my tree.

However, if Emily Esberger is said to be a cousin of Eleanor Sarah Fortye Millis (although, in fact, she would not be a blood relative of any Millis), then this would suggest Mary Millis who married Thomas Esberger is related to John Robert Millis, the father of Eleanor Sarah Fortye Millis.

As I have not yet traced the father of John Robert Millis, it could be the case that his father is William Millis as well.

There is a strong case for this.  A William Millis married an Ann Thompson on 23 May 1781, at St. Andrew, Holborn.  John Robert Millis (born circa 1787), Francis Millis (chr. 18 December 1792 at St. Mary, Finchley -- noted as Mills) and Mary Millis (chr. 8 April 1798, St. Mary, Finchley) are all possibly siblings.

Francis is a name used again in the family too (Francis Fortye Millis was a son of John Robert Millis).

n.b. I also found someone with the surname Willis, as a child of a William and Ann, again in Finchley.  I presume this is a mistranscription but I cannot be sure.  I shall find this again and post it here.

1789: Ann, daughter of William and Ann Willis, was born August the 10th, & baptised Sept. 6th

Shaun, thank you for your assistance and wise thoughts.

It seems sadly true that Eleanor Sarah Fortye Millis became estranged from Beverley Purton Edwards Lodington alias Edwards as well.

Another question: do you have any idea where Shields could be?  Is this possibly South Shields?

[James R. Yeowell]

what do we actually know about Annabelle

That she was born circa 1814 in Shields (no county mentioned) and was the mother of three daughters (only Emily Esberger survived into adulthood) with Thomas Esberger.

She is noted as Annabella on the 1851 census, with Thomas and her daugher Emily.  Shaun posted the reference above.

Shields could be South or North Shields (both are now in Tyne and Wear).  Although North Shields is often known as just Shields.

His apparently estranged wife, Mary Esberger (nee Millis) was still alive in 1851 and it is likely her that died in 1859.  The fact that Thomas Esberger remarried, would also maybe suggest Annabella also died but this may not be the case.

The Millis' are not blood relatives of mine, so it is not really worth my while obtaining the birth certificate of Emily Esberger.  Although it could, of course, determine who Annabella was.

I am basically trying to determine whether the Eleanor S F Graham on the 1861 census, living with her cousin, Emily Esberger, is indeed Eleanor Sarah Fortye Lodington (nee Millis).

[James R. Yeowell]

A quick note: if I was a descendant of Eleanor Sarah Fortye Millis, rather than Buley Gerrard, I would have a very lengthy ancestry all the way back to about the 11 or 12th century, via the Mansel/Maunsell family.

If I can confirm all my Lodington links too, I would get back to about the 15th or 16th century.

I do have another task for anyone to undertake if they are stuck.

I am trying to determine a bit more about Rev. Isaac Lodington, M.A., B.A., vicar of Aylesbury, deacon of Buckden.  I know he married Ann Bedford on 30 September 1683 at Canwick, Lincolnshire and I know he appears to have 7 children children all christened in Aylesbury.

However, there are 7 other children all christened between 1718 and 1725 at St. Paul's Covent Garden, to Isaac and Ann Lodington.

It appears this Isaac Lodington is a son of the Rev. Isaac Lodington but I cannot yet prove this.  They had a son Bedford Lodington, which would indeed suggest this.

Therefore, I am hoping somebody could perhaps find proof that this Isaac is the son of the Reverend and when roughly he was born.  It also appears he married an Ann too.  I have no dates for him, but he could have been born between 1690 and 1700 (because there really is not a sufficient gap date-wise amongst the children of Rev. Isaac Lodington and Ann Bedford before 1690).

Also apparent from this family, is the link to the Baddeley family I was searching for earlier.  Grace Milbourne Smith (daughter of John Paul Smith, of Bucklersbury, and Grace Lodington) married Capt. John Baddeley.

[ShaunJ]

The only Isaac Lodington in the Church of England Clergy Database is Isaac ordained as Deacon 29 May 1681 at Buckden Hunts, Priest 3 June 1683 same parish, vicar of Aylesbury from 26 July 1683 until his death on 18 October 1729. There are lots of other ordained Lodingtons though!

http://www.theclergydatabase.org.uk/jsp/search/index.js