Puzzle at The Red Lion

[johnP-bedford]

The Thomas Priestley that married Augusta Amelia Jenks on 19/05/1851 at Newington St Marys was a widower & has that his father is James Priestley, deceased on the marriage certificate. On 1851 census in Newington there is Thomas Priestly, widower age 32 born Newington, commercial traveller (soup) along with 7 year old son Thomas.

When did your Maria Louisa Priestly marry, & to whom. FreeBMD has 2 marriages, the first in Dec 1839 in Newington. The marriage cert (as per Anc*'s London marriages) has this on 7 Nov 1839 to John Kemp. Her father was James Priestly, tailor & a witness is named as Amelia Priestley. Her baptism is online, dated 23 Oct 1814 parents James & Sarah, father was a tailor.

The other marriage is in June 1850 in Richmond, is this your Maria? Do you have the marriage certificate?

Regards John

[johnP-bedford]

There is a marriage of Thomas James Priestley to Emma Blackman at Newington on 6 Aug 1848, Thomas was a mariner & his father was Thomas James Priestley, Tailor.

Amelia Priestly married George Picton at Newington on 27 Mar 1842, her father was James Priestly, Tailor

Hannah Priestly (baptised 1/3/1818) married William Buckland on 15 Apr 1839 at Newington, her father James Priestley, Tailor.

It seems Maria Louisa, plus Thomas James, Amelia, Hannah are all children of Thomas James or just plain James Priestley, the tailor & wife Sarah. While Thomas who married Augusta Amelia Jenks was a widower I cannot find death/burial of the wife Emma he married in 1848 but then I cannot find a Thomas & Emma on 1851 census.
   

[Shalena]

Good evening John, thank you for looking into this topic. 

You said you could not locate Thomas James & his first wife Emma in 1851, (thank-you for locating her name by the way, I did not know it).  I do not know anything about what happened with Emma, but, we have Thomas James Priestley & his son Thomas, aged 7yrs, on the 1851 census as living at 35, Francis Street, St Mary, Newington, where he is noted as a widower...on 19th May of that same year,  he married Augusta Amelia Jenks at Newington Parish Church.  Where Augusta was living at that time I do not know.

Shalena

[johnP-bedford]

Regarding the 7 year old son Thomas Priestly born Bedford found with Thomas P senior on the 1851 census at Newington. His birth index is Sept 1843 Bedford ref 6/27 - it'd be good if you got his birth certificate so we can get mother's name. I cannot find a baptism for him on the IGI

[johnP-bedford]

Shalina; On the 1851 marriage cert Augusta Amelia Jenks was of St Pauls Bedford. On 1851 census she was living with father John Jenks in High St Bedford (The Red Lion). Back to the marriage cert, one of the witnesses was Godfrey Young who is Thomas Priestley's neighbour also living in Francis Street Newington on 1851 census.

Thomas & Augusta baptised 3 children in Newington; Charles Albert on 17 Apr 1853, Augusta Ann on 10 Sep 1854 (she was buried at 4 months on 8 Oct 1854) & Edith Rosina on 20 Jul 1856. On the 1st 2 Thomas is described as a Gent, on the 3rd he is a commercial traveller. Charles & Edith are with mother Augusta in Bedford on 1861 census. Augusta was married but I have not found husband Thomas Priestley on 1861 or 1871. On 1871 Augusta (still as married)  has 2 further children Ernest Thomas b 1859 Bedford & Herbert Walter b 1863 Lambeth. On 1881 Augusta is down as a widow.   

[johnP-bedford]

Anc* has a online public tree that features Thomas Priestley who married Augusta Jenks, & they have him baptised 14 Dec 1817 (born 11 Sept 1817) at Southwark St Saviour to parents James & Ann Priestley, James is a shop merchant. James P married Ann Trueman (or Tuesman) on 5 Jan 1806 at St Saviours, one witness was John Priestley.

If this is verified then the Thomas Priestley connected to the Jenks family is not the one with sister Maria Louisa, children of James & Sarah P, the tailor.

[johnP-bedford]

Just found the burial on 22 Jan 1855 of Thomas Priestley aged 11 at Walworth St Peter Southwark The abode being Newington Crescent which is the abode given on the baptisms of Charles Albert & Augusta Ann.

[Shalena]

A lot to catch up with John, but thank-you so much for helping out.  Where to start...

I did know about Thom J's son Thomas being born in Bedford, and the date.  With things as they are here at the moment, I will not be able to apply for the certificate for a while, but as things progress I will keep that in mind.

My mistake!  I did have that Augusta Amelia was living with her father in Bedford prior to the marriage...I will blame the medication. 

I did not know a witness to Thom J's 1st marriage was a Godfrey Young, neighbour.
We have noted about Charles Albert, Edith Rosina and, later, Herbert Walter.  Your locating Augusta Ann was a surprise though.  Commercial Traveller is what we had Thomas J as...'a gent' may be stretching the point!

Have Augusta Amelia in Bedford on 1861 census, with 2 of her children.  Still have not been able to locate where our Ernest Thomas was though...he would have been c 2yrs old.  Neither have we located Thomas J for that year, but being a comm; trav; he could have been boarding anywhere.

In 1871, we have Augusta at 339, Kentish Town, London...along with her children and her sister Rosina Amelia who is working as a governess.
That same year, we have Thomas J as boarding at 30, William Street, St George the Martyr, Southwark...he being 48 and still a comm; trav; of, (so it states), Walworth.  This would make his birth year something like 1823.  That's some leeway between all possible dates of birth for him so far.

The lists written up on Anc*** regarding Maria Louisa seem pretty close to a lot of what we have about this Priestley line...always assuming we have the correct info!  It is entirely possible she would have been, (along with the other siblings noted), allied to Thomas and the Benjamin we had already have, but have not followed up.
If phveens can get hold of some documented names and dates then that should be easily resolved.

That was fantastic locating the burial of the young Thomas.  Wondered if he had died as we had not found anything positive about him in later years, but not persued it too much.

Thank you John...Shalena

[johnP-bedford]

Yes, it'd be nice if phveens could tell us more about her Priestley family.

I did not say that Emma Blackman was the first wife of the Thomas Priestley who then married Augusta Jenks; she did marriy a Thomas James Priestly (Mariner) in 1848, son of TJP the tailor - who I am assuming is the brother of Maria Louisa.

That aside - James Priestly, bach ( the tailor) married Sarah Priestley, spinster at St Marys Newington on 1 Sept 1811. They are on 1841 census living in Boundary Lane, Newington, James born 1791 & Sarah born 1788, both not in Surrey. Both were buried Walworth St Peters; James age 58 on 18/2/1859 and Sarah age 66 on 24/6/1854 - but I cannot find them on 1851 census.

Was this Sarah (1788) a sibling to the James P (1785) who married Ann Trueman in 1806 & they had our Thomas Priestley in 1817 ?