Could Sir Alfred be a distant rellie?

[lizzy56]

Hi Dave
Thanks for the info, Sarah Pike married Charles on the 24th April 1836 in Bermondsey Surrey and there is witnesses Richard Pike and Jane Hitchcock.
Regards Angie.

[davepattern]

The best match I can find for Sarah Pike is an Ann Sarah Pike baptised in the West Drayton parish (now part of the London Borough of Hillingdon) in Dec 1812 (I'm basing this on the fact that her birthplace was listed as "London" on the 1851 & 1861 Censuses). Apparently she was born on Nov 13th 1812 and was the daughter of Sarah and James Pike. The good news is that it looks like she might have had a brother named Richard who was born to parents of the same names and baptised in Monkton, Devon in 1813... although why the parents were in West London in 1812 and then rural Devon the following year  James' occupation is given as labourer, so maybe the family travelled to Devon to work on the land during the summer months?

(There's also a Sarah Pike who was baptised in Feb 1812 at St. Mary's in Earl Stonham, Suffolk. She was the daughter of Sarah and George Pike, but I can only link a Richard born in 1830 to them, so too young to have witnessed the certificate in 1836.)

Certainly feels like Charles' time line is now:
- 1791: Charles born in Dedham
- 1823: daughter Susannah born in Dedham
- 1823/4: moves to Stratford with his wife and 1st daughter Susannah
- 1824: daughter Sarah born in Stratford
- 1828: son Joseph is born in Stratford
- first wife dies sometime before 1836
- 1836: Charles marries Sarah Pike in Bermondsey (only a few miles from Stratford)
- 1838-1844: Charles' other 3 children born to Sarah in Stratford
- 1851 Census: Charles is working as a fishmonger in Stratford
- 1858: Charles dies in Stratford
- 1861: Widow Sarah continues running the fishmongery and greengrocery business in Stratford with sons Charles & Enoch

I can't find a death in Stratford that would fit Charles' first wife, but there is a Sarah Hitchcock whose death was registered back in Dedham in 1832 aged 69. Assuming the first wife came from Dedham, maybe she wanted to be buried back there?

I've got nothing definite for Sarah Pike's death, other than a Sarah Hitchcock who died aged 57 and whose death was registered in Dunmow, Essex, in early 1867.

[lizzy56]

Name:
Sarah Ann Pike

Gender:
Female

Birth Date:
3 Apr 1810

Christening Place:
St. Georges In The East, Stepney, London, Eng

Father's Name:
Edward Pike

Mother's name:
Dinah

Maternal Grandfather's Name:
Daniel Willder

Maternal Grandmother's Name:
Mary
Hi David this is Sarah's baptism record.

[davepattern]

1810 is a better fit with the age for Sarah given on the census returns.

Edward Pike (who worked as a linen draper) married Dinah Gold Willder in 1805 at St James Garlickhythe, London. They had a son Edward who was born 29/Oct/1806.

The son Edward turns up in the 1851 Census working as a "collecting clerk" living on Savoy Street (swanky!) and married to Susannah (which looks to be written as Sus'h on the census) who was born in the Westminster district. They have 3 children: Susannah (b. ~1838), Elizabeth (b. ~1845) and Edward (b. ~1848).

It looks like son Edward married "Susanna Wilder" at St James Garlickhythe in 1836. If so, she was likely Susanna Willder (a relative of Dinah's?) born 07/Oct/1810 to Susanna & Thomas Willder and baptised on Christmas Day 1811 at St. Margaret in Westminster.

A Dinah Pike turns up in the 1861 Census as a 76-year-old widow (occupation linen draper) living at 7 King Street, Westminster, with daughters Louisa Pike (40) and Elizabeth Taylor (38). Elizabeth had married and was a widow, hence the different surname, and a marriage of an Elizabeth Pike to William Cook Taylor in 1853 looks like a good match.

The 7 King Street address also links to the 1841 Census record of Dinah Pike (45, occupation draper) living with children Louisa (20), Eliza (15) and Alfred (20), but no entry for husband Edward.

Sarah's grandparents Daniel and Mary (née Goddard) married at St James Garlickhythe in 1777.

I couldn't find anything that links a Richard Pike to this family tho.

[lizzy56]

Hi Dave thanks for info, I was wondering iff Richard was a brother of Edward.

[davepattern]

I’ve found a good contender for the Jane Hitchcock who witnessed the marriage. There’s a Jane (b. ~1805 in Birmingham and maiden name unknown) who married Joseph Hitchcock, who was born around 1804 in Dedham. They appear in the 1841-71 Censuses living in Bermondsey, Surrey. She died 1870 and he died 1879, both in the St Olave Southwark district. Their first child was born in 1828, so they were presumably married before then.

Joseph’s age and birth location could make him Charles’ younger brother.

However, I’m not sure why Charles would have his sister-in-law act as witness at his wedding, unless it was traditional to have a male and female witness and Sarah only had male relatives (i.e. Richard Pike)?

[davepattern]

A quick follow up -- the Jane who married Joseph Hitchcock was Jane Swadken and the marriage took place on 03/Apr/1825 at Saint Mary Magdalene, Bermondsey (which was the same church where Charles and Sarah married).

Jane was baptised on 06/Jun/1805 at St Phillips, Birmingham, and was the daughter of John and Rachel Swadkin.

Also, I noticed that Charles wasn't able to sign his own marriage entry ("the mark of Charles Hitchcock"). If Joseph was Charles' brother, then possibly they were both illiterate and Jane (who did sign her own name) witnessed the marriage instead of her husband?

[davepattern]

Angie -- have you come across Jemima Spooner (b. ~1796) as a contender for Charles' first wife? Someone on Ancestry has her marrying Charles on 02/Jun/1818 and that fits nicely with a record for the baptism of a Joseph William Hitchcock in 1830 in West Ham to parents Charles and Jemima Hitchcock (i.e. the Joseph who was Alfred Hitchcock's grandfather).

Jemima was baptised on 15/Jun/1796 in Great Wigborough, Essex, and her parents were Robert and Susana Spooner. This fits nicely with Charles' first two children being Susannah and Susan. There are probable death records for both of Jemima's parents in the Dedham/Lexden area.

[lizzy56]

I found SEAX a while ago and came across the marriage. At the time certain records were free which helped. But only have the marriage and nothing else eg Jemima's parents. I must admit it does look a possible link. Thank you for that.