Confused!

[Jocie]

I have a Henry Lancaster who married Francis Capell in Northampton in 1859. Francis was the second of his three wives.
His son Charles (1836-1902) from his first marriage married Harriet Capell in St James Westminster in Jan 1868.
As far as I can tell Francis (1816-1866) and Harriet(1829-1869) were sisters both daughters of Benjamin Capell a Northampton Auctioneer and Upholsterer.
After Harriet's death Charles married Sarah Jane Langely in Scaldwell Jan 1871.

I'm  not at all sure I've got this right and I just wondered if by any chance anyone could throw any light on it for me.
Hope this makes sense!

Jo

[rachelralph]

so charles married his step aunt?

it sounds a little crazy i suppose but it happened more than you would think. i have an awful lot of that in my tree. maybe because people didnt travel around as extensively as we do today there choice of a partner was less!

[Jocie]

It certainly looks as though he married his step aunt.  What puzzles me is what they were doing in the area.
Henry was born in London, married in Reading then moved to Tunbridge Wells where he ran his own successful business until he retired.
Charles graduated from the Royal Academy of Music and I suppose could have then found work in the area.
I can't find any directories for the appropriate dates so I'm stuck
Jo

[oldwhitefrog]

Henry Lancaster was an Auctioneer, so may have met Francis through this trade if her father was an Auctioneer in Northampton?

Debbie

[Pennie]

Sorry, I can "better" that!  I have a son marrying his step-mother (special dispensation was required).

Pennie

[seahall]

HI All.

From the Northants Marriage Indexes.

Northampton St. Sepulchre
15 Jan 1859

Henry LANCASTER of Tunbridge Wells, Kent, widower, of full age, auctioneer, father John, builder   to
Frances CAPELL otp, [Royal Terrace], spinster, of full age, father Benjamin, gentleman

Royal Terrace is a row of large houses just down the road from St Sepulchres.

At the time of the children's baptism they were living in Sheep Street
and Benjamin was noted as a broker & auctioneer.

Sandy   

[seahall]

Alan Clarke has an article from 1836 mentioning a fire at the premises.

http://www.northants-familytree.net/1836.html

Sandy

[Jocie]

Sorry for the long delay in thanking you for your help. For family reasons I've been away from my Family History for too long
However I'm back now and thank you all for your help. I think you are right that the connection could be through the fact that they were both auctioneers.
Seahall many thanks for all your help and links. I will check out the article about the fire.

Jo

[darcap]

You are quite correct in your assumption. The girls were both daughters of Benjamin Capell (B. Little Brington 1788. D. Northampton 1869) who was an auctioneer and upholsterer in Northampton. He was the 17th child (of 21) of George and Elizabeth Capell of Little Brington (shoemaker).

The Capells have a very long - and at times an illustrious history in Northants! However, Benjamin was of pauper stock and he did very well for himself, being much better off than most of his siblings. He had 7 daughters but only 3 of them lived long enough to marry. One of them married a local upholsterer and cabinet maker.

Frances was the eldest (1816-1866) and Harriet the youngest to survive (1828-1869). Harriet did indeed marry her sister's stepson, Charles Lancaster). His father Henry Lancaster was 14 years older than Frances Capell and Harriet was older than Charles, and so the dates fit. I too imagine that they met through the auctioneering business. Benjamin travelled to auctions.

The sadness is that neither of the Capell girls had any children and when their father died in 1869  6 of his daughters were already dead and he knew that his last remaining child, Harriet, was dying. She did not survive him for long. So he had changed his will in favour of his friends instead of his daughter and her husband!

I am a Capell descendent and have written the story of Benjamin's life as far as I have been able to research it. I am descended from one of his sisters.