Thomas Curd - Sussex

[Alan19]

Looking for any information on Thomas Curd who married Celia Skinner in Rye, The IGI shows that the marriage was in 1844 however it does not appear on the Sussex marriage index and they appear to have had 3 children prior to this date, namely John, Mary and Harriet. There were a further 4 children born to them, Thomas, Henrietta, James and Edward. There seems to have been a multiple baptism of the children in Rye 01 August 1845.

Celia died in Rye in 1889 with her age recorded as 80 despite various census records recording her date of birth as 1811, 1813 and 1804. She is shown as being born in Beckley which would suggest that she was the daughter of Edward and Susannah Bartholomew baptised in 1809.

I have been unable to trace Thomas's birth or death. There was a Thomas born in Northiam in 1807 but I believe that he was married to Mary Higgins and died in 1835. Celia was shown as an inmate of Rye Union in 1851 and widowed by 1861, Thomas appears to be missing from the census records. The only possible candidate I have found is the Thomas born to Elizabeth and baptised 1816 in Peasmarsh.

Any help would be much appreciated.

[sillgen]

If the marriage was in 1844 then it is after civil registration and should show up on those registers.  The SMI is generally pre 1837 marriages.
Have you searched www.freebmd.org.uk or contacted the Rye area register office to see if they have a record of it?
A child's birth certificate will confirm the mother's name so that might help.
Regards
Andrea
Oh, I see that the IGI record is a member submitted one so you need to take that with a pinch of salt.

[kerryb]

Hi Alan

Just tried Ancestry and a search for Thomas Curd did not bring a marriage up for 1844.  However when I searched for Celia Skinner I found

Celia Skinner, June 1844 registration district - Rye, Volume - 7 and page 637

No Thomas Curd though

So did she marry someone else and become widowed before she married Thomas??

Kerry

[kerryb]

Forgot to say Celia is one of a long list for that month in Rye and on looking again there is a Thomas Creed.

Misspelling of Curd?

I guess ordering the marriage certificate would answer that.

Kerry

[Alan19]

Thanks for all the swift responses.

The BMD shows the marriage to Thomas Creed in 1844, possibly a miss-spelling but does still seem unlikely in view of the children being born prior to this.

Think a birth certificate of one of the children is the way to go.

[Sussex Belle]

I'm new to this but here goes...
The 1844 marriage is the correct one. Thomas is recorded as Creed. They married at Beckley

Celia had five children by father/fathers unknown before she married Thomas:
Sarah 1833 - 38
Hiram 1835 - 38
Mary 1841 - 1871
Harriet 1843 - 1845
Elizer 1840 - 1841

These are to be found in the records for Rye Union Workhouse, parish of Beckley (ESRO G8/19/1-7 folio 4, also availably through LDS libraries)

In 1844 she married Thomas and they had a further three children:
Thomas 1844 - 1901
James 1846-
Edward 1849 - 1915

Mary, Harriet and Thomas were baptised at Rye under Curd. Harriet's birth is recorded as Skinner but she is buried as Curd.

Thomas also appeared in the workhouse records from 1837 for Peasmarsh parish where his date of birth is given as 1817. This might explain why Celia records her age as being younger than her 1809 baptism would suggest.

After mariage the family continued to spend time in the workhouse, and on three occasions this is due to desertion by husband. On two occasions they were removed from Rye to Peasmarsh. This supports the idea that Thomas had settlement there and that the baptism on 8 September 1816, son of Elizabeth is his.

Although Celia describes herself as a widow, on her death certificate she is the wife of Thomas Curd.

Hope this helps
 

[Alan19]

Wow thanks for that.

I had Hiram as base born but only had the baptisms for the other children in 1845, but it would make sense that they weren't baptised until after she had married Thomas.

Looks like unmarried children runs in the family, I have her mother Susannah Bartholomew as having 6 children before she eventually married.

Will look into Thomas 1816 as he does appear to be a strong candidate and his date of birth does look more realistic for a first marriage in 1844.

Thanks again,

Alan

[Alan19]

Looks like this is the dodgy side of the family, searched for Elizabeth Curd on the SFHG and she looks like she also had 5 children by unknown father(s) before marrying.

Am interested in the workhouse records, could you let me know what site you use.

Finally if Thomas outlived Celia, does any one know what became of him and where he eventually died.

Thanks,

Alan

[Sussex Belle]

The workhouse records are not on-line but are at the East Sussex Record Office at Lewes.  (ESRO reference:  G8/19/1-7 folio 4 )

 They have been filmed by the LDS and can be ordered through their local family history centres. Ideal if you have one near to where you live.

The only clue as to what happened to Thomas is that a cousin found a Thomas Creed in the 1881 census of Faversham age 59 born Sussex Peasmarsh (RG11/969 folio 118 page 19). However in 1871 he puts New York! and in 1891 Faversham. I've not investigated this any further.