Dilemma: Keep looking for a possible Chelsea pensioner, or set aside?

[straea]

Hi everyone,
I've been reading Rootschat on and off for a few years, but I haven't posted on here before.  Amongst others, I am researching an Evans family of Hartland, Devon.  On the 1851 census, the father, John Evans (b. c. 1790), reports that his occupation is "Chelsea Pensioner."  However, I have been unable to find anyone in the database to date who has a birth place of Devon and was born in the right time period, and many of the pensions that don't have indexed birth places and birth dates don't have them because the original records don't say either.  If the name was uncommon, I suppose this might be easier, but there are numerous John Evans who appear to have no birth place, residence or age listed on the original records.  Since this was a census, and I don't know yet whether or not he really served in the military, I am unsure at this point whether I should keep looking and if so, what I could try next.  Does anyone have any suggestions or thoughts?

Thank you.

[gortonboy]

Hi,,Can you quote the 1851 census reference? 

[straea]

Sure - I wasn't sure how detailed to be in my post.  They're living in Hartland, Devon (registration district Bideford) in 1851 - Piece 1895, Folio 574, Page 34.  The household is: 

John K Evans 55
Ann Evans    57
Charles Evans 24
Grenville Wakely 79

This is the only record to date where I have seen John Evans listed with a middle initial, so I don't know whether he really had one or not. 

In 1841 they are also living in Hartland - Piece 223, Book 4, Folio 6, Page 6.  However this time John is listed as a Pauper.

[gortonboy]

his son was also in the army,,so that suggests he may have followed in his fathers footsteps,,,Charles was in the 75th foot,,so i wonder if his father served in the same regiment?  will have a dig around 

[straea]

Thanks very much for the tip--I haven't traced Charles or some of the other kids yet, as I had some trouble sorting out which couple was the right John and Ann Evans (I knew from the baptismal record that those were the names of the parents of "my" John Evans who moved to Canada).  I will check Charles' record next.

[Annette7]

He did indeed have a second name beginning with K.

John Kinsman Evans bp.7/2/1796 Hartland, Devon, son of Ann Evans.

As he appears to be illegitimate I suspect that Kinsman was the surname of his father. (on familysearch).

I'm sure it's not what you want to hear but there were 3 Evans women having a number of illegitimate children between them in Hartland - Ann, Mary and Elizabeth. 

There were also Kinsman's in Hartland and a possible father is John Kinsman bp.1/10/1773 Hartland son of John and Elizabeth.

Annette 

[straea]

Thank you Annette.  What I want to hear is the truth, whatever that is.  Which FamilySearch database did you find John Kinsman Evans' baptism in?  I think now is a good time for me to step back and make sure I am on the right track.  This is what I have for John Evans besides the 1841 and 1851 censuses: 

Baptised son Richard on 3 Feb 1822.
Baptised my ancestor, John Evans, at the parish church in Hartland on 11 Jan 1824.  This is the only child's baptism for which I have a copy of the original record so far, rather than a transcript.  It is what gave me John and Ann's names in the first place.
Baptised son Charles on 15 Oct 1826.  (Charles' whereabouts in 1841 are as yet unknown.)
William born c. 1831
Jane born c. 1833

I have not been able to find a marriage record for John and Ann to date, but I may not have searched the right database or the right way yet.  However most of the siblings' names are repeated by my ancestor John Evans and his wife Grace - their known children included ones named Charles, William, and Jane.  I have a a couple ideas for next steps besides trying to locate the Chelsea pension and tracing the children I haven't finished tracing yet:   I noticed that though the family appears to have moved between 1841 & 1851, the same family is living next door both times, headed by William and Isott Evans.  I have located their marriage in the index and some indexed baptisms for their children and am thinking of trying to reconstruct their family as a way to try to figure out the family relationships.  I also found the death of Grenville Wakely on FreeBMD (he is on the 1841 and 1851 censuses with the family, listed as an uncle in 1851) and have been considering ordering the certificate.

I have looked through a lot of census records and similar in recent months trying to determine that I have the right John and Ann.  Do you all feel that I am on the right track with the census info, the Chelsea pension and the info you have found and posted today?  With a common name like Evans I tend to wonder a lot if I am following the trail of the wrong person.

Thanks so much for helping me - I can't tell you how much I appreciate it.  I'm going to see now if having the "K" to add in a search of military records helps me locate John's.

[straea]

I found the baptism - thanks again.  Interestingly one of Ann Evans' other illegitimate children is named Thomas, which is another name that my ancestor John Evans used for a child, one his wife's family does not appear to have used.  Thanks for all your help everyone.

[Annette7]

Have found the baptisms of William and Jane -

William Buse Evans bp.14/6/1829 Hartland
Jane Evans bp.21/8/1831 Hartland

Suspect that mother Ann's maiden name was Buse.

I note that in 1851 Ann is shown as 2 years older than John but born in Hartland.

An Ann Buse bp.25/3/1789 Hartland, dau. of William Buse and wife Ann (nee Bond).

Granville Wakely bp.8/8/1773 Hartland, son of Samuel Wakely and Ann Bond.    Looks like he could be the uncle of Ann rather than John with the connecting name being Bond.

Charles Evans in 1841 appears to be working as a servant in Hartland to a John T. Vine, Yeoman.

You definitely seem to be on the right track.   From memory, marriages in Devon circa 1820 are not well covered online.

Annette