John Havard Evans - is he a student at St Bees?

[catnav]

I am trying to find John Havard Evans, born in Crickhowell in 1843 (son of John Evans, Rector of Crickhowell).  I cannot locate him in 1871 (or 1881), but he does marry a Sarah Mary Jackson in St Bees in 1875, and they are living in Albert Street, Barrow, in 1876 (address on her death certificate).  I am wondering if anyone is able to look at the entry books for St Bees Theological College at the Cumbria record office, between say 1865 and 1875 - I believe that the reference is YDEC 2?  Although his occupation in 1875 is as a clerk and in 1876 a railway clerk, he comes from a family of vicars, and in 1861 is described as an "attorney" a visitor at his uncle's, who is the Vicar of Marshfield, South Wales.  I have been unable to find a satisfactory reason as to why he would be in the area of St Bees, other than a lot of Welsh students of theology attended St Bees College.  In 1871, his future wife lives with her mother in St Bees, who is a boarding-house keeper, with several "Students of Theology" in residence, one of whom is a John Evans of about the right age, but who's birth place is Llanbadarn Fawr, nowhere near Crickhowell.

The St Bees College connection is a bit of a long shot, but I really have hit a brick wall with this stage of his life.  He appears later on in Cardiff, where he has children and dies in 1899.  I get the impression that he may have been a bit of a "black sheep"!

Thanks in anticipation of any help that anyone can give me,

Catnav

[danuslave]

In 1871, his future wife lives with her mother in St Bees, who is a boarding-house keeper, with several "Students of Theology" in residence, one of whom is a John Evans of about the right age, but who's birth place is Llanbadarn Fawr, nowhere near Crickhowell.

Hi catnav

Don't dismiss this one too soon   

Bear in mind that the census return was (supposed to be) filled in by the Head of the household.  With several "Students of Theology" in the house, the possibility of mistakes must be reasonably high!

Linda

[catnav]

Thanks for your confidence!  I have tried to explore all of the possibilities, even trying to track the progress of the several John Evanses who were born in Llanbadard Fawr at the right time - if I had found one that had turned out to be a vicar later on, then I could rule this one out! Crockford's Clerical Directories are a great help. I have traced the other John Evanses that were born in Crickhowell at the same time, and they seem all to tie up in 1871/81.  He could be out of the country, or even in prison!

Here's hoping someone can help,

Catnav.

[clearly]

Can I ask if the record of his birth is from Civil Registration or a church baptism?

[catnav]

I have got a fair amount of information from a variety of sources, and have his birth, marriage and death certificates.  Also, there is information about other members of his family in Crockford's, the "Annals and Antiquities of the Counties and Families of Wales" (not all accurate) as well as other documents.  I will hopefully be going to Crickhowell to see documents that they hold including John's father's will and family papers, but Whitehaven is a bit far for me!

Catnav

[clearly]

Hi Catnav
My thinking behind the question was that if it was a record of baptism, his mother could have be confined at possibly her mother's house (which might have been at Llanbadarn Fawr) and the infant John baptised by his father when mother and baby returned home. Obviously not. 
Will see what I can do re St Bees. I presume records are at Whitehaven Archives (Cumbria has four Record Offices).

[catnav]

The National Archives has a listing that has the entry books in the Cumbria Archives and Local Studies Centre, Whitehaven, with a reference YDEC 2/1. Thank you for taking the time to try to find out for me, it never ceases to amaze me how generous people are! If John Evans did go to the Theological College, he may have left after his father died in 1873.

Catnav