CLARK family of Devon

[Huia]

Hello.
I am searching for my Clark ancestors from Devon.  At this point most of the information I have regarding this family is hearsay.   My gg Grandfather is Edward Saunders Clark.  He was christened 27 Feb 1831 in Marlborough Devon. No father mentioned.  Mother Elizabeth Clark. I can't find them on any census, but that may be because I get confused with the census areas

His first wife was Ann Mitchelmore, christened 09 Sept 1827, and they married about 1851, and died 10 April 1859 in Dodbrooke. They had 4 children, Elizabeth Ann,  William,  Henry and Mary the youngest, who is also my g Grandmother.   Ann died shortly after Mary was born. 

On his way to New Zealand Edward Saunders Clark met and married Susan Murley in Australia, then settled in Hokitika NZ...he died in Dannevirke NZ in 1900. Have sent away for a copy of his death cert.

Any help with the Clark family will be so greatfully appreciated
Thank you
Huia

[KGarrad]

The town you mention was Malborough (not Marlborough!).
Malborough was part of West Alvington until 1894, but was always in the Kingsbridge Registration District, as was Dodbrooke.

Births:
June qtr 1851
Kingsbridge district    vol 9, page 398
Clarke, Elizabeth Ann

March qtr 1854
Kingsbridge district    vol 9, page 195
Clarke, William

There are a couple of possibilities for Henry!
September qtr 1855    vol 9, page 182
December qtr 1855     vol 9, page 165

June qtr 1859
Kingsbridge district    vol 9, page 191
Clark, Mary


But, I can't see Edward and Ann in the 1851 census; neither can I see Edward or the children in 1861?

[mosiefish]

The 1851 has an Edward Clark, U, Servant, 20, Labourer (Miller), born Marlborough (transcribed Barlborough) Devon.
He was living at New Mill, Loddiswell

Mo

[Huia]

Hello K Garrad and mosiefish,
Thank yous so very much for your replies. 
I had heard that Edward Saunders Clark was a miller in Loddiswell, but could not find anything to back this up, until your post mosiefish.
Thank you K Garrad for the dates of my G Grandmothers siblings.  Am loving all this information.

Can I ask another question?  I was looking at the 1841 Malborough Census and I found a Elizabeth Clark  F 55 Batson   Charwoman.   What is a charwoman? and could she possibly be Edwards mother?

Again thank you
Huia

[KGarrad]

Charwoman

A woman hired by the day to do odd jobs, usually cleaning, in a house - as still used today and in use as early as 1596. The word "chare" or "char" was used to describe an odd job,



BTW are you sure about Ann Mitchelmore?
I can see her on FreeBMD Marriages, June qtr 1851.
Possible husbands:

• Charles Adams
• Philip Foale
• William Irish
• George Lombardini

So no Clarke?

[Huia]

Hello K Garrad,

Thank you again for your reply.
This is what I found when looking for my G Grandmother Mary Clark

Ann Mitchelmore
m 185x Edward Saunders Clark
dau Mary Clark
b 01 April 1859 Dodbrook "father Edward Saunders Clark seaman. Mother Ann Clark formerly Mitchelmore.
Informant William G Elliot, occupier Dodbrook.
There is a note attached;
Mary's father moved to Australia in 1859 and she was given her mothers maiden name after he failed to return.

[JaneyCanuck]

Hi Huia (the Huia I know by any chance??)

Have you googled "edward saunders clark"?

Ah, I see you've seen the thread at Anc'y.

He was a witness in a murder case here -- he had a shop where the accused had made the axe used as the murder weapon:

http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=WCT18710117.2.13

It's possible the couple was married and did not register the marriage. Edward's family might also have objected and made it impossible for them to marry, somehow.

For others' info, this is the tree where the info about her came from:

http://www.mitchelmore.info/families/trees/tree114.htm

The Edward Clark who was in Loddiswell in 1851 looks like this one in 1841 in the same place, address Buckland House:

William Clark 45 independent means
Matilda 30
William 24
Mary 20
George 9
Edward 8
Katharine 6
Caroline 4
Barbara 2
with quite a few servants

Your Edward's somewhat fancy name would fit that socioeconomic background, but we don't know that's your Edward -- it's just that it would seem to be the 1851 Edward.

The parents and some of the children are still at Buckland House in 1851; William is a justice of the peace. I wonder whether Edward was a black sheep.

[Huia]

Hi Janey,  no I don't think we have communicated before, but kia ora nice to meet you, albeit in Rootschat.   
Thank you so much for helping me find my ancestors.  I am loving the Clark family you put up.  I now have a starting point for Devon. Heres hoping we have found them.
I did wonder whether his middle name Saunders was that of one of his grandparents maiden name or the surname of his father, as I was looking up Edward...illegitimate son of Elizabeth.
I also found
the story where Edward was a witness in a murder trial.
Edward and Susan's marriage certificate in Australia' 1859 Sydney
Edward's application for a Hotel License 1870.
Death of Edward and Susan's youngest daughter Cecilia 1870
And the death certificates for both Edward 1900 and Susan1904, in Dannevirke NZ (I have yet to send off for the marriage and death certificates)
Again thank you very much for your time
Huia

[JaneyCanuck]

Actually, Huia, you have to forgive me - I had completely disregarded what you said in your OP:

"My gg Grandfather is Edward Saunders Clark.  He was christened 27 Feb 1831 in Malborough Devon. No father mentioned.  Mother Elizabeth Clark."

It's just that there is such a shortage of Edward Clarks, I found about the only one going in 1841! And he is in the same place as the one you were looking at in 1851, Loddiswell, and the 1841 one doesn't seem to be anywhere else (there is no death 1841-1851, for example). The Edward Clark who married, coincidentally, Harriet Wills Mitchemore in 1862 in Kingsbridge reg dist could be that 1841 Edward Clark. Although that couple seems to be in Aveton Gifford in 1871, and that Edward was born c1819 ... (he was a widower born c1821, in 1861).

The idea that Saunders was his father's surname is of course the most sensible theory. What is very possible is that in 1841, he was recorded under a stepfather's name, if his mother had married.

I'm just going to rule out one possibility.

In 1851, Edward Pratt born c1833 Malborough is a servant in Malborough at the farm of George Hodder. In 1841 he is a servant in Malborough on the farm of Philip Turtley. But I would say he was Edward Ash Pratt and he married in 1854 and died in 1921 aged 90.