Mary Ashwell b around 1817

[cbcarolyn]

I have one ancestor that has turned up from Bedfordshire, she was born in Biggleswade according to her census records but as yet have not found any record of her birth.

I have found a marriage cert entry to Samuel Skinner 2 Oct 1838 in Friskney, Lincs on freereg stating her father was James

I have found a death record Mar 1918 in Boston age 101!

It all seems to fit, and was wondering whether anyone could give advice if I could find anything else out about her or her family, particularly as this is the only ancestor that is from the county I now live in!

As she states in every census that she is from Biggleswade I assume this means she really did come from there and not an outlying village - would this be reasonable?

I did find one transcribe as Askwell

[bedfordshire boy]

As she states in every census that she is from Biggleswade I assume this means she really did come from there and not an outlying village - would this be reasonable?

I don't think you can make this assumption, particularly as she was living in Lincs in all censuses. Biggleswade baptisms up to 1875 have been extracted onto the IGI. There's only one Ashwell prior to 1845, and that was in 1785. The same with burials in Biggleswade - there's only one Ashwell, James John age 15 in 1831.  So it doesn't look as though there were too many Ashwells in Biggleswade.  Which makes it seem more likely that she may have been from one of the villages near Biggleswade. The most likely baptism is in Langford, adjoining Biggleswade, on 9 July 1820, daughter of James and Mary. Proving it's your Mary might be more difficult!

Do the witnesses at her wedding provide a clue?

I can't see a baptism for the 15 year old James* either. Might he have been Mary's brother?


David

* Probably because his name was John, not James!

[cbcarolyn]

I think you maybe right and that she must be from a local village, as Biggleswade seems to be drawing a blank. 

Just nipped down the local library to see if I could find the parish reg - but Flitwick only has to 1812 for that area, they don't know where the next one is - maybe at Biggleswade library.  They couldn't find the fiche either   Freereg seems to be fairly comprehensive up to 1812 but not after, so Family search seems to be the only one with a Mary.  There are a lot of Ashwells in Langford

and I also found this reference to a James Ashwell in Langford - that maybe her relation  http://apps.bedfordshire.gov.uk/grd/detail.aspx?id=3173

The witnesses to the wedding give no clue Mary Ann Richardson & John Wharrie

[bedfordshire boy]

The Bedford Records Office transcripts, which are the ones the libraries have, only go up to 1812.

If James was transported it would explain why I could find no trace of him; burial or census. I wonder who his wife was. Did she remarry, or just move away from Langford. I can't find a marriage for James and Mary

[cbcarolyn]

Ah that is why it wasn't there - the library staff didn't know. 

I did wonder if the mother died in childbirth which is why I can't find any other children.  Perhaps Mary was sent away to Lincolnshire to relatives? 

Looks like a mystery I will never solve, I did wonder if the fact that she lived to 101 would mean that there was any reports in local papers, although as I can't find her birth record she may not be that old! 

[bedfordshire boy]

http://foundersandsurvivors.org/pubsearch/convict/chain/c31a31010199 has an entry for James Ashwell. It states, without sourcing the information, that he had a "Wife & 3 Ch at Biggreswood".  The James John age 15 buried in Biggleswade in 1831 might be one of the three children, and Mary baptised in 1820 in Langford another. I'd check Biggleswade microfilm for the burial to see if there's any other detail. Same with the 1820 baptism - she might have been a late baptism.

I think it's solveable!

David

[bedfordshire boy]

In 1851 living in Friskey Lincs (where Mary married Samuel Skinner) was
James Merrell head marr 52 ag lab b Thorpe Lincs
Mary Merrell wife 54 b Biggleswade
Mary Ann Skinner grand dau 3 b Friskney

They were living in Friskney in 1841 but with no one else in the household (indexed on Ancestry as Menil)

I don't believe in coincidences.

All that's needed now is to find the marriage of James Merrell and Mary hopefully Ashwell, and if it was after 1837 you'll get her maiden name too

There's a marriage in St Leonards Shoreditch on 3 Oct 1825 between James Merrel and Mary Ashwell, which although it's a bit early is worth investigating. (Bachelor and widow, both otp). I can't see any children born in Shoreditch. All of which gets us precisely nowhere in trying to establish Mary's maiden name!

Found it! Marriage Biggleswade 30 Oct 1815 James Ashall and Mary Crowther and baptism of John Ashell son of James & Mary at Biggleswade on 12 May 1816, presumably the John who was buried age 15 in Biggleswade on 16 Feb 1831.

I think this is a mystery which is on its way to being solved! More work needs to be done though.

David

[cbcarolyn]

wow you have been busy - I am still learning what records are available, I did start doing searches on ashell but didn't find that one.

I have children already from the 1851 and 1861 census and there is a gap where Mary could fit.

So sounds like I may have a pig stealer in the family   I will go back to those records on BLARS.  I am sure there was some research on Ancestry about this on another tree, I will see what they turned.

Thank you so much.

[cbcarolyn]

I see he got a conditional pardon 12th Oct 1836, on the link you sent, so I presume he stayed in Tasmania.  Looks like I need to do some searching there now