William Welham & family 1841 census

[Gertie]

I hope someone can locate William Welham and his wife Elizabeth Carter and family for me in the 1841 census please.

I don't know where William and Elizabeth Welham were born or married, but they had one  son that I know of.
He was Richard Welham, born about 1830-1831 in Newmarket, Cambridgeshire.  On his birth record his father's name was William Williams but we believe it was transcribed wrongly, and should have been written as William Welham.

I would be grateful of some help to sort this out.

Regards Gertie

[Annette7]

I'm a bit bewildered.   Familysearch shows only one Richard Welham baptised in Newmarket:

Richard Welham bp.23/6/1829 Newmarket, Suffolk, son of William Welham and wife Mary.

Newmarket is in Suffolk, this baptism shows father as Welham (not Williams) and mother is Mary (not Elizabeth).

Annette

[Gertie]

Hello Annette7,
There is a rootschat record on the general list for the 1861 census for Richard Welham,and it has him aged 28 years, married and born in Newmarket, Cambridgeshire. This has confused me too.

I believe Richard Welham's father, William Welham married twice.  His first wife Mary was Richard's mother,  but at the time of the 1841 census William was with his second wife Elizabeth Carter and his children.

I hope this helps to find him

Regards Gertie

[bedfordshire boy]

I too am perplexed!

With no baptism for Richard, and no marriage for the couple you believe to be his parents, how do you know his mother was Elizabeth? I don't understand your reference to a birth record when you don't have a date more precise than 1830-31.

What appears to be factual is that in 1861 he was aged 28 born Newmarket, and in 1871 he was 40 born Newmarket, living in Gloucs both times. Do you have his marriage cert, which may have taken place in Wales, which will give his father's name? How do you know his father was William?

Where were William and Elizabeth and children living in the 1841 census?

[Gertie]

Richard Welham states on his marriage certificate that his parent's were William Welham, occupation-builder, and Elizabeth Carter.

Gertie

[bedfordshire boy]

Was this a New Zealand marriage cert? The reason I ask is that to this day English and Welsh marriage certs don't name the mothers of the bride and groom.

[bedfordshire boy]

I'm getting more and more confused.

Your original request was to find William, Elizabeth and family in 1841. Yet in reply to Annette you say that "at the time of the 1841 census William was with his second wife Elizabeth Carter and his children."

What exactly are you looking for - do you have them in 1841 or not? If not how do you know William was with his second wife Elizabeth Carter?

[bedfordshire boy]

A Richard Welham was sentenced to 2 months imprisonment for larceny at Cardiff Midsummer Quarter Sessions on 26 Jun 1854

[Annette7]

Think I may have found a service record for William Welham having served in the 12th Regiment Foot from 1808 until 1823.

Cannot find any William Welham/variants in Suffolk (or anywhere else) who was a Builder or indeed anything else connecting to such a profession. 

However, the army service record whilst probably being the right man doesn't help much as his given birthplace does not appear to exist.

William Welham is shown as born circa 1787 and enlisted 23/8/1808 in Chatham, Kent.   He was discharged 25/11/1823 due to 'Hepatic obstructions and general debility' - surgeons report states completely worn out originating by servitude in India.   He was 5'8", brown hair, grey eyes.
The interesting bit is that his occupation is given as 'Brickmaker'.

However, he is shown as having been born at Rigney, near the parish of Rigney, Suffolk.   Only problem is there is no such place as Rigney (I live in Suffolk) and, as far as I can tell, there never was any such place in Suffolk (or indeed, anywhere else).   The word 'Rigney' has been repeated and the writing is quite clear.

Annette