Thomas Wells

[maddys52]

Do you have all the census details for Thomas? He's quite easy to find in all of them up to 1891, details are available on familysearch. I'm assuming his death is the one registered at Medway Dec 1892 aged 85.

[maddys52]

Hi again,
Just checking, are you sure this is your William WELLS? I notice there is a marriage for William Jabez WELLS at Nth Aylesford in Dec 1859 to Lucy Jane WOOD or Rosanna Sophia CATT (probably Lucy, as I can see Rosanna and Henry Bennett in later census). Whereas your William was a bachelor when he married Sarah according to your previous thread?

[seventyplus]

Thanks Maddys52 and apologies for the delay. I am completely confused.  Yes, I came across William Jabez in my travails but, as I've kept no details, I presume I discounted him. I think it's back to square 1 with pencil and paper.  There are a couple of facts of which i am clear.
I have William's marriage cert. to Sarah Ann King; Kensington, 1892.Willaim is a bachelor and Sarah is a widow. Sarah's first husband, David King had recently died.
I have their daughter's school admission record, 1880, aged 9. She is named as Isadore Wells (although according to her burial record, her name is Elizabeth Isadore) with no previous schooling. Interesting!
1891 census, Kensington, with William as Head.  Again, Elizabeth, (my grandmother) is named Isadore. She was known as Lizzie to the family. William Batten was my grandfather and Polly, my aunt.
"Must try harder".  seventyplus

[maddys52]

Yes, always better to start with what you know.

I'm assuming (as on your previous thread) it says William's father was Thomas (on the marriage cert)?

According to census, William's birthplace is:

1871 - Farnham
1881 - Middlesex
1891 - Cambridgeshire
1901 - Farnham
1911 - Farnham

Without seeing the originals it's hard to account for the discrepancies, but I guess Farnham looks most likely. I would suggest the next step is to locate William in the 1861, 51 and 41 census.

[seventyplus]

Thanks again Maddy.
I've been unable to locate William on the census of 41,51,61. Most frustrating. I see I'm also missing him on the 1881 census.  I'll try again as, I believe, the 1881 census records are free?

The death record you quote for Thomas cannot be the one.  On William's marriage cert, Jan. 1892, his father Thomas is already 'deceased'. I haven't managed to decipher which is his death date.
I find I'm also missing the 1861 census for Thomas.

I thought I'd exhausted the records in 'Find my Past' etc so allowed my subscriptions to end.  But there's always seems to be something new to check.

Thanks again,  Joan

[maddys52]

Hi Joan,

The details for William in the 1881 census can be found for free at familysearch
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK65-3QCV
If you want to see the original image you will need a subscription to findmypast or ancestry etc.

I'm really not sure that the Thomas Wells you have asked about in this thread is the father of your William Wells. As we discovered above, Thomas and Frances Wells were the parents of William Jabez Wells, but I can't see the connection between William Jabez and your William. As your William states in the census records he was born in Farnham, Surrey, that's a long way from Queensborough (or even Chatham) Kent.

Maybe you could start another thread asking for help to find William in the 1841, 1851 and 1861 census? (I agree - difficult to locate! but other rootschatters are very good at finding hard to locate relatives!) You know his father was Thomas, and probably born Farnham.

[Daisypetal]

Hi,

Do you think that this William and family is a possibility?


Farnham, St Andrew
02 Mar 1836
William
Mother:  Sarah Wells  Base Born
Abode:  Hungry Hill

Farnham, St Andrew
04 May 1838
Ann
Mother:  Sarah Wells  Base Born
Abode:  Hoghatch


Marriage

William GILLIAM
Full Age
Bachelor
Labourer
Residence:  Hungry Hill
Father:  Henry GILLIAM,  Butcher

Sarah WELLS
Full Age
Spinster
Residence:  Hungry Hill
Father:  John WELLS,  Blacksmith

Witnesses:  William WELLS,  J S WARD



1841  HO107/1076/9  f.17  P.27 Reigate, Surrey
No.2 Turf Cottages

GILLAM
William    30    Rail L
Sarah      25
William     5
Ann          3
Henry       1

All born in County.




1851  HO107/1679  f.145  p.24  Alton, Hampshire
Normandy St

GILLIAM
William     Head    37    Ag Lab    Hants Crondall
Sarah        Wife    39                    Middx Feltham
William       Son    15                   Surrey Farnham
Ann           Daur    13                   Hants Crookham
Henry         Son    11                   Surrey Reigate
Jane          Daur     6                    Hants Alton
Tryphena  Daur     3                         "       "
John          Son    2m                       "        "


William and Sarah also have a daughter called Sarah born in 1853.

It looks like Sarah Snr dies in Mar Q 1859 and is buried on 05 Mar 1859.

Ann marries as Ann GILHAM on 16 Jan 1859 to George WHITE. William GILLIAM Snr is living with them in 1881.


I can follow all the family members here except William WELLS/GILLIAM b.1836 Farnham.  I wonder if after his mother died he reverted to using WELLS as his surname? 

The name of Thomas WELLS as William's father on his marriage cert. could just be made up because he didn't want to look illegitimate or it could be the name Sarah told him his father was.

I have seen lots of variations given on marriage certs. before, step-father's names (as Ann used above), grandfather's names, the father's real christian name but with the mother's maiden surname and name that just seem totally made up  

This may or may not be the case for 'your' William but I think all options should be considered.

Regards,
Daisy

[maddys52]

Oh well done Daisy, that looks like a real possibility to me. It would be interesting to see what name Ann put for her father on her marriage cert. What was the date for the marriage of Sarah and William?

[Daisypetal]

The only references that I can see are the GRO ref.,

Ann GILHAM  Mar Q 1859  Alton  2c  211
George WHITE

and this transcription (I can't see the original image),

16 Jan 1859
Alton, Hampshire

Ann GILHAM
Age:  20
Father: William GILHAM   

George WHITE 
Age:  21
Father:  Henry WHITE


I wasn't even sure it was the right Ann until I found William GILLIAM living with George and Sarah WHITE as father.

As Ann was so young when Sarah WELLS married William GILLIAM maybe she thought he was her real father or she just used his name as he was her step-father

Maybe William found out William GILLIAM wasn't his real father before or when Sarah died and just took off, perhaps they just didn't get along. A story we will never know.