Avica the mysterious woman

[JAP]

...

Isn't Heritage a fabulous surname

Hi Louise,

I just checked the local Adelaide metropolitan whitepages (i.e. telephone directory) on the Internet at:
http://www.whitepages.com.au
and there are 31 listings for HERITAGE.  I had no idea there would be so many.  And, as it happens, I know one of them!  And when I first heard the surname it struck me too as fabulous.  I've just looked in the IGI and there are plenty.  But a search in the NSW metropolitan area (Sydney being our biggest city) only produces 7 entries for the name; and the Victorian metropolitan area (Melbourne being second in size) only 19.  Genealogy throws up all sorts of interesting stuff!

Well, it's probably nothing to do with the beauteous Avica (with a name like that, Avica must have surely have been beauteous as well as mysterious) ...

JAP

[LouiseB31]

Just for the record John 'Symson' ag lab aged 49 was in Fifield on the 1851 census with his wife Sarah aged 46 - no children. They were the only Simpsons in the village. However in Hampton in Arden Warwickshire there was William Simpson an ag lab born circa 1785 Fifield and his daughter Elizabeth born circa 1826 in Hampton. There was also Amy Simpson born circa 1783 Fifield and unmarried staying with her blind pauper sister Ann Heritage born Fifield circa 1781. They were in Chilson and Pudlicott Oxfordshire.

Regards
Valda

Just to confirm that Ann Simpson's parents were

William Simpson and Susannah

Ann was baptised 1773

Her siblings were
Emy (sic) bapt 1777
Richard bapt 1779
Elizabeth bapt 1784
James bapt 1785
William bapt 1786

So the William you found on the census is probably Ann's brother.

I don't have any John Simpson's at the moment, but he could be the son of James, Richard or William as above. I will check the Fifield fiche again later.

I don't have an Amy Simpson at all and she would have been born between Richard and Elizabeth if she was a sibling. I don't think she is a sibling because her sister Ann now Mrs Heritage is 8 years younger than Avica's mother. But one must assume they are at least cousins to some degree. Fifield was a tiny little place as I have said before, judging by the paucity of baptisms. I will have a look for her on the fiche too, just for interest.

Incidentally I am  having second thoughts about Hannah/Ann Simpson who married William Masters in Harbury.

I have noticed, or redrawn my own attention to the fact that when William and Hannah had their daughter Mary Ann baptised, the vicar called Hannah "Ann."

So perhaps it is not Fifield that cannot tell the difference between Hannah and Ann, but the vicar of Harbury.

I cannot really get over the coincidence of the only William Wilson or William Masters in the village of Harbury in 1841 aged 15, staying with a woman whose maiden name is Simpson and who comes from Fifield, while his mother is also a Simpson from Fifield. Then there is the coincidence of baptism dates for Mary Ann and William.

How much more proof do we think we want?

To recap

Ann Simpson was baptised in 1773

Hannah Masters was born approx 1791 in 1841, aged 50, Ann would have been 68
                                          approx 1786 in 1851, aged 66,  Ann would have been 78
                                          approx 1782 in 1861, aged 79, Ann would have been 88.

Now you cannot be baptised before you are born, so she had to have been born no later than 1773.

Avica was born in 1800 making Ann 27 that year.

Mary Ann was born in 1814 making Ann 41 that year - which might be why they only had one child?

If Ann and Hannah are the same woman, was she trying to hide the gap between her and her husband? A long liver if she lived to 88 plus, but then Avica lived to 93.

If they are not the same woman then I would suggest that Hannah could be the sister of Amy and Ann who Valda found on the 1851 census elsewhere in Oxfordshire and none of them were baptised, or at least not in Fifield.

That being the case Ann and Hannah could be cousins and it is still quite possible that Avica entrusted baby William to his male relative and her mother's cousin.

Thoughts?

JAP - ask your friend if s/he is related to any Heritage family from Oxfordshire! I see there are 57 entries with my own family name in NSW. Very interesting.


Best wishes

Louise

[Valda]

John Simpson in Fifield 1851 (who I also found there before in 1861) is 5 years out (birth circa 1801 in 1861) for Avica's brother - John Hayward Simpson, but in the scheme of things for ages in Fifield may still be a candidate.
Ann Heritage and her sister Amy died in 1857

Heritage, Ann 1857 March Deaths Chipping Norton
Simpson, Amy 1857 December Deaths Chipping Norton

So unfortunately I can't check their ages against those given in the 1851 census index (and Chilson is not on the National Burial index). I can't find a marriage for Ann on the IGI but then Oxfordshire has poor coverage. Therefore not really enough evidence to say one way or the other whether the sisters were the age given on the 1851 census or older. Oxfordhsire Family History Society has indexed the whole of Oxfordhsire 1841 census which would give an age of the sisters (if they are together) to a rough 5 years.

Regards
Valda

[Sleat]

From the OFHS transcript in Chilson

HERITAGE Ann 60 Y
SIMPSON Amy 50 Y

Hope that helps

[LouiseB31]

The Simpson women got me out of bed early this morning, they were clamouring in my brain!

I am afraid I have just made a fool of myself in front of the watching world.

"Emy" is obviously "Amy".

I dont know why I didnt think of that, I suppose I thought it was probably Emily.

But it is obviously Amy.

Amy Simpson, sister of Ann Simpson and Aunt of Avica, baptised 1777.

One can only assume they were not numerate in this family as they never seem to know how old they are.

But I have brought myself to the new view that Ann Heritage is in fact Avica's mother. Hannah Simpson it now occurs to me could be a widow, having been married to a Mr Simpson before she married William Masters. Maybe she was married to James or Richard and was Ann and Amy's sister-in-law?

Thanks to Sleat for looking up the 1841 census, much appreciated.

It would give Ann Heritage a  birth year of 1777 - 1785 which is 4 years out with the parish registers.

It would give Amy Simpson a birth year of 1787 - 1795 which is also 4 years out.

But I can live with that - I wonder if the transcripted registers are wrong?

Gosh, what a lucky stroke Valda finding that census entry (and don't you get up early in your house, did the Simpson's wake you up too?)

Best wishes
Louise

[Valda]

These are the Oxfordshire Family History Society indexes

http://searches.oxfordshirefhs.org.uk/

with interactive map which gives parish coverage for each index. The marriage index for the county is virtually 100% at least up to 1837 - not many baptisms for Fifield but more burial coverage, but this might only be in the period you hold anyway. You should be able to find an Ann Simpson marriage to a Heritage and any later Simpson marriages in Fifield and perhaps further burials. Chilson (a parish away from Fifield) would seem either not to have deposited its registers or lost them. The indexes should also cover non-conformist registers e.g. Chipping Norton Methodist circuit which might be worth examing for any other children of William and Susannah.

Have we checked the William Masters, Hannah Simpson marriage? I didn't think there was any reason to suspect Hannah was a widow on this marriage?

Regards
Valda

[LouiseB31]

Valda

I have rechecked the parish register for the marriage in Harbury, via a friend. It merely says "William Masters and Hannah Simpson, both of this parish". So it tells us nothing.

I suspect we will never be exactly sure who she is.

I will have a good dig through the indexes this weekend

Best wishes

Louise

[LouiseB31]

1851 Census
Chilson and Pudlicott, Oxfordshire

Ann Heritage, head, widow, pauper, 70, born Fifield, blind
Amy Simson, sister, unmarried, 68, born Fifield


1841 Census
Township of Chilson
Ann Heritage, 60
Amy Simpson, 50
Both born in Oxfordshire

[Valda]

Hi Louise


Well there you are - Fifield!


Regards

Valda