Seeking info on Samuel NEWMAN of Blakeney/Awre (General)

by foacmow , Wednesday, August 06, 2014, 10:53 (3756 days ago)

I am looking for information on Samuel NEWMAN born 1869 possibly in Blakeney or nearby.

So far I have trace of him in the 1871, 1881, and 1891 census.

1871 - Blakeney Square. With David NEWMAN (40), Caroline NEWMAN (43), George (15), John W (13), Stephen D (10), Hannah (7), Matilda (4), Samuel (2)

1881 - Blakeney St. With David (listed as a Hay Trusser and Farmer), Caroline (a grocer), Hannah, Matilda, Samuel, Charles.

I also note that Kelly's directory of 1879 lists a Newman, David (shopkeeper)

It seems that next door were some more Newmans. William (another Hay Trusser), Elizabeth, Caroline 'M', William Wrench? (a lodger)

The 1891 census shows him as living with the GEORGE family in Newnham where he is listed as "Son-in-law".

He supposedly married Louisa GEORGE but I can find no record of a marriage. They had at least one child, my great grandmother Beatrice (H)Ellen who later married John BRYAN of Cardiff.

Louisa later remarried to Herbert HANCOCK or HANCOCKS and lived near Westbury-on-Severn, possibly at Elton Corner. My grandmother lived with her for a time and they did live at Elton Corner at some point - possibly opposite an orchard. There was another child, another Herbert also known as Bertie, who was my grandmother's half brother. I think Bertie lived in Churcham at some point.

I've found out quite a bit about my family in this area but Samuel is a dead end after 1891. He just disappears. I haven't properly started piecing together info on his siblings yet.

There is a fanciful story that Samuel fought for Germany during WW1, later to return to England and try to reconcile with the family who would have nothing to do with him. While there is some anecdotal evidence for this it just doesn't make sense to me and the dates don't fit. I think it's more likely he just did a bunk.

The story goes that when my grandmother was living with her grandmother (Louisa George/Newman/Hancock) a red haired man visited the house. After a conversation with Louisa he left. My grandmother had no idea who this man was. Much later my grandmother told this story to her father who, upon hearing it, reached for a photo of his wife and took another photo from the back of the picture. The photo was of the man who visited. Apparently this was his wife's father. My great, great grandfather.

Interestingly my mother had red hair, nobody else in the family has or had red hair.

It is said that unable to reconcile with the family he lived in Cardiff towards the end of his life.

UPDATE: I have found his baptism record on this site and his name is listed being spelt Sammuel