James Edwards - Forest of Dean FHT Forum

Hi All,

James Edwards was born 1796 Newland Coleford To William and Esther Edwards,and died 1861. He was married at least twice could have been three times.

Any chance anyone can work out who he married and in what order as I am now going around in circles and the names and dates of childrens births as well. My information I have got is not matching, a fresh pair of eyes might help me.

Thanks for any help anyone can give me.

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Hi Chloe,
have you searched the forum for old threads that relate to your enquiry ?.
The last post on this thread looks like it may relate to your James, please can you advise whether it matches your findings ? That thread includes a Baptism PR which appears at to be the only one within this site's database that matches the info you've given us, I've reposted it below for ease of reading.

many thanks, J

The old thread is here
http://www.forest-of-dean.net/fodmembers/index.php?mode=thread&id=11481

Record_ID: 187031
Entry_Number: 4
Year: 1796
Month: Jan
Day: 24
Parents_Surname: EDWARDS
Child_Forenames: James
Fathers_Forenames: William
Mothers_Forenames: Hester
Mothers_Surname:
Residence:
Occupation:
Officiating_Minister: Wm. Jones Curate
Event: Baptism
Memoranda: Son of
Notes: Father's name expanded
Register_Reference: P209 IN 1/2
Page_Number: 67
Parish_Chapel: Lydney
Soundex: E363

Unfortunately when accessing the Censuses (using Ancestry), things get tricky, there are a few candidates. GlosBMD shows there are several marriages for "James Edwards" in the Forest during these few decades !

This appears to be the above James wrt the above baptism location, altho need to also trace his parents' whereabouts too, if they're still alive.

1841 England Census, Lydney, Glos.
Given Name Surname Age Estimated Birth Year Gender Birth City Birth County Birth Country
James Edwards 45 1796 Male Coalminer. Gloucestershire England
Sarah Edwards 35 1806 Female Gloucestershire England
Charles Edwards 14 1827 Male Gloucestershire England
Richard Edwards 10 1831 Male Gloucestershire England

Record_ID: 25291
Entry_Number: 1080
Year: 1844
Month: Oct
Day: 24
Surname: EDWARDS
Forenames: Sarah
Residence: Lidney
Age_at_death: 46
Officiating_Minister: Charles Taylor
Event: Burial
Cause_of_death:
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P209 IN 1/11
Page_No: 135
Parish_Chapel: Lydney
Soundex: E363

?? Sarah was perhaps fibbing abt her age on the Census ?

Record_ID: 20100
Entry_Number: 91
Year: 1845
Month: Apr
Day: 20
Grooms_Surname: EDWARDS
Grooms_Forenames: James
Grooms_Age: Of full age
Groom_Condition: Widower
Grooms_Occupation: Mason
Grooms_Residence: Lidney
Grooms_Fathers_Surname: EDWARDS
Grooms_Fathers_Forenames: William
Grooms_Fathers_Occupation: Farmer
Brides_Surname: CROSS
Brides_Forenames: Hannah
Brides_Age: Of full age
Brides_Condition: Widow
Brides_Occupation: [not stated]
Brides_Residence: Lidney
Brides_Fathers_Surname: CARPENTER
Brides_Fathers_Forenames: Edward
Brides_Fathers_Occupation: Butcher
Licence_or_Banns: Banns
Date_of_Banns: [not stated]
Signature_or_Mark: He signs she marks
Witness_1: William Lea
Witness_2: Jame James
Other_Witnesses:
Officiating_Minister: Charles Taylor
Event: Marriage
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P209 IN 1/15
Page_Number: 46
Parish_Chapel: Lydney
Soundex_Groom: E363
Soundex_Bride: C620

(GlosBMD confirms Hannah Cross is nee Carpenter)

Record_ID: 302674
Entry_Number:
Year: 1791
Month: May
Day: 1
Parents_Surname: CARPENTER
Child_Forenames: Hannah
Fathers_Forenames: Edward
Mothers_Forenames: Eliz[abe]th
Mothers_Surname:
Residence:
Occupation:
Officiating_Minister: [not stated]
Event: Baptism
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: AO19/2
Page_Number:
Parish_Chapel: Walford
Soundex: C615

1851 England Census, Newerne village, Lydney, Glos.
Given Name Surname Relationship Age Estimated Birth Year Gender Birth Place
James Edwards Head 55 1796 Male Mason. Longhepe, Gloucestershire, England
Hannah Edwards Wife 58 1793 Female Walford, Herefordshire, England
Richard Edwards Son 19 1832 Male Mason. Lydney, Gloucestershire, England
James Smith Grandson 10 1841 Male Mason's labourer. Lydney, Gloucestershire, England
Elizabeth Carpenter Niece 20 1831 Female House servant. Walford, Herefordshire, England

Record_ID: 391912
Entry_Number:
Year: 1795
Month: Mar
Day: 1
Parents_Surname: EDWARDS
Child_Forenames: James
Fathers_Forenames: William
Mothers_Forenames: Dinah
Mothers_Surname:
Residence:
Occupation:
Officiating_Minister:
Event: Baptism
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P206 IN 1/3
Page_Number: 119
Parish_Chapel: Longhope
Soundex: E363

----------------------------

However, this could also be our James, especially as one of his daughters is named Hester (after his mother?), and the household includes an elderly gentleman named William, who may well be his father ?.

1841 England Census Newland, St Briavels, Glos.
Given Name Surname Age Estimated Birth Year Gender Birth City Birth County Birth Country
James Edwards 45 1796 Male Collier. Gloucestershire England
Ann Edwards 45 1796 Female NOT born in Glos
Charles Edwards 20 1821 Male Collier. NOT born in Glos
James Edwards 18 1823 Male Collier. NOT born in Glos
William Edwards 16 1825 Collier. Gloucestershire England
Hester Edwards 14 1827 Female Gloucestershire England
Frances Edwards 12 1829 Female Gloucestershire England
Henry Edwards 10 1831 Male Gloucestershire England
William Edwards 89 1752 Male Gloucestershire England
(The above census looks like it COULD be linked to the 1851 posted above, if hannah was heard as Anna, Ann; but in this case I don't think so...?)

1851 England Census, Yorkley?, Bream, Newland, Glos.
House Number Given Name Surname Relationship Age Estimated Birth Year Gender Birth Place
James Edwards Head 55 1796 Male Coal miner. West Dean, Gloucestershire, England
Mary Edwards Wife 56 1795 Female Habton, Worcestershire, England
Esther Edwards Daughter 23 1828 Female Newland, Gloucestershire, England
Fanny Edwards Daughter 21 1830 Female Newland, Gloucestershire, England
Henry Edwards Son 18 1833 Male Coal miner. Gloucestershire, England

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Thank you Jeff,

Yes I do have that 1841 census, on the 1851 census I have his wife as Mary and three of the youngest children

James Edwards 55
Mary Edwards 56
Esther 23
Fanny 21
Henry 18

Parish Bream

Do you think this is the same family

I have looked for their Marriages but have had a bit of a problem ,and also looking for Ann's death.

Thank you for the thread you told me about found it very useful.

Chloe

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3208 views

Hi Chloe, apologies, I've only now (3.45pm GMT) seen your post.
I've been amending and adding more info into my post during this last 1/2 hour, so it's possible you may have not seen all of it. Perhaps you can please have another look and perhaps update(edit) your reply, to avoid further possible confusion.
Which is something I'm already suffering on this enquiry !

Thanks Jeff.

PS I'm also struggling to find the marriages, or Ann's "death" etc. I am wondering whether James's wife Ann (wr 1841 census) is the same person as Mary wrt 1851 census, as the PRs show a few Mary Ann Edwards in the Lydney area. ??

I can also see a public tree on Ancestry abt James born 1796 Lydney, which includes his 1812 (age 16 !?) marriage to a Mary Smith at Awre, despite this site's PR suggests this is actually a Mary Toes. If nowt else, this tree confirms our own difficulties with this research, it has some "odd-looking" entries but this is a tricky line !
Hopefully you can see the tree here, but I urge caution with it.
http://person.ancestry.co.uk/tree/24142417/person/1683783574/facts

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Hi Jeff

Thanks for above information

I have found I think James parents as
William Edwards B 1757 married 1781 Newland to Esther Wood born 1756 William D 1846 Parkend Esther D 1835 at Lydney.

Children
1782 Thomas
1785 Hannah
1785 Mary Ann
1790 Frances
1793 Henry
1796 James
1798 Elizabeth
1801 Charles All children born Lydney.

On Ancestry a person said he had eight children with Hannah and five more children with ??????

Back to James did he have two wives or three, I think after a week of searching my brain has stopped working properly

Chloe

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If you are certain your James EDWARDS died in 1861 do you know when he died? If it was before the census date then he can’t be the James married to Sarah in 1841 and Hannah in 1851,

GR 1861 Census, Lydney

James EDWARDS, Head, Mar, 65, Mason, b. Glos. Longhope
Hannah, Wife, Mar, 68, Heref. Walford
John PIERCE?, Lodger, Un, 49, Cordwainer, Devon, Plymouth
Thomas WILLIAMS, Lodger, Un, 39, Labourer, Glos, Alvington

This looks like the Ann/Mary married to the second candidate James EDWARDS,

GR 1861 Census, Bream, Yorkley Wood

Ann EDWARDS, Head, Wid, 70, b. Worcestershire , Ales Owen (Halesowen?)
Esther, Daur, Un, 33, Gloucester, Newland, ??????
Fanny, Daur, Un, 30, Nurse, Gloucester, Yorkley
Henry, Grandson, 2, Gloucester, Yorkley
William, Son, Widower, 35, Gloucester, Yorkley
Mary, Gr daur, 9, Gloucester, Yorkley
Emma, Gr daur, 7, Gloucester, Yorkley

GR 1871 Census, Yorkley, Yorkley Wood

Ann EDWARDS, Head, Wid, 78, Annuitant, b. Worcester
Esther, Daur, Un, 43, Charwoman, Gloster, West Dean
Elijah, Grandson, 9, Scholar, Gloster, West Dean

This could be the second James EDWARDS’ death,

FODFHT

Record_ID: 35594
Entry_Number: 84
Year: 1856
Month: Nov
Day: 13
Surname: EDWARDS
Forenames: James
Residence: Yorkley Grove
Age_at_death: 59 years
Officiating_Minister: Hy Poole Minister
Event: Burial
Cause_of_death:
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P245 IN 1/34
Page_No: 11
Parish_Chapel: Parkend

And this could be Ann’s death although the age is a little out,

FODFHT

Record_ID: 76874
Entry_Number: 224
Year: 1877
Month: Oct
Day: 21
Surname: EDWARDS
Forenames: Ann
Residence: Yorkley Wood Bream Tithing
Age_at_death: 87
Officiating_Minister: Jno. (sic) (John) Jos[ep]h Ebsworth (Vicar)
Event: Burial
Cause_of_death:
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P245 IN 1/30
Page_No: 28

In 1841 Ann says she was not born in county and in 1851 Mary (Ann?) says she was born in Worcestershire, Parish of Hallow (I can’t read the original image with any certainty).

CLDS

Ann Green
England Births and Christenings
Name Ann Green
Gender Female
Christening Date 02 Nov 1794
Christening Place CLAINES,WORCESTER,ENGLAND
Father's Name John Green
Mother's Name Susanna

Claines is very close to Hallow, just outside Worcester.

Name James Edwards
Spouse's Name Ann Green
Event Date 27 Oct 1819
Event Place Parish Of Claines, Worcester, England
Marital Status Single
Spouse's Marital Status Single

In 1861 Ann/Mary gives a birthplace of Ales Owen (Halesowen?), Worcs. So, is there any evidence she might have been there at some stage?

CLDS

Name Charles Edwards (not born in county in1841 Census)
Gender Male
Christening Date 16 Aug 1820
Christening Place St. John, Halesowen, Worcester, England
Father's Name James Edwards
Mother's Name Ann

Also CLDS

Name James Edwards (not born in county in 1841)
Gender Male
Christening Date 28 Dec 1823
Christening Place St. John, Halesowen, Worcester, England
Father's Name James Edwards
Mother's Name Ann

After all this I am no longer sure of what I’m doing but it does somehow link the names and places. It may indicate that Ann and Mary were identical and that your James married only once.

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Dear Jeff

THANK you so very much for all your hard work and research
I will now sit down and have a good look at all the information and try and put it in some order. Lots of jigsaw pieces to fit together.

Chloe

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Forest of Dean FHT Forum

James Edwards (General)

James Edwards b1796 Newland ?

James Edwards b1796 Newland ?

James Edwards b1796 Newland ?

James Edwards b1796 Newland ?

James Edwards b1796 Newland ?

James Edwards b1796 Newland ?