John Watkins WILCE (1841) (General)

by wilcer, Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 17:27 (5669 days ago) @ joss

Hi, all! I received from the GRO a copy of the record of marriage of Thomas Wilce to Ann Watkins ("both of the Extraparochial part of the hundred of St. Briavels") that looks like it is the source of the transcription here in the FOD parish records, so nothing new, but the researcher was kind enough to send along some additional details that helped me put a few more things together:

"From the Registrar’s Index I found the main details of two siblings of the above John:

"Llangarren 1 Aug 1839 Birth of Amey daughter of Thomas & Ann Wilce [Is this considered to be outside the FOD?]
Ross 4 Nov 1843 Birth of Thomas son of Thomas & Ann Wilce

"I also found the following:

"Ross 15 March 1848 Death of Ann Wilce aged 30

"Whether this is your Ann I am not sure – she would have been about 18 when she married which is rather young but not impossible.

"The details of the 1851 census seem to indicate that Ann did die and that Thomas married again:

"1851 census for Ruardean
HO107/1976 Folio 348a
Ruardean
Thomas Wilce Head Mrd 37 Quarry man Born Ruardean
Charlotte “ Wife 23 “ “
Fanny “ Dtr 11 “ “
John “ Son 9 “ “
Thomas “ “ 7 “ “
Charlotte “ Dtr 1 “ “
Elizabeth “ “ 1 week (?) “ “
Ann Grindle Svnt Unm 18 “ English Bicknor

"There are the three children of Thomas & Ann, although Amey has become Fanny – this may be a transcription error. Unless this is a remarkable coincidence this proves that Thomas married again.

"I could not find a marriage for Thomas Wilce in the General Index of Marriages that matched up with Charlotte/Sarah/Elinor Lewis.

"There was a marriage in the June quarter of 1848 (Gloucester XI 416) and another in the March quarter of 1851 (Monmouth XXVI 97) but no sign of a Charlotte/Sarah/Elinor Lewis with the same reference number."

I did find this marriage, at least in the FreeBMD, which places it in Apr, May or Jun of 1848.

Then Pauline Williams helped me figure out more clues on this second marriage. In the 1841 census, the nextdoor neighbors of Thomas & Ann are the following:

Pound Thos. Wilce 25 Quarryman Y
Ann Do 21 Y
Amey Do 1 Y

Do William Lewis 53 Shopkeeper Y
Charlotte Do 45 Y
William Do 9 Y
Charlotte Do 11 Y
Thomas Do 7 Y
John Charles Do 4 Y

I believe this Charlotte Lewis, 11-year-old daughter (in 1841) of William Lewis, is the Charlotte Sarah Elinor Lewis who later married the widower Thomas Wilce (at age 18, half of Thomas' age of 36) and had daughters Charlotte Mary Ann, Sarah Elizabeth Lewis and Francis L. (Lewis?). At some point in conversation with my grandmother, I believe she referred to Thomas' second wife as "the evil stepmother who drove John to America." I'm sure that's at least exaggerated, but his father Thomas did die in Sep of 1856, and John did leave home for the first time, from Oxford (where the family had moved) to London, in 1860 (according to a cousin's research, recorded by my grandfather), and from there on the steamship The Queen from Liverpool to New York in 1867 (according to a New York Times clipping from 29 Apr 1867 sent to me by another cousin).

So that's more or less where I am right now! I don't know if this helps anyone else. If anyone knows more, please let me know! Thanks,

Bekah