Forest of Dean FHT Forum

Back to the forum index

Linear

I have in my tree Thomas Stevens [written as Stephens] base born christened at Flaxley on 17 Jun 1810. Mother Jemima , whose own baptism is recorded as Littledean 24 May 1789. I am wondering if Thomas was born in a workhouse somewhere nearby but don't know how to go about searching records, or even if this is possible. I would be most grateful for any help.

3004 views

In 1789-90, a parish workhouse was erected on the west side of the High Street at the north of Westbury on Severn - This is the most likely Workhouse for Flaxley / Littledean.

However records in Glos Archives are post 1834.

Year: 1810
Month: Jun
Day: 17
Parents_Surname: STEPHENS
Child_Forenames: Thomas
Fathers_Forenames: not stated
Mothers_Forenames: Jemima
Mothers_Surname:
Residence:
Occupation:
Officiating_Minister: Charles Crawley
Event:
Memoranda: base born
Notes: Any abbreviated forenames have been expanded to the full name
Register_Reference: P145 IN 1/6
Page_Number: 6
Parish_Chapel: Flaxley

--
Ἀριστοτέλης A Gloster & Hereford Boy in the Forest of Dean ><((((*>

2975 views

A background of the history of the workhouse can be found at http://www.workhouses.org.uk

2940 views

Many thanks Slowhands - on looking at the thread you have helped this particular tree enormously. Does 'Base Born' mean in the workhouse? We are visiting the Archives in Gloucester this weekend and shall certainly visit Flaxley too.
Thanks again to you and everyone,
David

2497 views

Hi again David,
nice to see you on the Forum !
"Base born" is a rather typical phrase used by Ministers of the time for indicating a child was born "out of wedlock", as it were. Like you I was rather baffled by this phrase when I discovered it re some of my ancestors when I started my family research earlier this year. You are far from being alone wrt this particular black sheep term so don't be to upset!. Sadly but I guess perhaps understandably its a phrase that often seems to coincide with Workhouse inmates.
I see you didnt get to Gloucester ths weekend afterall, so good luck with that.
Re visiting Flaxley, its perhaps a sign of modern "progress" that as someone born & bred in Cinderford, a prosperous thriving town in my 70s youth, Flaxley was just a small insignificant sideturning on the main road to Gloucester, it was never mentioned at all in my experience. It was a major surprise to me when I bought mny first old county map to find that not only was Cinderford not on the map, Flaxley was and clearly a place of some significance. We went there once in the 90s for an openday/fete, a lovely day at a beautiful place. To my shame I've not returned, so methinks I too will be visiting sometime in the next few weeks !.

2472 views

Hi Jeff,
No problem and many thanks for the info - you learn as you go along! We are actually going to Gloucester this weekend (Flaxley too, so shall look forward to seeing the village and area, sounds great!
Thanks again,
David

2463 views

Thanks all for huge help with this tree.
I think I've got the story so far and If my addled and muddled brain is right it goes something like this.

John Stevens born c. 1757 Married to Mary have daughter:
Jemima Stevens born c. 1789 has son
Thomas Stevens born 1810 (do we think this was in the Workhouse, it may have been a bad place but the architecture is a whole lot better than the junk on the site at the moment)
Thomas's father was John Tingle born c. 1891
Jemima marries John Tingle after the birth on 15/10/1811 at English Bicknor
Thomas moves to Cirencester where the family remains - largely nailmaking (there were several firms doing this at the time)
Thomas has son
James Stevens born 1849
James has son
Frank Stevens born 1883
Frank has son
William Stevens born c 1923 (I have to check the date he's my Dad!)
William has son
David Stevens born 1943 (me)
David has son
William Stevens born 1979
William has son
Logan Stevens born 2009

Thanks again to you all especially slowhands, jmay and jefff
If we can go back further that would be amazing - I'll keep digging!
David

2488 views

Searching FreeBMD I see many, many, Stevens (and a good few Stephens) in Cirencester since the 1800s. Trying to find yours my guesses are as below, am I close ?:

Surname Given Name District Volume Page Transcribers
Births Mar 1849
STEPHENS James Cirencester XI 257 cherran
Stephens James Cirencester XI 257 wodowd

Surname Given Name District Volume Page Transcriber
Births Mar 1883
STEVENS Frank Cirencester 6a 390 psims

Sadly the mother's names were not recorded then

Surname Given Name District Volume Page Transcriber
Marriages Sep 1908
STEVENS Frank Cirencester 6a 874 dakota

Still no wife's name.

Is this your William "c1923", assuming still in Cirencester ?

Surname Given Name Mother District Volume Page Transcriber
Births Mar 1921
STEVENS William J. Lord Cirencester 6a 677 jemello

So this birth was registered Jan/Feb/Mar 1921, usually soon afer the actual birth.

I cannot find a direct match for William's marriage c1940ish(?). From your email the Sabbertons (Ely?) get plenty of mentions but no obvious marriages that I can find but it is late. Perhaps this absence of data is just one of the "gaps" awaiting transcription.

Anyhow thats not my point of this post, you seemed unsure of William's birthdate so maybe this helped ? Am I near ?

2460 views

Hello Jeff,
Many thanks and appreciated as usual!
I'm rock solid with the Cirencester line, it all stacks up - I was just being lazy with my Dad's date of birth, of all the Stevens' I just had not checked that particular one (always the way with close at home!)
My grand mother on Mums side was a Saberton and so far (again with invaluable help from others) we are back to Robert Sabberton (double b) in 1590. All from the Witcham area close to Ely on the Fens.
We are hitting Gloucester and Flaxley this weekend, so I too now have Forest of Dean roots that I never knew about - exciting!!
Thanks again,
David

2432 views

No probs David, I suspected as much but as said before trying to piece these lines together is all good mental exercise. Anyhow was I right re your grandfather's birth & mother's details, was she a LORD ??.
Today the obvious has registered and I've tried searching Sabertons with spelling variations (daft really as last night I tried all the Stevens permutations but only SabBertons !). Theres a few "possible" William ??? + Saberton(Ely) marriages in the right era but no William STEVENS yet.
Annoys me when I cannot solve the equation but hey that sometimes happens with FreeBMD.
As long as you know it thats the main thing of course, and yes I know what you mena when it comes to knowing the "close to home" stuff.

2431 views

Hello Jeff,
You have certainly got the right Stevens line and we have all this nicely nailed down now (no pun intended as that was the family trade!)
Jmay has been of terrific help and so too have the Gloucester Archives who are incredibly friendly - we had a great couple of days down there and also had our first experience of the Forest, which is magical, it must have been very different back then though with all the industry,
Thanks as ever for your kind help, it's much appreciated!
David

2396 views

Thank you so much for your help. All I have to go on really is an 1841 census where Thomas lived in Cirencester with wife Maria[Hughes] and children. They were married in Minety Wilts c.1835. Unfortunately the birthplace of Thomas is recorded as Forest of Dean, so I have been working my way through ! Maybe he wasn't born in a Workhouse, but I feel sure that he was baptised at Flaxley even though this is the first and only time I have seen it recorded as Stephens and not Stevens as I know it. So I guess it's back to the drawing board as they say, if there is anything else you can think of I will be most grateful. HAPPY NEW YEAR to you all.

2918 views

1861
Maria Stevens abt 1817 Minety, Wiltshire, England Head Lechlade, Gloucestershire
Robert Stevens abt 1840 Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England Son Lechlade, Gloucestershire
Thomas Stevens abt 1852 Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England Son Lechlade, Gloucestershire
Charles Stevens abt 1854 Lechlade, Gloucestershire, England Son Lechlade, Gloucestershire
James Stevens Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England Son Lechlade, Gloucestershire

Death ?
Name: Thomas Stephens ?
Year of Registration: 1860
Quarter of Registration: Apr-May-Jun
District: Malmesbury
County: Gloucestershire, Wiltshire
Volume: 5a
Page: 24

Name: Thomas Stephens
Year of Registration: 1852
Quarter of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep
District: Malmesbury
County: Gloucestershire, Wiltshire
Volume: 5a
Page: 26

1851
Thos Stephens abt 1811 Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England Head Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Maria Stephens abt 1813 Minety, Wiltshire, England Wife Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Jemima Stephens abt 1835 Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England Daughter Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Robt Stephens abt 1836 Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England Son Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Mary A Stephens abt 1838 Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England Daughter Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Sarah Stephens abt 1842 Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England Daughter Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Elizth Stephens abt 1845 Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England Daughter Cirencester, Gloucestershire
James Stephens abt 1847 Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England Son Cirencester, Gloucestershire

1841 [HUGHS?]
Maria Huse abt 1790 Gloucestershire, England Minty, Gloucestershire
James Huse abt 1791 Gloucestershire, England Minty, Gloucestershire
Sarah Huse abt 1823 Gloucestershire, England Minty, Gloucestershire
William Huse abt 1826 Gloucestershire, England Minty, Gloucestershire
Jemina Huse abt 1836 Minty, Gloucestershire
Mary Ann Huse abt 1838 Gloucestershire, England Minty, Gloucestershire

1841 [STEPHENS]
Thomas Hoien abt 1811 Gloucestershire, England Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Maria Hoien abt 1816 Gloucestershire, England Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Robert Hoien abt 1837 Gloucestershire, England Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Mary Hoien abt 1839 Gloucestershire, England Cirencester, Gloucestershire

--
Ἀριστοτέλης A Gloster & Hereford Boy in the Forest of Dean ><((((*>

2978 views

Wow!
Thank you SO much slowhands. I certainly did not expect this. As you will see I have been working on my family tree around Cirencester and Fairford/Lechlade and was confident that they had always been around that area, then suddenly up pops Thomas Stevens who was born in the Forest of Dean. As I too now live in the forest the quest becomes more intriguing. I feel I am 'homing in' on him round the Flaxley/Littledean area. Than you so much for your help.

2842 views

I do hope I am not too late to be of some help to you. Thomas Stevens was my 2x great grandfather.

2650 views

My only defence at writing to myself is that I am 72 and rubbish with a computer !

2594 views

previous thread

http://www.forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?mode=thread&id=32391#p32391

Minety

http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/WIL/Minety/index.html

----

Gloucestershire Baptism Index

Cirencester St John the Baptist

Robert STEVENS, parents Thomas (Nailmaker) & Maria

born 16 September 1835

christened 28 February 1836

(on the 1841 Census, Thomas is a Nailmaker)

On the 1851 census, there is a daughter Jemima c1835 - who is not on the 1841 census, and there is no baptism at Cirencester for this child! - living in Minty 1841 census age 5 - not born in County. Possible named after Thomas' mother ...

Gloucestershire BDM

http://ww3.gloucestershire.gov.uk/bmd/

births registered in Cirencester between 1843 - STEVENS- mother's Maiden Name HUGHES

Female -1843
James - 1846
John - 1851
Male - 1838
Mary Ann - 1839
William - 1848

----
???

On the FOD records, there is a Jemima STEPHENS who married a John TINGLE - 15 October 1811 at English Bicknor

1841 Census Cinderford

TINGLE

John - 50 - Haulier - born in County
Jemima - 45
Isaac - 20
John - 20
Mary - 15
Eliza - 8
William - 5

By the 1851 census, John/Jemima's age have 'jumped'

Glos. East Dean
Woodside

TINGLE

John - 70 - born Glos. Dean
Jemima - 64
Mary - 24
Eliza - 19
Isaac - 8

2642 views

Thank you SO much. You cannot believe how great it is to know that someone else has agreed with what I was thinking ! Thomas Stevens was base born to Jemima so she and John went to English Bicknor to get married. I have Jemima christened on 24 May 1789 at Littledean with parents given a John Stevens and Mary. John appears to have been christened at Mitcheldean on 13 Feb 1757. I think [ with the help of slowhands] she may have died in Westbury on Severn. I have a ref and am about to send for a certificate. Fingers crossed it will be the correct one! Thank you for all your much appreciated help. I shall now carry on with renewed enthusiasm but , if you have the time and patience and can think of anything else I will,of course be delighted.

2532 views

RSS Feed of thread

powered by my little forum