George Watkins 1802 of Bream and his stepchildren (General)

by Al , Friday, May 19, 2006, 06:22 (6755 days ago) @ slowhands

I am also interested in this 1851 Bream Woodside family and am hoping that it may allow me to break through a brick wall I have had for several years..

Apologies but this is a bit of a "wander"

My brick wall concerns the parents of a Thomas b 1827 (Bream) who married a Helena Kear b 1831 Little Deans Hill (who I know a lot about).

1851 WEST DEAN P.R.O. Reference # HO 107/2444

WATKINS Thomas 24 Iron Miner Newland
Elenor 20 East Dean
Rhoda 1 Llanfoist

I believe that Thomas' father was a William Watkins but there are many to choose from.

In the 1841 Ancestry indicies I could find no Thomases that had William for a father. I did however find a suitably aged Thomas Watkins who appears with a George Watkins together with a Shingles family. So it's possible that Elizabeth remarried.

1841
John Shingles abt 1811 Dean Forest Gloucestershire
Elizabeth Shingles abt 1806 Dean Forest Gloucestershire
Thomas Watkins abt 1826 Dean Forest Gloucestershire
George Watkins abt 1828 Dean Forest Gloucestershire
John Shingles abt 1832 Dean Forest Gloucestershire
James Shingles abt 1835 Dean Forest Gloucestershire

Encouragingly in 1851 Thomas and Helena Kear are resident very close to (ie within census a page or so) the George Watkins family you've posted that contains the remnants of the above Shingles family.

I also know from IGI that John Shingles married Elizabeth WATKINS in 03 SEP 1831 at Newland, Gloucester, England; that he died in Q2 1844; and that Elizabeth married George Watkins in Q3 1844.

What I really need help with is

(1) Was Elizabeth a widow when she married John Shingles in 1831. Obviously even if this is the case it still doesn't prove that this is MY Thomas Watkins mother

(2) A baptism record for Thomas Watkins born 1826/27 in Bream to a Wlliam and Elizabeth Watkins (and if so are there any siblings, including a George?)

Can anyone help or is this just too speculative ?

Thanks

AL