My great-grandfather Joseph WATKINS married Elizabeth Frances MILLS (b.1866 Clifton) at Clifton Bristol. I've always wondered how a coal miner from Ruardean met and married a girl from Bristol. According to censuses Joseph was born and always lived in the Ruardean area.

I know the parents of Elizabeth MILLS were William MILLS (b. Cifton 1823) and Catherine LAY (b.1847 Clifton). I know there is a 24 years difference in the age of the parents. Not been able to get any further information on them and unable to confirm if they were actually born in Clifton or maybe somewhere in the forest. Also maybe William had a previous marriage.

If anybody has access to information that may help it would be appreciated.

Dave Watkins

Based on Elizabeth being a Domestic servant, I guess she came over to the Forest for a job. Her father was from a small Wiltshire village, could be West Knoyle north of Shaftesbury...

1861
William Mills abt 1825 West Knowle, Wiltshire, England Head Clifton Gloucestershire
Elizabeth F Mills abt 1830 Bristol; St Georges Wife Clifton Gloucestershire
Caroline Mills abt 1857 Clifton, Gloucestershire, England Daughter Clifton Gloucestershire
Henry L Mills abt 1852 Clifton, Gloucestershire, England Son Clifton Gloucestershire
John F Mills abt 1855 Clifton, Gloucestershire, England Son Clifton Gloucestershire
William Mills abt 1860 Clifton, Gloucestershire, England Son Clifton Gloucestershire

1871 5 Burtons Court - Labourer
William Mills abt 1825 Wiltshire, England Head Clifton Gloucestershire
Catherine Mills abt 1845 Bristol; Clifton Wife Clifton Gloucestershire
Alice M Mills abt 1865 Bristol; Clifton Daughter Clifton Gloucestershire
E L Mills abt 1867 Bristol; Clifton Daughter Clifton Gloucestershire
John Mills abt 1854 Bristol; Clifton Son Clifton Gloucestershire
R J Mills abt 1869 Bristol; Clifton Son Clifton Gloucestershire
R W Mills abt 1871 Bristol; Clifton Son Clifton Gloucestershire
William Mills abt 1860 Bristol; Clifton Son Clifton Gloucestershire

1881 Head Masons Labourer
Elizabeth is a domestic servant
Alice Mills abt 1866 Bristol Clifton Daughter 5 Burton Court, Clifton, Gloucestershire, England
Catherine Mills abt 1847 Bristol Clifton Wife 5 Burton Court, Clifton, Gloucestershire, England
Elizabeth Mills abt 1867 Bristol Clifton Daughter 5 Burton Court, Clifton, Gloucestershire, England
John Mills abt 1879 Bristol Clifton Son 5 Burton Court, Clifton, Gloucestershire, England
Robert Mills abt 1871 Bristol Clifton Son 5 Burton Court, Clifton, Gloucestershire, England
William Mills abt 1823 Bristol Clifton Head 5 Burton Court, Clifton, Gloucestershire, England

1891
Mills, Catherine abt 1846 Bristol, St Michael's Wife Clifton Gloucestershire
Mills, John abt 1879 Bristol, Clifton Son Clifton Gloucestershire
Mills, Sidney abt 1884 Bristol, Clifton Son Clifton Gloucestershire
Mills, William abt 1823 Salisbury Head Clifton Gloucestershire

That all seems to add up and it appears that William's first wife died and he married a second time to Catherine LAY

In checking out the familysearch.org 1881 on-line censuses I noticed living at the same address as the William and Catherine MILLS family is a Thomas MILLS also from Wiltshire.

It looks like that William and Thomas could well be brothers so I suppose my next step is to get into some Wiltshire records to get further back on this line.

1881
Thomas MILLS Head M Male 28 Bristol Clifton Masons Laborer
Louisa MILLS Wife M Female 34 Winford Somerset England
Thomas MILLS Head M Male 55 Wiltshire England Masons Laborer
Elizabeth MILLS Wife M Female 55 Wiltshire England Charwoman
Emma MILLS Daur U Female 25 Bristol Clifton Dressmaker
Sidney MILLS Son U Male 18 Bristol Clifton Carpenter
Rosina MILLS Daur U Female 13 Bristol Clifton (DS) Maid Of All Work

Source Information:
Dwelling 5 Burton Court
Census Place Clifton Gloucester England
Family History Library Film 1341597
Public Records Office Reference RG11
Piece / Folio 2480 / 14
Page Number 21

Thomas Mills

1861
Thomas Mills abt 1828 West Knowle, Wiltshire, England Head Clifton Gloucestershire
Elizabeth Mills abt 1828 Wiltshire, England Wife Clifton Gloucestershire
Emma Mills abt 1856 Clifton, Gloucestershire, England Daughter Clifton Gloucestershire
Henrietta J Mills abt 1860 Clifton, Gloucestershire, England Daughter Clifton Gloucestershire
Reuben Mills abt 1858 Clifton, Gloucestershire, England Son Clifton Gloucestershire
Elizabeth Mills abt 1788 West Knowle, Wiltshire, England Mother Clifton Gloucestershire

1871

Thomas Mills abt 1828 West Noil, Wiltshire, England Head Clifton Gloucestershire
Elizabeth Mills abt 1828 Meare, Wiltshire, England Wife Clifton Gloucestershire
Emily Mills abt 1870 Bristol; Clifton Daughter Clifton Gloucestershire
Emma Mills abt 1856 Bristol; Clifton Daughter Clifton Gloucestershire
Julia A Mills abt 1861 Bristol; Clifton Daughter Clifton Gloucestershire
Rosa Mills abt 1868 Bristol; Clifton Daughter Clifton Gloucestershire
Sidney Mills abt 1865 Bristol; Clifton Son Clifton Gloucestershire
Elizabeth Mills abt 1786 Noil, Wiltshire, England Grandmother, Grandma Clifton Gloucestershire

1881
Thomas Mills abt 1826 Wiltshire, England Head 5 Burton Court, Clifton, Gloucestershire, England
Louisa Mills abt 1847 Winford, Somerset, England Wife 5 Burton Court, Clifton, Gloucestershire, England

Information I received which was taken from the parish register of West Knoyle Wiltshire.

William Mills 1823 Apr 6 son of Richard & Elizabeth lab
Thomas Mills 1828 Jul 27 son of Richard & Elizabeth lab

1851
Thomas Mills abt 1829 West Knoyle Head West Knoyle Wiltshire
Elizabeth Mills abt 1828 Mere, Wiltshire, England Wife West Knoyle Wiltshire
Hennetta Mills abt 1849 West Knoyle Daughter West Knoyle Wiltshire
Julia Agnes Mills abt 1850 West Knoyle Daughter West Knoyle Wiltshire
Jacob Gray abt 1799 West Knoyle Lodger West Knoyle Wiltshire

Also in village :-

Charles Mills abt 1801 West Knoyle, Wiltshire, England Head West Knoyle Wiltshire
Anna Maria Mills abt 1811 East Knoyle, Wiltshire, England Wife West Knoyle Wiltshire
George J Mills abt 1846 West Knoyle, Wiltshire, England Son West Knoyle Wiltshire
John Thomas Mills abt 1849 West Knoyle Son West Knoyle Wiltshire

Ann Flower abt 1775 East Knoyle, Wiltshire, England Mother-in-law West Knoyle Wiltshire
Charles Mills abt 1840 West Knoyle Son West Knoyle Wiltshire
George Mills abt 1833 West Knoyle Son West Knoyle Wiltshire
Harriet Mills abt 1816 East Knoyle, Wiltshire, England Wife West Knoyle Wiltshire
Henery Mills abt 1802 West Knoyle Head West Knoyle Wiltshire
John Mills abt 1836 West Knoyle Son West Knoyle Wiltshire
Susannah Mills abt 1830 West Knoyle, Wiltshire, England Daughter West Knoyle Wiltshire

Charles Mills abt 1845 West Knoyle Son West Knoyle Wiltshire
Jacob Mills abt 1829 West Knoyle, Wiltshire, England Son West Knoyle Wiltshire
Jane Mills abt 1843 West Knoyle Daughter West Knoyle Wiltshire
Job Mills abt 1836 West Knoyle Son West Knoyle Wiltshire
John Mills abt 1800 West Knoyle, Wiltshire, England Head West Knoyle Wiltshire
John Mills abt 1840 West Knoyle Son West Knoyle Wiltshire
Mary Mills abt 1802 Mere, Wiltshire, England Wife West Knoyle Wiltshire
Sophia Mills abt 1834 West Knoyle Daughter West Knoyle Wiltshire

Maria Mills abt 1804 East Knoyle, Wiltshire, England Wife West Knoyle Wiltshire
Robert Mills abt 1803 West Knoyle, Wiltshire, England Head West Knoyle Wiltshire

Alfred Mills abt 1850 West Knoyle Son West Knoyle Wiltshire
Augusta Mills abt 1842 West Knoyle Daughter West Knoyle Wiltshire
Emma Mills abt 1811 West Knoyle Wife West Knoyle Wiltshire
Sydney Mills abt 1847 West Knoyle Son West Knoyle Wiltshire
William Mills abt 1816 West Knoyle Head West Knoyle Wiltshire

1851 5 Burton's Court
William Mills abt 1824 West Knowl, Wiltshire, England Head Clifton Gloucestershire
Elizabeth Mills abt 1829 St. Georges, Gloucestershire, England Wife Clifton Gloucestershire
Rebecca Ablett abt 1772 Bristol St Phillips Lodger Clifton Gloucestershire
James Lewis abt 1825 St Martins, Herefordshire, England Visitor Clifton Gloucestershire

1841
Richard Mills abt 1786 Wiltshire, England West Knoyle Wiltshire
Elizabeth Mills abt 1791 Wiltshire, England West Knoyle Wiltshire

For the benefit of others who maybe researching the same ancestral line as myself, this is an update of information which was supplied to me by Jane who I share the common ancestors of Joseph WATKINS to Elizabeth Frances MILLS with.

Elizabeth was the daughter of William MILLS and Catherine LEAHY. (She was probably named in memory of Williams first wife, Elizabeth Frances MORGAN who was born in 1828 at St. Georges, Gloucestershire. She was baptised on the 1st of June 1828 at St. Augustine the Less, Bristol, Gloucestershire. They were married at St. Andrews, Clifton, Bristol on the 5th of April 1847 and she died about 1862).

In the 1861 census William is living with Elizabeth at 5b Burtons Court, Clifton, Bristol. Living at 5a Burtons Court is a Catherine LEAHY and her sister Mary A LEAHY. FreeBMD records a marriage between a William MILLS and Catherine LEAHY in Dec 1864 at Bristol Vol 6a Page 44. The marriage took place on the 27th of December 1864 at St. James Church, Bristol and the parish record shows Catherines father as William LEAHY.

There is a parish record which I believe to be that of Catherine recording her baptism on the 22 September 1844 at Clifton, Gloucestershire In the name of Catharina LEE, date of birth 4th September 1844, father Gulielmi LEE and mother Annae SHENGUIN. Another parish record shows a marriage between Gulielmus LEA and Anna SHENGUIN in 1826 at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Clifton, Gloucestershire, (England and Wales Marriages, 1538-1940 at Ancestry also shows this information and gives the date as 4th of April 1826). I have also found a parish record for a Joseph LANE born 5th March 1834, baptised 23 March 1834 at Clifton. Gloucestershire, father Gulielmi Lane, mother Annae SHENQUIN.
 
The discrepancies in surname is most likely caused by a combination of factors ...... illiteracy, pronunciation, and the misunderstanding of local dialects all being possible reasons. However it would seem likely that this is (the same person as) Catherine LAY

The information was found at Ancestry. co. uk and the following sites/ links.

http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/search.pl

https://www.familysearch.org/

Perhaps you may like to consider this information. It would be nice to think that I may have been of some help to you, if on the other hand it is totally wrong I would be most grateful to know.