William Adams 1826(?) - 1870 (General)

by nigeldownunder , Australia, Sunday, February 15, 2015, 10:56 (3570 days ago) @ Mike Pinchin

William Addams in the 1861 census is lodging with the DREW family in Monmouth, and his fellow lodgers are John Berry and Mary A Berry.

JOHN DREW, head, married, 55, victualler, born Glostershire Dursley
ANN DREW, wife, married, 55, born Monmouth
ELIZA A DREW, daur, unmarried, 20, dressmaker, born Monmouth
ANN E DREW, daur, unmarried, 18, dressmaker, born Monmouth
JOHN BERRY, lodger, married, 26, labourer, born Monmouth
MARY A BERRY, lodger, married, 22, born Glostershire Joyford
WILLIAM ADDAMS, lodger, unmarried, 36, labourer, born Glostershire Joyford

At first I thought this was not helpful in finding out more about "my" William Adams, but on closer examination, his fellow lodgers are John Berry and Mary A Berry - who just happen to be the witnesses at "my" William's marriage to Elizabeth Cutter:

Copy of marriage certificate, Monmouthshire vol 11a page 70 - application number 6223314/1.
Marriage solemnized at Dorward Chapel Whitchurch in the District of Monmouth 5th August 1862
WILLIAM ADAMS, 37 years, bachelor, labourer, Residence: Monmouth, Father: Jonathan Adams, labourer
ELIZABETH CUTTER, 23 years, spinster, Residence: Berry Hill West Dean, Father: John Cutter, collier
Married at Dorward Chapel according to the rites of the: Independents, in the presence of: JOHN BERRY (mark), MARY ANN BERRY.

AND, it turns out that Mary A Berry is none other than William Adams' wife's sister, Mary Ann Cutter:

Record ID: 107918 Entry Number:
Year: 1856 Month: Nov Day: 9
Grooms Surname: BERRY Grooms Forenames: John
Groom Condition: bachelor, Grooms Occupation: horse keeper, Grooms Residence: of this parish
Grooms Fathers Surname: Berry Grooms Fathers Forenames: John, Grooms Fathers Occupation: nailer
Brides Surname: CUTTER Brides Forenames: Mary Ann
Brides Age: 19
Brides Condition: spinster, Brides Residence: of this parish
Brides Fathers Surname: Cutter, Brides Fathers Forenames: John, Brides Fathers Occupation: collier
Signature or Mark: He marks she signs
Witness 1: Wm Powles, Witness 2: Harriet Uptill
Event: Marriage
Parish Chapel: Monmouth.

Furthermore, John Berry's parents, John and Mary Berry, are recorded on the same page in the 1861 census:

JOHN BERRY, head, married, 52, nail harier(sic), born Monmouth
MARY BERRY, wife, married, 55, born Monmouth
THOMAS BERRY, son, unmarried, 18, labourer, born Monmouth

All these "coincidences" seemed too much to ignore, and they all point towards the William Adams who married Elizabeth Cutter, being the same William Addams in the 1861 census. I can only ascribe the difference in spelling of the surname to the enumerator. In fact, closer scrutiny of the census page shows the name could well be "Aadams"...............even more likely to be an enumerator error.

So that's how I linked the William Addams of the 1861 census to "my" William Adams, who married Elizabeth Cutter in 1862..

I have now seen the image of the Blakeney Parish Baptism records for William Adams Marmont ADAMS 16th May 1824, parents John and Mary Adams, and this confirms the transcription on FoDFHT. I can't be certain that this is "my" William, it just seems highly likely, although I can find NO other record or mention of the name MARMONT, and why the surname Adams was repeated as a forename, escapes me.
I have marked this down as a probable/possible, but I'll need a bit more evidence before I bring John and Mary's family definitively into my tree.

If it were easy, it wouldn't be so much fun!