Hiam family (General)

by Jefff , West London, Middlesex, Sunday, September 30, 2018, 16:32 (2245 days ago) @ Mike Pinchin

Hi Mike,
like you I've been struggling to find ANY trace of both Walter or Laura, either before or after marriage, using the FoD PRs for Walter, and then FamilySearch for them both. The FoD PRs gave me no clear links for Walter and father Samuel, or an obvious birth for Walter.
Despite FamilySearch usually using being so good at offering name spelling variations etc, the only clear match I could find was the exact same Marriage Record you found. Interestingly that site gave records for "HYANS", but they were not our family.

Then tried FreeBMD to find the Marriage Record which clearly took place in 1891, as by now was beginning to think the newspaper record had got one of their names wrong !
Searching all Marriages for a Walter Baldwin to Laura (no surname) I found this record, as you know, and unlike FamilySearch, FreeBMD is very fussy wrt spellings;

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page
Marriages Jun 1891
Baldwin Walter Droitwich 6c 528
Hiam Laura Matilda Droitwich 6c 528

Despite thinking it would make no difference to the findings, I then revisited FamilySearch looking for Laura HIAM not HIAMS, to my surprise I got instant hits ! eg

1881 Claines, Droitwich, Worcestershire, England
Household Role Sex Age Birthplace
George Hiam Head M 45 Bootmaker. Worcester, Worcestershire, England
Charlotte Hiam Wife F 36 Claines, Worcestershire, England
Ann Elizabeth Hiam Daughter F 15 Claines, Worcestershire, England
Laura M Hiam Daughter F 13 Claines, Worcestershire, England
Margaret J Hiam Daughter F 9 London, Middlesex, England
Maud Elizabeth Hiam Daughter F 2 Claines, Worcestershire, England
George H T Hiam Son M 0 Claines, Worcestershire, England

So reminding me that as good as FamilySearch is at offering surname spelling variations, it doesn't always offer some we might think are obvious...

So Laura was born abt 1868, perhaps Walter is abt the same or earlier, maybe in Newent area ??

Also from FamilySearch

Name Laura Matilda Hiam
Gender Female
Christening Date 02 Feb 1868
Christening Date (Original) 02 FEB 1868
Christening Place CLAINES,WORCESTER,ENGLAND
Father's Name George Hiam
Mother's Name Mary

Which fits;

1871 Claines, Droitwich, Worcestershire, England
Household Role Sex Age Birthplace
George Hiam Head M 39 Railway Porter. Claines, Worcestershire
Mary Hiam Wife F 28 Claines, Worcestershire
Thomas Hiam Son M 15 Railway Messenger. Claines, Worcestershire
Ann Elizabeth Hiam Daughter F 5 Claines, Worcestershire
Laura M Hiam Daughter F 3 Claines, Worcestershire
Elizabeth Rowe Niece F 14 Claines, Worcestershire

Think this explains why couldn't find Walter and Laura in Census' after their marriage;

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page
Marriages Mar 1899
Baldwin Laura Matilda Worcester 6c 324
Cording John William Worcester 6c 324

Is this our Walter ?

Deaths Sep 1897
Baldwin Walter 32 Worcester 6c 146

So indeed was born abt 1865.

Not a rare name but maybe;

Births Sep 1865 (>99%)
BALDWIN Walter Newent 6a 216

GlosBMD confirms;

Birth Details
Child Surname Child Forename Mother's Former Name Year District Office Register Entry
BALDWIN Walter NURTHEN 1865 Gloucester Gloucester, Newent 13 209

"Nurthen" ?
Struggling to find his parents, FamilySearch has a family in Newent in 1871 and 1881, Walter correct age, but gives his father as William not Samuel (wrt marriage report), and suggests his mother's maiden name is not Nurthen.

In case it's relevant post it for now;

1871 Newent, Gloucestershire, England
Household Role Sex Age Birthplace
William Baldwin Head M 44 Jobbing mason. Newent, Gloucestershire
Hannah Baldwin Wife F 44 Newent, Gloucestershire
Albert Baldwin Son M 23 Jobbing mason. Newent, Gloucestershire
Emily Baldwin Daughter F 11 Newent, Gloucestershire
William Baldwin Son M 9 Newent, Gloucestershire
Mary Baldwin Daughter F 7 Newent, Gloucestershire
Walter Baldwin Son M 5 Newent, Gloucestershire
Francis Baldwin Son M 1 Newent, Gloucestershire
Annie Hartland Mother-in-law F 70 Newent, Gloucestershire

1881 Broad Street, Newent, Gloucestershire, England
Household Role Sex Age Birthplace
Henry Hartland Head M 30 Grocer & Farmer Employing 4 Labs 110 Acres. Newent, Gloucestershire, England
Ann Lewis Servant F 42 Eaton Bishop, Herefordshire, England
James B Wheeldon Servant M 21 Monmouth, Monmouthshire, England
John J Dowding Servant M 17 Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England
Walter Baldwin Servant M 15 General Servant (Grocer). Newent, Gloucestershire, England

????