A bunch of Evanses and possibly some Berrys

Murfomurf

Murfomurf

Well-Known Member
Hello trusty truth-seekers, I am trying to sort out who exactly married a particular John Evans and of course there are stacks of candidates.

My John Evans is:
GRO: EVANS, JOHN [mother] FARDOE GRO Reference: 1863 S Quarter in OSWESTRY Volume 06A Page 628

His parents were Isaac Evans (1821- 1903) and Mary Fardoe (1826- 1887).

John seems to have married a woman known as Hannah, and there are three children attributed to the couple, all born in Leicester with mother "Berry". Frederick 1895, Elizabeth 1896 and John 1898.

I cannot locate the exact Marriage record for John and Hannah (possibly Berry), but there was an association between a John Evans and the Berry family recorded in the Wales 1891:
John H Berry 24
Elizabeth Berry 29
Margaret E Berry 3
Magdalene Berry 1
John Evans 28
John James 20
Cardiganshire; Reg/Subreg: Aberystwith, ED2, Piece 4558, Folio 31.
May have been a totally different John Evans of course!

On various Censuses Hannah is recorded as born in Weedon, Northamptonshire anywhere from 1868 to 1872. The GRO didn't seem to have a suitable birth near there for a Hannah Berry. I have tried Hannah as Ann, Anne and Anna, then thought she might have been known by her 2nd christian name, but nothing definite showed up. Maybe Hannah had married previously and was married to John Evans with her widow surname- but so many John Evanses!

Can anyone look at this puzzle in a new way that might lead to a good answer on who was John Evans' wife?
 
Weedon is in the registration district of Daventry. There is a registration of a Hannah Berry in Daventry in 1864.
In 1881, born Weedon, and is living with her sister Elizabeth Collins and family in Leicester street St Margaret, Leicestershire.
She is 17 years old, 1864.
 
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in 1886 there is a marriage for a Hannah Berry to Arthur Rabbitt in Leicester.
In 1891 it looks like this Arthur Rabbitt is living in Westminster, born Leicester, is 23 and a soldier. Claims to be single.
I cant find Hannah Rabbitt in 1891. I could have missed her though.
 
There is a Hannah BERRY born c1865 in the 1871 census of Weedon (RG10/1490, folio 126, page 27) living with parents Henry (a Cordwainer) & Hannah BERRY plus sister Anne, aged 8 born Weedon. Henry & Hannah BERRY are still living in Weedon in the 1881 census but neither daughter is living with them. The birth registration that Sue found for you shows mother's maiden name of CLARKE and there is a marriage registration at Daventry reg district in the December qtr 1861 for a Henry BERRY and one of the other names on the page is that of a Hannah CLARK.

Janet
 
Archie's Mum said:
Weedon is in the registration district of Daventry. There is a registration of a Hannah Berry in Daventry in 1864.
In 1881, born Weedon, and is living with her sister Elizabeth Collins and family in Leicester street St Margaret, Leicestershire.
She is 17 years old, 1864.
Click to expand...
The family can be found living at :-

1871
Cottage, Weedon, Daventry, Northamptonshire
RG10
Piece number 1490
Folio 126
Page 27


It says Hannah's parents were Henry and Hannah Berry nee Clark, they were married in Daventry in 1861

This census (according to FMP transcription) has Henry as a Cardiologists the original says Cordwainer.

I'm blowed if I can find a marriage to John Evens though.

Ah I see Janet has beaten me to it
 
Frederick was born on 11th September 1893, at 31, Morton Road, West Humberstone, Leicester, it doesn't look like his mother had been married previously as her name is entered as Hannah Evans formerly Berry. Had she have been married previously it would normally say Hannah Evans, previously (surname), formerly Berry.
 
A Hannah CLARK is living in St James Street, Daventry, Northamptonshire (Hannah BERRY's place of birth in subsequent census records) in the 1861 census together with widowed father John CLARK. However, she and Henry BERRY do not appear to have married in Daventry according to the parish register so I wonder if it were a non-conformist or registry office wedding.

Janet
 
Strange that on the 1891 census John's wife is entered as Jane (original) there is a son born 1890.

1891 Census
Marton Road, Humberstone, Billesdon, Leicestershire, England
RG12
Piece number 2495
Folio 108
Page 20

John Evans, Head, Married, 28, 1863, Joiner, Oswestry, Shropshire, England
Jane Evans, Wife, Married, 25, 1866, Weedon, Northamptonshire, England
John Evans, Son , 1, 1890, Leicester, Leicestershire, England

EVANS, JOHN
Mother's Maiden Name - BERRY
GRO Reference: 1890 J Quarter in LEICESTER Volume 07A Page 221

John Jnr died at 31, Morton Road, West Humberstone on 11th May 1894 of bronchitis and measles.

So it looks like (if they did indeed get married) the marriage would be prior to 1890.
 
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Strange the 1891 census Chimp found above because there is a John EVANS born c1864 in the 1891 census of Ancestry (RG12/2117, folio 55, page 16) living at 6 Cambrian Pl, Beatrice St, with father Isaac EVANS, a widowed Railway Plate Layer, who is shown as an unmarried Joiner, born Oswestry. Are there 2 John EVANS's, both Joiners, who both married a BERRY??

Janet
 
According to the 1911 census of Broughton Astley, Leicestershire, John & Hannah EVANS had been married 20 years and had 4 children, 3 of whom are still living i.e. Frederick, Elizabeth & John, so is the dead child the first John that Chimp found on the 1891 census? There is a death registered at Leicester reg district in the June qtr of 1894 for a John EVANS, aged 4. Still can't find a marriage for them so far though.

Janet
 
John Jnr died at 31, Morton Road, West Humberstone, the same address Frederick was born at on 11th September 1893. So I would say same family.
 
Thank you everyone- it seems you have cleared up everything about the Evans, Berry and Clark families of Leicestershire and Northamptonshire so I can rely on their info for the family tree. The only glitch is the lack of a doumented marriage between John Evans and Hannah Berry- and we know that documentation can be the last straw in the family budget during lean times!
I think this chapter can be closed, thank you.
 
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