I’ve a Benjamin Gillam (b. 1825, Filton, Gloucestershire) in my tree. His sons Mark (b. 1855) & George (b. 1857) were both born in Shoreditch according to their baptism records. George’s birth cert. shows his mother as Elizabeth Gillam (b. c.1828, Southwark) ‘formerly Townsend’, but I can’t find any record at all of a marriage between Benjamin and Elizabeth. I’ve tried wildcard searches on both parents surnames, but to no avail. l‘ve even considered that Elizabeth may have been married previously, but that Townsend may have been her surname at birth, rather than her name from her previous marriage. The only possibility I can find is an 1848 marriage of a Benjamin Gillam to Elizabeth Supple, but then I can’t find any record of a prior marriage of a Townsend to a Supple, so I don’t think that’s her. I’ve exhausted all the options that I can think of, but does anyone have any suggestions please? Could it be that they married but the records have been lost or destroyed or could it be that they never actually married?
GRO Index shows the birth registration of Mark William GILLUM in the December qtr 1855 at Shoreditch with mother's maiden name of TOWNSEND so I would think Elizabeth GILLAM's maiden name is probably TOWNSEND. The 1861 census shows her to be aged 33 and born in Southwark. There is a baptism at Southwark on the 7 May 1826 for an Elizabeth TOWNSEND daughter of William & Harriot TOWNSEND which would tie in pretty well with the information in census records. Not that I can find a marriage for them at the moment though. Janet
Well, Benjamin & Elizabeth must have wed (if they did in fact do so ) sometime between 1851 and 1861. Records are from FMP – as are the surname transcriptions… 1851 census: Benjamin (GILLORN) was living at Acorn Street, Saint Botolph Bishopsgate, East London and working as a Sawyer. (529/249/51) He was single. 1861 census: Benjamin (PILLOW) was living with Elizabeth and Mark at 8, Bakers Buildings, St Botolph & Bishopsgate, East London and working as a Pit Sawyer. Mark’s birthplace is recorded as Shoreditch but there’s no sign of George… (211/74/6) 1871 census: Benjamin (GILLAM) is at Noble Street, St Luke, Holborn with his wife Elizabeth and daughter Sarah, who was born about 1864. No sign of Mark. (51/261/40) I have not found Sarah’s birth registration – place of birth illegible. 1881 census: Benjamin (GILLAM) is living at Baths C, 4, Golden Lane, St Luke, Holborn with Elizabeth, Sarah (whose birthplace is now legible as being Shoreditch) plus a 3 year old grandson named Benjamin. (365/121/15) 1891 census: Benjamin (GILLANE) and family are at 37, Isabella Street, Lambeth, London (390/78/7) 1901 census: Benjamin & Elizabeth are living with Sarah & her husband George (HOMESWORTH) at 17, Southall Place, Southwark, London. (363/89/21) Given the different transcriptions of the name GILLAM, looking for them is rather like trying to knit fog. Like @janetbooth , I have not found a likely marriage either.
Thank you Jan. I’m always stunned by how quickly the pro’s on here are able to fathom these links out so quickly.
And to complicate matters even further, there is a marriage at Bristol St Paul on 4 September 1848 between Benjamin GILLAM, bachelor, Sawyer, father John GILLAM, Sawyer & Frances TAYLOR, father William TAYLOR, Match Maker (image available to view on Ancestry). This Benjamin's occupation fits that of your Benjamin and his baptism at Filton St Peter shows his parents to be John & Anna GILLAM. So were both Benjamin & Elizabeth married to other people which might explain the lack of a marriage between them?? 1841 census (HO107/346/3, folio 8, page 12) shows Benjamin living at Filton with parents John & Hannah plus brother? Mark, father John's occupation shown as a Sawyer. Janet
Wow that’s a lot of info Janet. Thank you. I’m just out at the moment so will continue my investigations later in the light of tour post. Much appreciated to all on this thread. By the way, you think this is difficult… I’ve a Brown who married another Brown in my tree, both with common first names. That’s proving absolutely impossible to unravel
I’d found the 1841 census and deduced that John & Hannah were his parents. The possible marriage of Benjamin to someone else I hadn’t even considered though, so will investigate further. Just shows that I’m still a relative newbie to this
I know the feeling! My maternal grandfather was a George SMITH son of John SMITH son of John SMITH son of Richard SMITH - I think!! And that took a good few years to unravel and I am still no further back with said Richard SMITH. I think the more you delve into your family history the more sceptical you can become with regard to what you think you know and what you actually do prove is true, at least this has certainly proved correct in both sides of my family. Janet
Well when he was a new born my father’s older sister was allowed to pick his middle name, so she named him after the family dog. My parents picked that as my first name, so good job he wasn’t named Spot! True story
