I am looking for James in the 1851 census. He was born c 1819 in Puncknowle, which is commonly mispelt. On 8 May 1848 in Symondsbury he married Ann(e) Biles. She was born c 1819 in Powerstock/Poorstock. In Apr-Jun 1849 they had their first child Joseph Hansford Clark, in Symondsbury. 1861-1891 they are in Symondsbury. I may be barmy but Ancestry does not appear to believe in Symondsbury in 1851 I can find no sign of a census for the village that year. I have other frustrations to do with James's parents too ...
Watton, Symondsbury, Bridport, Dorset HO 107/1861/428/2 Joseph 31,Ann 33, Joseph 1 & George Biles,-wife's father 70 & lodger Charles Wakely 20.
Thanks Ma I still can't find it though . I plugged in your reference number and got portions of various nearby villages but no Symondsbury
The one Wendy found is for James, but I could only find it by searching for Ann Clark 1819 +/- 2yrs. she and the rest are on the next page 3 from James. I tried searching for both using the reference numbers - nothing!
I tried using Ann's Father- nada, found people b. Symondsbury but none living there. Lots b.Puncknowle & other little Dorset somewheres but no Symondsbury. I wondered if they lost that book? Went to FMP.
James Clarke son of Mary baptised 24 Nov 1819 Puncknowle from Puncknowle Baptisms 1801-1836 transcribed by Judy Hodges Mary Clarke marriage to Joseph Hansford 25 July 1823 from bishops Transcripts Puncknowle marriages 1810-1836
Went straight to it on Family Search 1851. My search place of choice. Only because it's the only place I am welcome with an empty cheque book.
Found two possible baptisms for Ann Biles in Powerstock. 1 May 1810 to George and Ann Biles, possibly deceased and too early, and there is another Ann baptised 16 Nov 1817 to George and Ann Biles. Nothing further after that, that I can see.
There's a James Clarke who is the son of Mary ------ and he was baptised 24 Nov 1819 in Pucknowle. I presume the dashses means mothers name wasn't mentioned.
Hi everyone Thanks for your finds. I have James son of Mary Clark bapt in Puncknowle in 1819, and a bastardy order of 1821 naming Joseph Hansford as his father. In 1823 Joseph and Mary marry and have another 4 children. I've got what I need on Joseph. Mary is problematic however. I,'m getting ready for work so this will be a bit rushed and off the top of my head Both Joseph and Mary make it to the 1851 census in Puncknowle. Mary's birthplace I have interpreted as Fordington, though it looks like Forington. I did think maybe it was Porington but that is in Norfolk. I've toyed with the idea that is was Bexington, which is in Puncknowle parish, and there is a Clark family in Puncknowle but Mary doesn't seem to be part of it. I can't see a baptism in Fordington but there is one that would fit next door in Dorchester (I think All Saints parish). However, despite the fact that Mary is declared as a spinster on her marriage, some Ancestry trees have her as Mary Buckler who married a Robert Clark in 1819 and then married Joseph Hansford. Whether this is just a desperate try to legitimise James I don't know. The scenario seems unlikely, but it has sown enough doubt in my mind to make me feel uncomfortable. Mary was born c1788 (according to the 1851) or c1791 (if I have the right death).
Joseph's younger brother John married Priscilla Clark in Puncknowle in 1821; Priscilla was born in 1801 in Puncknowle daughter of John and Christian. I'll try to trace John & Christian to see if maybe Mary could be theirs. John and Joseph's paternal grandmother was also a Clark ...
Oh I knew other Clarks were involved ... John and Joseph had a brother William who married Shemey Clark daughter of John and Patience, born c 1810 in Puncknowle. This must be a second John Clark Obviously I can't deal with the Hansfords without digging a bit more into the Clarks
Mary might be a sister to Shemey Clark ...? John Clark and Patience House married in Puddletown in 1790. In 1792 they baptised in Puddletown an Elizabeth and a Mary House Clark. Obviously Puddletown isn't Fordington. But, after a few more children in Puddletown, they did baptise one child there before moving on to Puncknowle ... If this is her the baptism image has an actual dob of 14 Dec 1791
So far I have failed to find any mention of Christian Clark wife of John, other than in the baptism of Priscilla. I am having wild thoughts like ... What if Patience and Christian are the same person?? After all there is a nice gap in the births for John and Patience where Priscilla can fit. That way I don't need a second John, and three brothers marry three sisters. Too neat, huh?
Dorchester and Fordington Glossary- Use of Religious Christian Names: 28/2/1801- Patience Clarke and her husband and four children were subject to a removal order from Fordington to Puncknowle.
OK. I think that I have decided that 1) Mary is the daughter of John and Patience 2) she was born in Puddletown, and briefly lived in Fordington 3) that the couple John and Christian do not exist, and that John and Patience should have been written If anyone thinks I am wrong speak up I believe I have found James Clark as James Hansford in 1841, he appears in the same household as Ann Biles. Still wondering why he didn't name his father on his marriage cert, he clearly knew who he was and named his first child after him. Perhaps he thought he wasn't allowed to?
As further support for this, I just want to say this needs to be true for John and Patience to have four children when they leave Fordington. Elizabeth & Mary (twins) bapt 1792 Puddletown Ann bapt 1793 bur 1795 James bapt 1795 bur 1795 Anne bapt 1798 in Fordington Priscilla bapt 31 May 1801 Puncknowle, presumably born just before they left Fordington
Yesterday I had a good look around for Christian. No luck except for the 1841 census I found Christian Hansford age 72 female living with Thomas Hansford 40 and Mary 30 in Puncknowle. She died in 2/2/1844 Thomas Hansford born 27/2/1799 son of Christine. Dorset OPC