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| The Old House, Hereford |
So far, I know my 4xgreat grandfather William Hardman was a provision merchant married to Elizabeth Willis and had four children by her, baptized between 1827 and 1834 in Worcester. Among his grandchildren is Edith Simmonds Hardman (my 2xgreat grandmother). Her middle name always seemed to me to recall a maiden surname somewhere in her ancestry, but up to this point I hadn't discovered where.
I have found no census returns for William Hardman, although I do have them for the four children, baptized in Worcester: John (Captain of the Mizzen Top, my 3xgreat grandfather), James (Labourer in Bristol), Thomas (Tailor in Hereford) and Elizabeth (Wife of John Green Winter who moved to Glasgow). It was a census return of Thomas the Tailor which caught my eye.
In 1851, on East Street at Hereford St Owen, in the household of James Hardman:
James Hardman Head Mar 52 Tailor Herefordsh Hereford
Mary Do Wife Mar 49 Dressmaker do do
Thomas Do Nephew U 21 Tailor Worcestersh Worcester
William Wilson Father in law W 75 Sergeant at Mace Herefordsh Hereford
As for finding William Hardman's relatives, Thomas the nephew is consistent with Thomas Hardman, son of William and Elizabeth, who was baptized 11 October 1829 in Worcester. And this would make James Hardman the head of household, William's brother.
Mary's father, William Wilson, was one of the civic officials who carried who carried the ceremonial mace at council meetings, etc. It is with him that we find the family in 1861, at 12 Price's Hospital in Hereford, which a brief google search shows to be almshouses founded in 1665.
William Wilson Head Widr 85 Resident in Hospital Hereford Hereford
(formerly Sergeant at Mace)
Mary Hardman daur Mar 59 Dressmaker do
James do son in law do 62 Tailor do
Thomas do Grandson 11 Scholar do Hoarwithy
Thomas do Visitor Un 31 Tailor Worcester Worcester
In 1871, we find them at 1 Gloster Plce, All Saints, Hereford. By this time William Wilson must have died, and Thomas grandson is no longer present:
James Hardman Head Mar 72 Tailor Hereford
Mary do Wife do 69 do
Thomas do Nephew Unm 41 Tailor Worcester
Thomas Williams do do 20 Plumber Hereford Hoarwithy
Thomas Williams in 1871 may be the same as Thomas Hardman the grandson in 1861, with the latter surname incorrectly given. That he is a grandson to William Wilson does not mean that he is a son to James and Mary Hardman. I see no records of baptisms for possible children of James and Mary, leading me to the conclusion that they may not have had children of their own. Nor do I see a civil registration for Thomas Hardman born 1848-52 in Herefordshire - plenty of Thomas Williamses, though. I'm guessing he is an adopted son.
Just possibly James and Mary had also adopted William and Elizabeth's Thomas as well. Had they died before 1841, that would explain the lack of records for them. But it would not be uncommon for a child to be apprenticed out to an uncle, so I'll not give up on the records.
In 1881, Thomas Hardman is a lodger, aged 51, still a tailor, living at 21 Lower Castle Street, Abergavenny, after which I lose track of him. As well as documenting the life of a putative 4xgreat uncle, it also provides a clue to finding the origins of a 5xgreat uncle and his brother, my direct ancestor William Hardman Provision Merchant.
Thomas Hardman (my 5xgreat uncle), according to his census returns was born about 1798-99 in Hereford. My next stop was familysearch.org to look for Hardmans born in Hereford around this time. England Births and Christenings 1538-1975 shows baptisms for two families, both at St John Baptist, Hereford.
For parents parents William and Mary Hardman:
Hester Hardman 15 Mar 1787
Mary Hardman 28 Mar 1793
For parents James Hardman and Mary:
Thomas Hardman 30 Aug 1784
Mary Hardman 9 Sep 1786
James Hardman 15 Dec 1789
John Hardman 11 Mar 1794
Richard Hardman 26 Jun 1796
James Hardman 24 Sep 1798 (the older sibling James must have died)
There is no William Hardman baptized here around this time, but there is:
William Hoardman 23 Jan 1792 (parents: James and Mary)
Which I would hazard as another of this sibling group. There is no other Hoardman baptism, and the date fits the series of baptisms well. Note especially, the consistency of James Hardman baptized in 1798 and the James Hardman Tailor of the censuses. In addition, England Marriages 1538-1973 has
James Hardman and Mary Symonds 10 April 1783 at St Martin Hereford
In an age before standardized spelling, Symonds and Simmonds are surely the same name, and a clue that I am on to something. James Hardman and Mary Symonds are my 5xgreat grandparents. In addition, there are other Symonds connections.
Of the Hereford baptisms to James and Mary Hardman, I have found no direct evidence for William (Hoardman), my direct ancestor, although I have so far shown evidence for his children and brother James. I ought to be able to find some of the other children, if they lived into their 50 and 60s, of this couple.
In 1841, I find at Packer's Lane, Hereford St John, Thomas Hardman, age 56, Bottler, with household: Phoebe Hardman (presumably his wife), age 54; Mary Bowson, age 30, Straw Bonnet Maker; Elizabeth Hardman (presumably a daughter), age 17; and William Hardman (presumably a son), age 20. By 1851, Thomas (66), Wine Cooper, and Phoebe (64) are at 8 Price's Hospital, Hereford.
Searching for Thomas and Phoebe's children discovers the following baptisms:
James Hardman 28 Mar 1813 All Saints Hereford
Thomas Hardman 15 Jan 1817 St John Baptist Hereford
William Hardman 9 Dec 1820 St John Baptist Hereford
Elizabeth Hardman 10 Nov 1824 St John Baptist Hereford
John Hardman, with (presumed) wife Sarah and daughters Eliza, Elizabeth and Emily, is also in Hereford in 1841, where he had been baptized. However, his 1851 census at Bowsey Lane or Portfields, Hereford shows some evidence of movement:
John Hardman Head Mar 57 Accountant [Hereford]
(new page)
Sarah Hardman Wife Mar 56 Ludlow Salop
Sarah Do Daur U 29 School Mistress Do Do
Elizabeth A Do Daur U 20 Assistant Do Hereford
Emily Do Daur U 18 Do
Searching for baptisms in Ludlow and Hereford (parents John Hardman and Sarah) discovers the following:
John Hardman 22 Nov 1818 in Ludlow
Caroline Simmonds Hardman 5 Sep 1820 in Ludlow
(burial 30 Sep 1821, and father John Simmonds Hardman)
Sarah Hardman 26 Apr 1822 in Ludlow
Mary Hardman 27 Jun 1824 in Ludlow
James Henry Hardman 9 Jul 1826 at St Peter Hereford
Eliza Hardman 22 Jan 1829 at All Saints Hereford
Elizabeth Alice Hardman 27 Feb 1831 at All Saints Hereford
Emily Hardman 24 Feb 1833 at St Peter Hereford
Four of the daughters (Sarah, Eliza, Elizabeth and Emily) may be found in the 1841 and/or 1851 census returns for John and Sarah Hardman, while Caroline Simmonds Hardman is clearly a granddaughter of James Hardman and Mary Symonds.
Richard Hardman and wife Katherine are found in 1851, eight houses before John and Sarah, where he is the landlord at the purportedly now-haunted Wellington Arms in Widemarsh Street:
Richard Hardman Head Mar 54 Innkeeper Hereford [Herefordshire]
Katherine Do Wife Mar 50 Mansell Lacy Do
George Do Son U 20 Clerk Hereford Do
Charles Do Son U 16 Scholar Do Do
Ann S Do Daur 14 Do Do Do
Alfred Do Son 12 Do Do Do
Emily S Do Daur 10 Do Do Do
Katherine S Do Daur 7 Do Do Do
Susan Guy Sister in law U 44 Barmaid Mansell Lacy Do
Richard Guy Brother in law U 35 Groom Hereford Do
Martha Cook Serv U 16 House Serv Dinedor Do
England Select Marriages 1538-1973 has the marriage of Richard Hardman and Catherine Guy 20 November 1825 at St John Baptist Hereford.
No prizes for guessing the middle initial S of his daughters. England Birth and Christenings 1538-1975 have the following baptisms to Richard and Catherine Hardman:
Richard Hardman 5 Sep 1826 at St John Baptist Hereford
Ann Simmonds Hardman 18 Nov 1836 at All Saints Hereford
Emily Simmond Hardman 30 Apr 1841 at All Saints Hereford
So far I have not found baptisms for George, Charles, Alfred or Katherine, but there is the following civil registration:
BMD Birth Index Catherine Symonds Hardman Jun1843 Hereford 26 179
Thus, the name Simmonds/Symonds/Simmond connects my direct ancestor William Hardman, Provision Merchant, whose granddaughter was Edith Simmonds Hardman, with the baptisms 1784-1798 at St John Baptist Hereford of the children of James and Mary Hardman. And it is this mother whose maiden surname is Symonds.
