Another Confectioner

Turner: Abergavenny Bridge Monmouthshire, clearing up after a showery day

The illustration for the previous post showed a landscape blighted by industrial progress, perhaps what Blake would have called "dark satanic mills", in this case in Welsh rather than English pastures. In the above painting by J. M. W. Turner, Abergavenny Bridge itself is dwarfed by mountains, while my eye is drawn to the glow of sunlight on damp air. For Turner light was an emanation of divine spirit; supposedly his last words were "the sun is God". My stepfather particularly appreciated Turner's paintings. It also turns out that his great grandmother hailed from Abergavenny. This illustration is thus doubly appropriate.

The previous post followed Llewellyn Tilley's parents. Today we turn to the parents and family of his wife, Elizabeth Vivian. However, definitive information has proved hard to come by, so this post shows potential records in need of confirmation if I'm to get any further than the name and occupation of Elizabeth's father.

Our first definitive clue comes from census returns for Llewellyn and Elizabeth's household, in which her place of birth is given as Abergavenny, Monmouthshire. For example, in the 1851 Wales Census, we find the happy couple at 6 Chapel Street, Tredegar:

       Llewellyn Tilley  Head  Mar  26  Grocer & General Shopkeeper  Wiltshire, Kingswood

       Elizabeth     do    Wife   Mar  22                                  Monmouthshire, Abergavenny

Looking for Vivian baptisms in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, familysearch.org yields the following England Births and Christenings 1538-1975:

       Mary Vivian  14 February 1824  John Vivian and Mary

       Elizabeth Vivian  23 June 1828  John Vivian and Mary

       James Vivian  1 March 1831  John Vivian and Mary

       Jane Vivian  8 May 1833  John Vivian and Mary

This Elizabeth, daughter of John and Mary Vivian appears to match the Elizabeth, wife of Llewellyn Tilley of the census returns in age and place of birth. And we have some siblings. But, unanswerable for me now, how many Vivians are there in Abergavenny at this time?

Next, and also definitive, comes their marriage registration (BMD Marriage Llewellyn Tilley and Elizabeth Vivian Dec1850 Abergavenny 26 29), presented in the previous post, and which I repeat here:

       19 October 1850 at Rhymney Church

       Groom: Llewellyn Tilley  Full Age  Bachelor  Shopkeeper  Rhymney

                         father: John Tilley Shopkeeper

       Bride: Elizabeth Vivian   Full Age  Spinster       Rhymney

                         father: John Vivian Confectioner

       signed: Llewellyn Tilley and Elizabeth Vivian

       witnessed: John Tilley and Eliza White

Like the baptisms, this gives her father's name as John Vivian, with the added information that by occupation he is a confectioner. Recall that Llewellyn Tilley establishes a Confectioner shop in Wotton-under-edge by 1871. This does narrow down the search; how many John Vivians are there in Abergavenny at this time?

Baker and confectioner often go together as occupations. Pigot's Trade Directory for 1830 shows a John Vivian, Baker on Tudor Street, Abergavenny. But, while John Watkins of Frogmore Street is listed as under Bakers and also under Confectioners, John Vivian is only listed under Bakers. This doesn't preclude the possibility that he becomes a confectioner later, but I have no evidence that he did.

Composite image from page elements in Pigot's Directory 1830

Searching ancestry.com for Vivian in Monmouthshire gives several possibilities, first among them, the 1841 Wales Census for the Parish of Aberystruth. The address looks like, "Garn Nach Nanty Glo Ironworks", a picture of which I posted in the previously:

       John Vivian  40  Baker  No[t born in Monmouthshire]
       Mary    do     35             N
       Mary    do     15             Y[es, born in Monmouthshire]
       Ann     do      14             Y
       Eliza    do      10             Y
       Jane     do       8              Y
       Alfred  do       5              Y

The names of the head of household and of his presumed wife, John Vivian and Mary, match the baptisms in Abergavenny. John's occupation in Aberystruth for the census in 1841 matches the John Vivian of Pigot's Directory in Abergavenny 1830. Mary (aged 15, presumably the daughter) and Jane of the census indeed match the baptisms. Not having an Abergavenny baptism for Alfred could be explained away by the family moving after Jane's baptism. Not having James in the census could be explained by his dying young (England and Wales Deaths and Burials has James Vivian buried at Abergavenny 16 March 1831 - no age is given but possibly he is the child baptized in Abergavenny on the 1st). Maybe Eliza of the census is really Elizabeth, in which case her age should have been 12 to match the baptism, instead of 10. As if all that explaining away isn't enough, where is Ann for the baptisms? Maybe they moved frequently?

Thus, I am not convinced that this census record refers to the same family as the Abergavenny baptisms. Nor am I sure that either the census or the baptisms belong to Llewellyn's in-laws. In the absence of indisputable contradictory data, I haven't ruled them out either, and I'm interested in finding more evidence. With the 1841 census in mind, I searched for more census data of Vivians from Abergavenny, hoping for more clues.

Ann Vivian of the census marries James Leah (BMD Marriage Sep1849 Crickhowell 26 400). I even found the certificate on a public member tree. They are married in Llanelli 5 August 1849, and resident in Brynmawr. Her father is John Vivian, Baker. In later censuses, brother Alfred Vivian is a member of their household. His place of birth is given as Brynmawr. I am certain that this line is associated with the 1841 census family.

BMD Marriages has Jane Vivian and David Davies Mar1851 Crickhowell 26 401, corresponding to familysearch.org result through Wales, Brecknockshire Parish Registers 1538-1912 in Llanelli 3 March 1851. I would suspect this is the Jane of the 1841 census. Given the registration district for these marriages, the following might be death records for the parents:
       John Vivian Mar1843 Crickhowell 26 263
       Mary Vivian Sep1847 Crickhowell 26 202

Not necessarily related to the 1841 census family, there is a John Vivian from Abergavenny in 1851, 1861 and 1871 census returns. Although I suspect these refer to one individual (only one John Vivian from Abergavenny in each of these censuses), his reported ages are inconsistent. Assuming he was born about 1820 his wife would be nearly 20 years his junior. This might explain why he significantly under-reports his age while she is alive.

In 1861 at 61 Morgan Street, Tredegar:
       John Vivian  Head  Mar  31  Confectioner & Baker  Monmouthshire, Abergavenny
       Ann      "      Wife      "     22                                       Cardiganshire, Treddol        
       Mary Owens Visitor  "     48                                                   "               "

In 1871 at 20, 5th Row,Tredegar:
       John Vivian  Head    M  40  Baker      Abergavenny, Mon
       Ann       "      Wife     M  30                           "              "
       Edwin Price  Lodger S  42  Fitter       Sirhowy, Mon
       Mary Vivian  Daur     S   9  Scholar    Tredegar, Mon
       Jane Vivian   Daur    S   7     "                  "          "

In 1881 at Carno Street Back Houses:
       John Vivian        Head  Wdr  59  Baker & Confectioner  Abergavenny, Mon
       Mary Ann Vivian Daur Unm  19  Dressmaker                Tredegar, Mon

The unifying information is his occupation of Baker and Confectioner. Possibly he is an older son of the John Vivian of the 1841 census. If so, I haven't found a baptism, or any other evidence of a link between the two.

In partial answer to the question of how many John Vivians, I have found two more who of that name appear in the valleys. Living not far from Hester Tilley at 41 Charles Street, Tredegar 1851, is John Vivian, Grocer, born about 1822 in Haselbury Bryan, Dorset (at No.44). According to ancestry.com public member trees, his father would appear to be the grandly-named Dioclesian Vivian, and so not a brother to our Elizabeth.

Then, googling for John Vivian, I found one of that name who died in an accident in Tredegar 27 November 1838, obviously not our John Vivian, who was alive in 1841. However, this John, born 1797, was the son of Charles Vivian of a branch of the family from Camborne, Cornwall, who had moved to Neath, Glamorganshire. Inspecting trees of this family, I see that a brother of Charles, Roger Vivian also named a son John, born 1799. There is no more information about him, but he would be the correct age for the John of the 1841 census...

Still, there are several Vivian lines and many John Vivians in various parts of the country. The Industrial Revolution in South Wales attracted people from all over, so I am still none the wiser over the identity of Elizabeth Vivian's parents. All I know for sure is that her father is John Vivian , Confectioner who spent enough time in the valleys for Elizabeth to be born in Abergavenny about 1828. On the origins of this family I am waiting for more light to shine.

Debtor in Cardiff Gaol

Industrial Revolution in South Wales - The Nantyglo Ironworks

Since the blog post Cousins of Some Degree, the scans of many nonconformist records have become available on ancestry.com. Among these are those showing the baptisms of the children of William Tilley and his wife, Mary Wallington, my 4xgreat grandparents, through my stepfather.

There are also scans of baptismal records of the children of their son, John Tilley, and Hester Knight at the Independent congregation of Kingswood, Wiltshire. They are:

Date Baptized  Name  Place/date of birth            Parents                  Abode    Occupation
Oct 6 [1822]     Mary      In the parish of Kingsd  Jno & Hester Tilley  Kingswood  Weaver
                                      on the 2 day of                formerly Hester Knight
                                       Decr 1821
Jany 18 [1824] Lewellyn In the parish of Kingsd  Jno & Hester Tilley  Kingswood  Weaver
                                      on the 21st day of           formerly Hester Knight
                                      November 1823
 Augt 13 [1826] Daniell   In the parish of Kingsd  Jno & Hester Tilley  Kingswood  Weaver

                                      on the 22 day of              formerly Hester Knight

                                       May 1826

The 1841 England Census have John Tilley, Age 40, Weaver, and Hester, also age 40 living on Town Street, Kingswood, Wiltshire. They were not born in the county, but that may only be a result of Gloucestershire being but a stone's throw away. This record does have the correct names, ages and occupation. Moreover, the Tilleys next door neighbors are Jonah and Elizabeth Knight, who, given their surname, could be Hester's brother and sister-in-law.

I have previously hypothesized that John and Hester moved out of Kingswood (and baptized more children elsewhere), largely because I am accustomed to seeing large families. It is of course possible that they stayed put, but were unable to have more children. I believe this 1841 census record is for the same John and Hester as the baptisms. There is currently no evidence to suggest they had moved between 1826 and 1841.

By 1851, however, I am fairly sure that they had moved to Bedwellty, Monmouthshire. The next part of this post explains why I believe this is so.

Bedwellty lies in South Wales, one of its chapelries in 1868 being Tredegar. During the late 18th and early 19th centuries the Industrial Revolution came to South Wales. The presence of coal, iron ore and water power prompted several enterprises to develop the green valleys for the large-scale industrial production of iron. According to wikipedia, Tredegar's population grew from 1,132 in 1801 to 34,685 in 1881. The South Wales valleys would be a natural place for workers migrating from Gloucestershire, in search of work in coal mines, ironworks or the shops serving the growing community. The picture above of the Nantyglo Ironworks (situated in a neighboring valley) depicts the pollution that came with this kind of development. The human cost would also be high.

Among search results for John Tilley in the 1851 census, I came across one from Cardiff gaol:
     John Tilley Prisoner for Debt Mar 52 Linen Draper Gloucester, Dursley

Meanwhile, in the same census at 41 Charles Street, Bedwellty is the following household:
     Hester Tilley       Head           U 55 Grocer and Draper Gloucestersh, Berkeley
     Elizabeth Davies Grand daughter 7 Scholar at home    Gloucestersh, Woottonunderedge
     Eliza White         Visitor              19                         Gloucestersh, Kingswood

That same month, the London Gazette of 29 April 1851 reports an impending hearing for discharge from bankruptcy at the County Court of Glamorganshire for three people including:

John Tilley, late of the Tredegar Iron-works, in the county of Monmouth, Grocer, Tea Dealer, Draper, and Dealer in Furniture.

These last three records would appear to be related. I can at least relate the Hester Tilley 1851 census return to our Tilleys. In 1850, Llewellyn Tilley married Elizabeth Vivian in Rhymney. The BMD Marriage Index for this couple is: Dec1850 Abergavenny 26 29. The marriage registration, which I have in hand, reports:
       19 October 1850 at Rhymney Church
       Groom: Llewellyn Tilley  Full Age  Bachelor  Shopkeeper  Rhymney
                         father: John Tilley Shopkeeper
       Bride: Elizabeth Vivian   Full Age  Spinster       Rhymney
                         father: John Vivian Confectioner
       signed: Llewellyn Tilley and Elizabeth Vivian
       witnessed: John Tilley and Eliza White

This second witness, Eliza White, is also the visitor on Hester's 1851 census return. Her presence at the wedding and in Hester's household the following year connects the Jno and Hester Tilley of Llewellyn Tilley's baptism and Hester Tilley, Grocer and Draper in Bedwellty. This makes it highly likely that the debtor in Cardiff Gaol is Hester's husband. In the absence of further entries in the London Gazette, presumably John's discharge from bankruptcy went smoothly.

Continuing from here, the 1861 Census at Bradley Street, Wotton under Edge, the first household of District 1 has:
       John Tilley   Head   Mar   61    Grocer        Gloucestershire, Kingswood
       Hester Do    Wife    Mar   65                        Gloucestershire, Berkeley

This indicates that by this time they had returned to Wotton under Edge.

For the 1871 Census, the best I can find is this one at Eglantine Place, Wotton under Edge:
        Esther Tilley Head Widow 78 Pauper Glocshire, Woodford
The age is a little high, but Woodford is an outlying settlement of Berkley, Gloucs.

There are two BMD Death Index entries for Hester Tilley that make sense, given age at death:
       Hester Tilley Jun1874 Dursley 6a 141 Age:79
       Hester Tilley Sep1881 Dursley 6a 128 Age:85

In additon to the Death Index, census returns also show two Hester Tilleys living in the Dursley area by 1861. One is the wife of our John Tilley and the other is the wife of Charles Tilley. In 1871, Charles and Hester are living at Whites Row, Cam, Gloucestershire. Curiously, in 1871 both Hesters are reported as Esther, but in other respects are consistent with other records reporting the name as Hester:
       Charles Tilley   Head   Mar  74  Gen Lab    [Glos] Wottonunderedge
       Esther      Do     Wife   Mar  74                       Do                Do

The BMD Death Index has:
       Charles Tilley Mar1881 Dursley 6a 170 Age:85

While the 1881 England Census for the Workhouse in Dursley has:
       Hester Tilley  Inmate   85     [Glos] Wotton

And this, I believe is the Hester who dies later that year. Therefore I would conclude that Hester the wife of John Tilley dies in the second quarter of 1874. Given that Hester is a widow in 1871, but not in 1861, her husband must have died during that interval. The BMD Death Index has:
        John Tilley Jun1864 Dursley 6a 142

No age given on the earlier index entries, but this is one of only two John Tilleys in the index for Dursley between 1861 and 1891; the other dies aged 60 in 1873, and is thus too late and too young to be our John Tilley.

Looking for a Hester Knight born in Berkley, Gloucestershire about 1796, England Births and Christenings 1538-1975 have Hester Winterbottom Knight, the daughter of Daniel and Phebe. Indeed Hester is one of several siblings baptized to parents of those names in that area:
       Hannah Knight   10 Feb 1788   Stone, Gloucs.
       Edmond Knight  30 May 1790  Stone, Gloucs.
       Danl Knight        21 Apr 1793  Stone, Gloucs.
       Hester Winterbottom Knight
                                     3 Jan 1796   Berkeley, Gloucs.
       Jonah Knight      24 Apr 1798  Thornbury, Gloucs.
       Joseph Knight      3 Aug 1800  Thornbury, Gloucs.

The last two are from the Register Book of the Presbyterian Meeting House at Thornbury. Both were born in the Parish of Berkeley, while the record for Joseph adds that this was in the Tything of Stone, and that he was baptized in Newport.

The appearance of Jonah among these baptismal records recalls John and Hester's next-door neighbors for the 1841 England Census, and adds to the evidence that perhaps we are on the right track.

In summary, we have some evidence pointing to John's wife being Hester Winterbottom Knight, the daughter of Daniel and Phebe Knight, resident in Berkeley, Gloucestershire. Whoever she is, John and Hester appear together in Wotton under Edge, Gloucestershire from 1822 until 1841 or later. John's occupation is Weaver. We next see them in Tredegar in 1851 (John, at least, is there by October 1850 to sign his son's marriage certificate) as grocers, drapers, etc., and by this time John has suffered a bankruptcy. They have returned to Gloucestershire, still grocers, by 1861, when they live until their deaths in 1864 (John) and 1874 (Hester) respectively. A brief window into the lives of two of my 3xgreat step-grandparents.

An Identity Revealed

As we approach the holidays, my posts here might become irregular, and so might your reading. So here's wishing all readers here Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

For several posts we followed the case of John Tilley. We do know he is the father of Vivian Kennett, but we did not know for sure whose son he is. As Watson might have recalled (but didn't).
"It really was quite elementary, my dear doctor," said Holmes, looking from the window to the busy street below. "Never be swayed by the mere opinions of others. The multitudes follow the few, and the few may have followed a single ill-formed opinion. Always demand evidence. There were, of course, too many connections between Llewellyn and Vivian Kennett, and no firm refuting evidence. John Tilley is the son of the first and father of the second. Lestrade has his man."

This part of the mystery is solved. A letter arrived from the General Register Office, with a marriage certificate dated 15 June 1914 at the Registry Office, Paddington, London.
     John Tilley          53 years    Widower    Commercial Agent    56 Warwick Avenue
                                                                             Father: Llewellyn Tilley    Farmer
     Amelia Augusta  42 years    Spinster                                       56 Warwick Avenue
     Beresford                                                         Father: John Beresford    Master Mariner

So, the grandfathers of Vivian Kennett Tilley are John Beresford and, importantly for our mystery, Llewellyn Tilley. His most recent census returns had listed him as a Confectioner, and here we see his occupation as Farmer. Perhaps even more recently, he had become a farmer, or else was pursuing both occupations simultaneously. What a person writes for occupation on a census is not always what another will remember them for twenty to thirty years later. I'm quite sure that this is the same Llewellyn Tilley. First, there is only one candidate in the record for Llewellyn Tilley as father of this 53-year-old John Tilley. Second, the witness signatures are Laura and Arthur Wallington Glen, which other researchers have as the daughter and son-in-law of Llewellyn Tilley.

A little more on John Tilley. Given the 1871 England Census for Llewellyn Tilley, which records John's birth in Southwark, the most likely reference in the BMD Birth Index is:
      John Tilley Jun1861 Newington 1a 226 

As to his death, electoral registers for Amelia Tilley give a consistent address of 12 Tournay Road, Fulham for 1937-39, 1947, 1949-54, and 1956-59 (the year she died). Google street view shows it's still there, although a little the worse for wear. I was unable to find any data between 1939 and 1947, but John is present in the former and absent in the latter, suggesting to me the interval in which his death occurred. Although there are a few John Tilleys whose deaths are registered in this interval, only one has an age at death corresponding to an 1861 birth; it also happens that his death is registered in Fulham.
      John Tilley Dec1944 Fulham 1a 226 Age:83

Having already looked at the family of Llewellyn and Elizabeth Tilley (see Kid in the Candy Store), I turn now to their origins. Llewellyn and Elizabeth's parents are my step-3x great grandparents. The following information comes from the FamilySearch site of the Latter-day Saints. Llewellyn Tilley and at least two siblings have baptisms recorded in the register of an Independent Church in Kingswood,Wiltshire (bordering Gloucestershire). Llewellyn's census returns state Kingswood, Gloucs. as his birthplace. In each case, the parents are Jno. (that is, John) Tilley and Hester Knight.
     Mary Tilley        born 2 December 1821       baptized 6 October 1822
     Llewellyn Tilley          21 November 1823                  18 January 1824
     Daniell Tilley              22 May 1826                           13 August 1826

Abergavenny, Monmouthshire parish records have this baptism, presumably of Llewellyn's future wife.
     Elizabeth Vivian  baptized 23 June 1828, parents: John Vivian and Mary.

And Rhymney, Monmouthshire parish records have their marriage dated 13 October 1850.

As for Maria Jane Jotcham, I have sent for her 1887 marriage certificate. Although open to the possibility that I'm mistaken in thinking she was married to the same John Tilley, father of Vivian Kennett, I do not expect any surprises. Still, I'll let you know when that one arrives.