Norris-Beldom Mystery

The Hay Wain by John Constable (1821)

A few months ago, a commenter asked if I knew why George Norris had changed his name to George Beldom. The short answer to this is: I don't know. Every so often in genealogy, I come across records that tell a story, but not the whole story, leaving some degree of mystery. I suppose that more famous ancestors would leave a greater imprint in the historical record, and, perhaps, more insight into the circumstances of the mystery. But not in the case of records belonging to agricultural laborer George Norris, who appears to have gone by the name George Beldom for over a decade.

When I first came across these records, I was not sure that they referred to the same person. In this post, I will lay out the records associated with the said names George Beldom and George Norris, and draw the tentative conclusion that these refer to one person.

So first off, where do these names fit into my ancestry? I have already posted about Henry Stroud, a pilot during the Great War, and one of my great grandfathers, and Henry Stroud, hairdresser of Hanwell, the former Henry's grandfather.

In between these two Henrys is Robert Stroud (1856-1925), a building contractor who played a part in developing Ilford, Essex. He married Charlotte Norris in 1882. The FreeBMD Marriage Index reference is Dec 1882 Wandsworth 1d 1013. They were married at St. Peter's, Battersea on Christmas Eve.

As you see from the certificate, Charlotte Norris gives her father's name as George Norris, occupation "Labourer". And it is through Charlotte that we will trace the records for George Norris or Beldom. On her census returns with Robert, Charlotte's place of birth is given as Dudley, Shropshire/ Worcestershire. (The upper margin note records a correction of Robert's age from 24 to 26 years of age at the time of his marriage).

Charlotte's 1881 Census return is as a servant in the household of widow Eliza M Bloxam at 74 Blenheim C[rescent?], Kensington. She is listed as single, aged 23 from "Staffordshire Not Known".

In 1871, the Census places Charlotte and her father in Hale, Farnham, Surrey.
       George Norris     Head       Mar  52  Labourer             [Farnham, Surrey]
       Mary        do         Wife        Mar  42                              Staffordshire, Codsall
       William    do          Son         Unm 15  Labourer                    "              Wombourne
       Charlotte do          Daur          "    13  Scholar                      "                      "
       Mary A     do            "              "    10      "                            "                       "
       George A do         Nephew     "      2                               Farnham, Surrey

And Wombourne is just a few miles northwest of Dudley and southwest of Wolverhampton. However, there is no birth index record for William, Charlotte or Mary A Norris in Staffordshire around their years of birth.

But I did find this 1861 Census enumeration at Blacklay (now Blakeley), Wombourne has the following household:
       George Beldom   Head     Mar   40  Park Lab            Surrey, Farnham
       Mary        Do         Wife      Mar   31                            Staffordshire, Codsall
       William     Do          Son                 5   Scholar                    Do           Wombourne
       Charlotte  Do         Daur                3                                   Do                 Do
       Robert Lamport     Lodger  Mar   30   Ag Lab               Surrey, Farnham
       Jane         Do         Wife      Mar   38                                  Do       Do
       George Norris        Nephew          9   Scholar                    Do   Mitcham

This is an interesting census return, because, Mary (the mother), William and Charlotte Beldom are most certainly the same individuals named ten years later as Mary (the mother), William and Charlotte Norris. The question arises as to whether the George Beldom of 1861 is also the George Norris of 1871.

Robert Lamport and Jane Norris (daughter of George Norris, labourer were married on 14 Sep 1851 at St Andrew's, Farnham. The nephew (presumably, of Robert and Jane) is probably the birth referred to in FreeBMD Birth Index George Norris Mar 1852 Croydon 2a 147. He is not someone I have followed up on.

The Wombourne, Staffordshire children have the following entries in the FreeBMD Birth Index:
       William Beldom Mar 1856 Wolverhampton 6b 360
       Charlotte Beldon Jun 1858 Wolverhampton 6b 380
       Mary Ann Beldom Jun 1861 Wolverhampton 6b 406

Charlotte's Birth Certificate reads:
       Date and place of birth: Twenty Ninth March 1858 Blacklay Wombourn
       Name/Sex: Charlotte/Girl
       Father's name: George Beldom
       Mother's name: Mary Beldom formerly Ferrington
       Father's occupation: Park Labourer
       Reported by: Mary Beldom Mother Blacklay

On 7 Aug 1882 William married Annie Cecilia Trigg. His marriage record (St John's, Hale) gives his father as George Norris, Labourer. And likewise, on 24 Dec 1887 Mary Ann married John Planton, and her marriage record (again, St John's, Hale) gives her father as George Norris, Labourer.

There are four further children to consider, although, sadly none of them survived to be enumerated in a census. They are:
       Robert Beldom Norris Sep 1864 Farnham 2a 72
              Baptized at St. John's, Hale 5 Sep 1864
                     Robert Beldon, of George and Mary Norris, Pharo's Row, Laborer
              Died Robert Norris Mar 1865 Farnham 2a 72
              Burial at St. John's, Hale
                     Robert Norris 18 Mar 1865 6 months

       George Norris Jun 1866 Farnham 2a 98
               Baptized at St. John's, Hale 8 Jul 1866
                     George, of George and Mary Norris, Common, Laborer
               Died George Norris Sep 1866 Farnham 2a 54 age:0
               Burial at St. John's, Hale
                     George Norris 17 Jul 1866 Upper Hale 7 weeks

       Louisa Jane Jun 1867 Farnham 2a 95
                Baptized at St. John's, Hale 14 Jul 1867
                       Louisa Jane, of George and Mary Norris, Upper Hale, Laborer
                Died Louisa Jane Norris Dec 1869 Farnham 2a 63 age:2
                Burial at St. John's, Hale
                       Sarah [sic] Jane 9 Nov 1869 Hale 2 yr and 5 mos

        Albert Henry Norris Jun 1873 Farnham 2a 101
                Baptized at St. John's, Hale 10 Sep 1873
                        Albert Henry, of George and Mary Norris, Pharo's Row, Laborer
                Died Albert Henry Norris Mar 1874 Farnham 2a 75
                Burial at St. John's, Hale
                        Albert Henry Norris son of George & Mary Norris 11 months Hale 28 Mar

Of these, I have the birth certificate of Robert Beldom Norris, which reads:
       Date and place of birth: Twenty Fifth August 1864 Hungry Hill Farnham
       Name/Sex: Robert Beldom/Boy
       Father's name: George Norris
       Mother's name: Mary Norris formerly Ferrington
       Father's occupation: General Labourer
       Reported by: M Norris Mother Hungry Hill Farnham

In 1881, this family is enumerated at No.1 Weybourne Lane:
       George Norris Head  Mar    60  Gen'l Laborer       Surrey, Farnham
       Mary        Do    Wife    Mar    51                               Staffordshire, Codsall
       William     Do     Son     Unm  25  Gen'l Laborer            Do         Wombourne
       George    Do     Son              12   Scholar                Surrey, Farnham

And in 1891, at Bagshot LEa Road:
       George Norris   Head   M  71  General Labourer    Surrey, Farnham
       Mary        Do      Wife     M  60                                  Staffordshire, Codsall
       George A Do      Nephew   22         Do        Do         Surrey, Farnham

In 1901, at Elm Tree Vil[las?]:
       George Norris   Head     M  82  Labourer (Agricultural)    Surrey, Farnham
       Mary      do        Wife       M  71                                          Staffs, Codsall
       Albert    do         Nephew S  32   Labourer (Agricultural)   Surrey, Farnham
       Emma Cooper    Visitor    S  28   Servant Domestic                do        do

The George Norris, son of 1881, George A Norris, nephew in 1891 and Albert Norris of 1901 are probably the same individual, George Albert Norris (1869-1947), the son of John Norris and Frances Maria Gardener. Our George and Mary Norris did not have a surviving son named George, while one George Albert Norris married Emily Cooper on 20th May 1901 at St. John's, Hale, shortly after this latter census was taken.

Both George and Mary died before the next census was taken in 1911. The FreeBMD Death Index lists the following:
       George Norris Sep 1903 Farnham 2a 81 age:84
       Mary Norris Dec 1906 Farnham 2a 103 age:77

From 1864 onwards, Mary's husband George bears the last name "Norris". We have already seen the 1861 Census from Blacklay, Staffordshire. We now turn to records prior to that date.

In 1851, a 29-year-old George Beldam is enumerated in the household of Eliza M Bloxam as a "General Servant", place of birth given as "Surrey, Effingham", which is about as far east of Guildford as Hale is to its west (about 8 miles).

At this time, 21-year-old Mary Ferrington of Codsall is a cook in the Wolverhampton household of fishmonger Joseph Bosworth.

On the 1st May 1855, George Belldom and Mary Ferrington were married at St. Michael's, Himley. The reference at FreeBMD Marriage Index is Jun 1855 Wloverhampton 6b 500.
       Groom: George Belldom/Of Full Age/Widower/Labourer/Himley
       Groom's father: George Belldom/Labourer
       Bride: Mary Ferrington/Of Full Age/Spinster/Domestic Servant/Wombourn
       Bride's father: William Ferrington/Farmer

As for records to explain George's first marriage - he is a widower in 1855 - the FreeBMD Marriage Index has George Beldon and Charlotte Tomlinson Jun 1851 Wolverhampton 17 387. England Select Marriages has the same names (and fathers both George, in addition) 24 Jun 1849 at St. Peters, Wolverhampton, but the date of the Index is more likely to be correct. The FreeBMD Death Index has a corresponding death of Charlotte Beldham Jun1853 Wolverhampton 6b 274.

In 1841, I have not yet found any George Beldom (Beldon, Belldom or Beldham, etc.), but there is a George Norris at Hoghatch Farnham:
       George Norris         45[-49]   Brickmaker     Y[es, born in Surrey]
       George    do   Junr  20[-24]   Lab[ourer]      Y
       William     do            20[-24]   Brickmaker     Y
       Jane        do            20[-24]                          Y
       Sarah       do           15[-19]                          Y
       John         do           14                                 Y
       Mary Ann  do           12                                 Y
       Henry       do            10                                 Y
       Louisa      do              8                                 Y
       Eliza         do              5                                 Y

These correspond to baptisms for children of George and Mary Norris at St. Andrew's, Farnham.
       George     21 Sep 1817
       William     21 Sep 1817
       Jane           3 Oct 1819
       Sarah        18 Jul 1824
       John           8 Oct 1826
       Mary Ann   7 Sep 1828
       Henry         2 Sep 1830
       Louisa        7 Nov 1832
       Eliza         16 Aug 1835

(It is Jane Norris who will go on to marry Robert Lamport, the couple who are lodgers with George Beldom and Mary in 1861. While George Albert Norris who is living with George Norris and Mary in 1881, 1891 and 1901 is the son of John Norris).

The marriage of the parents of these children must be this one recorded in Surrey, England, Church of England Marriages 1754-1937:
       George Norris of the parish of West Horsley bachelor married
       Charlotte Page of this parish spinster
       ... this fourth Day of November [1816]

The parish in question being St Lawrence's, Effingham, Surrey - which place was given as George Beldom's place of birth in the 1851 Census.

One reason why George and William might be baptized at the same time would be if they were twins. The 1841 Census ages are not that helpful here, since, according to the instructions for enumerations, ages over 15 were to be given rounded down to the nearest decade or half-decade. Thus, George and William being reported as 20 years old on the 1841 census could be separated in age by nearly five years.

George's year of birth based on ages given in his census records is relatively consistent, if inaccurate, at about 1819-1821. His baptism puts it in 1817 or before. William's census records (he died in 1871) yield a year of birth about 1816-1819. If they were not twins, then the double baptism suggests one of them was born before the marriage. George would be the candidate for this, since he is listed first in the 1841 census (although the census ages would argue the other way around). I had entertained the possibility that his father was named George Beldom, and this is still a possibility. Yet in the 1841 census, he is recognized as George Norris, Junior, suggesting to me that George Norris, Senior really is his father.

Here is the case for George Beldom being the same individual as George Norris.

One: George, junior and William of the 1841 census are most certainly the George and William of the 1817 baptisms. George Norris of the 1891 and 1901 censuses has a nephew George Albert Norris, who we know by other records, to be the son of John Norris. This John Norris appearing in the 1841 census as an apparent sibling of George, Junior, and baptized in 1826, a sibling of George Norris baptized in 1817.

Two: The George Beldom of the 1851 census gives Effingham, Surrey as his place of birth, which is where the parents of George (and all the 1841 siblings) were married. This George Beldom is almost certainly the George Beldom of the 1861 census, reported to be born in Farnham. The members of the 1861 George Beldom census appear to reemerge in 1871 under the name Norris.

Three: There is a lack of data for two separate individuals. There is no marriage record (1861-1865, or at any time for that matter) for George Norris and Mary Beldom, which would indicate two different people, and no obvious death record for George Beldom in the same period. While it is possible that a George Beldom deserted his family, and his wife ended up living with George Norris (I've come across stranger situations in my research into more distant branches of my family), naming a child Robert Beldom Norris argues against the plausibility of this.

Four: Further, in any one time period, I have only ever found records for one or the other of George Norris or George Beldom. Even after diligent searching, I have not found census records for George Norris for 1851 and 1861, nor any for George Beldom in 1841, 1871 and later.

The most likely explanation is that George Norris of the above records and George Beldom are one and the same. For some reason, George Norris left Farnham, Surrey between mid-1841 and early 1851 and reappears as George Beldom in Staffordshire. A family quarrel? Or some legal trouble? We'll probably never know. Depending on the timing he spent some 10-23 years in Staffordshire. Time smoothed things over. George Norris returned to Farnham between mid-1861 (when Mary Ann Beldom is born in Staffordshire) and mid-1864 (when Robert Beldom Norris is born in Farnham).

A Melancholy Suicide

1813 Fashions in a happier day

On the morning of Saturday, February 26th, 1842, William Hardman, a fifty-year-old father of ten, respectable cheesemonger and bacon seller, and resident of Worcester, went for a walk, as he was accustomed to do. His wife of 23 years, Elizabeth, had died a few years before. Of their ten surviving children - an eleventh had died young - seven lived at home, ranging in age from eight to nineteen. William walked a couple of miles out of the city towards the public house (still there) called the Virgin's Tavern along, what is now, Tolladine Road. We do not know exactly what was on his mind as he walked, maybe his loneliness and the responsibilities of his family and trade. Maybe the darkness of the season clouded his mood. However, before reaching the tavern, he stopped. He put a gun to his head, and blew out his brains.

A year ago, I knew of my 4x great grandfather William Hardman only that he was father of John Hardman, Cap'n of the Mizzen Top, and three more children, all by his wife Elizabeth, and all baptized at St Swithin Worcester, England. Earlier this year, I found six more of his children, the names of his parents (James Hardman and Mary Symonds), and siblings who were baptized in Hereford. I discovered much about the family around him, but very little directly about him; even his baptismal record appears mis-spelled as William Hoardman.

Recent communication with Greg McLean, having come across Hardmans on his excellent genealogical website, sent me back into the historical record. The following life history of William Hardman includes the Hereford and Worcester baptisms from England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975, the marriage and Somerset baptisms are from FreeReg.org.uk, 1841 England Census through ancestry.com, and the deaths of William and Elizabeth from google searches which found newspaper transcripts.

William Hardman was baptized 23 Jan 1792 at St John the Baptist, Hereford, the fourth child, and third son, of James Hardman and Mary Symonds. By the time he was six years old, one of his younger brothers had died, and three more brothers had been baptized in Hereford.

Our next record of him is his marriage to Elizabeth Willis, dated 15 March 1813 at St John the Baptist, Gloucester. The FreeReg index is not a complete transcript, but it does contain much of the useful information that can be gleaned from the original document. In this case, there are just the two names and a note that the marriage was after banns. As there are no witnesses recorded, perhaps this is the record of banns itself, and the marriage solemnized somewhere else. One or other of the couple must have resided in Gloucester for this to be the case.

A baptism 18 April 1814 at St John the Baptist, Hereford of William, son of William Hardman and Elizabeth is probably their eldest son. This is by no means certain, although a William Hardman of the right age and place of birth is living in Worcester in 1851 and 1861, wife Susan. They must be William Hardman and Susan Mitchell who were married in Worcester 28 Jul 1844. I have sent off for the GRO marriage record to find out more about the father of the groom.

There follow three baptisms of their children at St Mary the Virgin, Bathwick near Bath, Somerset. In each case, the address is Grove Street, and William's occupation is Tailor.
       Mary Hardman  bapt.16 Feb 1816
       Elizabeth Hardman  bapt. 22 May 1818
       Eliza Hardman  bapt. 3 May 1820

Between the last of these baptisms and the end of 1821, the family moved to Frome, Somerset, where there are three more baptisms at St John the Baptist - the entries in England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 give the church as Holy Trinity, Frome, but St John the Baptist is the parish church and this is shown on the FreeReg index. In all three baptisms the address is given as Cheap Street. In the first two, William is still a tailor; in the third he is a fruiterer, indicating a change of occupation.
       Jane Hardiman [sic]  bapt. 17 Nov 1821
       Ann Symons Hardman  bapt. 28 Apr 1824
       Matilda Hardman  bapt. 27 Mar 1826

On 30 Apr 1826, the burial of Elizabeth Hardman, age 8, is recorded at St John the Baptist, Frome. The father's name is given as John, but the address is Cheap Street. I have no indication of another Hardman family in Frome at this time, so I believe this to be a mis-transciption of Wm., and therefore a record of William's daughter Elizabeth, born in Bathwick, about 1818.

Shortly after this, the family moved again, this time to Worcester, where William and Elizabeth had four more children baptized at St Swithin.
       James Hardman  bapt. 30 Nov 1827
       Thomas Hardman  bapt. 11 Oct 1829
       John Hardman  bapt. 5 Sep 1831
       Elizabeth Hardman  bapt. 9 Aug 1833

Elizabeth Frances Hardman married 1. John Green Winter in London 1850, describing her father as William Hardman, Provision Mercht., and 2. Alexander McDougall in Glasgow 1887, describing her parents as William Hardman, General Merchant, and Elizabeth Hardman ms Willis.

John Hardman's date of birth on his service record is 13 Aug 1831. On the certificate of his 1865 marriage to Amelia Hatt, his father is described as William Hardman, Provision Dealer.

Ann Symons (also known as Simmonds) Hardman made a declaration of identity in Port Adelaide, New South Wales 1887, stating that her parents were William Hardman, Provisions Merchant, and Elizabeth his wife (formerly Willis). She listed her siblings as: William, Mary, Elizabeth, Jane, herself, Matilda, James, Thomas, John, and Eliza. Interestingly she has the siblings who survived childhood in birth order, except for switching Elizabeth and Eliza, although she did indeed have an older sister Elizabeth who had died as a child when Ann was two years old.

A Provision Merchant or Dealer is a food seller, so William appears to have diversified from selling fruit to selling food. Of his time in Worcester, Pigott's Directory lists him by 1835 as Cheesemonger and Bacon Dealer of the Shambles, Worcester. His oldest son at this time was 21 years old, and he had nine others between the ages of nineteen and two years.

Tragedy struck on 12 April 1836, when his wife died. This is reported in the Worcester Journal of 21 April that year among the deaths:
       April 12 aged 41 Elizabeth, wife of Mr. William Hardman, Shambles,
       Worcester; lamented by her family, and much respected by all who
       knew her.

The family continued to live in the Shambles, where we find them in the 1841 England Census. The ancestry.com indexes them as "Harriman", which is why I hadn't found them sooner. My strategy to find the census return for the Shambles, Worcester was to make a google search for "1841 Census Shambles Worcester" (without quotes). This found a family history page with the name and age of another individual living in the Shambles, who I then found in the 1841 England Census enumerator books using the ancestry.com search engine. Having found this return, I went household by household through the neighborhood until I found the Hardmans:
       William Hardman  45  Bacon Factor  N[ot born in Worcs.]
       Jane           Do        15                         N
       Ann           Do        15                         N
       Matilda     Do         14                        N
       James        Do        13                         Y[es born in Worcs.]
       Thomas    Do         11                         Y
       John          Do          9                         Y
       Elizth        Do         7                          Y

Missing are William, Mary and Eliza. The latter turns up married in the next household, the evidence for which we will see:
       Stephen Wilks      20   Carpenter      Y
       Eliza        Do        20                         N

Their marriage is indexed in FreeBMD Marriages:
       Stephen Wilks and Eliza Hardman  Dec(Q4) 1840 Droitwich 18 299

I had found the newspaper article reporting Elizabeth's death among the results of a google search for "William Hardman Shambles" without quotes. The result was a computer generated transcript and a link to a pay to view the original image. The following came from a similar source with slightly different search terms. The Worcester Guardian 5 Mar 1842 carried the following death notice:
       Feb 26, aged 50, Mr. William Hardman, of the Shambles, in this city

This would correspond to the FreeBMD Death Index:
       William Hardman  Mar(Q1) 1842 Droitwich 18 226

In the case of the Worcester Guardian, the computer generated transcript was very long, and I had to read through many articles before I came to the death notices (which is what the search had picked up). However, in perusing the Worcester news of March 1842, I found a detailed description of William Hardman's last moments:

       MELANCHOLY SUICIDE — On Saturday morning, about nine o'clock,

       Mr. Hardman, a bacon and cheese factor, & c., residing in the Shambles,

       shot himself with a gun, near Porte Fields Farm, in the parish of Claines,

       about two miles from this city. Deceased was in his 51st year, and has left 

       a numerous family. An inquest was held the same evening by Mr. Hughes,

       at the Virgin's Tavern, when the following evidence was adduced:

       — Thomas Bennett, of Claines, labourer: I was loading thorns in a field of

       Mr. Edward Tills on Saturday morning, a little before nine o'clock. I saw

       the deceased standing in the road between Worcester and the Virgin's Tavern.

       I did not see where the deceased came from. The first I saw of him, he was

       standing in the road. I did not perceive that he was doing anything, nor did I

       see anything in his hand. I saw him suddenly fall, and at the same time heard

       the report of a gun. I saw the smoke from the gun when deceased fell. No one

       was near him at the time. I afterwards went to him. I found him lying on the

       side of the road; the gun was about two yards from him — it was a single-

       barrel gun. The deceased's head was blown to pieces, and his brains about the

       road. — William Hudson: I keep the turnpike-gate leading from Worcester

       to the Virgin's Tavern. I heard the alarm and went up. I found the deceased as

       described by the last witness. Mr. E. Corles, of Worcester, solicitor: I was at

       Mr. T. Brampton's on business, this morning. On ascending the hill near

       Jones's farm, I heard a gun; I continued up the road, and found the deceased

       as already described. — Mr. Ledbrook, of Worcester, surgeon: I saw the

       deceased this morning. I found a circular wound above the ear — a gun-shot

       wound — which had carried away the whole substance of the brain. The

       cranium was shattered all to pieces; he must have died instantly. I have no

       doubt the deceased shot himself, regarding the nature of the wound, and the

       gun being found near him. — Stephen Wilks, of the Shambles, joiner: The

       deceased was my father-in-law. I saw him yesterday. He was quite well. The

       deceased was used to go out with a gun, hedge-popping. I am not aware of

       anything to have caused the deceased to have destroyed himself. — This was

       the whole of the evidence; and the Jury returned a verdict "That the deceased

       shot himself, being at the time of unsound mind." — The unfortunate deceased

       was buried on Tuesday afternoon at St. Helen's Church; and an immense

       concourse of spectators assembled on the occasion.

And there we leave him to rest.

More Hardmans Down Under and Elsewhere

 

Having had some luck finding Hardman children bearing the middle name Simmonds or Symond, I decided to try searching using one or other of these as a first name, and Hardman for surname, both in ancestry.com and on familysearch.org. I was especially hoping to find more siblings for John Hardman, Captain of the Mizzen Top. The group of four baptisms from St Swithin Worcester seems small compared to many of the families I have researched. However, these may have been the eldest four, and the death of parents may have prevented there being more. Alternatively, I was just missing records of other siblings.

On familysearch.org, of the several results of the search, there was one belonging to an individual I had not seen before. England Births and Christenings 1538-1975 has:
       Ann Symons Hardman  baptized 28 Apr 1824 at Holy Trinity, Frome, Somerset
              parents: William and Elizabeth

Expanding the search for any Hardman, baptized in Frome, Somerset, I found:
       Matilda Hardman  17 Mar 1826  parents: William and Elizabeth
       Jane Hardiman      17 Jun 1821  parents: William and Elizabeth

Ann's middle name Symons seems likely to be a mis-spelling or spelling variant of Symonds, the maiden surname of William's mother. Matilda is surely Ann Symons Hardman's sister, and Jane also, given her parents names and the lack of other Hardiman baptisms at this place around this time. I was already looking for a Jane Hardman, since the marriage of Elizabeth Frances Hardman to John Green Winter was witnessed by a Jane Leicester, noted on the document to be a sister of Elizabeth.

I already have four children of William Hardman and Elizabeth Willis, among them John Hardman, Captain of the Mizzen Top (and my3xgreat grandfather). These all have a record of baptism at Swithin Worcester. And here, potentially, are three more, but from Frome, Somerset. William Hardman, the father, was born in Hereford, so these baptisms would indicate a move to Frome, before subsequently settling in Worcester.

The ancestry.com search was even more intriguing, since it showed me some pictures attached to a public member tree. These pictures were documents associated with Ann Symonds Hardman. They placed her in Australia. All these documents are held by Graham Smith in Australia, a descendent of Ann Symonds Hardman; and I am thankful to him and his family for treasuring and preserving them.

First, there is an official copy from 1877 of a certificate for a marriage originally solemnized on 16 January 1855 at Trinity Church, Adelaide, South Australia.
       Groom: George Kurn / 38 / Mariner / Bachelor
       Bride: Simmonds Hardman / 30 / / Spinster

This is only encouraging through its containing the name Simmonds Hardman. But there's more, an official copy from 1877 of a certificate for a marriage originally solemnized on 24 November 1869, also at Trinity Church, Adelaide, South Australia:
       Groom: Wm Thos Smith / 34 / Bachelor / Mariner / Lefevris Peninsula
                                   father: Robt Smith
       Bride: Ann Simmonds Kurn / 44 / Widow / / Lefevris Peninsula
                                   father: Wm Hardman
       signed: William Thomas Smith and Ann Simmond Smith
       witnessed: T Reid / Shipwright / Port Adelaide
                         J Leicester / / Port Adelaide

This confirms her father's name of William Hardman, and the possibility that, in addition, she shares with Elizabeth Frances Hardman a sister named Jane Leicester. But there's even more, a transcript of a declaration made in 1877 by Mrs. Ann Simmonds Smith for which the above were supporting documents:

       I, Ann Simmonds Smith (formerly Hardman) in Port Adelaide in the province of
       South Australia, wife of Thomas Smith of the same place, Master Mariner, do
       solemnly and sincerely declare and state as follows that I, Ann [am] the daughter of
       William Hardman late of Worcester Provisions Merchant deceased and Elizabeth,
       his wife (formerly Elizabeth Willis) deceased.

       That there were issue of my father William's marriage to his wife Elizabeth, ten
       children viz: William, Mary, Elizabeth, Jane, (me) this declarant Ann Simmonds
       Smith, Matilda, James, Thomas, John and Eliza.

       That my brother William and my sister Jane died some time since, the latter who
       had previously married James Isaac George Leicester late of Seferres, New South
       Wales, aforesaid Engineer died Twenty First day of July, One Thousand Eight
       Hundred and Seventy One. (21/07/1871)...

Which finally confirms that Ann Simmonds Smith (nee Hardman, widow Kurn) is the sister of Elizabeth Frances Hardman, and therefore John Hardman, Captain of the Mizzen Top. The list of siblings also contains all the names I have so far found as children of William Hardman and Elizabeth Willis, plus three additional names: William, Mary and Eliza. Interestingly, the names on the list from Jane through John are in their birth order, but Elizabeth (Frances) should be the youngest. this leads me to suspect that they are mixed up in the list, and that the missing siblings are the three oldest. If so, and assuming 2-3 years between births, then I would expect to see baptisms for William, Mary and Eliza between 1812 and 1819. And I do see one in Hereford for William in 1814, with parents William and Elizabeth, which tentative identification I include below. Here is the list, with their baptismal dates and location:

       William    18 Apr 1814  St John Baptist, Hereford, Herefordshire
       Mary
       Eliza
       Jane          17 Jun 1821  Holy Trinity, Frome, Somerset
       Ann          28 Apr 1824  Holy Trinity, Frome, Somerset
       Matilda    17 Mar 1826  Holy, Trinity, Frome, Somerset
       James       30 Nov 1827 St Swithin, Worcester, Worcestershire
       Thomas    11 Oct 1829  St Swithin, Worcester, Worcestershire
       John          5 Sep 1831   St Swithin, Worcester, Worcestershire
       Elizabeth  9 Aug 1833  St Swithin, Worcester, Worcestershire

The wording of Ann's declaration implies that of the ten siblings, only two of them died to her knowledge. One of them is Mrs. Jane Leicester, for whom, in addition to Ann's declaration, the Australia Death Index 1787-1985 has:
       Jane Leicester; date of death: 21 Jul 1871; age: 50; residence: Norwood
              place of registration: Adelaide, South Australia; Page 102 Vol 102

Of the others in 1877:
       Ann is still alive (obviously, since she's making the declaration)
       James is in Clifton, Bristol in 1881
       Thomas is in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire in 1881
       John is in Milton near Gravesend, Kent in 1881
       Elizabeth is in Partick, Lanarkshire in 1881

So far, nothing from William, Mary, Eliza or Matilda. However, there is evidence for William Hardman, born in Hereford about 1814. England, Select Mariages, 1538-1973 records the marriage of William Hardman and Susan Mitchell at St Peter the Great, Worcester on 28 Jul 1844, corresponding to:
       BMD Marriage Index Sep1844 Worcester 18 563

The 1851 England Census at the Taylor Building, Worcester St Nicholas has:
       William Hardman  Head  Mar  37  Painter and Glazier Journeyman   Hereford
       Susan       Do         Wife  Mar    30                                            Worcester City St Swithins
       Elizabeth  Do         Daur  U       7                                                      Do              Do
       Eliza         Do         Daur  U       3                                                       Do              Do
       William    Do         Son    U       9 mo                                                Do              Do

And in 1861 at 4 Fish Street, Worcester St Helens:
       William Hardman  Head  Mar  47  Painter and Glazier  Hereford
       Susan         Do       Wife   Mar  40                                   Whitbourne Herefordsh
       Elizabeth    Do       Daur   Un   17  Gloveress                  Worcester
       Eliza          Do        Daur           13  Scholar                              Do
       Sophia       Do       Daur             5  Scholar                                Do

By 1871 at 45 Dolday, Worcester All Saints:
       Susan Hardman  Head  Widow  50  Gloveress  Herefordshire
[New page]
       Elisa Hardman    Daur  Unm     23    Gloveress  Worcester St Helen
       Sophia    do        Daur     do      14        do                  do      St Swithin
       George   do       Grandson          2mos                        do      All Saints

William Hardman's death is presumably that reported by:
       BMD Death Index William Hardman Jun1866 Worcester 6c 203 Age:52

This series of documents is consistent with William being the sibling known to Mrs. Ann Simmonds Smith to have died before 1877. At this point I am still on the lookout for more documents relating to Matilda, and any documents to Eliza and Mary. But I do believe I have the names of all the children of William Hardman, Provision Merchant of Worcester, and his wife Elizabeth Willis.

John Hardman on Mother's Day 1851

Motherly Piety: The Two Mothers by Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1851

The census of 1851 was taken on Sunday 30th March to record in each household or institution all the people who had spent the previous night there. That Sunday also included a religious census noting the number of seats and the number of attendees at as many religious institutions as could be identified. When the results of the religious census were published in 1854, pious Victorians were shocked to learn that of the twelve-and-a-half-million reckoned available to attend worship at least once that Sunday, more than 5 million had neglected to do so. Mostly, these lived in the new industrial cities. Of those who did attend worship, more than half were non-conformists.

The 1851 census also coincided with Mothering Sunday. Traditionally, this was the Sunday people returned to the church of their baptism, usually with their families. It became a day when domestic servants were allowed to visit home. Over time, the family significance replaced the religious significance, and the modern English Mother's Day is still celebrated on the fourth Sunday in Lent.

Having located John Hardman (later to be Captain of the Mizzen Top) on census night 1851, I became interested in how he was related to Elizabeth Maskell Widow living at High Town, Weobley, Herefordshire. Here is the return for her household at High Town:
       Elizabeth Maskell  Head  W  43  Shoemaker and Grocer    Herefords Hereford
       William     Do        Son         13   Grocer                                  Do      Weobley
        John         Do       Son          11  Scholar                                  Do      Weobley
       George      Do       Son           9   Scholar                                  Do          Do
       Mary         Do       Daur         7   Scholar                                  Do          Do
       John Hardman     Visitor  U 19  Seaman Royal Navy (Ap) Worcesters Worcester
       William Phillips  Servant  U  31  Grocer                             Monmouths Grosmont
       Charlotte Morgan Serv    U  17  General Servant                Herefords Weobley

The ancestry index has Markell, but it looks like Maskell to me. There are no Markells in Weobley, but England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 has the following baptisms for children of John and Elizabeth Maskell in Weobley, Herefordshire:
       William Maskell 8 March 1838
       George Maskell 10 April 1842
       Mary Maskell     31 December 1843

These three, and John, have the following civil birth registrations in the BMD Birth Index:
       William Maskell Mar1838 Weobley 26
       John Maskell 1840 Weobley 26
       George Maskell Jun1842 Weobley 26
       Mary Maskell Dec1843 Weobley 26

There are also baptisms of children of Richard and Sarah Maskell in Weobley, Richard presumably being John's brother. There is also a record of the death of John Maskell, who is most likely Elizabeth's husband, the father of these children:
       BMD Death Index Jun1846 Weobley 26 171

In 1841, on Back Street, Weobley is this household:
        John Maskell  30  Shoemaker  Y[es, born in Herefordshire]
        Elizabeth do   30                      Y
        William  do     3                       Y
        John       do     1                       Y

And searching for a marriage record in Herefordshire for John Maskell and Elizabeth discovered England, Select Marriages, 1538-1973:
       John Maskell and Elizabeth Wilson at St Peter Hereford 18 Feb 1836

We have already met a couple of Wilsons, one of them Mary Wilson, dressmaker of Hereford who married James Hardman, the tailor; the other being William Wilson, her father, Sergeant at Mace of Hereford. This raises the possibility that Elizabeth Wilson, widow of John Maskell is another of his children. This being the case, John Hardman spent Mothering Sunday 1851 with his aunt's sister and her family. We will come to this later, after we have looked for another of Mary's sisters.

In The Tailor and Dressmaker of Hereford, we met Thomas Williams and Thomas Hardman (who, I suggest, are probably the same person) born in Hoarwithy, Herfordshire. We found him living with Mary and James Hardman. In 1861, Thomas Hardman born in Hoarwithy is described as grandson of Mary's father, William Wilson, and in 1871 as the nephew of James and Mary. From this, we can infer that he is the child of one of a sister of Mary. So, are there any Wilsons who marry Williams in the neighborhood of Hereford? The closest (Breinton is just to the west of Hereford) is this one in England, Select Marriages, 1538-1973:
       Thomas Williams and Sarah Wilson in Breinton, Herefordshire 10 Jul 1845

The names Mary, Elizabeth and Sarah as daughters of William Wilson compare well with a series of Hereford baptisms from England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975:
       Mary Wilson 21 Jan 1802 St Peter Hereford  William Henry and Elizabeth
       Elizabeth Wilson 22 Apr 1803 St Peter Hereford William and Elizabeth
       William Henry Wilson 1804 St Peter Hereford
       Caroline Wilson 9 Sep 1807 St Owen Hereford (born 12 Apr 1807)
       Henry Wilson 15 Nov 1809 St Peter Hereford (born 3 Sep 1809)
       James Wilson 1 Feb 1813 St John Hereford William Henry and Elizabeth
       Sarah Wilson 24 Jun 1818 St Peter Hereford William and Elizabeth
       Richard Wilson 11 Oct 1821 St Owen Hereford
     
Thomas and Sarah Williams of Hereford (the latter from St Peters, no less) may be found in the 1871 Wales Census at 30 Queen Square, Tredegar:
       Thomas [Williams]  Head  Mar  56  Brewer  Herefordsh Monnington on Wye
       Sarah         Do         Wife   Mar  53                       Do       Hereford
       Sarah E     Do          Daur  Unm 17                       Do       Hentland
       Caroline    Do          Daur           12  Scholar  Monmouthsh Nantyglo

And then in the England 1851 Census at the Harp Inn, Hentland
       Thomas Williams  Head  Married  36  Victualer  Monnington Hereford
       Sarah Williams      Wife     Do       30                   St Peters Hereford
       Francis Williams   Son                    5                    Hentland Hereford
       William Williams  Son                    3                    Hentland Hereford
       Thomas Williams  Son                    1                    Hentland Hereford

Hentland is near Hoarwithy, Herefordshire in the Ross-on-Wye registration district. And England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 have the following baptisms at Hentland, all children of Thomas and Sarah Williams.
       Francis Williams                4 May 1846
       William Henry Williams    9 Apr 1848
       Thomas Williams              28 Oct 1849
       Sarah Elizabeth Williams  30 Nov 1851
       Ellen Gertrude Williams   26 Mar 1854

And their civil birth registrations in the BMD Birth Index must be:
       Francis Williams               Jun1846 Ross 26 245
       William Henry Williams   Mar1848 Ross 26 828 (this is not in the expected page range
                       for Ross, so the index entry is doubtful. I would suspect it is an error for 228)
       Thomas Williams               Dec1849 Ross 26 227
       Sarah Elizabeth Williams   Dec1851 Ross 26 235
       Ellen Gertrude Williams    Mar1854 Ross 6a 412

Note, there is no Thomas Hardman birth registered in the Ross registration district in 1849, so I am sure that Thomas Hardman of the 1861 England Census, born in Hoarwithy is Thomas Williams.

Of these, Francis Williams appears in Weobley for the 1861 England Census. The return is at High Street, Weobley, and the head of of household is none other than Elizabeth Maskell:
       Elizabeth Maskell Head Widow 56 Grocer Draper Hatter & Tallow Chandler
                                                                Employing 3 Men and 1 Boy  [Herefordshire] Hereford
       William     Do      Son     Un       23  Managing Grocery Business       Do             Weobley
       Mary         Do      Daur   Un       16                                                      Do                  Do
       James Phillips       Asst    Un      41  Grocers Assistant                 Monmouth Grossmont
       Francis Brewer     Clerk  Un      20  Bookkeeper                          Worcester Worcester
       Francis Williams  Ap      Un      15  Grocer's Ap                           Hereford Horewithy
       William Bowley   Asst    Un      19      Do     Assistant                       Do     Dilwyn
       Mary Phillips        Serv   Un      15  Domestic Servant                        Do     Kenchurch

Conclusion: By March 1851, John Hardman had made the rank of Boy 1st Class, and signed on (on the 9th) to serve with HMS Prince Regent. He apparently was on leave on census night, enumerated in the household of Elizabeth Maskell in Weobley, Herefordshire. The genealogical data are consistent with Elizabeth Maskell being his aunt's sister, providing a plausible explanation as to why he is found there. Elizabeth's later census return of 1871 links her to Mrs. Sarah Williams (through the latter's son, Francis). We previously saw that census returns of 1861 and 1871 link another Wilson sister (Mrs. Mary Hardman) to Mrs. Sarah Williams (through her son, Thomas). While the Wilson's are not directly related to me, the research gives us some idea of John Hardman's extended family. We do not know how long his leave lasted, nor who else he may have visited, although I suspect his parents had died by then, maybe even before 1841. In fact, I have so far found no direct evidence for them. His spending Mothering Sunday with Mrs. Maskell may indicate a close relationship with this part of the family, such as I have already found between his brother Thomas and the Tailor and Dressmaker of Hereford.

The Tailor and Dressmaker of Hereford

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.