James Newman and Sarah nee Barber
 

James was baptised 16 June 1811, the son of James Newman and Rhoda nee Cousens in St Mary's Portsea. His father is variously described as a labourer and a coal dealer, but may also have been a sawyer.

In 1841, James aged 25 is with his parents in North Clarence Street Portsea: https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageview...98?pId=2491981


Father and son are described as labourers, and sister Mary (who had married Daniel Marsh, a sailor) is in the same household.


James married Sarah Diaper nee Barber in 1847: https://search.findmypast.co.uk/reco...065794%2f00065


This time James is described as a sawyer, of North Clarence Street and Sarah, daughter of George Barber is of Diaper's cottage, Fratton Path, in the St Paul's District of Portsea.


In 1851, James aged 40 and Sarah aged 39, both born Portsea are living in Diaper's Cottage Fratton Path: https://search.findmypast.co.uk/reco...356326%2f00863 James is an unemployed sawyer.



So far so good. And I think that James died 30 November 1864 in Broad Street and was buried 3 December 1864 in Mile End Cemetery. https://search.findmypast.co.uk/reco...ERY%2F00017334


Sarah's parents are in Matrimony Row in 1841: https://search.findmypast.co.uk/reco...hlights=%22%22


George is aged 55, an engineer and his wife Elizabeth aged 60. Sarah is not with them.


This appears to be Sarah, aged 29, a female servant in the household of Elizabeth Diaper in High Street Portsmouth: https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageview...18?pId=2479838


I cannot find a marriage for Sarah to any member of the Diaper family before 1847, so I assume she had a looser relationship than that, and possibly got a cottage out of it.


But what happened to them after 1851? There's no trace of them that I can see in Portsmouth in 1861. Nor can I find Sarah's death. If she had one dubious relationship, she might have had another?


Can anyone spot them in 1861, or Sarah's death? She was baptised in St Marys, so should have Portsea/Portsmouth as PoB. James ought to be a sawyer, or more likely a labourer.

:D:D:D

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageview...9e&pId=2938030

On other sites this is recorded as Diaper:

DRAPER, WILLIAM 40
GRO Reference: 1846 M Quarter in PORTSEA ISLAND UNION Volume 07 Page 83

eg FreeBMD:

Deaths Mar 1846
DIAPER William Portsea Island 7 83

Have you accounted for the hemp dresser widower in Bermondsey in 1861?

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageview...ue&pId=6085036

He doesn't fit that well, but I've not looked for him on other censuses in case you've already done it!

I do see the issue that men with common names and born in a port come and go for each census!

If that hemp dresser was the right James, then there is this Sarah:

NEWMAN, SARAH 50
GRO Reference: 1860 J Quarter in SHOREDITCH Volume 01C Page 123

This is the only death between 1851 and 1861 where the age is good and the death is in a place that at least makes some sense for someone from Hampshire.

But of course if that isn't the right James, Sarah may not be dead.

Typing is a bit tricky at the moment as there's a cat where my laptop should be!

No Newman's in Broad St Southsea (James' death address) in 1861 or 1871.

:o:o:o


Now why didn't I think of a London marriage!