A Stubborn Brick Wall

[Merry]

I'm trying to think of ways that Sarah could have forgotten she had a son called William when she made her declaration in 1800!!

[vita]

Originally Posted by Shona

*chucks big stone into pond*

Edward Headland - bp 13 Feb 1825, son of the mysterious William Headland and Harriet Birch - had a son named Edwin Trunley Headland who was baptised in Southampton in 1850.

Trunley could be a variant of Trenley.

Oh no - not a possible link to the Southampton Headlands! I had seen them but
thought they were a separate family.
Yes, Amelia Julia emigrated along with another sister & a brother who went about 5 years later - they were among the "Early Settlers."
Been as we're throwing other Headlands into the mix, my father always believed
we were connected to the Headlands of Tonbridge, Kent. They have the poet
Stephen Spender on their tree, as well as notable Victorian clerics, academics
& an eminent surgeon, so I personally doubted it. I have a rough tree of
theirs drawn up by the friend who did some groundwork for me, but we
couldn't find a link.
Personally, I believe ours are the Headlands from Beds/Northants, some of
them moving into Middlesex & central London.
Interesting re Trunley/Trenley, though.........

[vita]

Originally Posted by Merry

Even if you had a baptism for a Thomas, son of Isaac and Sarah at about the right date, you probably couldn't be any more certain it was for you Thomas because you still have William floating about with no baptism and the possibility of him having siblings without baptisms too! I can't think why Sarah couldn't have just said she had three living sons, Thomas, Robert and William and then everything would seem much better!! lol

Having said that, I still think it's most likely the Thomas mentioned by Sarah is your Thomas.....but there's always going to be a niggling doubt! (Reminds me of my Tyler tree where cousin families lived next door to each other and a daughter from one house married her first cousin, a son from the other house - or so I though. About ten years later when the 1851 census was released I learned that the bride was from one of the houses but the groom was her second cousin who had the same name as her first cousin but lived about 200 miles away! lol)

Meant to put this with my other reply - but I can live with a niggling doubt if
I have to. I'm just so grateful for everyone's input - especially as I'd been
looking at Sarah & Isaac for some time, but without the confidence to think
I might be right. It was good to have my suspicions(almost) confirmed)& for
someone - Shona, I think - to mention them before I did.
Re Sarah's 1800 declaration - I know son John had died, but she must have lost her daughters too.

[Phoenix]

Originally Posted by Merry

I'm trying to think of ways that Sarah could have forgotten she had a son called William when she made her declaration in 1800!!

Sorry that I've lost track of earlier posts, but is it possible that William was older than the others and so earning his own living at this stage? Or that he had been adopted by a family member, so the parish would not have to fork out for him?

[Merry]

I don't know Phoenix. Doesn't seem very likely.....

Sarah's declaration in 1800 said: She intermarried with Isaac Headland her present Husband at the Parish Church of Saint George Hanover Square by whom she has living two Children Vizt. Thomas Aged fifteen
years and Robert Aged ten years.

William was b abt 1787 according to the 1851 census.

[Phoenix]

Could he have been already apprenticed? He would then be gaining a settlement in his own right.
Why is Sarah providing this information, not Isaac?

[Merry]

True. He was a tailor so may well have been apprenticed. I suppose I'm looking on it with modern eyes - I can't imagine saying I only have one child when I have two without qualifying that information somehow.

I also found it odd that Sarah was signing the declaration yet it didn't sound as if Isaac was dead!!!!

Could he have done a runner?

[Merry]

Just looked at the UK, Land Tax Redemption, 1798 for Isaac Headland who is listed under Tottenham Place St Pancras. He has three entries on the same page each for 7s. The middle one describes him as "Inm" (I think).....Inmate? or something else? What would that mean in this instance?

I would think inmate would be for workhouse, mental hospital or gaol ..

[Merry]

Maybe he was not of sound mind and that was why he didn't sign the declaration?