James Brown

[James18]

Name - "official" name and what they were known as

James Brown

Date and place of birth

Likely Q4 1836 in Porlock, Somerset.

Names of parents

Ann Brown (née ???) and William Brown -- it is likely James was a bastard, and the opinion of a relative of mine (after having searched various census and local parish registers) is that William Brown may have been a fictitious name invented to avoid awkward questions later in life. An unpleasant alternative is that his father was his mother's brother of the same name.

Date and place of baptism - if applicable

25th December 1836 in Porlock, Somerset.

Details of each of his or her marriages - if any

(1) Elizabeth Martin (née Boulton)

- born 1831 in Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol
- baptized ????
- married 17th February 1861 in Bristol St. James
- died ? November 1862 in Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol

(2) Emma Elizabeth Cowley

- born 24th November 1844 in Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol
- baptized 17th May 1846 in Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol
- married 22nd April 1866 in Bristol St. James
- died Q1 1919 in Bristol

Occupation(s) - if any

Stonemason.

Addresses where they lived (including county if in UK) - and please list which censuses you have or haven't found him/her on (if s/he lived in census times!).

1841 - Carhampton, near Porlock, Somerset - living with mother and grandparents
1851 - Porlock, Somerset - living with uncles and grandparents
1861 - Westbury, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol - living with first wife, step-children, in-laws and a lodger
1871 - Canford Lane, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol - living with second wife, children and lodgers
1881 - Church Road, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol - living with second wife and children

Date, place and cause of death

? June 1888 in Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol. Cause unknown.

Date and place of burial.

9th June 1888 in Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol.

Details of will / administration of their estate - if applicable

Unknown.

Memorial inscription - if any

Unknown.

[Merry]

I'm assuming the father's name is from his second marriage cert?

An unpleasant alternative is that his father was his mother's brother of the same name.

If that was the case I'm sure you would have found a different, or no, name on the marriage record!

His baptism says he was base born and that his mother was Ann Brown. No father mentioned.

[James18]

Yes, and I have a scan of his marriage certificate to Emma Elizabeth Cowley. The father's name is given as William Brown. Taking circumstantial evidence into account, I am fairly confident that Elizabeth Marten was his first wife, and the Ancestry records for said marriage do list William Brown as being the spouse's father. I have yet to order a copy of the certificate to confirm this, but it's on my to-do list.

As my relative suggested and as I mentioned above, it is possible that because he was a bastard he simply invented a father's name when necessary, to avoid prejudice.

Also, I totally agree with you about him being unlikely to want to list his uncle as his father (if that was the case) but it's an idea that was raised because he did have an uncle named William Brown, and another alternative by that name from Porlock during the same period couldn't be located.

[James18]

Sadly, we think that the 1861 census for James and his first wife must be among the 5% or so (?) that were destroyed, as I've not been able to find anything despite extensive searching, and my relative has spent years trying to find it - even searching local archives around the country.

The 1861 census record would help us to confirm who his first wife was, but I am not sure it will ever be found.

[ElizabethHerts]

What about Somerset bastardy records? Have you checked those, James?

[James18]

No, as I've not been able to find anything online. There's a thread here:

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=706154.0

I did search the Somerset Records Office website as suggested, but couldn't find anything for an Ann Brown.

[ElizabethHerts]

That's a shame, James.

[James18]

The Q4 1862 Clifton Somerset (i.e. Westbury) death entry for Elizabeth Brown will be my next port of call, as hopefully that will confirm Elizabeth Marten as being James' first wife - or not, of course.

The age seems to fit, though, and James lived in Westbury in subsequent census records.

[Merry]

as hopefully that will confirm Elizabeth Marten as being James' first wife - or not, of course.

It may confirm the death was for the wife of your James (rather than some other James Brown), but it probably won't confirm she is the bride from the marriage to Elizabeth Marten (what made you choose that particular marriage?) unless the death happens to have been registered by one of her relations.

James I have a memory from somewhere which says that many Porlock records were destroyed when it flooded. Have you had any contact with anyone else searching the Porlock records?