Find Ancestors

I am trying to find my GGGrandfather. Not only can I not trace him but I can't find any record of his marriage to my GGGrandmother Maria Barnes (she may be under her first married name Mowbray). Also his names are different on his son's birth and marriage certificates! Her date of birth is 1825 so I'm guessing his may be too, tho it also may be earlier. The area I expect to find him is Brighton and he is most likely a servant there. Any help gratefully received! Susan

this looks like Maria re-married

William Dowding
Age: 7
Estimated birth year: abt 1854
Relation: Son
Father's Name: Jesse Jestico
Mother's Name: Maria Jestico
Gender: Male
Where born: Brighton, Sussex, England
Civil parish: Brighton
County/Island: Sussex
Household Members: Name Age
Jesse Jestico 33
Maria Jestico 36
William Dowding 7
Joseph Jestico 10 MO


She re-married in 1859

Marriages Jun 1859 (>99%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Burton James Brighton 2b 328
Dowding Maria Brighton 2b 328
Fairs Eliza Steyning 2b 328
Fairs Henry Steyning 2b 328
Jestico Jesse Brighton 2b 328
Parker Eliza Brighton 2b 328
Peckham Mary Ann Ringwood 2b 328

Have you found them on a census report? This would be a big help.
If not, when and where were the children born and what are their names?

EDIT If above is correct I see Maria was born Chichester, Sussex. Nice find Astra!

Jan

Just to narrow down the possible years of marriage to "William":

Marriages Sep 1845 (>99%)
Barnes Maria Winchester 7 388
Mowbray Robert Winchester 7 388

I am starting to think they never married at all?

Jan

Me too!

John William Dowding
Gender: Male
Birth Date: abt 1854
Christening Date: 2 Jul 1854
Christening Place: Brighton, Sussex, England
Father's Name: Elijah Dowding
Mother's Name: Maria

There is an Edwin Dowding in Somerset born 1823 with a wife Elizabeth. He died in 1899 in Bristol. He's still with her though in 1861 but transcribed as Edward

Do you have an occupation for Elijah?
Jan

Found this, might be relevant maybe??

Deaths Sep 1855 (>99%)
Dowding Edwin Elisha Brighton 2b 93

Thank you all for yor interest, Maria did indeed remarry after her Dowding connection as you have found and was married before to Robert Mowbray. (He was a soldier but interestingly no trace of his death either!) Maria and Mr Dowding's son was the William John you traced, they had no other children. I'm not sure about Edwin Dowding, he seems the best option but I can't put him and Maria at the same place at the same time and his death certificate does not include her.

Possible marriage? But it's in Ireland. It's from BVRI:

DOWDING, Elijah Marriage
Wife: Maria MOWBRAY
Marriage Date: 9 Oct 1850 Recorded in: St Patrick's, Wexford, Ireland
Collection: Civil Registration
Husband's Father: Job DOWDING
Wife's Father: James BARNES
Source: FHL Film 101321 Dates: 1850 - 1850

Nice one MargaretThat accounts for why they aren't on the English census. I wonder if she moved to Ireland with Robert Mowbray.

That's fantastic, I've been stuck on that for the last 2 years!! Is it greedy to ask if anyone can find other references to Elijah, such as a death somewhere between 1850 and 1859, maybe also in Ireland? Was he a soldier too I wonder? Thank you all again. Susan

My father has just died and whilst clearing his house I found Maria and Elijahs marriage certificate (see thread above). It states that Elijah was a soldier (like Maria's first husband Robert Mowbray) I think I may have traced him in the 1841 census in the Medway barracks tho' the entry has been transcribed as EliZah Dowding, seems unlikely that a girl was there undergoing military training. If that is indeed him it also appears that he would have been born in about 1826 and is either Kentish or Irish. I can't trace details of his death or his birth with any of the website searches, can anybody out there help me please.

Looking at the 1841, he wasn't born in county (Kent) and there is no I to indicate that he was born in Ireland.

This from FMP:

First name(s) Elijah
Last name Dowding
Sex Male
Service number 1661
Rank Private
Unit or regiment 55th Foot
Sub unit Depot
Year 1841
Date 26/06/1841
Event type Embarked for Service Coys.
Remarks -
Location Chatham
County Kent
Country England

The National Archive reference
WO 12/6505

Record set
British Army, Worldwide Index 1841

This is the only Job Dowding I can find in 1841 - he died in Bradford in 1847:


Name:Jobe Dowding
Age:60
Estimated birth year:abt 1781
Gender:Male
Where born:Wiltshire, England
Civil Parish:Wingfield
Hundred:Bradford
County/Island:Wiltshire
Country:England
Jobe Dowding 60
James Dowding 25
Sarah Dowding 30
Matilda Dowding 14
Emma Dowding 10

Above is possible- Elijah had brother James- see baptism below

Born in Wiltshire:

First name(s) Elijah
Last name Dowding
Birth year -
Birth date -
Baptism year 1822
Baptism date 06 Oct 1822
Place Wingfield
Father's first name(s) Job
Father's occupation lab
Mother's first name(s) Jane
County Wiltshire
Country England
Record set Wiltshire Baptisms, 1530-1886
Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records

possible siblings:

First name(s) Eliza
Last name Dowding
Baptism year 1816
Baptism date 01 Dec 1816
Place Wingfield
Father's first name(s) Job
Father's occupation lab
Mother's first name(s) Jane
County Wiltshire
--------------------------------------------

First name(s) James
Last name Dowding
Baptism year 1812
Baptism date 22 Nov 1812
Place Wingfield
Father's first name(s) Job
Mother's first name(s) Jane
County Wiltshire
Record set Wiltshire Baptisms, 1530-1886
-------------------------------------------------

First name(s) Louisa
Last name Dowding
Baptism year 1819
Baptism date 07 Mar 1819
Place Wingfield
Father's first name(s) Job
Father's occupation lab
Mother's first name(s) Jane
County Wiltshire
Record set Wiltshire Baptisms, 1530-1886

Possible death for father:

Death:
First name(s) JOB
Last name DOWDING
Gender Male
Death quarter 3
Death year 1847
District BRADFORD ON AVON
County Wiltshire
Volume 8 Page 168

All this ties in nicely, Elijah's first grandchild was called Winifred Louisa and the family had strong ties with Wiltshire. I wonder who Jane was? But going back to dear Elijah, he married Maria in 1850 and in 1854 they had a son (William John) but by 1859 she had remarried. I can't find a death for Elijah. William John was born in Brighton so I assume Elijah either returned from whatever soldiering he was doing in Ireland or died whilst out in Ireland. How are deaths of serving soldiers recorded? The death in Brighton of Edwin Elisha Dowding (mentioned above) would fit nicely for date but the gentleman concerned is too old.