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Hi again,
I have a very big problem and hope you could possibly help?
I thought I had found the right William Stevens b. 1841 Tottenhill, to Robert Stevens and Elizabeth Ambrose, but it has transpired that it actually wasn't . . .
I looked further to William Stevens and Sophia Unknown in Shouldham, but this one didn't have any legs and just fizzled out altogether ....
There are so many Stevens's in the areas of Shouldham, Downham and others and I wondered if you might be able to help find the right William, please?
I thought I had got the right family, but it looks as though I will probably have to unpick several generations and then start again :-(
Many thanks
Jayne

What do you know to be proven fact about William Stevens?

For example do you have his marriage certificate giving the details of his father such as his name and occupation?

Hi Jonesey,
I was so sure that I had the right information on the certificate and was shattered when I realised it wasn't the right one. As I've said, it's a right minefield to find which Stevens is which, but I have just found some possibles as another certificate confirmed that my ancestor was a William, but not a Robert.
I've searched for this William, wherever he was but to no avail so far and would really appreciate any help with finding him as I said above.
Many thanks
Jayne

Jayne,

Without knowing more detail nobody is likely to be able to help you sort your query out.

A) What do you know for certain about the William Stevens you seek?

B) Did he marry if so to who, when and where?

C) Did he have children? If so what were their names and when and where they born?

D) Have you found William on any census record or in a trade directory such as Whites or Kellys?

E) Where and when did he die?

Hello again Jonesey,
I had a certificate for a William Stevens born in 1841 - parents: Robert Stevens and Elizabeth Ambrose, which fitted with my tree - however, this has turned out not to be the case and with all of the districts in Cambridgeshire, there are so many places to look at with confidence. It has also made a huge crash as I will have to find the right William. The districts are: Downham, Shouldham and others and I don't want to make the mistake again, so any help you could afford, I would be greatfully appreciated.
Jayne

Jayne,

I am sorry but you are not answering the questions being asked, just repeating what you have already said.

Unless you have any definite facts about the William you seek rather than information which you thought was correct but now have obviously accepted as erroneous then nobody will be able to give you any help.

By the way, Tottenhill, Downham and Shouldham are I believe in Norfolk, not Cambridgeshire.

Can you please forget the cert etc which you have which is incorrect and give us the info which you KNOW to be correct ???

We can try to work back from there!

Dea Xxx

Hi Jonesey,
Thanks for your reply - but as Tottenhill, Downham and Shouldham come under the district of Cambridgeshire, they are all classed as Downham for the registration district .
My problem is that I don't know who my ancestor is - Just William Stevens (there are lots of them!) is and would like to be able to find the right William , if this is possible.
Jayne

Let's try again.

Where have you got William's name from ?
Is he someone's husband, brother, father, son etc ?

How do you know that you have an ancestor called William Stevens ?

Sorry Jayne but in the absence of any answers to the questions asked or any further known information about your ancestor William I am unable to assist you.

Good luck with your quest.

So - where have you got this name from ?

How have you got back to him ??

Who's father / son / brother / husband, or whatever else is he ???

You haven't just got a name ?? - It must have joined up to someone somewhere ???

We NEED this info if we are to try to help!

Dea x

Hi Dea,
I was so sure that the Robert Stevens and Elizabeth Ambrose's birth certificate for William was the correct one for some time - but it now transpires that the William Stevens I had on my tree was not of the family I thought it was. I looked for a William, and also a son of William in either Downham, Tottenhill or Wiggenhall but nothing came up that fitted.
Anything that you could find for a William, son of William born would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks
Jayne

You are not helping us to help you Jayne!!!

PLEASE do not tell us what you got wrong - PLEASE answer the questions if you want us to help!

I reitterate:

So - where have you got this name from ?

How have you got back to him ??

Who's father / son / brother / husband, or whatever else is he ???

You haven't just got a name ?? - It must have joined up to someone somewhere ???

We NEED this info if we are to try to help!

Dea x

I am a descendant of James Stevens.
I have many details of the family.
Born: Tottenhill, Norfolk 21st Feb 1850
Father : Robert Stevens, born c.1810 St. Mary Magdelene, Norfolk
Mother : Elizabeth Ambrose, born c.1811 Welney, Norfolk
Children: 13 in total

(from google search, the above relates to Elizabeth Ambrose,taken from an old rootschat posting, not sure if connected in your 'Tree')


County Cambridgeshire
Place Downham
Church St Leonard
RegisterNumber 552
DateOfBirth
BaptismDate 27 Nov 1842
Forename Whitwell
Sex -
FatherForename William
MotherForename Sarah
FatherSurname STEVENS
MotherSurname
Abode Downham
FatherOccupation Labourer
FileNumber 27376

(this above from below link, along with Caroline and Jonah, if names you recognise?, in case he was Whitwell instead of William!, just an idea)

http://www.freereg.org.uk/cgi/Search.pl

Chris :)

edits (Whitwell Married Harriet Leakes 1859)

Hi Chris Ho!
Fabulous! - thanks for this - there is a Whitwell Stevens aged 1 years b. 1840 Downham which I found - parents: William Stevens and Sarah Unknown. 1841 census : Downham Pymore Hill. Other siblings are: Ann Stevens 1834c, John Stevens 1836c and Eliza Stevens 1838c. And in 1851: Pymoor Downham - William 1810, Sarah 38, Ann 17, John 15, Eliza 13, Whitwell 11, Jonah 1843, Samuel 5 and Susan 2. 1861 Pymore Hill, Downham: William 52, Sarah 48, Samuel 15, Susan 12, Eleanor 10 and James 8.
Unfortunately, there is no William Stevens for this family. Could there possible be another Whitwell Stevens in another branch of this tree, do you think?
Many many thanks for your help.
Jayne

http://www.freereg.org.uk/cgi/Search.pl

(have a look Norfolk/Cambridgeshire on above link Jayne, something might connect!)


(also, posted above, others have asked some questions, do you have the answers that might make 'looking' a bit easier)...

Chris :)

Hi Chris,
I will go offline GR as I confess I'm not great at using websites, so, if it's ok with you, I will go with what I can do on FMP and hope that I might find something good!
If you ever find another Whitwell in another family, please let me know?
Kindest regards
Jayne

FreeReg is free Jayne!, easy to use...

(I too use FMP (good for some Cambs. Parishes) and Ancestry, all are valuable)

Hope something helps for you, if not, give us another shot!...

Chris :)

Hi Jayne, don't say you're not great at using websites, you're doing fine on here. BUT, it's just a simple case of answering the questions that people have asked.

Do you have a marriage cert. for William as this should give fathers name occupations etc