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Please be aware the above birth detail is deduced by info found on cencuses after 1881.
Esther married Edward Benjamin Nobbin (b. c1838 in Paris) on 4 April 1864 in St Pancras Parish Church, London where her status is given as 'Widow' and fathers name is given as William Cain (or Cair), a coachman.
The handwritten marriage entry can be viewed in the record 'London, England Marriages and Banns 1754-1921' by searching for her full name.
The witness Robert Stone was Verger of St Pancras Church - any help deciphering the name of the other witness would be appreciated, as would opinions as to father's surname.
In the 1881 cencus Esther is again widowed, working as a machinist and spelling her name with only one 'b'.
Esther had 5 surviving children with Edward, all born in Pancras, London, before his death in 1874 the last born in the year of his death.
The 1911 cencus, before her death in 1918 shows her at 81 (questionable) and living with daughter Maude, son in law William Barton and granddaughter Clara. All her cencus entries are consistent in her birth being Exeter, Devon.

Please, can anyone throw any light on her origins of birth and first marriage? I have searched for her birth - perhaps illegitimate to a mother named Hansford, and a Hansford/Welling previous marriage, also for Cain/Hansford and Cain/Welling marriages. Did William acknowledge paternity but didn't marry her mother? Was she informally adopted by him if her mother died or abandonned her?

I can find absolutely no trace. Does anyone have any idea that I have overlooked or any information at all? Ever hopeful. Thanks for reading and be assured I will be most grateful for any help.

Poppina

I read the fathers name as William Cair and the witts as as

Robert Stone.
N Bucheridge.

I agree with Sue

Unfortunately, N Bucheridge is also a witness on the following entry ........... thus indicating that he is also a "professional witness", like Robert Stone


so will be no use in identifying Esther's family





Could you please tell us where you have looked?


That might help us to avoid duplicating your research

Esther Handsford Caer
Gender:Female
Baptism Date:4 Jul 1830
Baptism Place:St. Sidwell, Exeter, Devon, England
Father: William
Mother: Mary
FHL Film Number:916841
Reference ID:v 6 p 119

Good one, Flip!

That one looks good Flip,I have been looking for ages but no luck :-(

There's this, but no Mr Welling so not sure:

Hester Hansford Care
Registration Year:1849
Registration Quarter:Oct-Nov-Dec
Registration district:Plymouth
Parishes for this Registration District:
View Ecclesiastical Parishes associated with this Registration District
Inferred County:Devon
Volume:9
Page:522
Records on Page:Name

Ann Beer
Hester Hansford Care
John Burlace Davis
James Ley
Deborah Parkhouse
John Scoble
Edward Thomas Willey
Mary Yeoman

I'm not surprised to see this on a Public Tree on ancestry ..................

Esther and Hester are often used in concert


No idea about the accuracy of the tree ................. but it may provide you with some other thoughts. Plus, if true ......... it shows where the Handsford came from!


Care-Cottrell Family Tree
Owner: carecottrell


Esther/hester Hansford Care
Birth 1830 in Exeter, Devon, England
Death Mar 1918 in Greater, London, England

Parents


William Care
Birth 1798 in Castle Cary, Somerset, England


Mary Handsford
Birth 1801 in Beaminster, Dorset, England
Death


Siblings

Eliza Jane Care
1831 – 1920

Mary Ann Care
1834 –

Harriet Care
1836 –

george care
1841 – 1930

George William Care
1842 – 1928

Walter Henry Care
1843 – 1928

???????possible for some of that family in 1841


1841 Census

Name: Mary Beare
[Mary Ceare]
Age: 39
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1802
Gender: Female
Civil Parish: St Sidwell
Hundred: Exeter City
County/Island: Devon
Country: England

Registration district: Exeter
Sub-registration district: St Sidwell

Piece: 268
Book: 9
Folio: 10
Page Number: 15

Mary Beare 39 not born in county, note saying "husband ????boy"
Sarah Beare 14
Esther Beare 10
Mary Ann Beare 7
Harriott Cease 5

Address:- St Sidwell Terrace No 5




NOTE .............. these names are also shown on the transcribed record with the Ceare family, but they are actually separate households

Wm Dolling 30
Thos Wankings 25
Sophia Carpenter 34
John Carpenter 2
William Carpenter 5 Mo
Ann Cater 19

1851 Census

Name: Mary Carr
[Mary Care]
Age: 49
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1802
Relation: Wife
Spouse's Name: William Carr
Gender: Female
Where born: Beaminster, Dorset, England
Civil Parish: Plymouth St Andrew
County/Island: Devon
Country: England

Registration district: Plymouth
Sub-registration district: St Andrew
ED, institution, or vessel: 1t

Household schedule number: 118
Piece: 1879
Folio: 640
Page Number: 31

William Carr 52 b.ca 1799, Castle Cary, Somerset. Coach Man
Mary Carr 49
Harriet Carr 16 at house
George Carr 10 Scholar
Walter Carr 9 Scholar

Address:- 7 Princess Place

Think this is her in 1851 - if so she married Edward Thomas Willey:

Hester Willey
Age:21
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1830
Relation:Wife
Spouse's Name:Thos Willey
Gender:Female
Where born:Exeter, Devon, England
Civil Parish:Plymouth Charles the Martyr
Ecclesiastical parish:Sutton on Plym
County/Island:Devon
Country:England
Street address:Occupation:
Condition as to marriage:
Disability:
View image
Registration district:Plymouth
Sub-registration district:Charles
ED, institution, or vessel:1e
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number:214
Piece:1878
Folio:141
Page Number:52
Household Members:NameAge

Thos Willey 22 (Shoemaker, born Exeter)
Hester Willey 21 (Dressmaker)
Clara Willey 9 Mo (born Plymouth)

?????? Esther in 1861


1861 Census

Name: Esther Welling
Age: 30
Estimated Birth Year: 1831
Relation: Head
Gender: Female
Where born: Exeter, Devon, England
Civil Parish: St Giles
Town: London
County/Island: Middlesex
Country: England

Registration district: St Giles
Sub-registration district: St Giles South
ED, institution, or vessel: St Giles and Bloomsbury United Parish Workhouse

Household schedule number: 28
Piece: 169
Folio: 4
Page Number: 5

Esther Welling 30 Widow, Seamstress
Clara Welling 10 b.ca 1851, Plymouth, Devon, Daughter, Scholar
Thomas Welling 8 b.ca 1853, London, Son, Scholar

Address:- 12 Gt Wild Street

Flip


That 1851 census that you found fits with the 1861 that I found ................... with Clara as the daughter

I agree Sylvia, so either she had another husband in between or the name got changed a bit. I'd be inclined to believe the latter.

I looked at the freebmd image of her marriage ........... and it is Welling

It is handwritten, and I wondered if there was a possibility of mis-transcription

Marriages Jun 1864 (>99%)

Nobbin Edward Benjamin Pancras 1b 67
Welling Esther Hansford Pancras 1b 67

Flip


I'd guess the name got changed along the line

??????

England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915 about Clara Jane Willey

Name: Clara Jane Willey
Registration Year: 1850
Registration Quarter: Jul-Aug-Sep
Registration district: Plymouth
Parishes for this Registration District: View Ecclesiastical Parishes associated with this Registration District
Inferred County: Devon
Volume: 9
Page: 364

and this looks like Clara living with ehr grandparents in 1871


1871 Census

Name: Clara Willie
Age: 20
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1851
Relation: Granddaughter
Gender: Female
Where born: Devon, England
Civil Parish: Camberwell
Ecclesiastical parish: Christchurch
Town: Peckham
County/Island: Surrey
Country: England
Registration district: Camberwell
Sub-registration district: Peckham
ED, institution, or vessel: 25
Household schedule number: 47
Piece: 734
Folio: 111
Page Number: 14

Willm Care 75 b.ca 1796, Beaminster, Dorset, Tobacconist
Mary Care 70 b.ca 1801, Castle Cary, Somerset
Clara Willie 20 General Servant

Address:- 2 Park Road

London, England, Marriages and Banns, 1754-1921

Name: Clara Jane Willey
Spouse: William Thomas Ward
Record Type: Marriage
Event Date: 4 Nov 1872
Parish: St Mary Magdalene, Bermondsey
Borough: Southwark
Father Name: Thomas Willey <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Spouse Father: William Thomas Ward
Register Type: Parish Register

Father occupation:- Boot and Shoe Maker


It does not say that he is dead

That looks good for Clara, I was just looking for her to see what name she was under.