Genealogy Chat

Hi,

My 2 x gt grandmother was never married. Her name was Selena Lewis born 1846 in St Peters, Hertfordshire. She had the following children:

Eliza Lewis - 1870
William Lewis - 1872
David Lewis - 1876 (My gt granddad)
Horace Lewis - 1882
Florence Lewis - 1886

I have both Eliza's & David's birth certificate and they both don't have a father's name on.

I also have David's marriage cert which states a William Lewis as the father. I thought he was just putting a father because he didn't want to let on he was illegitimate.

I have just received Selena Lewis' death cert from 1924. It states her occupation as Widow of William Hale Lewis - Bricklayer. I thought this was a bit odd, why make up a middle name for a non-exsistant husband? Especially one as unusual as this?

I looked on the census' for a William Hale and there is one who was born in 1848 in Harpendon, Herts who lived on the next street from where Selena lived. He never married, he was a Bricklayer and he died in 1899.

I know I could never prove this theory 100%, but what do you think? Could this be the father of the 5 illegitimate children?

Thanks in advance for your opinions or any advice

Vicky X

How strange. Have you found a death cert for the Hale chap?

Were the children baptised?
Sometimes a father will be named there.

Looking at local parish records for someone on GR, I noted that EVERY child that a vicar baptised in one parish had a named father, even if he'd noted 'not married' next to the entry.

EDIT
Did any of the children marry before the death of William Hale?
It would be interesting to see if he was a witness.

Gwyn

Hi,

I've found a death of a William Hale in 1899 which I think is him as the dates and place add up.

I haven't been able to find baptisms. I have a Lewis contact in Hertfordshire, and he's looked at all the surrounding parishes to where they lived in St Albans and so far haven't found any baptisms for the Lewis children.

Vicky X

hi vicky

I have a ancestor in my tree she was a widow in a couple of census but seemed to have 2 more son's they both had strange middle names so through futher research i found one of the sons living with a man with the surname of his middle name and on the census was wrote Natural son , on looking at baptism records this man was down as the father but they where never married, i also found the other sons father but by the looks of it he never acknowledged his son. so it could be very possible, hope this makes sense

regards
Tracy

Mmmmm, didn't think of that! Eliza did marry a Samuel Cotterell sometime between 1891-1901, but typically I haven't been able to find a marriage!

Samuel died in 1902 and Eliza remarried in 1905 to a William Chalkley.

This family is so elusive! I haven't been able to find David in 1901 or Selena in 1911 either!

Vicky X

Have you looked at Hertfordshire on line? HALS.

I found two records of banns on there for one of my gr gr grandma's. She was a widow when the first lot were taken out - and she never married him - but I believe he may be the father of my gr grandfather.

She eventually married the chap that the second lot of banns referred to. It took them three years to finally tie the knot and they had two children in the meantime - the first one born 9 months after the banns were taken out.

Could be worth a look to see if your Selena was there. (I have awful trouble tracking down one of mine called Selina as the name is usually mistranscribed as something totally weird so good luck with that!)

Jill

Someone has just contacted me regarding a Samuel Cotterell I have in my tree. He was the man who married my Eliza Lewis, although she is in his tree as ELIZA HALE!

Apparantly although he hasn't been able to find their marriage cert, he's found her 2nd marriage to William Chalkley in 1905 which gives her father's name of William Hale - Bricklayer - Deceased!

Now after 2 years of thinking I would never find who was the father of my gt grandad and his siblings, I think I have enough evidence to say it was the William Hale I found!

Vicky X

Wonderful news and what a coincidence.