What happened to my forebear Edward’s family?
QMy
ancestor, Edward Stubbs, was baptised on 5 March 1837 at St Benedict’s, Norwich, and married on Christmas Day 1860 in Great Yarmouth. On his marriage certificate, his father is given as Thomas Stubbs. Edward died in 1921, aged 84.
On the 1851 census, Edward is living with ‘kin’ in Pockthorpe, Norfolk. These ‘kin’ are Kader and Mary Ann Kiddal. Edward’s father may have gone to America, and that is why young Edward is with kin. Can you cast any light? Barry Hawkes A There are no outgoing passenger lists until 1890, but some migration and transportation records have been digitised and are available online. Contact Norfolk Record Office for local assisted migration records, check its parish and union workhouse collections, and see its catalogue for Poor Law and pre1858 probate indexes ( www. archives.norfolk.gov.uk).
There is no death registered for Thomas Stubbs in Norfolk between 1837 and 1900. However, it was not compulsory to register deaths until 1875, so make sure you check parish burials. Many Norfolk registers are online, but not all, and some have gaps. Check what is missing, and search those at the record office.
Edward’s marriage record says that his father was Thomas, but the baptism you mention gives his parents as William and Sarah. Online indexes don’t reveal any Edward, son of Thomas, but one Edward was baptised in 1838 in St John Maddermarket, Norwich, son of Benjamin and Emily Ann. Both families appear on the 1841 census. In 1851 William, Sarah and Edward were in Norwich St Gregory, but I couldn’t find Benjamin and Emily.
In 1861 your Edward was in Pockthorpe, as the widowed Mary Ann Kiddal’s nephew. Kader Kiddal married Mary Ann Stubbs at St John Maddermarket in 1829 – the 1851 census says that she was born in Norwich around 1804.
Mary Ann, daughter of Edward and Ann Stubbs (née Fulcher), was baptised at St Peter Southgate, Norwich, in 1803. Edward and Ann had children in various parishes, including William in 1808 and Benjamin in 1814, but no Thomas. I recommend checking the St John Maddermarket registers, as these are only partially online.
Gill Blanchard