A TWIST IN THE TALE OF WILLIAM SHULVER AND ELIZABETH JANE TURNER - RESEARCHING DURING LOCKDOWN

IS THERE A TWIST IN MY TALE ? AND RESEARCHING IN LOCKDOWN!

St Mary the Virgin, Dedham, Essex, 2019 ©

In my last blog post I wrote about how, when researching my OSBORN family in DEDHAM, ESSEX, and their connection to my TURNER family from Suffolk, I discovered a multi- generational pattern of migration between Essex and Suffolk.  My research into the Osborn family in Essex began after discovering that the Dedham parish records were available on the Essex Records Office's website, Essex Archives Online. My Turner family in Suffolk was well known to me, since I had been investigating this family for many years. 

It was while looking into my Essex, OSBORN ancestors that I discovered a TWIST in the research I had conducted into my Suffolk, TURNER family years earlier. Intriguingly, the twist involved both the Osborn and Turner families. 

I knew from census records, that my 4th great grandmother, Ann Mayer Turner (nee OSBORN) was born in Dedham, Essex, but because the parish records for Dedham had not been available, I had not researched her Essex roots. In my last blog post I revealed how I discovered family connections between two counties and the reason that Ann Mayer Osborn had left Dedham, Essex to marry in Ipswich Suffolk. You can read that blog post and the introduction to this post here. 

Baptism of Orina Clement OSBORN 24 June 1805 [1]

Orina Clement Osborn was the youngest sister of my 4th great grandmother, Ann Mayer Turner (nee Osborn) and both were born in the village of Dedham in  Essex. At the age of 30, Orina married William SHULVER at St Nicholas Church, Ipswich in Suffolk. The marriage took place on 31 March 1834 [2]. 

At the time of the 1841 census, William and Orina Shulver (Osborn) were living in St Margaret's Ditches (now Crown Street) [3] about five minutes walking distance from her sister Ann Mayer Turner (Osborn) and her family in Clay Road (now Old Foundry Road). Orina's husband of four years William Shulver was employed as a Wheelwright. This census record indicates that Orina's husband William was born in Suffolk in 1804 [4]. 

 

St Margaret's Ditches (Crown ST) to Clay Rd (Old Foundry Rd) Google Maps 

Orina Clement Osborn and William SHULVER had two children who were shown in the 1841 census as William aged 3 and Susan Clement aged 1. [5] William Shulver junior was baptised on 4 March 1838 at St Margaret's, Ipswich, Suffolk [6]. Susan, who was baptised at St Margaret's, Ipswich on 20 September 1840 [7]  died just over a year later on 10 October 1841 [8]. 

William and Orina Clement SHULVER in the 1841 census with children, William 3 and Susan 1. [9]

The name SHULVER leapt out at me immediately, because from my research into my TURNER family, I knew that Elizabeth Jane Turner, (born 1832) [10], the youngest daughter of my 4th great grandmother Ann Mayer Osborne and husband William Turner, had also married a man named William SHULVER in Ipswich in 1855 [11]. 

So, not only had my 4th great grandmother's daughter Elizabeth Jane Turner married a man named William Shulver in Ipswich, Suffolk in 1855, but my 4th great grandmother's sister, Orina Clement Osborn, had also married a man named William Shulver in Ipswich, Suffolk, 17 years earlier in 1834. Orina and her husband had a son named William Shulver who was a first cousin to Elizabeth Jane Turner.

In 1851 [12], Orina Shulver (Osborn), a widow, with her 13 year old son William Shulver, was living in Bolton Lane just around the corner from her sister Ann Mayer Turner (Osborn) who with her family were now living in Soane Street. St Margaret's Church, where Orina's children were baptised was on the junction of these two roads.[13] 13 year old William Shulver would most certainly have known his aunt, Ann Mayer Turner (Osborn) and her children, including his cousin Elizabeth Jane Turner who was three years his senior. 

(Orina) Clement Shulver (Osborn) and her son William in the 1851 Census. [14]

Orina Shulver (Osborn) was widowed and working as a Tailoress. Was it possible that her son William, aged 13, was the same William Shulver who married Elizabeth Jane Turner in 1855? 

Soane Street and Bolton Lane where the two sisters from Dedham, Essex lived in Ipswich Suffolk, Google Maps

I had not researched William SHULVER, the husband of my 4th great aunt, Elizabeth Jane Turner, and the son in law of my 4th great grandparents, Ann Mayer Osborn and William Turner because he and Elizabeth Jane were never recorded living together after the birth of a son. The couple married in 1855, and their son William Engomire Shulver was born in July 1856. [15]  From at least 1861 onward, Elizabeth Jane, although married, lived apart from her husband William Shulver.

William and Elizabeth Jane Shulver (Turner) were never recorded together in a census record following their marriage. The only information I had about Elizabeth Jane's husband William Shulver was from the baptism record of their son William Engomire Shulver,  [16] where it was stated that his father, William Shulver, was a Wheelwright. This occupation was all I knew about Elizabeth Jane's husband. 

By the 1861 census [17] Elizabeth Jane Shulver (nee Turner) and her son William E Shulver, aged 4, were living with her parents Ann Mayer (Osborn) and William Turner.  Elizabeth Jane  operated a Green Grocer Shop and declared right up until the 1891 census [18] that she was married despite at no time having her husband living with her. In the 1891 census she stated that was widowed. [19] 

101 Albion Street, where Elizabeth Jane SHULVER operated her Green Grocery Store

Looking at the dates of Elizabeth Jane Turner's marriage in late 1855 [20] and the birth of a son William Engomire Shulver in July 1856, [21] it appears that Elizabeth might have been pregnant when she married William Shulver. Since Elizabeth Jane lived apart from her husband William, it is possible that she married for the purpose of respectability - that her marriage was one of convenience to legitimise a baby. Perhaps the couple lived together following their 1856 marriage but by 1861 they were separated. This of course, is speculation and the important goal for me, was to determine whether Elizabeth Jane Turner's husband was her first cousin William Shulver - the son of her aunt Orina Clement Shulver (Osborn). 

I set out to find what I could about Orina Shulver's (Osborn) son William Shulver. I discovered that at the time of the 1861 census [22] he was recorded in Ipswich, Suffolk, as a visitor in the home where his mother Orina Shulver (Osborn) worked as a housekeeper for a Mr. William Purr. Orina's son, William Shulver, aged 23, was recorded as being married on the 1861 census, despite having no wife with him. His marriage would had taken place between 1851 and 1861. [23]

In the 1871 [24] and 1881 UK censuses [25], William Shulver was recorded as being the head of the household in which only he and his mother Orina lived. William, employed as a wheelwright, lived with his mother in East Bergholt, and then Stratford St Mary, Suffolk, and supporting her financially, until her death in 1884. [26]  He continued to state that he was married but at no time did had a wife living with him. 

Was Elizabeth Jane pregnant? Lovis Corinth Donna Gravida 1909, Wikipedia, Creative Commons

Like Elizabeth Jane Shulver, who was married but living with her parents, her cousin William Shulver was also married but living with his mother. Both had married between 1851 and 1861. By 1871, Elizabeth Jane had married a wheelwright and her cousin William was employed as a wheelwright - quite possibly working with his uncle Abraham Osborn who lived nearby. [27]. This was also the profession of his father William Shulver senior, who had died in 1847. [28] 

With coincidences mounting, I was presented with a peculiar scenario, whereby William Shulver, the son of Orina Shulver (Osborn), a wheelwright, although married, was living with his mother, with no sign of his wife. His first cousin, Elizabeth Jane Shulver (Turner), the daughter of Orina's sister, Ann Mayer Turner (Osborn), was living with her parents with no sign of her husband - a wheelwright named William Shulver. 

Were the two William Shulvers the same man? If this was the case, then Orina Shulver's (Osborn) son had married her sister Ann Mayer Turner's (Osborn) daughter and it was a marriage between FIRST COUSINS. I had two sisters from Dedham in Essex who both married in Ipswich, Suffolk and the possibility that they had a son and daughter who as first cousins, married each other. 

With the information at hand, I believed that I had uncovered a first cousin marriage between my Turner and Osborn families but I needed EVIDENCE to prove my hypothesis. 

Marriage Procession, Lajos Deak Ebner, 1888 Wikimedia Commons

I immediately ordered the marriage certificate of William Shulver and Elizabeth Jane Turner from the General Register Office in London, in the hope that it would name their parents and provide me with the evidence I needed. [29] I was notified that the certificate would be unavoidably, but significantly delayed due to the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic. 

Undaunted by this setback, I decided to see if I could solve my mystery using negative evidence. If my theory was correct, I would need to prove that all other men by the name of William Shulver (including variations) did NOT marry Elizabeth Jane Turner, leaving her first cousin to be the only possible match. This was just a theory and I had no idea when I began the research, if it would prove to be true.

The first step would be to track down every William Shulver (including name variations) who was of a marriageable age to be a potential husband for Elizabeth Jane Turner. Next I would need to research the lives of each William Shulver through census records, marriages and deaths. Only if I could definitively rule out every other William Shulver in Suffolk or nearby counties as a husband for Elizabeth Jane, could I reach the conclusion that  she had married her first cousin. 

* Of course, I could have perfectly well waited for the marriage certificate to arrive - but the world has been in lockdown during a pandemic and my hero, forensic genealogist Morton Farrier [30] did not give up researching simply because Archives and Libraries were closed - so neither did I. You can read for yourself how Morton Farrier researched during the Worldwide Covid-19 pandemic, by clicking this link. 

Realistically, I knew that no matter what I discovered, the marriage certificate would be only absolute evidence of a first cousin marriage.  Never the less, I set out to see what I could determine through diligent online research.

OUTLINING THE INFORMATION I HAD FOUND

Elizabeth Jane Turner was 23 at the time of her marriage on 28 September 1855 to William Shulver. Her first cousin, Orina Shulver's son William Shulver, was 17 at that time. [31]  Was it likely a 17 year old male would marry his 23 year old first cousin?

The William Shulver who married Elizabeth Jane was a WHEELWRIGHT, according to the baptism record of their son William Engomire Shulver [32]. Orina's son William Shulver was also shown in census records employed as a wheelwright. [33] This occupation was also confirmed on the marriage record of Elizabeth Jane's son William Engomire Shulver on 26 July 1882 to Eleanor FLOYD. [34] 

Marriage of William Shulver and Eleanor Floyd, 1882 [35]

First I outlined all of the information I had concerning Elizabeth Jane Turner and her cousin William Shulver. 

• Elizabeth Jane TURNER married a William SHULVER who was a Wheelwright. [36]
• William Shulver, son of Orina Clement Shulver (Osborn) was a Wheelright. [37]
• Elizabeth Jane Shulver (Turner) lived with her parents following her marriage. [38]
• William Shulver lived with his mother Orina Shulver (Osborn) following his marriage. [39]
• Both Elizabeth Jane Turner and her first cousin William Shulver married between 1851 and 1861, by which time they can each be found living apart with their parents. [40]
• In every Census record, William Shulver stated that he was a wheelwright and was born in Ipswich, Suffolk. [41]

If 17 year old William Shulver had indeed married his 23 year old first cousin Elizabeth Jane Turner in 1855, it would have been because she was pregnant and for some reason, within four years of their marriage they were living apart - if they lived together at all.

THE SEARCH

Orina's son William was born in Ipswich, Suffolk in 1838, so I searched for every other William Shulver who along with him, could potentially have married Elizabeth Jane Turner in 1855. 

I set my search parameter between 1790 and 1838 in my search for males named William Shulver born in Suffolk and surrounding counties, and I included surname variations in my search . Elizabeth Jane Turner had married in 1855, so realistically any male born after 1838 would have been too young to marry in 1855. It was unlikely she had married a man born in 1790, since he would have been 65 years old, but I couldn't rule this out. The crucial and only identifying piece of information I had about William Shulver, the husband of Elizabeth Jane Turner was that his occupation was a WHEELWRIGHT. [42]

Workshop of a Wheelwright, Wikimedia Commons

Searching on Findmypast, Ancestry, MyHeritage, FamilySearch and The Genealogist, I found SEVEN birth and baptism records of males named William Shulver, including variations of the name, which were Shelver and Silver. Any of these seven men potentially could have married Elizabeth Jane Turner in 1855. The seven Williams were born between 1791 and 1838 and they were all born in Suffolk. There were no births of suitable males of this name or variation of it in surrounding counties. 

The one crucial piece of information I had concerning William Shulver, was his occupation as a wheelwright and this matched Elizabeth Jane Turner's first cousin William Shulver who was a wheelwright. I needed to eliminate the possibility that there was another man by the same name and occupation before concluding that this was a first cousin marriage.

POTENTIAL HUSBANDS FOR ELIZABETH JANE TURNER

William SHULVER - born April 1838, Ipswich, Holy Trinity, Suffolk, to parents William Shulver (WHEELWRIGHT) and Orina Clement OSBORN. [43] ELIZABETH JANE TURNER'S FIRST COUSIN

William SHULVER - Baptised 26 June 1836, St Margaret, Southolt, Suffolk to parents William Shulver (FARMER) and Clara CRACKNELL. [44] Southolt is a village about 35 miles from Ipswich, Suffolk. 

William Johnson SHULVER - Baptised 22 August 1819, St Peter, Monk Soham, Suffolk to parents John Shulver (LABOURER) and Phoebe JOHNSON. [45] Monk Soham is a village about 15 miles from Ipswich, Suffolk.

William SHULVER - Baptised 9 February 1820, St Mary, Washbrook, Suffolk to parents William Shulver (FARMER) and Mary Ann ENGLISH. [46] Washbrook is a village and civil parish about 3 miles west of Ipswich, Suffolk.

William SHULVER - Baptised 16 December 1791, St Matthew, Ipswich, Suffolk to parents William Shulver  (LABOURER) and Ann CARR [47]

William SHELVER - Baptised 11 March 1820, Cockfield, Born 1799, Suffolk to parents William Shelver (LABOURER) and Sarah GOOCH. Sudbury is a market town about 22 miles from Ipswich, Suffolk. [48]

William SILVER - Baptised 29 July 1821, St Andrew's, Melton, Suffolk in the archdeanery of Sudbury,  to parents James Silver (CARPENTER) and Mary PIPE. Melton is a village about 10 miles from Ipswich, Sufolk. [49]

St Andrew's, Melton, Suffolk, Wikipedia Commons

RESEARCHING THE LIVES OF SEVEN WILLIAMS

My next job was to search FIND CENSUS RECORDS, MARRIAGES, BIRTHS OF CHILDREN AND DEATH RECORDS for all seven Williams.

Fortunately for me, all of the men named William Shulver and the two named Silver and Shelver stated their place of birth accurately on census records. This enabled me to be certain that I had the correct person when researching their lives. My research plan was as follows:

1. Search census records to determine place of birth and occupation of each William and the first name of a wife  

2. Search for the marriages  

3. To ensure I had the correct marriage for each William - crosscheck with the baptism records of the children found in census records. Baptism records often provide the maiden name of the mother. 

During the research process, I also had to rule out the possibility that my missing William Shulver was a bigamist. He was never living with Elizabeth Jane Turner so I couldn't ignore the fact that he might have been living with another woman. For this purpose, William Shulver's occupation as a wheelwright was crucial to finding him. 

EXAMPLE

My husband has an ancestor who was a baker in Bedfordshire. In the early 19th century, this man, kept three households complete with a 'wife' and children. The three families lived in villages within ten miles of each other. This busy baker had two wives and a mistress, but he always had only one occupation. And so you aren't left wondering, his first wife eventually discovered that her husband was delivering more than bread to nearby towns and took him to court - for cheating and swearing!

MY ELIMINATION PROCESS

William Silver (Born 1821,  Melton, Suffolk) 

I was able to eliminate William Silver as a husband for Elizabeth Jane Turner when I found him marrying Louisa Bigg on 3 January 1856, in Glemsford, Suffolk in the archdeaconry of Sudbury. He and Louisa moved their family several times within Suffolk and William, later widowed, moved back to Melton, Suffolk where he died in 1901. In every census, William's birth place is given as Melton, Suffolk (misspelled as Milton in 1871). William was an agricultural engineer and pattern maker so he was definitely not the man who married Elizabeth Jane Turner in 1855.[50] 

1841 Melton, Suffolk, Living with parents. Father was a Carpenter. [51]

1851 Glemsford, Suffolk, Married to Louisa, Agricultural Implement Maker [52]

1861 West Barnfield, Cambridgeshire, Married to Louisa, Engineer and Pattern Maker [53]

1891 Melton, Suffolk, Single, Living on own means [54]

1901 Melton, Suffolk, Death [55]

William SILVER born in Melton, Suffolk, Engineer and Pattern Maker, 1871 Census [56]

William Johnson Shulver (Born 1819, Monk Soham, in the union of Hoxne in Suffolk) 

I found this William Shulver operating an Inn in Stradbroke, Suffolk. He married Mary Ann Reed in Hoxne in 1855 [57] and by 1861 was living in Stradbroke with their family. In every census, William's birth place is given as Monk, Soham, Suffolk. His occupation of a Brewer and Inn Keeper precluded him from being Elizabeth Jane Turner's husband.

1841 Monk Soham, Suffolk, Unmarried, employed as a man servant in an Inn [58]

1851 Worlingworth, Suffolk, Unmarried, Ag Lab  [59]

1861 Stradbroke, (Hoxne) Suffolk (8 miles from Monk Soham), Married, Beer House Proprietor 3 children,  "The Lion Beer House" [60]

1871 Stradbroke, Suffolk, Married to Mary Ann,  7 children, Operating a Beer House [61]

1881 Stradbroke, Suffolk, Married, Innkeeper [62]

1891 Stradbroke, Suffolk, Widowed, Innkeeper [63]

 

William Shulver born in Monk, Soham, Suffolk in the 1861 Census [65]

William Shulver (Born 1820, Washbrook, Suffolk) 

This William was found in census records, first living in Washbrook where he was born. He appears to have married three times. In 1851 he was married to Mary Ann (Unknown) in Suffolk. In late 1855 he married widow Rachel Tabor (Deane), widow of Robert Tabor in Tendring, Essex. [66] In 1876, again widowed, William married his housekeeper Susan Gardener. [65] His occupation was a cement burner then an agricultural labourer. [67] In every census, William's birth place is given as Washbrook, Suffolk. This was not the man who married Elizabeth Jane Turner in 1855.

1841 Washbrook, Suffolk, Unmarried, Man Servant at an Inn [68]

1851 Ipswich, St Mary at the Tower, Wife Mary Ann, son Samuel 3, Cement Burner [69]

1861 Harwich, Essex, Married to Rachel, General Labourer  [70]

1871 Harwich, Essex, Widowed living with housekeeper Susan Gardner [71]

1876 Harwich, Essex, Marriage to his housekeeper Susan Gardner 30 April 1876 [72]

William Shulver born Washbrook, Ag Lab, Suffolk in Harwich, Essex 1871 [73]

William Shulver (Born 1836 Southolt, Hoxne, Suffolk) 

This William married Elizabeth Cracknell in 1858 in Hoxne [74] and worked as a Farm Bailiff, Cattle dealer and Dairyman. [75] In every census, William's birth place is given as Southolt, Suffolk. Since this William Shulver was a Dairyman and Cattle Dealer and can be accounted for in every census records, he can be ruled out as being the man who married Elizabeth Jane Turner.

1841 Southolt, Suffolk, Unmarried, farmer's Son [76]

1851 Southolt, Suffolk, Unmarried, Farmer's Son [77]

1861 Alresford, Hampshire, Married to Elizabeth, 2 children born Hampshire, Farm Bailiff [78]

1871 Alresford, Hampshire, Married to Elizabeth, 5 children born Hampshire, Cattle Dealer [79] 

1881 Chelmsford, Essex, Widowed, 3 children with him, Dairyman [80]

William Shulver - (Born 1791, Ipswich, Suffolk) 

This William Shulver married Susannah TURNER on 8 October 1808 in Sproughton near Ipswich. [81] William's birth place is given in the 1851 census as Walton, Suffolk and he was employed as a Labourer. [82] This William died before Elizabeth Jane Turner married.

1841 St Nicholas, Ipswich, Suffolk, Married to Susanna with 5 children, Labourer [83]

1851 St Nicholas, Ipswich, Suffolk, Married to Susanna with 2 children, Labourer  [84]

1854 Death Ipswich, Suffolk [85]

NOTE - HERE I HAD FOUND ANOTHER TURNER/SHULVER MARRIAGE TO BE FURTHER RESEARCHED - A FUTURE BLOG PERHAPS.

William Shelver (Born 1799 Cockfield, Suffolk) William Shelver married Mary Ann Hempstead on 5 December 1826 at St George, Bradfield, Suffolk [80] and was employed as an Agricultural Labourer. [86] In each census, William's birth place is given as Cockfield, Suffolk. William Shelver was not Elizabeth Jane Turner's husband.

1841 Gedding, Suffolk, Married to Mary Ann, 6 children, Ag Lab [87]

1851 Gedding, Suffolk, Married to Mary Ann, 3 children, Ag Lab [88] 

1859 Gedding, Suffolk, Death [89]

William SHULVER from Cockfield in the 1851 Census at Gedding,Suffolk [90]

 

As I researched and eliminated each William Shulver, Shelver and Silver, I placed their names and details in red. By the end of my research, I had eliminated six of the seven Williams. I was left with one possible match for a William Shulver who was the potential husband of Elizabeth Jane Turner.

THE ELIMINATED WILLIAMS IN RED

William SHULVER - Baptised 26 June 1836, St Margaret, Southolt, Suffolk to parents William (farmer) and Clara CRACKNELL. [91] Southolt is a village about 35 miles from Ipswich, Suffolk.  

William Johnson SHULVER - Baptised 22 August 1819, St Peter, Monk Soham, Suffolk to parents John Shulver (labourer) and Phoebe. [92] Monk Soham is a village about 15 miles from Ipswich, Suffolk.

William SHULVER - Baptised 9 February 1920, St Mary, Washbrook, Suffolk to parents William (farmer) and Mary Ann ENGLISH. [93] Washbrook is a village and civil parish about 3 miles west of Ipswich, Suffolk.

William SHULVER - Baptised 16 December 1791, St Matthew, Ipswich, Suffolk to parents William Shulver  (LABOURER) and Ann CARR [94]

William SHELVER - Baptised 11 March 1820, Cockfield, [95] Born 1799, Suffolk to parents William and Sarah GOOCH. Sudbury is a market town about 22 miles from Ipswich, Suffolk. 

William SILVER - Baptised 29 July 1821, St Andrew, Melton, [96] Suffolk to parents James (carpenter) and Mary PIPE. Melton is a village about 10 miles from Ipswich, Suffolk.

THE ONE REMAINING WILLIAM SHULVER

William SHULVER - born Ipswich, Suffolk, June-July 1838 to parents William Shulver (a wheelwright) and Orina Clement OSBORN [97]  ELIZABETH JANE TURNER'S FIRST COUSIN

1841 St Margaret's Ditches, Ipswich, Born Ipswich, Unmarried, 3 years, living with mother who is a Tailoress [98]

1851 St Margaret's Ipswich, Bolton Lane, Born Ipswich, Unmarried, 13 years [99]

1861  St Margaret's Ipswich, Northbridge Road, 23,Born Ipswich, MARRIED, WHEELWRIGHT, Living with and supporting his mother, who widowed, is a housekeeper for Mr W. Purr. William is listed as a VISITOR [100]

1871 East Bergholt, Suffolk, Mannington Road, 33, MARRIED, Head of the household with his mother. Occupation WHEELWRIGHT [101]

1881 Stratford St Mary, Suffolk, 43, Born Ipswich, MARRIED, Occupation WHEELWRIGHT, Living with and supporting his mother Orina [102]

1901 Death of William Shulver, Ipswich, Suffolk

William SHULVER, Wheelwright, 1871, East Bergholt, Suffolk [101]

The only male named William Shulver whose marriage I was unable to account for was Elizabeth Jane Turner's first cousin, son of her maternal aunt Orina Clement Shulver (Osborn). 

CONCLUSION 

At the conclusion of my research, I am convinced more than ever, that 20 year old Elizabeth Jane Turner became pregnant to her 17 year old cousin William Shulver and that the couple married in the last quarter of 1855. Perhaps their families insisted they marry for the sake of respectability. Both being underage, they would have required parental consent for the marriage, but whether the families were happy with the arrangement, is unknown.

For whatever reason, Elizabeth Jane Shulver (Turner) did not live for very long, if at all, with her husband William Shulver, wheelwright.

St Matthew's, Ipswich where Elizabeth Jane's parents were married 2019.© 

My conclusion that William Shulver who married my 4th great aunt Elizabeth Jane Turner in 1955 was her first cousin, is still unfortunately conjecture until I receive the marriage certificate of William Shulver and Elizabeth Jane Turner. As much as I would like to claim that my online research was correct, I need hard evidence. Hopefully the marriage certificate will support my research and confirm my theory about a first cousin marriage.

STAY TUNED FOR THE RESULT OF THE MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE AND MY FOLLOW UP POST.  "WAS WILLIAM SHULVER A FIRST COUSIN OF HIS WIFE AND WAS MY ONLINE, PANDEMIC LOCKDOWN RESEARCH CORRECT?"

 FOOTNOTES

1. Baptism of Orina Clement Osborn, 24 June 1806, St Mary the Virgin, Dedham, Essex, Essex, England Church of England Baptisms, Ancestry.com

2. Marriage of Orina Clement Osborn and William Shulver, 31 March 1834, St Nicholas, Ipswich, Suffolk, England Select Marriages, 1538-1973, Ancestry.com

3.1841 UK Census, St Margaret's, Ipswich, Suffolk, Ancestry.com

4. Ibid.

5. Ibid. 

6. Birth of William Shulver, 1838, Vol. 12, Page 337,  England & Wales Births, 1837-2006, Findmypast

7. Baptism of Susan Shulver, St Margaret, Suffolk, 20 September 1840, Suffolk Baptism Index, Suffolk Family History Society, Findmypast.

8. Burial of Susan Shulver, St Margaret, Suffolk, 10 October 1841, National Burial Index for England and Wales, Findmypast

9. 1841 UK Census, St Margaret's, Ipswich, Suffolk, Ancestry.com

10. Baptism of Elizabeth Jane Turner, 5 February 1832, Ipswich, Suffolk, England and Wales Christening Records, 1530-1906, Ancestry.com

11. Marriage of Elizabeth Jane Turner and William Shulver, Oct-Dec 1855, Vol. 4a, Page 1329, England & Wales Free BMD Marriage Index, 1837-1915, Ancestry.com

12. 1851 England Census, Ipswich, St Margaret's, Suffolk, Class: HO107; Piece: 1800; Folio: 525; Page: 15; GSU roll: 207449.Ancestry.com

13. St Margaret's Church, Ipswich, Google Maps

14.1851 England Census, Ipswich, St Margaret's, Suffolk, Ancestry.com

15. Baptism of William Engomire Shulver, 28 September 1856, Ipswich, Holy Trinity, Suffolk Baptism Index, Suffolk Family History Society, Findmypast.

16. Ibid.

17. 1861 UK Census, Ipswich, St Clement Suffolk, Ancestry.com

18. 1871 and 1881 UK Census, Ipswich, St Clement, Ancestry.com

19. 1890 UK Census, Ipswich, St Clement, Ancestry.com

20. Marriage of Elizabeth Jane Turner and William Shulver, December 1855, Vol. 4a, Page 1329, England & Wales Free BMD Marriage Index, 1837-1915, Ancestry.com

21. Baptism of William Engomire Shulver, 28 September 1856, Ipswich, Holy Trinity, Suffolk Baptism Index, Suffolk Family History Society, Findmypast.

22. 1861 UK Census, Ipswich, St Clement, Ancestry.com

23. Ibid.

24. 1871 UK Census, East Bergholt, Suffolk, Ancestry.com 

25. 1881 UK Census, Stratford St Mary, Suffolk, Ancestry.com 

26. Death of Orina Clement Shulver, 1884, Vol. 4a, Page 273, England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index, 1837-1915, Ancestry.com

27. 1861 UK Census, Ipswich, St Clement, Ancestry.com

28. Death of William Shulver, St Margarets, Ipswich, Suffolk, 1847, Vol. 4a, Page 352, England & Wales FreeBMD Death Index, 1837-1915, Ancestry.com

29. Marriage Certificate of Elizabeth Jane Turner and William Shulver, 1855, Vol. 41, Page 1329, GRO

30. Nathan Dylan Goodwin, Morton in Lockdown, 2020, ebook, https://www.nathandylangoodwin.com/morton-in-lockdown

31. Marriage of Elizabeth Jane Turner and William Shulver, 22 September 1855, Ipswich, Suffolk, Vol. 4a, Page 1329, Ancestry.com

32. 1861 UK Census, Ipswich, St Clement, Ancestry.com

33.1841 UK Census, St Margaret's, Ipswich, Suffolk, Ancestry.com

34. Marriage of William Engmire Shulver and Eleanor Floyd, 26 July 1882, Tower Hamlets, St Dunstans and All Saints, London, London, England, Marriages and Banns, 1754-1921, Ancestry.com

35. Ibid.

36. Marriage of Elizabeth Jane Turner and William Shulver, December 1855, Vol. 4a, Page 1329, England & Wales Free BMD Marriage Index, 1837-1915, Ancestry.com

37. 1841 UK Census, St Margaret's, Ipswich, Suffolk, Ancestry.com

38. 1861 UK Census, Ipswich, St Clement, Ancestry.com

39. Ibid.

40. Marriage and Census records, Ancestry.com, Findmypast.com

41. UK Census Records, Ancestry.com, Findmypast.com

42. Baptism of William Engomire Shulver, 28 September 1856, Ipswich, Holy Trinity, Suffolk Baptism Index, Suffolk Family History Society, Findmypast.com

43. Birth of William Shulver, 1838, Vol. 12, Page 337,  England & Wales Births, 1837-2006, Findmypast.com

44. Baptism of William Shulver, 26 June 1836, St Margaret, Southolt, Suffolk, Suffolk Baptism Index 1538-1911, Findmypast.com

45. Baptism of William Johnson Shulver, 22 August 1819, St Peter, Monk Soham, Suffolk, Suffolk Baptism Index, 1538-1911, Findmypast.com

46. Baptism of William Shulver, 9 February 1820, St Mary, Washbrook, Suffolk, Suffolk Baptism Index, 1538-1911, Findmypast.com

47. Baptism of William Shulver. St Matthew, Ipswich, Suffolk, Suffolk Baptism Index, 1538-1911, Findmypast.com

48. Baptism of William Shelver, 11 March 1821, St Peter, Cockfield, Suffolk, Suffolk Baptism Index, 1538-1911, Findmypast.com

49. Baptism of William Silver, 29 July 1821, St Andrew, Melton, Suffolk, Suffolk, Suffolk Baptism Index, 1538-1911, Findmypast.com

50. Marriage of William Silver and Louisa Bigg, 3 January 1856, Glemsford, Sudbury, Suffolk, England Marriages 1838-1973, Findmypast.com

51. 1841 UK Census, Melton, Suffolk, Ancestry.com

52. 1851 UK Census, Glemsfrod, Suffolk, Ancestry.com

53. 1861 UK Census, West Barnsfield, Cambridgeshire, Ancestry.com

54. 1871 UK Census, Melton, Suffolk, Ancestry.com

55. Death of William Silver, 1901, Mildenhall, Suffolk, Vol. 4a, Page 552, England & Wales Free BMD, Death Index 1837-1915, Ancestry.com

56. 1871 UK Census, Melton, Suffolk, Ancestry.com

57. Marriage of William Shulver and Mary Ann Read, 1855, Hoxne, Suffolk, Vol. 4a, Page 1200, England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005, Findmypast.com

58. 1841 UK Census, Monk, Soham, Suffolk, Ancestry.com

59. 1851 UK Census, Worlingworth, Suffolk, Ancestry.com

60. 1861 UK Census, Stradbroke, Suffolk, Ancestry.com

61. 1871 UK Census, Stradbroke, Suffolk, Ancestry.com

62. 1881 UK Census, Stradbroke, Suffolk, Ancestry.com

63. 1891 UK Census, Stradbroke, Suffolk, Ancestry.com

64. 1861 UK Census, Stradbroke, Suffolk, Ancestry.com

65. Marriage William Shulver and Rachel Tabor (nee Deane), 1855, Tendring, Essex, VOl. 4a, Page 401, England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005, Findmypast.com

66. Marriage William Shulver and Susan Gardner (nee Garrad), 30 April 1876, Harwich, Essex, D/P 170/1/31, Page 29, England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005, Findmypast.com

67. 1861 UK Census, Harwich, Essex, Ancestry.com

68. 1841 UK Census, Washbrook, Suffolk, Ancestry.com

69. 1851 UK Census, Ipswich, St Mary at the Tower, Suffolk, Ancestry.com

70. 1861 UK Census, Harwich, Essex, Ancestry.com

71. 1871 UK Census, Harwich, Essex, Ancestry.com

72.  Marriage William Shulver and Susan Gardner (nee Garrad), 30 April 1876, Harwich, Essex, D/P 170/1/31, Page 29, England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005, Findmypast.com

73. 1871 UK Census, Harwich, Essex, Ancestry.com

74. Marriage of William Shulver and Elizabeth Cracknell, Hoxne, Suffolk, 1858, Vol. 4a, Page 761, England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005, Findmypast.com

75. 1851, 1861, 1871 UK Census Records, Ancestry.com

76. 1841 UK Census, Southolt, Hoxne, Suffolk, Ancestry.com

77. 1851 UK Census, Southolt, Hoxne, Suffolk, Ancestry.com

78. 1861 UK Census, New Alresford, Hampshire, Ancestry.com

79. 1871 UK census, New Alresford, Suffolk, Ancestry.com

80. 1881 UK Census, Chelmsford, Essex, Ancestry.com

81. Marriage of William Shelver and Mary Ann Hempstead, 5 December 1826, Bradfield, St George, Suffolk, Suffolk Marriage Index, Suffolk Family History Society, Findmypast.com

82. 1851 UK Census, St Nicholas, Ipswich, Suffolk, Ancestry.com

83. 1841 UK Census, St Nicholas, Ipswich, Suffolk, Ancestry.com

84. 1851 UK Census, St Nicholas, Ipswich, Suffolk, Ancestry.com

85. Death of William Shulver, First Quarter 1854, Ipswich, Suffolk,  Vol. 4a, Page 352, England & Wales FreeBMD Death Index, 1837-1915, Ancestry.com

86. 1841 UK Census, Gedding, Suffolk, Ancestry.com

87. Ibid. 

88. 1851 UK Census, Gedding, Suffolk, Ancestry.com

89. Death of William Shelver, 1859, Vol. 4a, Page 331, England & Wales FreeBMD Death Index, 1837-1915, Ancestry.com

90. Baptism of William Shulver, 26 June 1836, St Margaret, Southolt, Suffolk, Suffolk Baptism Index 1538-1911, Findmypast.com

91. Baptism of William Shulver, 9 February 1820, St Mary, Washbrook, Suffolk, Suffolk Baptism Index, 1538-1911, Findmypast.com

92. Baptism of William Johnson Shulver, 22 August 1819, St Peter, Monk Soham, Suffolk, Suffolk Baptism Index, 1538-1911, Findmypast.com 

93. Baptism of William Shelver, 11 March 1821, St Peter, Cockfield, Suffolk, Suffolk Baptism Index, 1538-1911, Findmypast.com

94. Baptism of William Shulver. St Matthew, Ipswich, Suffolk, Suffolk Baptism Index, 1538-1911, Findmypast.com

95. Baptism of William Shelver, 11 March 1821, St Peter, Cockfield, Suffolk, Suffolk Baptism Index, 1538-1911, Findmypast.com

96. Baptism of William Silver, 29 July 1821, St Andrew, Melton, Suffolk, Suffolk, Suffolk Baptism Index, 1538-1911, Findmypast.com

97. Birth of William Shulver, 1838, Vol. 12, Page 337,  England & Wales Births, 1837-2006, Findmypast

98. 1841 UK Census, St Margaret's, Ipswich, Suffolk, Ancestry.com

99. 1851 UK Census, St Margaret's, Ipswich, Suffolk, Ancestry.com1

100. 1861 UK Census, St Margaret's, Ipswich, Suffolk, Ancestry.com

101. 1871 UK Census, East Bergholt, Suffolk, Ancestry.com 

FINDING YOUR ENGLISH ANCESTORS IN NEIGHBOURING COUNTIES AND A TWIST IN THE TALE!

Think Outside the County

      Image Wikimedia Commons

When we hit a brick wall in our family history research, and we have elusive ancestors, quite often it is because we are simply looking in the wrong place. Even when everything points to a person or family having firm roots in one place, it pays to look for family members, even distant ones, who may have moved elsewhere, and to search in that location for your missing person. 

If your English ancestors were anything like mine, then some will be more difficult to trace than others. My maternal HOYES ancestors can be traced back to distant times in Nottinghamshire, England, but several generations of my HOYES family, from Girton and Winthorpe in Nottinghamshire, led me on a merry chase to a neighbouring county. I discovered, while researching a missing ancestor, that during the 18th and 19th centuries, a number of family members regularly moved back and forth across the border between Nottinghamshire to Claypole, Marston and Grantham in Lincolnshire.

Some of these Hoyes folk adopted Lincolnshire as a long term place of residence, while others, including later generations of the Hoyes family, returned to Nottinghamshire. This multi-generational migration between two the counties caused much confusion when researching this family. You can read about this in my two blogs "The Tale of Two Williams" and "The Twist in the Tale of Two Williams".

The migration of my Hoyes family between Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire. Google Earth Pro. 

[NOTE: In this blog I use the term multi-generational as opposed to inter-generational, since I am referring to more than one generation. I am not specifically discussing interactions between generations, although I imply that interactions occur.] 

While researching ancestors on the move, I observed that when people settled in a neighbouring county, they not only established themselves within a new geographic and social landscape, but significantly, they often retained ties with their place of origin and the family and friends they had left behind. 

Following the paths of ancestors, Image Free to Use. 

I have discovered, in some of my ancestral families, evidence of multi-generational patterns of movement, in particular, between neighbouring counties and I have  concluded that these were ostensibly the result of family ties which maintained a strong connection between a place of origin and a place where a family member had moved to. 

When you are researching, consider that if one family member moved to another place, there is a high likelihood that others might have gone their first and others followed.

Generations of one family might follow others to a new county. Image in possession of author. ©

Migration from a traditional place of residence to a nearby county occurred for a number of reasons, and quite often the destination was determined by active family ties. Some people moved away from a home place to seek employment while others married and resettled in a new place. Because of the geographical challenges that travel presented in the past, people tended not to move very far from their home, unless they migrated overseas. Those who dwelt near a county border were more easily able to move to a neighbouring county because of its proximity. I am convinced that a few of my ancestors, over generations, wore a path back and forth between two counties! 

When people settled in a new place of residence, and that place, was within a reasonable travelling distance from home, inevitably it became a destination which attracted family and friends to visit or move to. The movement of people between two counties established connections between two places that had the potential to continue for generations. One member of a family who settled in a new county might then attract siblings, nieces and nephews or cousins to visit or resettle there. 

Grantham, Lincolnshire, Image Wikipedia Commons

The social contact which people sustained with family members who settled in neighbouring counties, increased the likelihood that later generations of family who followed in their footsteps would find a future spouse away from home. 

WHY ARE MULTI-GENERATIONAL MIGRATION PATTERNS IMPORTANT?

If you have an ancestor who moved around, it is possible that they chose a place to move to where they had existing family ties. 

A family connection between two counties is not always immediately obvious when we are searching for ancestors. Uncovering a family pattern of movement between places can be the pivotal discovery that knocks down a brick wall in your research. Understanding family patterns of migration can help you to know where to look for missing family members. 

It is important to factor the possibility of multi-generational patterns of migration between neighbouring counties into family history research.

Often, 'visitors' who were listed staying with families in census records, were family members visiting from nearby counties. Visitors can be an overlooked as valuable clues in our research because they do not necessarily bear the same surname as our family householder.  Often it is these people visiting who can often help us to find family members and extend our family trees.

Hugh WHITE on the 1911 Irish Census below. Image belongs to author. ©
 

I discovered that three surnames WHITE, JUNK and GALWAY, which were recorded in the one household in Portstewart, Londonderry, in the 1911 Census of Ireland [1] (shown below) were  those of people related. Two of the surnames - Galway and White - were names of visitors. This led to the discovery of a multi-generational migration pattern in one of my Northern Irish families. Members of family had moved between the counties of Londonderry and Tyrone from as far back as the early 19th century. It is much easier to find ancestors if you find the clues as to where they were likely to be. 

Visitors in the 1911 Ireland Census helped to connect three families.  [2]

Importantly, multi-generational patterns of movement between counties can reveal why our ancestors were in a particular place. This is especially significant when someone is not where we expect to find them.

MY MULTI-GENERATIONAL MIGRATORY OSBORN ANCESTORS 

One of my maternal fourth great grandfathers was a carpenter named William TURNER. He was born in Ipswich Suffolk in 1786 [3] and he married Anne Mayer OSBORN at St Matthew's Church, Ipswich on the 25 June, 1811 [4]. 

Soane Street, Ipswich, Suffolk, where William and Ann (nee Osborn) Turner lived  Creative Commons

Ann Mayer Osborn was a mystery to me for many years. I began researching William and Ann Turner (nee Osborn) some years ago and from the 1851 [5] and 1861 [6] UK census records for St Margaret's, Ipswich, Suffolk, where the couple lived, I could see that Ann came from Dedham in Essex. At the time I was searching, the parish records for Dedham were not not available online, so Ann remained a Brick Wall in my research. I simply assumed she had moved from Essex to Suffolk to seek employment. Ipswich, a large town, just over 11 miles from the small village of Dedham, across the border in nearby Essex [7], would have certainly offered a greater opportunity for employment for a young woman.  

The Village of Dedham in Essex, 2019  ©
 

Despite there being the large city of Colchester in the county of Essex where Ann lived, it was about 4 miles further from Dedham [8] than Ipswich in Suffolk. It seemed a reasonable assumption that Ann would have traveled to the nearest large town to find work even if it meant moving to a new county. I wondered though if there could have been another reason that Ann Mayer Osborn had chosen to move outside the county of Essex, but for some time I had to be content with my theory.

Ann Mayer Turner nee Osborn in the 1851 Census, St Margaret, Suffolk [9]

As soon as I discovered that the Essex Records Office [10] had made parish records available on their website, Essex Archives Online, I began researching my Essex OSBORN ancestors. It is useful to know that these records are now also on Ancestry.com and other genealogy websites. I was eager to get to know my ancestors from the county of Essex.

Searching the digitised microfiche that held the Register of Baptisms for St Mary the Virgin Church in Dedham Essex [11], I discovered that Ann Mayer Osborn was baptised on 20 June, 1788, by parents Robert and Ann Osborn (nee MAYER) [12]. Ann's middle name of Mayer was her mother's maiden name and it was this middle name enabled me to verify that I had the correct baptism. Finding Ann Mayer Osborn's baptism, opened up a completely new line of research in the county of Essex, a place I had not explored before. 

I was especially excited to have a connection to Dedham in Essex, since I knew that this was where a favourite artist of mine, John Constable (born East Bergholt, Suffolk 1776) was schooled and spent much of his time painting [13]. How thrilling to think that my Osborn ancestors might have known him!

Baptism of Ann Mayer Osborn in 1788 [14]

I visited St Mary the Virgin Church in Dedham, Essex, 2019 ©

St Mary the Virgin Church, Dedham Essex, Image owned by author ©

While adding my newly discovered 5th great grandparents, Robert Osborn and Ann Mayer of Dedham Essex to my family tree, I was immediately reminded of the importance of searching outside of a county for records. 

A number of online trees which had my 5th great grandfather Robert Osborn on them, were displaying a marriage for his daughter Ann Mayer Osborn in Essex. My 4th great grandmother, Ann Mayer Osborn, born in Dedham, Essex, most definitely married and lived all of her married life in Ipswich Suffolk. Certainly there were several other females by the name of Ann Osborn who did marry in the county of Essex, but crucially, none of them were named Ann Mayer Osborn. It had simply not occurred to people, that Ann may have married outside of her home county of Essex, and so they attached a marriage in Essex, which seemed to fit for Ann Osborn, but one which was incorrect. 

Ann Mayer Osborn, for some reason, left her home in the village of Dedham, Essex and traveled the 11 miles to Ipswich, Suffolk where she met and married William Turner. I wasn't far into researching my Essex Osborn family when I discovered a plausible explanation for Ann's move to Suffolk.

Ann's father Robert Osborn, was baptised at St Mary the Virgin Church, Dedham, Essex on 13 December 1759, to parents Samuel and Clementine Osborn (nee STOWE) [14]. Before researching Robert's parents, I set out to find his marriage to Ann Mayer, and I quickly discovered that Ann Mayer Osborn was not the first member of her family to cross the county border into Suffolk from Essex. 

Searching Essex marriages for a marriage between Robert OSBORN and Ann MAYER turned up nothing. With a little lateral thinking, I decided that if Ann had married in Suffolk, perhaps it would be worth searching Suffolk marriage records for her father's marriage. It occurred to me that if Ann's mother had come from Suffolk, it would provide a family connection that could well explain why Ann had left Essex and gone to Suffolk. 

John Constable, View on the Stour Near Dedham, 1822 Wikimedia Commons

Following my hunch, I found the marriage of Ann Mayer Osborn's parents, Robert OSBORN and Ann MAYER in East Bergholt, Suffolk on 22 June 1783 [15]. And here was yet another connection to artist John Constable, because this was his birthplace in 1776. Since he attended school in Dedham, Essex, [16] it appears that my Osborn family were not the only folk who moved back and forth across the county border between Suffolk and Dedham, Essex. 

In around 1811, John Constable painted the church in East Bergholt where my 5th great grandparents Robert Osborn and Ann Mayer were married in 1783 [17]. I like to think that this great artist crossed paths with my Osborn family...

Church East Bergholt, Suffolk, John Constable c 1811, Wikimedia Commons

Ann Mayer Osborn's mother, Ann Mayer was born in Great Wenham, Suffolk in 1762 to parents John and Ann Mayer. [18] Here was the Suffolk connection I was looking for. Ann Mayer Osborn, although born in Dedham in Essex, would have certainly had family ties to her mother's Mayer family in the county of Suffolk. It was these ties which were very likely a motivating factor towards her visiting or seeking employment in that county and it was while in Suffolk, she met and married her husband, William Turner. 

It adds richness to our ancestors' stories when we better understand the context of their lives and the reasons behind the decisions they made. 

Having found a family connection that helped me understand why my 4th great grandmother married outside of her home county of Essex, I was intrigued as to what might have drawn Ann Mayer Osborn's father Robert Osborn to travel from Dedham, Essex to East Bergholt in Suffolk to marry her mother, Ann Mayer. I wondered if there were any earlier existing family bonds between the Osborn family from village of Dedham in Essex, and the county of Suffolk. 

My theory was confirmed when I found the marriage of Robert Osborn's parents, my 6th great grandparents, Samuel OSBORN and Clementine STOWE, on 17 June 1746 in Stratford St Mary, Suffolk [19]. 

Ann Mayer Osborn, her father Robert Osborn, and his father Samuel Osborn, all from Essex, had married in the county of Suffolk. While Ann remained in Suffolk with her husband, both Robert Osborn and his father Samuel had taken their brides back to Dedham in Essex to live. Samuel may have been working in Stratford, St Mary, Suffolk, at the time of his marriage to Clementine Stowe since their first two children were baptised there. [20] 

By 1751, when Samuel and Clementine Osborn's third child William was born, the couple were living in Dedham, Essex. [21] I had uncovered a pattern of migration between the counties of Essex and Suffolk, which spanned three generations of the Osborn family. 

Cottage at East Bergholt, John Constable, 1833, Wikimedia Commons

It seemed likely, that if Ann Mayer Osborn's grandparents, Samuel Osborn and Clementine Stowe had married in Suffolk, that Clementine was from Suffolk. I searched for her baptism there and found that Clementine Stowe was baptised on 7 June 1722 at St Mary's Church in Polstead, Suffolk [22]. Her parents were Clement and Frances Stowe and her baptism took place in the beautiful old church, pictured below, which I visited in 2019. In the second photograph below, is the actual baptismal font which was used when my 6th great grandmother Clementine Stowe was baptised in 1722. 

St Mary's Polstead where Ann Mayer Osborn was baptised in 1788. Image 2019, owned by author. ©  

The baptismal font where Clementine Stowe was baptised in Polstead in 1722 ©  

Three generations of my Osborn family from Essex had married in the nearby county of Suffolk. It is without doubt, that family ties would have encouraged members of the Osborn family from Dedham in Essex to travel to Suffolk to visit or to work, and there they met future spouses. Dedham was a small village in Essex and so my Osborn ancestors clearly looked further afield for partners in marriage.

My research had uncovered a multi-generational migration pattern in my Osborn family - a well worn path between Dedham in Essex and Suffolk. This pattern provided me with a valuable clue as to why Ann Mayer Osborn left Essex, traveled to the nearby county of Suffolk and married William Turner - both her mother Ann Mayer and her paternal grandmother Clementine Stowe had come from Suffolk.  Although Ann Mayer Osborn was born and raised in Dedham, Essex, she had strong family connections to the nearby county of Suffolk through her mother and grandmother.

St Mary's Church, Polstead, Suffolk, Wikimedia Commons

As was the 19th century custom, when people from different places married, the bride often moved to the parish or county where the groom lived and worked. Ann Mayer Osborne followed this tradition, and lived for the rest of her life in Ipswich Suffolk, following her marriage to William Turner [23]. When previously researching my Turner ancestors, I had imagined Ann to be living in Ipswich, Suffolk with no family other than her husband and children, however I was soon to find out that nothing could have been further from the truth.

As I researched my Osborn family further, I discovered that Ann's brother Abraham Osborn (born 1802) [24] and her sister Orina Clement Osborne (1804) [25] both left Dedham, Essex and like their older sister, they married in Ipswich, Suffolk. Not only did they marry there but they both lived close to their sister Ann and her family.

Abraham married Susan DOWNES in Ipswich, Suffolk on 2 November 1823 [26] and remained in Suffolk, living near his sister Ann in Ipswich, where he worked as a wheelwright. Abraham Osborn and his wife Susan had 14 children all born in Suffolk.[27]

The workshop of a Wheelwright, Wikimedia Commons

Ann Mayer Osborn's youngest sister Orina Clement Osborn also married in Ipswich Suffolk.[28] It is likely that while visiting her older sister Ann or her brother Abraham, in Suffolk, that Orina met her future spouse, a wheelwright named William SHULVER. She, like her sister Ann and brother Abraham, married and remained living in Ipswich, Suffolk. 

My 6th great grandparents, Samuel OSBORN (born ab 1722 Essex) [29] and Clementine STOWE (born 1722 Suffolk) [30] are as far back as I have determined to be correct to date. I have been able to trace Clementine's Stowe family back as far as Clement Stowe (born ab 1570) who married Margaret MAY in Polstead, Suffolk 5 October 1600. [31]  

The birth of my ancestor, Samuel Osborn has been more difficult to pinpoint, although I am convinced that Samuel was born in Essex since there were no births of a Samuel Osborn in nearby counties who fit his profile. Although a Samuel OSBORN who was baptised in Epping, Essex in 1722 [32] was the only Samuel using the  spelling of OSBORN that my ancestors consistently did, this on its own is not sufficient evidence to claim that particular Samuel as my ancestor.

I am currently researching my Osborn family in an effort to take them back as far as I can in the county of Essex, and hopefully soon I will be able to determine which Samuel Osborn married Clementine Stowe in Polstead, Suffolk and took her to live in Dedham, Essex.

St Mary the Virgin, Dedham, Essex where my ancestors are buried. © 

With my new found understanding of the pattern of migration which my Osborn family established over a number of generations, between the counties of Essex and Suffolk, and the family connections which prompted the movement of these people from one place to another, I now understand that it is prudent to search in both the counties of Essex and Suffolk when further researching my migratory Osborns from Essex. 

I have since discovered Osborn marriages, baptisms and burials in Polstead, Suffolk, dating back to the 17th century, and Osborn, Stowe and Turner baptisms and burials in Dedham, Essex, dating back to the early 17th century, so I will not be surprised to discover with some further research, that an even earlier OSBORN family migration occurred between Essex and Suffolk. It certainly provides me with an explanation as to why my 6th great grandfather Samuel Osborn from Essex, married Clementine Stowe in Suffolk in 1746.

My research into my Osborn ancestors is a work in progress, and I hope to find earlier family connections between Dedham Essex and Suffolk -  but what story would be complete without a twist to it? 

A TWIST IN THE TALE OF MY MULTI-GENERATIONAL FAMILY MIGRATION STORY

It was while researching Essex born Orina Clement Osborn and her marriage to William Shulver in Suffolk, that I discovered a TWIST in my family history research -  one that involved both the Osborn and Turner families and brought my research surprisingly full circle.

COMING VERY SOON - THE NEXT INSTALLMENT " WHICH WILLIAM IS WHICH - IS THERE A TWIST IN MY TALE? " 

NOTE 

[Searching for Orina Osborn in records was challenging since her name was transcribed in online records with variations including Ortiner, Oriner, Susanna, Niner and Dinah. 

Baptism of Orina Clement OSBORN 24 June 1805 [26]

Clementine Stowe's name has also been transcribed in a number of variations including Clement, Clements and Clemence. It is always worthwhile looking at original or copies of original records where possible. ]

FOOTNOTES

1. 1911 Census Ireland, National Archives of Ireland, http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Londonderry/Portstewart/Victoria_Terrace/592985/
2. Ibid. 
3. 1861 England Census, Ipswich Suffolk,Class: RG9; Piece: 1164; Folio: 100; Page: 8; GSU roll: 542766, Ancestry.com.

4. Marriage of Ann Mayer Osborn and William Turner, Ipswich, Suffolk, England Select Marriages, 1538-1973, Ancestry.com
5.1851 England Census, Ipswich, St Margaret's, Suffolk, Class: HO107; Piece: 1800; Folio: 525; Page: 15; GSU roll: 207449.Ancestry.com

6. 1861 England Census, Ipswich, St Clement, Suffolk, Class: RG9; Piece: 1164; Folio: 100; Page: 8; GSU roll: 542766, Ancestry.com.
6. Essex Archives Online, Essex Records Office, https://www.essexarchivesonline.co.uk/ParishRegisters.aspx\

7. Dedham, Essex to Ipswich, Suffolk, Google Maps.

8. Dedham, Essex to Colchester, Essex, Google Maps.

9.1851 England Census, Ipswich, St Margaret's, Suffolk, Class: HO107; Piece: 1800; Folio: 525; Page: 15; GSU roll: 207449.Ancestry.com 

10. Essex Archives Online, https://www.essexarchivesonline.co.uk/

11.Ibid.

12. Baptism of Ann Mayer OSBORN, 1788, Dedham, Essex Register of Baptisms 1742-1812, D/P26/3, Image 29.

13. John Constable, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Constable

14. Baptism of Robert Osborn, Dedham Essex, 13 December 1759, Essex Register of Baptisms 1742-1812, D/P/26/1/3. Image 13, Essex Archives Online.

15. Marriage of Robert Osborn and Ann Mayer, East Bergholt, Suffolk, 23 July 1783, Suffolk Marriage Index, Suffolk Family History Society, Findmypast.com.uk

16. John Constable, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Constable

17. Marriage of Robert Osborn and Ann Mayer, East Bergholt, 23 July 1783, Suffolk Marriage Index, Suffolk Family History Society, Findmypast.com.uk

18. Baptism of Ann Mayer, Great Wenham, Suffolk, 17 October 1762, England Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975, Ancestry.com.

19. Marriage of Samuel Osborn and Clementine Stowe, 17 June 1746, Stratford, St Mary, Suffolk, England Select Marriages, 1538-1973, Ancestry.com.

20. Baptisms of Samuel 1746, and John Osborn 1748, Stratford, St Mary, Suffolk, England Select Births and Christenings 1538-1975, Ancestry.com.

21. Baptism of William Osborn, 15 October 1751, St Mary the Virgin, Dedham Essex, Essex, England Church of England Baptisms, Ancestry.com.

22. Baptism of Clementine Stowe, 7 October 1722, Polstead, Suffolk, England, Select Births and Christenings 1538-1975, Ancestry.com.

23. Marriage of Ann Mayer Osborn and William Turner, Ipswich, Suffolk, England Select Marriages, 1538-1973, Ancestry.com

24. Baptism of Abraham Osborn, 28 February 1802, St Mary the Virgin, Dedham, Essex, Essex, England Church of England Baptisms, Ancestry.com.

25. Baptism of Orina Clement Osborn, 24 June 1806, St Mary the Virgin, Dedham, Essex, Essex, England Church of England Baptisms, Ancestry.com.

26. Marriage of Abraham Osborn and Susan Downes, 2 November 1823, St Nicholas, Ipswich, Suffolk, England Select Marriages, 1538-1973, Ancestry.com

27. 1841 census, St Margaret's, Ipswich, Suffolk, Ancestry.com.

28. Marriage of Orina Clement Osborn and William Shulver, 31 March 1834, St Nicholas, Ipswich, Suffolk, England Select Marriages, 1538-1973, Ancestry.com

29. Burial of Samuel Osborn, 86 years, St Mary the Virgin, Dedham, Essex, National Buriel Index for England and Wales, Essex Society for Family History, Findmypast.com

30. Baptism of Clementine Stowe, 7 October 1722, Polstead, Suffolk, England, Select Births and Christenings 1538-1975, Ancestry.com.

31. Marriage of Clement Stowe and Margaret May, 5 October, 1600, Polstead, Suffolk, England, Select Births and Christenings 1538-1975, Ancestry.com.

32. Baptism of Samuel Osborn, 24 February 1722, All Saints, Epping, Essex, Essex, England Church of England Baptisms, Ancestry.com.