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Thursday, September 3, 2020

ROOTSTECH CONNECT 2021 WILL BE FREE AND VIRTUAL

 ROOTSTECH IS GOING VIRTUAL AND FREE IN 2021 - ROOSTECH CONNECT


Familysearch recently made the exciting announcement that Rootstech 2021 is going VIRTUAL and perhaps the BEST NEWS of all, is that it will be FREE for everyone. 

The conference, which was previously planned to be held in Salt Lake City, will now be held on February 25-27 2021 as a FREE ONLINE EVENT. That's right - the Rootstech Conference 2021 will be FREE so REGISTER NOW at RootsTech.org

I am thrilled to be a Rootstech Ambassador for Roostech 2021 and especially excited to be promoting this unmissable Rootstech Connect event - so watch for upcoming announcements on my social media accounts. I will be helping to keep you up to date with the latest Rootstech Connect news on  Twitter, Instagram , Facebook and here on my blog FamilyHistory4u. 

WHAT IS ROOTSTECH CONNECT?

Rootstech Connect  2021, as an online virtual conference, will enable people from all around the world in all different time zones to attend this incredibly family history event. 

The Rootstech Connect Conference, as a virtual event, is intended to allow more people than ever to be able to join this global celebration of family and connection. 

This virtual conference will allow people in different time zones around the world to enjoy all the exciting features that Rootstech Connect offers -

FEATURING:

  • Inspiring KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
  • Many CLASSES to choose from and classes in multiple languages
  • An EXPO HALL
  • The opportunity to INTERACT with presenters and other attendees through live chat and Q & A sessions
  • A combination of LIVESTREAM and ON DEMAND content
  • Sessions available on demand after the conference concludes


Rootstech Connect is a genealogy event that you do not want to miss, so REGISTER right now HERE. 

 ROOTSTECH CONNECT PROMOTION VIDEO






Thursday, August 6, 2020

"WAS WILLIAM SHULVER A FIRST COUSIN OF HIS WIFE? DID THE MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE FROM ENGLAND SUPPORT MY RESEARCH?"

THE CRUCIAL MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE HAS ARRIVED FROM ENGLAND

Salem Chapel, St George's St, Ipswich Suffolk [1]

In my last blog post, I wrote about how I had to rely on online research, during the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic, due to an unavoidable delay in the arrival of a marriage certificate  [2]  which I ordered from the GRO in England. 

I was following a hunch that my 4th great aunt, Elizabeth Jane Turner had married her first cousin, William Shulver in 1855  in Ipswich, Suffolk and had decided to try to prove my theory correct through online research, while awaiting the arrival of the marriage certificate from the UK in the mail. If you have missed reading the background to this post you can find it HERE.

Vintage Letters and Mail, Image in the Public Domain © ©

This week the marriage certificate of my 4th great uncle aunt Elizabeth Jane Turner and her husband William Shulver was finally delivered to my mailbox and at last, I could find out if the information on the certificate would prove my theory of a first cousin marriage to be correct.

INFORMATION I KNEW TO BE CORRECT BEFORE THE CERTIFICATE ARRIVED
  • Elizabeth Jane Turner was born in 1832 to William Turner and Anne Mayer Osborn [3] 
  • Elizabeth Jane Turner was 23 when she married in 1855 [4]
  • William Shulver (cousin) was born in 1838 to William Shulver and Orina Clement Osborn. [5] 
  • William Shulver  (cousin) was 17 at the time of Elizabeth Jane's marriage in 1855 [6]
  • Anne Mayer Turner (Osborn) and Orina Clement  Shulver (Osborn) were sisters, making Elizabeth Jane Turner and William Shulver first cousins [7] [8]
  • William Shulver, husband of Elizabeth Jane Turner was a WHEELWRIGHT in 1855 [9]
  • Elizabeth Jane Turner's father was a CARPENTER [10]
  • William Shulver (cousin) was a WHEELWRIGHT [11]
  • William Shulver's (cousin) father was was a WHEELWRIGHT [12]

Workshop of a wheelwright, Wikimedia Commons

In short, In needed the groom to be around 17 years of age, his occupation to be a wheelwright and his father to also be a wheelwright to be certain that he was the first cousin of his wife, Elizabeth Jane Turner.

There were two other males by the name of William Shulver born in Suffolk, whose fathers were employed as wheelwrights but they were both too young to have married in 1855. I had not included these two men in my search for potential husbands for Elizabeth Jane Turner, since they would have been aged respectively 14 years and 11 years when she married in 1855.

THE ONLY OTHER  WILLIAM SHULVERS WHOSE FATHERS WERE WHEELWRIGHTS WERE TOO YOUNG TO HAVE MARRIED IN 1855 

William Shulver, birth year 1841, baptised 25 July 1841, Kenton, Suffolk to parents John Shulver (wheelwright) and Sarah Moyse. This William was 14 in 1844. [13]

William Shulver, birth year 1844, baptised 5 April 1844, Mickfield, Sufolk to William Shulver (wheelwright) and Anna Hubbard.This William was only 11 in 1855. [14]

At the conclusion of my search, I was confident that there was only one William Shulver from Suffolk and surrounding counties (including London) who was a wheelwright and who could have married Elizabeth Jane Turner and that was her first cousin William Shulver, who would have been 17 years old at the time they married. I hoped that information on the marriage certificate would match the information below and confirm my theory that this was a first cousin marriage. 

INFORMATION I NEEDED TO FIND ON THE THE MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE TO VALIDATE MY RESEARCH
  • William Shulver's age - 17 years [15]
  • Elizabeth Jane Turner's age - 23 years [16]
  • William Shulver's occupation - WHEELWRIGHT [17]
  • William Shulver's father - William Shulver, a WHEELWRIGHT [18]
  • Elizabeth Jane Turner's father - William Turner, a CARPENTER [19]
CONFIRMATION AND CONFUSION!

As soon as I studied the marriage certificate of William Shulver and Elizabeth Jane Turner, I knew fairly quickly that my hunch had been correct. Elizabeth Jane Turner had married a wheelwright named William Shulver, whose father, also named William Shulver was a wheelwright. This, in itself proved my case, since there was no other William Shulver who matched this criteria, but before I became too excited, and just in case I had thought this was going to be too easy, the certificate presented me with something unexpected.

Marriage Certificate of William Shulver and Elizabeth Jane [20]

INFORMATION ON THE MARRIAGE CERIFICATE [21] 

There is undoubtedly a thrill when a paper record provides hard evidence to support your research and in this case ENOUGH all of the information on the marriage certificate did just that. The couple were married on 11 October 1855 at Salem Chapel, Ipswich, Suffolk. The groom was a wheelwright, as was his father William Shulver senior. Elizabeth Jane Turner's father, William Turner was a carpenter. 

Witnesses to the marriage were Sarah and Thomas WHITING and both Elizabeth Jane and William gave their address as Back Hamlet, Ipswich, Suffolk. [22] 

INFORMATION WHICH MATCHED MY CRITERIA FOR A FIRST COUSIN MARRIAGE [23]
  • Elizabeth Jane Turner's father was named William Turner 
  • Elizabeth Jane Turner's father was a carpenter 
  • William Shulver, the groom, was a wheelwright 
  • William Shulver's father was named William Shulver 
  • William Shulver's father was a wheelwright 
  • The address of Back Hamlets was where Elizabeth Jane Turner's family lived in the parish of St Clements 
EXAMINING THE EVIDENCE

THE IMPORTANCE OF PLACE

Back Hamlet was the address given by both the bride and groom at the time they married. This fits with the address where Elizabeth Jane Turner's family were recorded living in the 1861 census, along with her sister Sarah and her husband Thomas Whiting. Back Hamlet is a relatively short street compared to others around it - around 556 metres (1824 feet) in length and the house where the Turner family lived was opposite the grounds of Holy Trinity Anglican Church. [24]

St Clements Church, Back Hamlet (the top road from the fork), Map purchased for non commercial use,  Old Maps © [25]

I have evidence from census records that Elizabeth Jane Turner and her family lived at the address of Back Hamlet, however William Shulver also gave this address at the time of his marriage as his residence too. I knew this address did not necessarily indicate that he actually lived in Back Hamlet, and since nether he nor his mother were ever recorded as living in this parish, I doubted that it was true. He could possibly have been staying with the Turner family at the time of the marriage, since Elizabeth Jane's parents were his Uncle and Aunt. There is also an alternate explanation for William's address being the same as Elizabeth Jane's which I is what I suspect explains the address and it is that quite often couples who lived in different English parishes gave the same address to avoid the expense of payment for reading of marriage banns in both parishes. [25] 

Back Hamlet, Image Google Earth Pro [26]

WITNESSES TO THE MARRIAGE

It is important to take note of witnesses on marriage records as these can often be family members who help you verify that you have the correct record. I immediately recognized the witnesses for this marriage as Elizabeth Jane Turner's older sister Sarah who had married Thomas Whiting in 1845. [27]

Sarah and Thomas WHITING living with parents William and Anne Turner 1851 Census [28]

Everything on the marriage certificate identifies this wedding as being that of first cousins William Shulver and Elizabeth Jane Turner - EXCEPT for the ages of the bride and groom. I also found it puzzling that that they were not married at the Anglican Churches of Holy Trinity or St Clements, both in the bride's parish. Holy Trinity Anglican Church was situated in Back Hamlet Street almost opposite the house where Elizabeth Jane Turner and her family lived and is where their son was baptised.

INFORMATION WHICH DID NOT MATCH MY KNOWN CRITERIA
  • Elizabeth Jane Turner's age was given as 20 years rather than 23 years
  • William Shulver's age was given as 20 years rather than 17 years
  • The place of marriage was Salem Chapel

ALWAYS EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED!

If only things genealogical were always simple. Although I had sufficient details on the marriage certificate to validate my first cousin theory, there were two things inconsistent with my criteria -  the ages of the bride and groom and their unexpected marriage in Salem Chapel, a church I had not heard of any other family member marrying in.

DISCREPANCY IN AGES

The reason for the discrepancy in both the age of William Shulver and Elizabeth Jane Turner can only be speculated upon, however, if I had a dollar for every ancestor of mine who fibbed about their age, I would be a wealthy person! Elizabeth Jane was 23 and William Shulver 17 at the time of the marriage but both gave their ages as 20 years. Proof of age was not required to marry in 1855. For a brief period between 1822 and 1823 the requirement for a marriage was a baptismal certificate [29] but since not everyone had easy access to one, this was abandoned. In 1855 when this couple married, no proof of age was necessary [30] but at 20 years of age, they did require parental consent to marry. 

The couple were at liberty to state whatever age they wished and since both ages were recorded as 20 years, it must be assumed that they married with parental consent and that both sets of parents were aware of the union. It appears unusual that 23 year old Elizabeth Jane  Turner, who being over 21 years of age, [31] and who required no consent from her parents, lowered her age to 20 years. 

From other information on the marriage certificate, I know this is undoubtedly the correct couple, so I can only assume that the ages were incorrectly recorded as a clerical error or that perhaps William at 17 years of age, felt uncomfortable being much younger than his 23 year old cousin. I can only surmise about the reason they stated that they were the same age. Some details about our ancestors' lives can only be put into context by our historical understanding of the times they lived in and our own imagination beyond that. 

PLACE OF MARRIAGE

I discovered that Salem Chapel was constructed in 1812 by a Mr. Joseph Chamberlain [32] for the use of the Particular Baptist worshipers. and I was surprised by the choice of a Baptist Church for the marriage for Elizabeth Jane Turner and William Shulver. Both families had been deeply rooted in the Anglican Church for many generations and all of Elizabeth Jane's siblings married in the Anglican Church. There were two Anglican Churches in Back Hamlet - St Clement's and the smaller church of Holy Trinity in which they could have married. I explored, but could find no evidence that an underage marriage would be more easily obtained in the Baptist church than the Anglican Church and so I had to consider that  one or the other of this couple could have become a member of the Particular Baptist Church. 

FILLING IN THE GAPS USING HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Elizabeth Jane and William Shulver may well have become non-conformist worshipers, which would certainly explain their choice to marry in Salem Chapel, however, the couple being members of the Particular Baptist Church does not explain an Anglican baptism for their son the following year on 28 September 1856, at Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Ipswich.[33]

Salem Chapel, Ipswich, Suffolk,[34]

In 1851, four years prior to the 1855 marriage, William Shulver lived in Bolton Lane and Elizabeth Jane Turner lived in Crown Street both shown on the map below converging at St Margaret's Anglican Church, Ipswich, Suffolk. [35]  Not far from the Turner household was Salem Chapel, in St George's Road. The building that was Salem Chapel is marked on the map below as the Ipswich Museum which it later housed. 

Ipswich Museum, once Salem Chapel, St George's Road, Ipswich, Suffolk [36]

Since I cannot travel back in time, I must try to understand this couple within the context of their lives in the mid 19th century. The Particular Baptist Church, of which Salem Chapel was a member, did not baptise infants, since its doctrine decreed that only adult believers were to be baptised. [37] It would appear that if William Shulver and Elizabeth Jane Turner joined the Particular Baptist Church and married in it accordingly, that one or the other of the couple still wished for their son to be baptised. [38] If this were the case, then the only choice for baptism for their son, was the Anglican Church, in which they themselves were both baptised. The infant son of William and Elizabeth Jane Shulver, William Engomire Shulver, was baptised at Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Ipswich in September 1856.  [39] 

Baptism of William Engomire SHULVER [40]

Nineteenth century England saw a huge increase of interest in the theologies of the Baptist and other con-conformist Churches. [41] With this in mind, it is possible, that with a Particular Baptist Chapel in the Anglican parish of St Margaret's, in close proximity to where both Elizabeth Jane Turner and William Shulver earlier lived, that one or the other of the young couple might be attracted to its teachings. Marriage between first cousins was common in England in the mid 19th century [42] and I can find no evidence that the Baptist Church would not conduct such a marriage.

With historical context in mind, an Anglican baptism for their son could be explained by the high infant mortality rate in England's 19th century [43]  William had lost an infant sister and due to fear of the possibility of an infant death, these young parents may have sought to procure a baptism for their son. Perhaps the grandparents of young William Engmire Shulver insisted on a baptism for their grandson fearing he would die without a baptism. [44]  Another theory to explain an Anglican baptism was only one of the parents was a follower of the Particular Baptist Church and the other insisted on an infant baptism. [45]

Often we can only understand our ancestors, by understanding the times they lived in and sometimes we must fill in the gaps in information with conjecture based on our knowledge. Although the 1855 marriage certificate of Elizabeth Jane Turner and William Shulver [46] proves to me that this couple were first cousins, I can only speculate as to why this couple married in a Particular Baptist Chapel. Perhaps, with further reading about Baptist Church history, I  will better understand the lives of these first cousins who married but who lived their married lives apart.

By Pickering & Greatbatch - Pride and Prejudice A Novel by Jane Austen London:Richard Bentley.(Successor to H. Colburn)Cumming, Dublin, Bell & Bradfute, Edinburgh Galignani, Paris1833., Public Domain, Commons.wikimedia.org

FOOTNOTES

1. Salem Chapel, Ipswich, Suffolk, Google Maps
2. 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
3. Baptism of Elizabeth Jane Turner, 5 February 1832, Ipswich, Suffolk, England and Wales Christening Records, 1530-1906, Ancestry.com
4. 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
5. Birth of William Shulver, 1838, Vol. 12, Page 337,  England & Wales Births, 1837-2006, Findmypast
6. 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
7. Baptism of Ann Mayer Osborn, 1788, Dedham, Essex Register of Baptisms 1742-1812, D/P26/3, Image 29.
8. Baptism of Orina Clement Osborn, 24 June 1806, St Mary the Virgin, Dedham, Essex, Essex, England Church of England Baptisms, Ancestry.com.
9. Marriage Certificate of Elizabeth Jane Turner and William Shulver, 1855, Vol. 41, Page 1329, GRO
10. 1841, 1851, 1861 England Census, Ipswich, Suffolk, Ancestry.com
11. Ibid.
12. 1841 England Census, Ipswich, Suffolk, Ancestry.com
14. 1871 UK Census, East Bergholt, Suffolk, m
15. Baptism of William Shulver, 25 July 1841, Kenton, Suffolk, England Births & Baptisms, 1538-1975, Findmypast.com
16. Baptism of William Shulver, 5 April 1844, St Andrew, Mickfield, Suffolk, England Births & Baptisms, 1538-1975, Findmypast.com
17. Birth of William Shulver, 1838, Vol. 12, Page 337,  England & Wales Births, 1837-2006, Findmypast
18. Baptism of Elizabeth Jane Turner, 5 February 1832, Ipswich, Suffolk, England and Wales Christening Records, 1530-1906, Ancestry.com
16. Baptism of William Engomire Shulver, 28 September 1856, Ipswich, Holy Trinity, Suffolk Baptism Index, Suffolk Family History Society, Findmypast
19. 1841 UK Census, St Margaret's, Ipswich, Suffolk, Ancestry.com
20. Marriage Certificate of Elizabeth Jane Turner and William Shulver, Oct-Dec 1855, Vol. 4a, Page 1329, GRO
21. Ibid.
22. Marriage Certificate of Elizabeth Jane Turner and William Shulver, Oct-Dec 1855, Vol. 4a, Page 1329, GRO
23. Ibid.
25. Back Hamlet, Ipswich, Suffolk, Old Maps,https://www.oldmapsonline.org/
26. Back Hamlet, Ipswich, Suffolk, Google Earth Pro
27. Marriage of Sarah Turner and Thomas Whiting, Ipswich, Suffolk, Vol. 12, p. 530, England & Wales Marriages 1837-2005, Findmyast.com28. 1851 UK Census, Ipswich, St Margaret's. Suffolk, Ancestry.com
29. Ibid.
27.  Marriage Allegations, Bonds and Licences in England and Wales, 
28. Back Hamlet, Ipswich, Suffolk, Old Maps,https://www.oldmapsonline.org/
29. Marriage Allegations, Bonds and Licences in England and Wales, 
31. Marriage Allegations, Bonds and Licences in England and Wales, 
33. Baptism of William Engomire Shulver, 28 September 1856, Ipswich, Holy Trinity, Suffolk Baptism Index, Suffolk Family History Society, Findmypast
34. Salem Chapel, Ipswich, Suffolk, Google Maps
35. 1851 England Census, St Margaret's, Ipswich, Suffolk, Ancestry.com
36. Ipswich Museum, St George's Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, Google Maps
38. Ibid.
39. Baptism of William Engomire Shulver, 28 September 1856, Ipswich, Holy Trinity, Suffolk Baptism Index, Suffolk Family History Society, Findmypast
40. Ibid..
42.The Geography of early Childhood Mortality Rate in England and Wales, 1881-1911, Research Article, Alice Reid, Hannaliis Jaaadla, 2017, Creative Commons Licence
43.The Baptist Heritage – H. Leon McBeth, 1987, Broadman Press, USA, p. 85, JStor  
44.Births and Baptisms: The Use of Anglican Baptism Registers as a Source of Information about the Numbers of Births in England before the Beginning of Civil Registration, E. A. Wrigley, Population Studies, Vol. 31, No. 2 (Jul., 1977), pp. 281-312 (32 pages), JStor
45.The Baptist Heritage – H. Leon McBeth, 1987, Broadman Press, USA, p. 85, JStor 
46. Marriage Certificate of Elizabeth Jane Turner and William Shulver, 1855, Vol. 41, Page 1329, GRO
.






 



The geography of early childhood mortalityin England and Wales, 18811911Hannaliis JaadlaAlice Reid© 2017 Hannaliis Jaadla & Alice Reid.This open-access work is published under the terms of the Creative CommonsAttribution 3.0 Germany (CC BY 3.0 DE), which permits use, reproduction,and distribution in any medium, provided the original author(s) and sourceare given credit.See https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/de/legalcode.

T



 The geography of early childhood mortality
in England and Wales, 18811911Hannaliis JaadlaAlice Reid© 2017 Hannaliis Jaadla & Alice Reid.This open-access work is published under the terms of the Creative CommonsAttribution 3.0 Germany (CC BY 3.0 DE), which permits use, reproduction,and distribution in any medium, provided the original author(s) and sourceare given credit.See https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/de/legalcode.


Wednesday, July 22, 2020

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

1Baptism 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
7Baptism 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
13St 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