A hole to fill

[MGJW]

Hi, i am trying to trace a,
James Charles Howe Tucker DOB 7 March 1845 at 29 Lowndes Square, registration district of St Lukes Chelsea (behaid Harrods)
His parents are James Tucker a Painter by trade and Sophia Tucker nee Howe
In the 1851 census 29 Lowndes Square is unoccupied, according to Westminster archives main drainage and sewarage was been insatlled in that area at that time so this could explain the empty property.
Problem 1. There is no record of a James Tucker marrying a Sophia Howe (that we can find with the correct children`s name and age)
Problem 2. in the 1851 census the nearest we get to is a James Tucker a visitor to the family Bullbrook in Newington but his birth place is down as St Saviours Chelsea?
From this point the family vanishes.
What happened between 1851,1871?
Then in the 1871 census James Charles turns up in the Royal Navy on the Bellerophen as a fireman, this is also the year he marries a Fanny Elizabeth Pugh at Hampton Middlesex and settles down.
His death comes in 1893 at Twickenham.
Any help would be appreciated to try and plug the gap.
Happy hunting John West

[ChristineR]

Problem 1. There is no record of a James Tucker marrying a Sophia Howe (that we can find with the correct children`s name and age)

Sophia might not have been a HOWE when they married.
James might have been their last child, after a couple of decades of having children, so their marriage would be before civil registration.

Have you found them as family group in 1841?

That 1851 might not even be your fellow. Is it possible that the family emigrated after James' birth?

Did his father die before the 1851 census, and Sophia remarry and he appears under a different surname?

Just some thoughts, which you have probably already had :D

ChristineR

[Trish]

John,

For what it's worth, in addition to Christine's thoughts...

Do you know if there were other children?

...Trying a little creative thinking here... perhaps the family went by another surname for any one of a number of reasons. It's been done before. Have you seen the following family in the census?

Census: 1851: HO107/1473 Folio 485 Page 38
Address: 22 Oakham Street, Chelsea, Middlesex
-- James Jones Head Mar 30 House Painter [born] Middlesex Chelsea
-- Sophia Do Wife Mar 21 [born] Winchester Hunthim Hant
-- James Do Son 7 Scholar [born] Middlesex Chelsea
-- William Do Son 4 Do [born] Do Do
-- Emma Do Daur 2 [born] Do Do
-- Sophia Do Daur 2 mo. [born] Do Do

A bit of a stretch -- the surname is wrong, obviously -- but I think it's interesting that James, his age, place of birth, his parents' given names and his father's trade match your family's details.

BTW, if her age is correct, this Sophia would have been only about 14 when James was born which, I suppose, is not totally implausible. The same Jones family is in the 1861 census at the same address: RG9/35 Folio 110 Page 37.

Trish

[Karen Newman]

Young James would seem to have had a sister - Billinda Sophia Howe Tucker b 1843 Chelsea.

There is a possibility that Sophia and James snr did not marry.

On the 1851, there is a family at ref HO107; Piece: 1572; Folio: 827; Page: 12 - Nathaniel and Sophia Earle, and stepdaughter Belinda is the right age & b in Chelsea.

Nathaniel John Earle marries in Kensington 1850 and there is a Sophia Howe on the same page. Sophia seems to have died by 1881 as Nathaniel is now married to an Eliza according to the 1881 (they married in 1875 possibly).

In addition to Belinda there are 2 other stepchildren - John aged 4 and Edward aged 2. There is a birth for an Edward Howe in Chelsea 1850

[MGJW]

Wow that was quick, thank you ladies for your thoughts.

Karen, thanks for that, i had managed to find Billinda yesterday thanks.
We also seem to think James and Sophia never married because Sophia`s "maiden name" is part of her offsprings christian name, Thanks

Trish, when we traced James Jr we only had a name of John James taken from my wifes gradfather`s marriage cert (which we now know to be wrong) so we had to follow brothers and sisters marriages and then back track on the census to find his full name, could it be he was trying to hide the past?

Christine, on James Jr birth cert mothers name is down as Tucker nee Howe.
Emigration, the family could have gone abroad and James Jr joined the Royal Navy in forigen parts and found his way back to UK, i will look into that thanks.
On James Jr marriage cert to Fanny Pugh his father is down as Charles not James Tucker and his profession is still a painter and still alive.
We have searched the 1841 census no luck im afraid.
We have also checked Pallot records via ancestory.co.uk and Mormon IGI records for pre 1837 birth and marriages with no luck.
Once again thank you all and happy hunting
John

[sandiep]

Name Age
Edward Earle 12
Elizth Ann Earle 2
John Earle 78
John Earle 14
Sophia Earle 39
William Earle 10
Sophia Tucker 17

Just to add confusion this family is in the 1861 in Paddington

sandie

[MGJW]

Hi Sandie, i have had a look at your suggestion, if this is the correct family why would John Earle employ his step daughter as a servent he cant be short of cash as a tea merchant?
Thanks for that John

[ChristineR]

Hi Sandie, i have had a look at your suggestion, if this is the correct family why would John Earle employ his step daughter as a servent he cant be short of cash as a tea merchant?
Thanks for that John

She most likely worked as a servant in somebody else's household.
Unless it is shown in the 'relationships' column as servant.

ChristineR

[Trish]

She most likely worked as a servant in somebody else's household.
Unless it is shown in the 'relationships' column as servant.

ChristineRAnd you never know the circumstances...

One of my ancestors is living in her sister's and brother-in-law's household in the 1871 census. Relationship... servant.

By 1871, she is a widow and her younger children are either living with other relatives or at boarding school. Apparently, she had fallen on hard times. But I was still surprised to see her listed as a servant in her own sister's home.

So, don't discount the idea of Sophia Tucker being related to John Earle even though she is listed as a servant in both the relationship and occupation categories. It's certainly not without precedent.

Trish