Narissa, Marcessa, Narcassa?

[annabel]

My family seem to specialise in people whose names are difficult to pinpoint!

The information I have is:
1841 census HO107/1166, 2, 20, 9
"Narcigsa" look like Narissa Fricker B abt 1826 Bradford on Avon, Wilts
living Folley Road, Bradford on Avon with father Gideon, mother Mary lots of siblings

1851 census HO107/138, 1512, 41, 33
Marcessa Fricker b abt 1823 Bradford on Avon, unmarried "at home"
Living Ship Public House, St Clement Danes with mother Keturah Fricker a widow (I have proof it is the same person as Mary) and 2 brothers

1861 census RG9/179, 25, 10
Narcassa Fricker b abt 1822 Bradford on Avon, unmarried
Living Ship Tavern, St Clement Danes with mother Keturah and a brother

And then I cannot find her anymore. Her mother died in 1863 and I have not found her with her siblings. I cannot find a marriage or a death, and I am not totally sure of her name.

Can anyone find any clues to what happened to her?
(crown copyright TNA)

[Kevin Garrad]

On the 1841 census, it looks like the name is spelled with a long s - have a look at the occupation for Sophia Hart (Governeſs). so I see the name as Narciſsa.

The same is true on the 1851 census - look at the bottom of the page at the spelling of Essex Wharf! So it looks to me like Marceſsa.

[LittleMissP]

Just been having a look for her and found this in 1871- it isn't her but the name and place of birth jumped out at me and I think somehow they must be related:

1871
Narcissa Dowding
b abt 1851 Bradford, Wilts
Class: RG10; Piece: 1924; Folio: 70; Page: 15 (Crown Copyright TNA)

This lady is married to a George and has a 1 month old baby.

I'll keep looking, just thought this might be of interest

[annabel]

Thank you both for looking.
Kevin that does make the spellings of the names a bit closer doesn't it.?

LittleMissP that other Narcissa is the first time I have seen that name on anyone else, but I have not come accross any Dowdings linked to my family so far either. So I don't know if it is significant or not!

[olliecat]

I cannot find a marriage or a death, and I am not totally sure of her name.


Have you found a baptism record for her? Does her father Gideon mention her name in his will of 1842?

[annabel]

No I have not found any birth records. Gideon's will is quite basic and does not mention any of his children by name at all!

[LittleMissP]

Maybe it's a long shot but have you got the death certificate of her mother Keturah? She may be the informant on it.

Still looking...

[annabel]

Yes I have got it, but Narcissa is not on it, it is her brother unfortunately

[lesleys]

Have you been in touch with the authors of the Bradford on Avon website www.
freshford.com/bradford_home.htm ?
- there is a Fricker family tree there - just mentions Gideon as a relative of the Henry Fricker concerned but they may have access to records to help you

[annabel]

Thank you. I have seen that site, its very good. Frustratingly it mentions that Gideon is a relation but it does not say how. Also I cannot see any contact details on the website anywhere!

[lesleys]

No you're right even on the home page there doesn't seem to be a contact. Perhaps one of the "advertisers" on the site is the author.

[Bertie]

This is an intriguing mystery! I hope the below is not too 'off piste' but the fact that there are very few FreeBMD records for Narcissa and with confusion of Bradford, Wilts and Bradford, Yorks, can I throw the following in the pot?

The Narcissa with child baptised in Bradford-on-Avon is:

Name: Alice Kate Dowdon
Gender: Female
Baptism/Christening Date: 07 May 1871
Baptism/Christening Place: Bradford Upon Avon, Wiltshire, England
Father's Name: George Dowdon
Mother's Name: Narcissa
Indexing Project (Batch) Number: I05326-9
System Origin: England-EASy
Source Film Number: 1279308
Reference Number: item 3
Collection: England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975

The marriage is: Q3 1870 - Bradford, Wilts: George DOWDING and Narcissa JONES [though this is also trasncribed as Bradford, Y!]

This Narcissa DOWDING appears to die Q1 1873, Bradford, Y [!], age 22 (but the original image is the wrong page!).

Unless LDS is wrong about which Bradford (and it IS possible) then the solitary mention of Narcissa in BoA may be worth following up.

Also, you note the mother died in 1863 - I assume she reverted to her 'real' name of Mary i.e. the record is Q1 1863, Pancras? If she was still the licensee of the Ship, St. Clement Danes at the time of her death did Narcissa stay on in London or might she have lived with amother rellie or moved back to BoA, assuming she did not get married after 1861?

[Coromandel]

You're spot on about the two Bradfords having got mixed up, Bertie.


The marriage is: Q3 1870 - Bradford, Wilts: George DOWDING and Narcissa JONES [though this is also trasncribed as Bradford, Y!]

FreeBMD has two entries for this marriage, one under Bradford Yorks and one under Bradford W, each with a different volume number. The Bradford W. entry has a note saying it is a correction. The scan of the GRO index page shows that the original clearly says Bradford, W. and vol. 5a.


This Narcissa DOWDING appears to die Q1 1873, Bradford, Y [!], age 22 (but the original image is the wrong page!).

FreeBMD has Narcissa DAWDING's death registered Q1 1873, Bradford Y., vol. 9b, page 81. The scan of the index page shows that this is wrong on two counts: the district is Bradford W and the volume no. is 5a.

[annabel]

Thank you for this. It is certainly interesting. However "my" Narcissa was born about 1823 and was last found in London unmarried aged about 38, and the other Narcissa is born about 1851 so I think that she is probably not the right one, or her daughter. She could be a niece or a cousin perhaps, but have no idea how.

As for her mother, she did revert to Mary, although the you have a different one there Bertie. I have not been able to find her with her brother Francis Frederick who lived at the Ship Inn at the death, and at 1 Carter Street, Walworth Road in Lambeth in 1869 at the birth of his son. He married Catherine Hunter in 1865. I have not found him in 1871 or 1881, and he died in 1887, I think.

The only other member of the family missing that Narissa could be with in 1871 is her brother Thomas b about 1830 in Bradford on Avon. I think he married a Catherine and had a son Tom Vezey b 1860 and was in Holborn in 1861 RG9/218, 71 74 although I am largely basing this on the name of his son
(copyright TNA)

[pwholt]

The BoA marriage of Narissa Jones took place at Bradford on Avon Christchurch, so the record is available from Wiltshire & Swindon Archives who hold the church registers; you could find out who her father was. The index entry appears on wilts bmd. pwholt

[annabel]

I have just found Narcissa and George Dowding in 1871 in Bradford on Avon with a 1 month old infant, and she is aged born about 1851 whereas "mine" was born about 1823 so I do not think she is the right one. But thank you for looking for me