LEWIS from Gloucester

[JillyNutton]

Hi

I'm trying to track down the LEWIS family from Gloucester - which one I hear you thinking. I've been able to find John Lewis, b. 1810 in St Nicholas, Gloucester. He was an Iron Moulder and his second wife was called Sophia Robinson. On his marriage cert. his father is also called John Lewis.

But... there are loads of John Lewis's in Gloucester and the surrounding area - is anyone else doing any research on this family name in this area? Any info will be gratefully received.

thx
Jilly

[colashbury]

Hi Jilly. What have you got so far and what are you after.

[JillyNutton]

Thanks for replying colashbury,

I've got quite a bit but can't get narrow him down past his wedding to Sophia on the 16th July 1860. John b. 1810 in Gloucester, was an Iron Moulder Journeyman, a widower who lived in Sweet Brier St in Gloucester at the time of his wedding. His father, also called John Lewis, was a carpenter journeyman. I've got this much from John and Sophia's wedding certificate. They were married in The Baptist Church, Parker's Row in Gloucester.

In the 1861 census John and Sophia are living with next door to her parents James Robinson in Painswick, the census has his age wrong - having him as 61 years not 51 years old. At this point the had a son called John James, who I think must have died, they later had John Michael Robinson Lewis in 1865 (my gt Grandfather) and Sophia in 1868.

John Snr must have died between Sophia junior being conceived and the 1871 census as Sophia senior is then living on her own with the children. A second son James born in 1853 appears in this census, which I think is an illegitmate son of Sophia's.

Sophia went on to marry Josiah Butler.

I just can't pin him down on the 1851 or 1841 census's he could be one of many John Lewis's from that area??

Cheers
Jill

[notanotherminer]

Is John's age quite clear on the marriage cert? There is no death on FreeBMD registered for a John Lewis whose age fits an 1810 birth.

However you pointed out that he's enumerated in 1861 as 62. I,ve looked at the original image (Kings Lane, Painswick - that is the one isn't it?) and it is clearly enumerated as 62.

There is a death registered in Mar qtr 1871 at Stroud which is the District for Painswick
LEWIS John, age 71, vol 6a page 247

This would fit the age enumerated in the 1861 census in which case if it was the same person you'd be looking at a birth abt. 1799/1800

Given the quite large age gap between them it is possible that he may well have attempted to "shorten" it a little at the time of their marriage

It might be worth thinking about

[JillyNutton]

Hi notanotherminer

Its clearly 50 on the marriage cert. in 1860 but it is worth considering that he may have been stretching the truth a bit. That would make him the same age Sophia's father and I know that folk often stretched the truth in those days. Trouble is - how do I prove it all?

Also, Sophia is back in Gloucester in 1871 and their son John and daughter Sophia were both born in the St Nicholas area of Gloucester - so they must have moved back?

Its a real conundrum :-|

Jill

[notanotherminer]

As you rightly stated just how do you prove it.

I've just been into the IGI and looked through England Births and Christenings 1538 - 1975 but couldn't find anything that matched a Gloucester residence with father John around 1810

I did find this one however for 1799:

John Lewis
Bapt. 24 Mar 1799 at Gloucester St. Aldate
Father - John Lewis, mother - Margaret
Batch N0. C02859-1
Source Film No. 425419
If you can get to a Family History Centre the original image may offer more information such as father's occupation

[JillyNutton]

Thx Notanotherminer

I live in Taunton, Somerset - do you think the Somerset Records Office would have the image?

Jill

[notanotherminer]

No. Unfortunately Somerset Records Office are only likely to have records for that County

[notanotherminer]

The Latter Day Saints have a number of Family History Centres around the country where you can book and view the films in their possession. Unfortunately the Family Search website is having work done on it at the moment so I can't find out which is the nearest Centre to Taunton but I'm sure they'll have one fairly near. Maybe someone from Somerset can help more. Otherwise I'll keep trying their website and get back to you

[JillyNutton]

I've been trying to access them too without success. I will have to try to get up to the Gloucester Records Office in the summer and see if I can find any more info, but I beginning to think trying to find out John's life before marrying Sophia may be a difficult task.

I wonder if I would get more information from their son, John Michael Robinson Lewis's birth certificate? I haven't got that one and it might be worth a try.