GEAR family - Potterspury & Yardley Gobion

[Colin Rowledge]

So my generosity is not as impressive as it seemed!

But still appreciated none-the-less.

Now if only I lived on your side of the pond!!!

[Colin Rowledge]

I think I've found his partner in crime.

1861 census -
RG09/928/88/13
Gear, Joseph age 59 - Ag. Labourer - born Potterspury
Gear, Sarah age 50 - Pillow Lace Maker - born Potterspury
Gear, William age 17 - Ag. Labourer - born Potterspury
Gear, Charles age 14 - Ag. Labourer - born Yardley Gobion
Gear, Eliza age 8 - Scholar - born Yardley Gobion

RG09/928//88/14
Blunt, John age 42 - Chelsea Pensioner and Ag. Labourer - born Grafton Regis
Blunt, Ann age 30 - no occupation - born Ireland
Blunt, Frederick age 11 - Scholar - born Ireland
Blunt, John age 8 - Scholar - born Ireland
Blunt, Mary A. age 5 - born Lincoln
Blunt, William age 4 - born Yardley Gobion
Blunt, Harriet age 2 - born Yardley Gobion
Blunt, Henry age 1 month - born Yardley Gobion

They were neighbours and lived in a street called "The Alley"

In 1871 while William and Frederick were 'inside', the Blunt family [without Frederick] and the Gear family [without William] were still in Potterspury.

I couldn't, though, find Frederick in an Institution in England. My thought is the following - he lied about his age and was sent back to Ireland. Possible?

Colin

[Colin Rowledge]

Colin, this doesn't answer your question, but I came across a great website about Yardley Gobion when googling:

http://www.
mkheritage.co.uk/yghg/

There's much more than first meets the eye. For example, there are transcipts from the school admission register. You can search these and some of the other data on the site via the Master Name Index:

http://www.
mkheritage.co.uk/yghg/census/MasterSearch.asp

That was a most useful link - thank you.

I have now the school registers for Joseph covering his attendance there from May 24, 1880 until his leaving on January 25, 1887. He was 12 years and 3 months of age when he left.

He next surfaces at Tiffield Reformatory School in the 1891 census.

[Coromandel]

Joseph Henry was a Boy Inmate in the Tiffield Reformatory in Tiffield in 1891.

Have you traced him after this? The reason I ask is that a Private Joseph Gear of the 20th Hussars, aged 25, was buried at Mhow, Bengal Presidency, on 16 May 1900 according to the India Office Family History Search (India Office ref. N/1/283, f.173).

http://
indiafamily.bl.uk/UI/Home.aspx

He may of course be someone quite different, but worth investigating if you've lost your Joseph.

[Colin Rowledge]

Have you traced him after this? The reason I ask is that a Private Joseph Gear of the 20th Hussars, aged 25, was buried at Mhow, Bengal Presidency, on 16 May 1900 according to the India Office Family History Search (India Office ref. N/1/283, f.173).

http://
indiafamily.bl.uk/UI/Home.aspx

He may of course be someone quite different, but worth investigating if you've lost your Joseph.

That's an interesting find.

From his school admission records, his date of birth was October 20 1844 so he was 25 on May 16, 1900.

They have a web-site and e-mail contact, so I'll send a request and see what happens - nothing ventured, nothing gained.

You are certainly living up to the description under your name!!!

Thanks again

Colin

[Colin Rowledge]

Have you traced him after this? The reason I ask is that a Private Joseph Gear of the 20th Hussars, aged 25, was buried at Mhow, Bengal Presidency, on 16 May 1900 according to the India Office Family History Search (India Office ref. N/1/283, f.173).

http://
indiafamily.bl.uk/UI/Home.aspx

He may of course be someone quite different, but worth investigating if you've lost your Joseph.

Have received a reply - my they are efficient!!!

Here is the response -
"Unfortunately, Indian Death records do not give the date of and place of birth of the deceased or the names of the parents, so we cannot confirm if this Joseph Gear is your relative. Nevertheless, if you would like me to send you a copy of the death/burial record I will be happy to do so on receipt of your address.
Sincerely"

I have requested a copy. You never know, it may give me a clue.

Colin

[Colin Rowledge]

Have received a reply - my they are efficient!!!


I have requested a copy. You never know, it may give me a clue.

Colin

And today I received it. Now to see what, if any, is the connection between the Joseph Gear who died in 1900 and Charles Gear, the father of my 2nd cousin's spouse.

[Colin Rowledge]

I think that the Joseph Gear who died on May 16, 1900 is the son of William and William is the brother of Charles.

How can I go about finding details of the enlistment in the 20th Hussars?

Colin

[Colin Rowledge]

The father of Bartholomew Gear was Charles [born 1847] in Yardley Gobion. The father of Joseph Henry Gear was William [born 1844] in Yardley Gobion. The parents of Charles and William were Joseph Gear and Sarah [maiden name Webster].

Apart from Charles and William, Joseph and Sarah had 2 daughters, both of whom they named Eliza. Eliza [#1] was born in Potterspury in 1841 and died in Potterspury in 1848. Eliza [#2] was born in Potterspury in 1852, married John Thomas Webster in 1875 in Yardley Gobion, had 9 children and died in Potterspury in 1920. Her husband [John Thomas] was born in Potterspury in 1849.

What has made this an interesting search [with more work to do] is that John Thomas [in the 1851 census] is living in Potterspury with his his parents [Richard and Sophia] along with 2 older female siblings. The last 2 names in the household are William and Charles Gear and both are enumerated as the nephews of the Webster's.

Now back to Joseph Gear. He was born about 1802 in Potterspury. Prior to his birth [possibly in Braunston]] his mother had a daughter that she called Ann. His mother was Jane Gear [unmarried] and in the 1841 census Jane and Ann are living together in Potterspury. In addition, there is a Charles Gear in the household. This Charles is indicated as aged 20 in 1841. This Charles is not with Jane and Ann in 1851, who were still living together.

Jane died in 1852.

[Colin Rowledge]

With the help of another B-G forum member, I now have a sub. to British Newspaper Archives. What I am finding is that rather than one black sheep in the family it would appear that the whole darned lot were bad news in their community

Their rap sheets make very interesting reading.

Colin