Child(s) & She(a)man, Owslebury Hampshire

[Wilkes_ml]

This is one of my persistant brickwalls which is driving me nuts at the moment! So any suggestions would be greatfully recieved!

A bit of Background:

I believe my ancestor Stephen Childs was born at Old Alresford Hampshire and baptised 1793. It would appear that he died and was probably buried at Old Alresford in 1831 aged 38.

However, between 1820 and 1826 he had 4 children to his wife Betty:

John baptised 1820, Rebecca (my ancestor) baptised 1822, Jane baptised 1824 and Faith Baptised 1826 all at Owslebury.

There also appeared to be another daughter Mary born c. 1819, but no baptism found.

However, I have been unable to find a marriage of Stephen Child(s). I have searched Old Alresford and Owslebury original marriages several times. I have also obtained the Hampshire Marriage indexes covering 1754-1837 - still no sign of him.

In 1836 Betty Childs (a widow) remarries to John Shearman at Owslebury and they have a child, Richard, baptised Owslebury in 1838 (but I have not been able to find a birth in the right district).
John and Betty Shearman are living at Owslebury in 1841 with Betty's daughters Mary and Rebeka Childs, her son Richard Shearman and a grand-daughter Emma/Emily Childs (daughter of Mary). I can follow the family from then onwards through the census.

The only clue I have is from Betty's second marriage - a witness Alice Glasspool ( who from the census was born Owlesbury c. 1811) and I think she could be a possible relation.

Alice Boyes? Glasspool was baptised at Owlesbury, illigitimate daughter of Ann Glasspool.

From the census, Betty was born about 1795-1796 at Owslebury. I have searched the baptism registers for 1795-1796 for all Betty/Elizabeths and have found 5 - one of which was an Elizabeth Glasspool, illigitimate daughter of Mary Glasspool. However, I have been unable to find a link between Alice's mother Ann and Elizabeth's mother Mary! And I still can't find a marriage between a Glasspool and a Childs!

I have also considered that Betty may have been brought up by a step-father and changed her birth surname and married under a different name - but I still can't find a Stephen Childs marrying in the right time period!!

Any thoughts please??

Many thanks

[Wilkes_ml]

Just a quick addition: I just searched for a baptism of a Mary at Owslebury from 1817-1819 - only one, a daughter of Stephen and Betty Giles. And there doesn't appear to be any other children born to Stephen and Betty Giles! So it looks as though this could actually be the same Stephen and Betty! Just got to check the marriages again to see if I can find a Stephen Giles marrying a Betty!

[Wilkes_ml]

Another Update: A stephen Giles married a Betty Rustbridge on the 16th October 1817 at Bishopstoke (from Index) and I already know that the only Betty baptised at Owslebury between 1795 and 1796 was Betty daughter of John and Mary Rusbridge on Dec 15th 1795.

So the big question is: Was Stephen Giles and Stephen Childs one and the same? Why would he change his name from Giles to Childs after the baptism of his first child Mary?

I just wish I could find the birth of Betty's last child in 1837/1838 to confirm her name!!

[Jan1954]

Hello Michelle,

Maybe the broad Hampshire accent of the time confused Childs with Giles. It may have been recorded by someone not familiar with the names of the area.

Just a suggestion...

[Wilkes_ml]

Thanks,

but looking through the Owslebury Banns, there is again Stephen Giles of the parish of Owslebury and Betty Rusbridge of the parish of Bishopstoke. So the surname Giles was used in Banns, marriage and birth of first child Mary. So it would seem strange that it would be misheard in two different parishes.

Of course I now need to get Bishopstoke baptisms from 1818 just to check Stephen and Betty Giles were not having children in Bishopstoke at the same time as my Stephen and Betty Childs were having children at Owslebury!!!

But it is looking more promising!

[Jan1954]

My fingers are crossed!

[Wilkes_ml]

well, it is suprising what can be found by re-visiting the parish registers ! I have just come across two illigitimate children of two of the Childs girls - both Mary and Rebecca had their illigitimate daughters in the Owslebury church on the same day - one baptised, the other received having previously been baptised at the Winchester workhouse! I must have overlooked them last time!

But I didn't find any more Giles entries!

[Wilkes_ml]

It may be just a coincidence, but Rebecca Child's illigitimate daughter Ellen Louisa Pledger Childs marries a George Bailey ( but gives her name as Ellen Rebecca Childs on her daughter's birth certificate). But the only possible marriage I can find for George Bailey has an Ellen Giles on the same page!

This seems so complicated! I will send off for the marriage of George Bailey to see if it is Ellen Giles/Childs. If it is the correct one, then it would strengthen the idea that Childs has been mis-heard as Giles on several occasions!

[Jan1954]

Michelle,

In my lot, I have: Cowling, Cowlin, Cowlan and Cowland - all the same family, so nothing surprises me...

Then we have Cowell, Cowle, Cole, etc ...

[Wilkes_ml]

I know from experience how complicated the variations can become - Ive had a Dennis family that suddenly became Dennison! And it looks the the Rus(t)bridge was also Wristbridge that was derived from Rist! But I've never seen anything quite a like this one before - but then I'm not sure what they would sound like in a Hampshire accent!

Anyway - thanks for your idea - it has sent me off looking in different directions again!