Mathews family from Chelsham Surrey

[kitties]

Looking for information on the Mathews family from Chelsham Surrey .

[georgiep]

Hi welcome to the forum. Please can you give us more information, time line, any names you may have.
Thank you and good luck with your search
GeorgieP

[kitties]

Hello, looking for family of Mathews in the 1800s Alice Maud married a Best I think a great grandmother was called Sarah Ware.
thanks

[Pam Downes]

Hello kitties,

Welcome to British-Genealogy.

As GeorgieP has said, we need a few more details such as names, years and places of birth, etc.

It's also helpful to tell us precisely what information you're looking for. e.g. according to the 1851 your great-grandfather Zebedee Smith was born in Chelsham in 1830 but you can't find his baptism, or a marriage for his parents. Otherwise all that happens is that we tell you stuff you already know.

Pam

[kitties]

Hello again
Alice Maud Mathews was born about 1865, her parents were James Mathews and Sarah ? Possibly Ware.Who was born in 1824
Alice Maud married Thomas Best in about 1883 children Sarah Fred Susan Ada Kate and quite a few more .
Hope this is of more help to you.
thanks

[Wilkes_ml]

So the first place to start would be looking at the marriage certificate of Alice Maud MATTHEWS and Thomas BEST. There is a marriage (available on Ancestry) at St. Pauls Church Warlingham, Surrey of Thomas George Best a labourer (father not listed) and Alice Maud MATTHEWS daughter of James MATTHEWS a labourer..November 2nd? 1884 (date smudged badly in original).

So, next place to look (if you haven't already done so) would be the 1891, 1901 and 1911 census to identify or confirm Alice Maud's place of birth.

[Wilkes_ml]

For any other's searching, Alice MATTHEWS appears in the 1881 census at Croydon. Aged 15, she is a servant in the Thompson family and she gives her place of birth as Chelsham, which is a stone's throw away from Warlingham, and there is a birth registration for Alice Maud Matthews December quarter 1865 Godstone registration district ref 2a 150.

If you order this birth certificate, this will give you Alice Maud's mother's maiden name and you can work from there.

[Wilkes_ml]

All James & Sarah's children appear to have been baptised at Chelsham...and the family is at Wash Place? Chelsham in 1871 (RG10; Piece: 836; Folio: 104; Page: 3) and Wash Pond? Cottage in 1861 ( RG 9; Piece: 445; Folio: 68; Page: 7) and Washpond in 1851 ( HO107; Piece: 1600; Folio: 285; Page: 15).

In 1851, the two children of James & Sarah were 4 year old Elizabeth & 2 year old Emma. So you would expect James & Sarah to have married 1845-1848.

So I would suggest buying the birth certificates of one of the children, and this should give you Sarah's maiden name. With Sarah's maiden name, the search for their marriage should be easier.

[Megan Roberts]

I know that you have had quite a lot of information from “Wilkes”, so I will try and summarise that and add to it if I can.

1. Alice Maud Matthews’s birth was registered in the December quarter 1865 at Godstone registration district Vol 2a Page 150. Using that information you can purchase her birth certificate from the GRO at a cost of £9.25. You can do that on line at: https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/. There is also lots of really useful information on that site, about what you might find on the different certificates. 1 tip I would give is to always read every bit of information on a certificate, you never know what you might find.

2. In the 1871 Census she is living with her parents and sisters at Station Road, Carshalton, Epsom, Surrey, England:
First name(s) Last name Relationship Gender Age Birth year Occupation Birth place
James Matthews Head Male 33 1838 Miller Edward Stow Suffolk
Sarah Matthews Wife Female 36 1835 - Morden Surrey
Minnie Matthews Daughter Female 9 1862 - Carshalton Surrey
Alice Matthews Daughter Female 7 1864 - Carshalton Surrey
Rosa Matthews Daughter Female 3 1868 - Carshalton Surrey
Eliza Matthews Daughter Female 0 1871 - Carshalton Surrey

3. In the 1881 Census, she was living at Croydon. Aged 15, she is a servant in the Thompson family and she gives her place of birth as Chelsham, which is a stone's throw away from Warlingham.
Her parents and sisters were living at Waddon, Croydon, Surrey, England:
First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status Gender Age Birth year Occupation Birth place
James Matthews Head Married Male 43 1838 Miller Edwardstone, Suffolk, England
Sarah Matthews Wife Married Female 45 1836 - Morden, Surrey, England
Rosina E Matthews Daughter Single Female 14 1867 Scholar Carshalton, Surrey, England
Clementina Matthews Daughter Single Female 8 1873 Scholar Carshalton, Surrey, England
Edith A Matthews Daughter Single Female 4 1877 - Battersea, Surrey, England

4. Alice Maud Matthews married Thomas George Best in the October quarter of 1884 in the Godstone Registration district, or as Wilkes has already said: “There is a marriage (available on Ancestry) at St. Pauls Church Warlingham, Surrey of Thomas George Best a labourer (father not listed) and Alice Maud MATTHEWS daughter of James MATTHEWS a labourer..November 2nd? 1884 (date smudged badly in original).”

It’s interesting that James is listed as a labourer on Alice’s marriage certificate when on the earlier censuses he was a miller.

5. I cannot find a marriage between a James Matthews and a Sarah Ware. There is s marriage in 1859 at Epsom between a James Matthews and a Sarah HOATH. This is why you should get Alice’s birth certificate as that will tell you Sarah’s maiden name.

6. Looking back at the information that Wilkes has given you we seem to have different census information, so may have found 2 different families. This again emphasizes why its important to get the certificates to back up the records found on line. If you compare the two 1871 censuses you will that Alice is called Maud in the one found by Wilkes, which is what she is called when she is married in 1901 and 1911, but in 1891 she is Alice. Its very easy to get things muddled particularly when you have two such similar families.

7. 1891 Census: Lime Terrace, Warlingham, Godstone, Surrey, England
First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status Gender Age Birth year Occupation Birth place
Thomas G Best Head Married Male 26 1865 General Labourer Warlingham, Surrey, England
Alice M Best Wife Married Female 25 1866 - Warlingham, Surrey, England
Sarah P Best Daughter - Female 6 1885 Scholar Warlingham, Surrey, England
James H Best Son - Male 4 1887 - Warlingham, Surrey, England
Thomas G Best Son - Male 2 1889 - Warlingham, Surrey, England
Phillis Best Grandmother Widow Female 85 1806 - Warlingham, Surrey, England

8. 1901 Census: Portland Cottages, 10, Warlingham, Godstone, Surrey, England
First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status Gender Age Birth year Occupation Birth place
Thomas Best Head Married Male 39 1862 General Labourer Warlingham, Surrey, England
Maud Best Wife Married Female 37 1864 - Chelsham, Surrey, England
James Best Son Single Male 14 1887 - Warlingham, Surrey, England
Thomas Best Son Single Male 12 1889 - Warlingham, Surrey, England
Ada Best Daughter Single Female 9 1892 - Warlingham, Surrey, England
Katie Best Daughter Single Female 7 1894 - Warlingham, Surrey, England
Susan Best Daughter Single Female 5 1896 - Warlingham, Surrey, England
Walter Best Son Single Male 2 1899 - Warlingham, Surrey, England

9. 10 Sunny Bank Warlingham, Warlingham, Surrey, England
First name(s) Last name Relationship to household head Marital condition Gender Age Birth year Birth place Occupation
Thomas Best Head Married Male 47 1864 Warlingham Labour
Maud Best Wife Married Female 45 1866 Chelsham -
Thomas Best Son - Male 22 1889 Wartingham Gardener
Ada Best Daughter - Female 19 1892 Warlingham Laundry Maid
Kate Best Daughter - Female 17 1894 Wartngham -
Edward Best Son - Male 13 1898 Wartngham School
Willim Best Son - Male 10 1901 Wartngham School
Fredee Best Son - Male 4 1907 Wartngham -
Celia Best Daughter - Female 1 1910 Wartngham -
Maud Best Daughter - Female 7 1904 Wartngham School

They had 11 children all of whom were living.
10. 1871 Census for Thomas: Barracks, Warlingham, Godstone, Surrey, England
First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status Gender Age Birth year Occupation Birth place
Thomas Best Head Marr Male 68 1803 Labourer Surrey, England
Phillis Best Wife Mar Female 64 1807 - Kent, England
John Best Son unmar Male 35 1836 labourer Surrey, England
Thomas Best Grandson - Male 6 1865 - Surrey, England
Ada Best Granddaughter - Female 5 1866 - Surrey, England
Jane Best Granddaughter - Female 3 1868 - Surrey, England

Given that his parents are not with him you will need to purchase his birth certificate: Registered Godstone July quarter 1863 Vol 2A Page 153


You also asked me how we find this information quickly. Well we have subscriptions to sites like Ancestry and FindmyPast - these can be purchased on an annual basis or on a pay as you go basis. The best way for a newbie to start is to check for a special offer which will give you free access for 7 or 14 days. BUT remember to go to "your account" information page and make sure that you have not be automatically signed up for renewals that you don't want, or you could find unexpected charges on your card.

There are FREE to use sites like FamilySearch and FreeBMD and plenty of others. BUT when using them and also the pay to use sites try to see if their records are complete, or whether they have gaps.

If you are just starting out there are lots of useful books out there to get you started - why not try your local library? Many libraries have subscriptions to Ancestry and Findmypast, so you can go there and use those sites.

The National Archives site is also a good place to visit as it has lots of helpful information and guides: https://apps.nationalarchives.gov.uk/...IDES%7cWEBSITE

[Wilkes_ml]

I was going by the fact that Alice/Maud consistantly gave her place of birth as Chelsham, so in Chelsham in 1851 there is :
James MATTHEWS, an agricultural labourer, age 30, born Chelsham, and Sarah age 25 (born Godstone) with daughters Elizabeth age 4 and Emma age 2

Then in 1861, again at Chelsham were:

James MATTHEWS an agricultural labourer, aged 40 born Chelsham
Sarah wife age 36 born Godstone
Emma daughter aged 12 born Chelsham
Thomas aged 9 born Chelsham
Mary Anna aged 4 born Chelsham
Sarah aged 18 months? born Chelsham

then again in 1871 at Chelsham :

James aged 51 born Chelsham, an agricultural labourer
Sarah, wife aged 46, born Godstone
Joab? son (should be Thomas!) age 18 born Chelsham
Mary Ann daughter age 15 born Chelsham
Dora daughter age 13 born Chelsham
Clara daughter aged 8 born Chelsham
Maud daughter aged 5 born Chelsham
James son aged 1 born Chelsham


so I think this family is more likely to tie in with Jame's occupation being an agricultural labourer, rather than the miller James.