de Beauvais

[Joanna1]

My grandmother’s sister Eira de Beauvais nee Wheeler married into the church.

The sir name she took on is very old indeed. There is a great history to this French name I was told when a child but can’t remember anything. Has anybody any idea? The family lived in Broadstone Dorset. But there ancestry as a clergyman went way back I believe. Kind regards Joanna

[Lesley Robertson]

My grandmother’s sister Eira de Beauvais nee Wheeler married into the church.

The sir name she took on is very old indeed. There is a great history to this French name I was told when a child but can’t remember anything. Has anybody any idea? The family lived in Broadstone Dorset. But there ancestry as a clergyman went way back I believe. Kind regards Joanna


Googling on "de Beauvais" turns up over 800,000 hits - the first page mentions several early authors, for a start, and a Bishop of Beauvais was one of the people involved in the burning of Joan of Arc. Wikipedia also has information.

HOWEVER, as with all surnames, be careful - don't assume that everyone with the same name is related. All it really means is "from Beauvais" which is a town in north France. Also, don't forget that until the Reformation, clergymen were not allowed to marry (and catholic clergymen still aren't), so any children born to them would not carry their surnames. The ch8ildren of their brothers would have the name, of course.

A lot of people with french surnames came over to the UK as Huguenot refugees, and before that as paper makers and tapestry weavers. Your great Aunt's husband may descend from them.

I'm sorry to play the part of the bucket of cold water, but there's no substitute for working your way backwards - who knows, you might find connections to the famous french family, you never know! Find their marriage certificate, find them in the census, have a look for his birth certificate - it could be a fascinating search!

Lesley

[Joanna1]

Googling on "de Beauvais" turns up over 800,000 hits - the first page mentions several early authors, for a start, and a Bishop of Beauvais was one of the people involved in the burning of Joan of Arc. Wikipedia also has information.

HOWEVER, as with all surnames, be careful - don't assume that everyone with the same name is related. All it really means is "from Beauvais" which is a town in north France. Also, don't forget that until the Reformation, clergymen were not allowed to marry (and catholic clergymen still aren't), so any children born to them would not carry their surnames. The ch8ildren of their brothers would have the name, of course.

A lot of people with french surnames came over to the UK as Huguenot refugees, and before that as paper makers and tapestry weavers. Your great Aunt's husband may descend from them.

I'm sorry to play the part of the bucket of cold water, but there's no substitute for working your way backwards - who knows, you might find connections to the famous french family, you never know! Find their marriage certificate, find them in the census, have a look for his birth certificate - it could be a fascinating search!

Lesley


Dear Lesley,

You are so kind thank you so much for looking. You hit it right straight away yes Joan of Arc. I did not like to mention Joan of Arc. Eira de Beauvais son Robin told me that. He is dead now. That was what suck in my mind, I could hardly believe it also a Bishop was mentioned. Now I am very interested to find out more.

I am wrong calling Eira’s husband a Clergyman. I thought that was Clergyman was the same as a vicar/rector. Francis Caesar de Beauvasis was not Clergyman Eira married a vicar. Francis Caesar’s father was also a vicar and so on I believe going way back.

All I know to do any tracing is the name Francis Caesar de Beauvais married Eira Wheeler at St Stephens Church Cheltenham June 20th 1912

I have photographs of massive big houses they use to live in – in those days absolutely huge. I have no idea where they are, but if you like can email it to you.

Caesar is a name that is used a lot I believe in the family it comes from a family

Wish I could tell you more to find out more. Now you know this is there any more you can tell me? I can find out the exact address of where they lived in Broadstone and let you know and see if the Census tells us more thank you again Kind regards Joanna

[Lesley Robertson]

Dear Lesley,
I am wrong calling Eira’s husband a Clergyman. I thought that was Clergyman was the same as a vicar/rector. Francis Caesar de Beauvasis was not Clergyman Eira married a vicar. Francis Caesar’s father was also a vicar and so on I believe going way back.

All I know to do any tracing is the name Francis Caesar de Beauvais married Eira Wheeler at St Stephens Church Cheltenham June 20th 1912




I think that you'll find that "clergyman" is the generic term for Ministers, Vicars, Priests and others in that sort of work. I tend to also use it for Mullahs, Rabbis - anyone who's running a place of worship. Thus, you weren't wrong to use the term.

Your first move should be to get that marriage certificate. You can go to FreeBMD and search for it in their indexes, then it will tell you how to order the actual certificate. That will give you parents' names, ages, etc. You should also look for him on the 1901 census - with a name that distinctive, he should be easy to find. That will give you information about where he was born - if it was in the UK, you can then look for his birth certificate, and gradually tack him back through the other censuses and certificates.
There's a very good "getting started" page on GENUKI (among others) which you may find useful http://www.genuki.org.uk/

If he was a Church of England Minister, you may find some information in Crockford's Clerical Directory - I see that Parish Chest lists several editions for sale.

Lesley

[Joanna1]

I think that you'll find that "clergyman" is the generic term for Ministers, Vicars, Priests and others in that sort of work. I tend to also use it for Mullahs, Rabbis - anyone who's running a place of worship. Thus, you weren't wrong to use the term.

Your first move should be to get that marriage certificate. You can go to FreeBMD and search for it in their indexes, then it will tell you how to order the actual certificate. That will give you parents' names, ages, etc. You should also look for him on the 1901 census - with a name that distinctive, he should be easy to find. That will give you information about where he was born - if it was in the UK, you can then look for his birth certificate, and gradually tack him back through the other censuses and certificates.
There's a very good "getting started" page on GENUKI (among others) which you may find useful http://www.genuki.org.uk/

If he was a Church of England Minister, you may find some information in Crockford's Clerical Directory - I see that Parish Chest lists several editions for sale.

Lesley

The address was Springdale Road Broadstone if that helps for a census Shall I put it out on a different Thread as I do not know how to do a Census Search. Regards Joanna

[Lesley Robertson]

The address was Springdale Road Broadstone if that helps for a census Shall I put it out on a different Thread as I do not know how to do a Census Search. Regards Joanna

I've just run a search on Beauvais on the search engine at Findmypast, which searches all the census returns at the same time. For the 1891,they list a Francis Casser Beauvais aged 17 living in an "Institution" (don't panic - the choice is Institution, Household or Ship, boarding schools (among other things) count as Institutions) in headle, Staffordshire.. Name variations are common.
In the 1881, he's aged 7 in a Household in Kensington.
There's no Beauvais in the 1901, curiously.

I can't get any more information from Findmypast without paying them - you're on your own there.

The 1881 is available free on the LDS website Familysearch, and young Francis is to be found as a pupil at a school "Savernake House, St Marks Road, London. It looks as thugh his borther is there as well:

Robert N Beauvais, age 14, born Bridlington
Francis C. Beauvais age 7, born Bridlington.

Going back to the 1891 census, there's a few Beauvais in Bridlington (East Riding of Yorkshire)

Daisy aged 2
Frank aged 6
Ernest 8
Harold 9
Harriet M 33
Hudson 75
James A 29
Joseph J 62
Joseph T 31
Laurance 0
Mary A 29
Sydney 4

It looks like more than 1 household, you have 2 elderly men, 2 probable couples and a lot of kids - you'll need to look at the actual returns.

The family in Bridlington goes right back to the 1841 census.

Good luck
Lesley

[Astoria]

I found an Eira de Beauvais born 1st quarter 1916 in Stroud Gloustershire, mother's name Weeler. 6a 574.