JAPANESE MARINER IN MIDDLESEX

**Happy Jackie** · 21-04-2009, 4:07 AM

A brickwall for two generations. Three cousins, an ocean apart, all with the same information, an ancestor "adopted" the name of Williams but is actually Japanese. His son or grandson, Samuel John Williams was born 5 Sept. 1843 in Mile End, London to Samuel Williams (mariner) and Jane Baker. Jane is already a widow in 1851, living with her sister. In 1861, Samuel John is a leather merchant, living on his own on the same street where his birth certificate stated he was born. I wrote to Japan (with help of course) but they cannot help as it was illegal to leave Japan during the 1800's and even earlier. One cousin's "tradition" is that he jumped ship in London. He did not officially change his name to Williams that I can discover. No records for leather merchant apprentices. Mariner records do not show foreigners. Any ideas?

**Raffaele** · 21-04-2009, 7:00 AM

No a clue on the japanese but the name you have chosen will get your mail box full of spam. Telling the world your e-mail address is not a good idea.
Can a moderator fix this ?

Astoria · 21-04-2009, 7:08 AM

I have dispatched a messenger to the mod shed

Procat · 21-04-2009, 7:57 AM

Anyone wanting their username changed needs to contact the Administrator.

**Karen Newman** · 21-04-2009, 2:38 PM

What information/evidence do you have that he was Japanese?

Have you traced a marriage for Samuel Williams and Jane Baker? Or a death for Samuel?

Have you found Jane on the 1841? Is she a Baker or Williams? Possible as Williams at HO107; Piece 697; Book: 3; Civil Parish: St George in The East; County: Middlesex; Enumeration District: 6; Folio: 45; Page: 36; Line: 19. Samuel is a 'seaman'.

**Happy Jackie** · 22-04-2009, 12:44 AM

Thanks for your Interest Karen. When my grandparents were alive, they told their children that their great grandfather was Japanese. One of the daughters actually knew the Japanese name but was embarrassed and would not share it with her son who was very interested. I have a picture of a great great uncle wearing a Japanese kimono with some oriental features. I have a very small picture of my 2nd great grandfather and he has oriental features. Another contact in London, a distant cousin, said her family has a story that one of their ancestors was Japanese. Another distant cousin has the story that one of her ancestors was Japanese and jumped ship to live in London. Another distant cousin said we had a Japanese ancestor and he had a brother who left London to live in the U.S.A. All these “distant cousins” were from a different brother of my great grandfather.

I have looked through various Middlesex parish records, and at Free BMD, no marriage for Samuel Williams and Jane Baker. Have been through a lot of Death records at the Family History Centre in Calgary, AB, Canada, could not find one in that area and the right approximate age. On the 1841 census, I found the following:
Film #438817, (Loaned from FHC) St. Leonards, Shoreditch, Holywell, Moorefields,
Enumerator #7 and 8 (1841 Census)
Living on Spencer Street,
Samuel Williams, age 35, Mariner, born there.
Jane Williams, age 30, born there.
I believe this to be the correct couple as their son, Samuel John Williams was born on Spencer St. in 1843 and I have his birth certificate. His father is listed as a mariner.

Because of the above, I think it could be this Samuel’s father that is Japanese but I found no records, marriage, etc. in St. Leonards, Shoreditch.

**Happy Jackie** · 13-05-2009, 5:05 AM

I have checked for a marriage for Samuel Williams and Jane Baker in Jane's home parish of Chatham, Kent and also Gillingham, Kent. Even Free BMD and Parish Chest don't seem to have any records of marriages from 1838 to 1841 for London parishes. Where do I begin to look for these marriages?

**Karen Newman** · 13-05-2009, 5:22 AM

Both should be under MEDWAY reg dist on the GRO index/FreeBMD. There are marriages for this period on the index, but no matches found, I'm afraid.

**Happy Jackie** · 14-05-2009, 10:41 PM

Sorry to confuse you. I had looked at the Medway site for their marriages, it was the marriage records for London that I have been unable to find anywhere either on the Free BMD site, the Parish Record site or the LDS family search site. Any ideas where else I could look for the London marriages, say 1837 to 1843?

**Karen Newman** · 15-05-2009, 4:03 AM

The London parishes on FreeBMD will be under Middlesex as London as a registration district did not exist until much later.

The LDS website often stops at 1837 when Civil Registration came in, but you can look under Middlesex on Hugh Wallis' site to see if any later records for London parishes are on there. https://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb....tchNumbers.htm