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  1. #1
    PamelaG
    Guest

    Default Henry Underwood Westminster Area

    Hi everyone,
    I'm really stumped on finding any information on my Underwood family from Middlesex. Thomas Underwood married Susan(nah) Matthews in the late 1700's and had 5 children, Thomas Rufus, John, Henry, Martha, Susan and William Rufus. Thomas Rufus was transported to Australia in 1835, and William Rufus came to Australia as a free man around 1855.

    I have found that Susan was born around 1825 and she was shown as living in the St. Margaret and St. John workhouse in Westminster on the 1841 census. I just can't seem to find out where the others ended up.

    According to Thomas' convict records in Van Diemens Land, he stated his mother as being remarried to a "M. Cook", silkweaver of Spitalfields.

    I'm at a loss as to where to look from here on without any definite dates of birth.

    Hope someone can help
    Thanks, Pam

  2. #2
    Jan1954
    Guest

    Default

    Hi Pam,

    Quote Originally Posted by PamelaG View Post
    Thomas Underwood married Susan(nah) Matthews in the late 1700's
    When exactly and where? What is your source for this?
    Quote Originally Posted by PamelaG View Post
    had 5 children, Thomas Rufus, John, Henry, Martha, Susan and William Rufus.
    Again, what is your source for this, please?

  3. #3
    PamelaG
    Guest

    Default

    Hi Jan,

    Here lies the problem. I haven't been able to ascertain where the source came from. I've inherited the family tree, and I'm trying to verify bits and pieces. Sorry I can't be of much help with your query.

  4. #4
    sueannbowen
    Guest

    Default

    Pam is William - William Rufus Underwood or William Rufus? Do you know how old either of the boys were when they went to Australia? There is a Susan Underwood in the workhouse in 1841 as you say, but nothing to prove she is yours. We should be able to find William in the 1851 before he emigrated but need to know what his surname was.

    What Jan said is good, can you give us anything hard as a place to start? When they gave you the tree did they give any paperwork? If not, then you will have to start right at the beginning and go backwards. It is very difficult to pick something up pre-registration without anything to pin it down to.

    Sue

  5. #5
    Growing old Disgracefully
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    NORTHAMPTONSHIRE, ENGLAND
    Posts
    3,216

    Smile

    So far all I've found is this in the Criminal Registers.

    Thomas Underwood Age 19 can read & write, 5 Jan 1835 at the Middlesex Central Criminal Court, Charged with Larceny ??? in a dwelling House, Transportation for Life.

    If his age is correct then he was born about 1816.

    Sandy

  6. #6
    Growing old Disgracefully
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    NORTHAMPTONSHIRE, ENGLAND
    Posts
    3,216

    Smile

    Also found 6 Convictions for a Thomas Underwood in Middlesex for 1858, 1862, 1863, 1866, 1869, 1883. All for Larceny and Reciving.

    No way of knowing if this is the Father Thomas Underwood as no age or date of birth recorded.

    Sandy

  7. #7
    Name well known on Brit-Gen
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    North London
    Posts
    5,147

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Sandyhall View Post
    So far all I've found is this in the Criminal Registers.
    Thomas Underwood Age 19 can read & write, 5 Jan 1835 at the Middlesex Central Criminal Court
    You'll find a lot more on the Old Bailey site.

    Quote Originally Posted by Sandyhall View Post
    Charged with Larceny ??? in a dwelling House, Transportation for Life.
    Larceny Vc. = Larceny with violence.

    Meanwhile, I think we're waiting on Pam to provide some documented facts as a starting-point for research.

    Kerrywood

  8. #8
    PamelaG
    Guest

    Default

    Wow, thanks everyone. I didn't realize so many were involved.

    I don't have any paperwork sadly but this is what I do have from a deceased relative who started this tree, therefore I'm unable to ask any questions of him.

    His information was:
    Thomas Rufus Underwood, born Fishwick London 1813, christened at St. Andrew Enfield on 18th August 1819 (this to me seems an awful long time to wait to be christened).

    I have found his trial on the Old Bailey site, stating that he was 21 when transported to Tasmania in 1835, which would make his date of birth around 1813/1814.

    His brother William Rufus Underwood was supposedly born in the workhouse of St. Margaret and St. John on 6th May 1827. He emigrated to Australia on the "Blanche Moore", arriving in Port Phillip in 1855.

    I have no information whatsoever on their parents, Thomas and Susan/Susannah other than their names.

    I'm sorry I can furnish the vital information required to make this easy. I'm not really familiar with the London area, but I have yet to find any Fishwick in London, only in Lancashire, so it's possible that Thomas Rufus was living in that area at the time the christening was recorded. The other three siblings, Henry, John and Martha have drawn a blank in the Middlesex area, so maybe I need to ascertain their birth place and dates.

    Thanks everyone for delving into this for me. I really appreciate it.

    Cheers
    Pam

  9. #9
    janbooth
    Guest

    Default Thomas UNDERWOOD

    Hello Pam,

    From the London Parish Registers via Ancestry:

    Born 13 March 1815, baptised 18 August 1819 at St Andrew Enfield Thomas UNDERWOOD son Thomas & Mary Anne of Enfield Town, Miller. An addition underneath is that Thomas was named before at Rumford. There were 2 other baptisms on the same day to this couple:

    John Gleed UNDERWOOD born 18 August 1818 (named before at Enfield a Twin) and Robert UNDERWOOD born 18 August 1818 (named before at Enfield a Twin)

    These baptisms do not seem to fit in with what you already know. There is also an extracted record on the IGI stating that this Thomas UNDERWOOD was buried/died on 24 May 1820 and this is confirmed by the London Parish Registers burial records, aged 5 years.

    Given that this baptism that your deceased relative gave you is obviously incorrect, I would suggest that you should backtrack from what you definitely know and can prove. Did your Thomas Rufus or William Rufus marry in Australia and have children?? If so, have you obtained the birth/marriage certificates which should then give you their father's name & occupation. Do the trial records give you any further info as to Thomas's father??

    Unfortunately, you could spend a lot of time and effort researching incorrect lines without having the correct information as a starting point. I know I did when I first started to research my maternal grandmother as I was convinced I knew when she was born and who her parents were from family documentation. It turned out that she was in fact illegitimate, her mother had died when my Nan was 18 months old and she had been brought up believing her grandparents were in fact her parents. The moral of this story is to check everything for yourself with actual records starting with birth/marriage/death certificates backed up with census records until you get to pre-registration and then use parish registers.

    Good luck and let us know if we can help further.

    Janet

  10. #10
    PamelaG
    Guest

    Default

    Hi Janet,

    Thanks for all of that information. I found the same myself this morning, and was at first quite excited however I don't think it's the same family. The original notation that I have about Thomas Underwood baptism is obviously incorrect.

    Both Thomas Rufus and William Rufus came to Australia, and I have their death certs. which state that father's name was Thomas, Mother Susan and father's occupation was a shoemaker.

    I'll start from scratch as suggested on these posts I think. It's not that far back to trace luckily.

    Many thanks again

    Pam

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