JAMES FARNELL BOATMAN

[Groundhopper]

The Farrell family mentioned by Geneius at post #5 is very interesting.

They were Irish Catholics, and Mary’s baptism was on 31 Jan 1864, parents James Farrell & Ann Goodwin (other baptisms say Godwin), but the first birth I can see being registered is James Farrel in 1870, followed by Patrick Farrell in 1872 and Winifred in 1875. All mmn Godwin.

Did Mary marry in church or at a register office? If it was a church then do you have the church copy, as the GRO may have mistranscribed James' occupation. Who were the witnesses?

Her maiden name was given as Farnell not Farrell and i do not believe these are connected. I have looked through some of my notes and certs and found i do have the 1911 census for them but not the address. I have Marys death certificate in 1948 at Broad Lanes Coseley giving her age as 85 which would back up the birth date someone mentioned in 1939. Thomas died in 1939.

Now this is where it gets complicated and i didnt want to mention it too soon as i wanted to try and find Mary or James Farnell which i have been unable to do....BUT i did order back in 2006 Gladys Hills death certificate aged 16 days daughter of Thomas and Mary. She was a premature birth it turns out and the informant is Susan Blower grandmother present at the death who lived at 24 Highfield Road where Thomas and Mary lived at 26.Unfortunately i cannot find my notes for this but i do seem to remember a Mary Blower the right age on the previous census returns after her birth and in the 1841 was a Farnell, not James who was about 14...my apologies for lack of notes here i havent researched for a few years now but my mind was speculating she had been raised as a Blower until her marriage when her father revealed the truth. Susan was second wife to her husband but i have no evidence at ll to support my theory or imagination....i wil keep looking for some notes but iwantd to try and find either as a Farnell before going off on a tangent. So is she a Farnell or a Blower or who do i actually need to look for if she might have been the result of a bit on the side...hypothetically of course. I had a quick look for the birth of a Mary Blower in Dudley and found one March quater and one December quater but this is my BRICKWALL...

[Jomot1]

Do you have Gladys's birth certificate? This birth would seem to match the death info & the birth year you gave previously:

HILL, GLADYS mmn BLOWER GRO Reference: 1899 S Quarter in DUDLEY Volume 06C Page 75

[Groundhopper]

The only birth certificate i have is of Lillian May Hill in 1894 which say mothers name Mary Hill formerly Farnell then at 27 Highfield Road.

[Jomot1]

It may well be worth ordering Gladys's then.

This looks like the Blower family:
1891 – Highfield Road, Sedgley
James Blower 58 Labourer b Cheshire
Susan 40 b Bilston
Harry 30 Bargeman on a Canal b Daisybank
George 8 b Daisybank

1881 - 9 Ladymoor Road, Sedgley
James Blower 50 Labourer b Market Drayton
Susannah 45 b Sedgley
William 25 Labourer b Tipton
Harry 20 Labourer b Bilston
James 15 Labourer b Sedgley

1871 - Broad Lanes, Sedgley
Jas Blower 40 Labourer b Cheshire
Sus_h 30 b Sedgley
William 13 Boat Boy b Tipton
Henry 10 b Bilston
Mary 7 b Sedgley
James 5 b Sedgley
Amelia Barratt? 8 step daur b Bilston
Ellen Barratt? 5 step daur b Sedgley

BLEWER, WILLIAM mmn FARNELL GRO Reference: 1856 D Quarter in DUDLEY Volume 06C Page 39
BLOWER,JAMES mmn FARNELL GRO Ref: 1866 J Quarter in DUDLEY Volume 06C Page 97
BLOWER,MARY mmn FARNELL GRO Ref: 1863 M Quarter in DUDLEY Volume 06C Page 98

I can't immediately find a marriage between James Blower & Susan/nah so maybe that's why Mary used Farnell?

[Groundhopper]

ok thats brilliant...so what are we sating then Mary Farnell was actually daughter of James Blower and ...Farnell. If memory serves me right and again iapologise for my notes being lost or at least missplaced somewhere SUSANNAH was a Barratt hence the step daughters and if you take James back to 1861 i think he has a different wife.. also in 1851 when i thought a Farnell appeared with the family although i thought that was in 1841..though i dont get where the boatman reference was from..

[Jomot1]

In 1861 they are at Brierley, Sedgley, but Susannah has been recorded as Sarah. William's birth registration in 1856 (see my previous post) confirms his mmn was Farnell.

James Blower 26 Boat on Loader (?) b Open Gates, Shropshire
Sarah 29 wife b Open Gates, Shropshire
William 4 son b Bilston
Henry 1 b son Bilston
John Farnell 7 visitor b Open Gates, Shropshire

BLOWER, HENRY mmn FARNELL GRO Reference: 1860 M Quarter in WOLVERHAMPTON Volume 06B Page 544

[Groundhopper]

I think open gates could be Oakengates...does James or Sarah Farnell appear on the 1851 census

[Jomot1]

I'll have a look for them just now, although their ages are a bit all over which doesnt make it easy, and I'm fairly sure Sarah is Susannah and is just a copying error by the enumerator.

As for the Barratt girls, I think they may have been fostered/adopted rather than being step-daughters.
These appear to be their births:

BARRATT, AMELIA JANE mmn JESSON GRO Ref: 1863 J Quarter in DUDLEY Volume 06C Page 109
BARRATT, ELLEN ELIZABETH mmn JESSON GRO Ref: 1866 J Quarter in DUDLEY Volume 06C Page 117

John Barratt m Mary Ann Jesson 29 Apr 1844 St Peter, Wolverhampton, but all of their other children were registered in Wolverhampton, so I'm not sure if this is the right marriage.

When Amelia Jane Barratt married Edward Bannister in 1884 her address was a Canal Boat named Margaret. No father named, other than 'Deceased' occupation Railway Guard.

Hopefully a second (or more) pair of eyes will spot something I've missed.

[Jomot1]

This may be Susan(nah) in 1851 with her father Zachariah:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SG6D-SQY

FARNELL, SUSANNAH mmn SHORE GRO Ref: 1841 S Quarter in MARKET DRAYTON Volume 18 Page 103

James may be in the 1851 census at Manor Farm, Madeley, Newcastle under Lyme
James Blewer 16 Ag Lab born Audlem, Cheshire
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SGLR-PSF

In 1841 he is recorded as Bloor and is at High Fields, Audlem
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M7MT-XPQ

[Groundhopper]

OH I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW WHO zACHARIAH WAS THE SON OF...mARKET dRAYTON IS WHERE my Farnells are from...the sheet i need to check in my folder is missing but i have a zachariah in 1718 and a son called Zachariah in 1751 my ancestor is Thomas who married in 1806 but all the Farnell had about five sons.... Found out it is John Farnell but mine was born in 1789 and married Susanna Brown in 1816 so he must be off a different brabch..ooh i want to do this branch if i can...you are a star again.. i will need to get a marriage certificate if possible to confirm the father...