Who was Augustin ?

[pottoka]

Just a thought - when did William Wallis write his will?

Cheer up, Pottoka, although it looks like a man's name, the will says '....for her own absolute use and benefit'.

Thank you for those words of comfort, Thomasin. It's nice to know that someone cares!

[Wilkes_ml]

Were Augustine and Louis listed as British subjects in the census? Have you checked the overseas BMD indexes or the consulate births? These indexes are available via subscription site.

[lesleys]

The will was written in 1852. Where do I find overseas BMDs?

[pottoka]

There are Overseas BMDs of various sorts on findmypast which is a paying site. Unfortunately the Consular births only start in 1849. If you knew that William Wallis had been in the Army (with the Duke of Wellington, in the Napoleonic Wars, for example) and had had a French mistress, by whom he had had Augustine (no, the dates are wrong for that; maybe he had a mistress when he was in the Army, and she got married, had Louis and Augustine and sent them to England because she was dying/life was too difficult in France and asked William to keep an eye on them for old times' sake - romantic, moi?) there are the Army Chaplains Birth Indices from 1796.

Did it say on the Census that Augustine was a British Subject? It seems that when people had been born in Foreign Parts, the enumerator put the place of birth and British Subject, if they were one.

I wondered about the date of the will as it could have been an indication of when William met Augustine, but it doesn't really help, does it?

[lesleys]

No help from the census - just says place of birth France no mention of British subject. Your romanicism approaches my own thought - I really want to know more about William.
He was the only one of his family to leave West Cornwall. Yet his son married his first cousin back home and brought her to London, then died of rheumatic fever shortly before his third child was born. William senior died three years later leaving her to bring up the two boys alone, having sent her daughter back to live in Cornwall.

[lesleys]

I think I might have found the parents of Augustine & Louis
IGI for France (who'ld have thought it would be there!!)
30 Jan 1821 Joseph Dethier m Joanna DAW at the British Embassy Chapel, Paris.
So the speculation that Louis was Hannah's Nephew looks like being correct

Advice please Pottoka - where do I go next ?

[Mutley]

There is a Joanna Daw living in Cavendish Square, St. Marylebone in the 1851 Census. She is a servant cook aged about 22 b. abt 1829 born in Somerset.
Her employer is a French lady called Francoise Celine Burry.

No sorry, this Joanna is too young. Back to the drawing board!

[lesleys]

Nothing to say she couldn't have been a relative - perhaps another daughter of George & Hannah - more likely cousin since they apparently married in London and she was b Somerset like George.
I have wondered if William was in France during the Napoleonic wars - perhaps knew Joanna Daw or her father - might even have married a Daw - oh for some facts not just guesses

[pottoka]

I was going to say that for the outrageous fee of 78€ (about £60), the British Embassy in Paris will do searches for consular records which then cost another 78€ for a copy of the certificate - but you could have saved half the price because you know exactly when and where the event took place.

However, checking the site, I see that they have no marriage records before February 1878. Not helpful for a marriage in 1821. I'm not sure that you would have found out anything from the record, but an indication of where Joseph came from might have helped in tracking down Louis and Augustine who, I think, must be his and Joanna's children.

Could there be any possible link between William and Joanna, or at least William and the Daw family?

[pottoka]

A quick look at the record on IGI shows that it can be downloaded directly. It might be worth a try, especially seeing as it doesn't seem to exist elsewhere.