William SANT born Brockton,Staffs c1822.

[SKSWBA]

William SANT b c1822 Brockton,Staffs. Lived Stone area 1841. Wall Heath thereafter died 1918. Plus all of Williams descendents are known to me.

Keen to know. William Sants parents? Any prior info.

Many thanks.

[Jan1954]

Hello SKSWBA - welcome to Brit-Gen,

Family Search has the christening of a William SANT on 7th February 1822 to Thomas and Mary. This took place in Baswich, which appears to be next door to Brockton. Have a read here of what GENUKI has to say about the two places.

[Coromandel]

I assume from William's age that he would have married after the introduction of civil registration. Do you have a marriage certificate for him? If so, what does it say about his father?

[olliecat]

If your William SANT was in the 1861 census living in Kingswinford and married to a Hannah then this marriage looks like a reasonable bet...

groom's name: William Sant
groom's birthplace: Of Wall Heath
bride's name: Hannah Freeman
bride's birthplace: Of Wall Heath
marriage date: 18 May 1845
marriage place: Kingswinford, Stafford, England
groom's father's name: Thomas Sant
bride's father's name: Samuel Freeman
(Source: Family Search)

A birth certificate for one of their children should confirm Hannah's maiden name and indicate if the marriage above is the correct one. If so, then it would be useful to obtain a copy of the marriage in order to obtain additional information such as occupation of William as well as his father's occupation and witness names. Assuming this is the correct marriage, then the baptism record for William found by Jan looks like a good possibility (parents Thomas and Mary.) There doesn’t appear to be a Thomas or Mary SANT in the 1841/1851 census of the right age to be William's parents, so you could look for burials for them. There are also a number of potential siblings for William SANT on Family Search baptised at Baswich that you could investigate.

BTW: I can see a Hannah SANT in the 1851 census (without her husband) lodging with a Richard and Hannah BURY and there is also a Thomas FREEMAN in the household. In the 1861 census lodging with William and Hannah SANT is uncle Richard BURY.

[SKSWBA]

Well,that was quick! I wish I had found this website earlier,I have been looking for William Sants parents for months!

Can confirm Williams wife Hannah was born in Sapey,Herefordshire in 1865 maiden name Freeman. I have a photograph of her taken shortly before her death in 1897.

Cannot confirm William married Anne Sant late 1830's,early 1840's. But he is 'missing' from the 1851 census,his wife and daughter Emma live with relatives in Wall Heath but no sign of William there or with Anne in Stone and there are family rumours of his leading some sort of 'double life'. Its not a satisfactory explanation but the only one I have Im afraid! If anyone has any information about William's whereabouts in 1851 (Ive checked prison records to no avail). Id be most interested to hear about it. 'Theories' also welcome! Thanks again.
Steven.

PS. Williams place of birth is different on every single census (1861-1911) Brockton,Stoke,Bushbury,Staffs,Wall Heath and Stourbridge. I have been advised in the past that this could well mean he was wary of being traced? Seems a little far fetched to me but would anyone share that opinion?

[bobhughes]

Hi Steven, very interested in your information about William Sant and Hannah Freeman. Martha Sant is my great grandmother. If you have a jpeg of Hannah Freeman's picture you could send me, that would be great. If I can help you with any other details let me know. Bob

[SKSWBA]

Update on William Sant.
He bigamously married a Hannah Merricks of Bradley in 1852 and went to prison for it.(Staffordshire Sentinal). Afterwards he returned to Hannah and lived until 1918. His father was Thomas Sant and his mother Mary (nee Asketh). Many thanks to all and sorry the reply was so long in coming.