Looking for Sarah Hayward and Samuel Steel

[lotsahunters]

Sarah Hayward and Samuel Steel (both of this parish) were married in Weston under Wetherley by Thomas Ward, Curate on 16 October 1803 . Joseph Steel and Mary Arnold were the witnesses. They all signed with an X except Mary. Sarah and Samuel Steel had three children that I know of. William, Isabel, and Samuel. Samuel and Sarah are both 60 years old in the 1841 census, giving us the estimated births to be between 1881 and 1886. They were both born in Warwickshire and they were living in Weston at the time. Samuel was an agricultural laborer. Given the naming pattern of the day, Samuel's parents could be William and Isabel.
William Heward and Mary Evitts were married 27 September 1774 in Bishops Tachbrook and had at least 8 children, their Sarah was born 21 September 1783 and was christened in Bishops Tachbrook. I believe this could be the Sarah I'm looking for, but am unsure if there's a way to verify this.
John Steel married Mary Eals on 26 Jun 1762 in Leamington Priors. I didn't find them anywhere in Leamington, but I did find a family in Leek Wooten that could be them. They had at least 9 children, their Samuel was christened 2 Aug 1781 in Leek-Wootton. Once again, I believe this could be him, but am unsure if there is a way to verify.
A few hiccups for this theory, Samuel does not appear to have a brother named Joseph but there is a Joseph, son of John and Mary christened 18 Aug 1808 in Weston, suggesting another family is in the area. I have been unable to find this Joseph or a Joseph that could have witnessed the marriage. The Leek Wooten family does not follow the traditional naming pattern, but it doesn't appear the next generation does either.
Does anyone have any help or suggestions on how to research this family? It might help if someone who has access to the burial records at the record office could see what burial records they could find in Weston under Wetherley for possible parents and/or siblings for both Samuel and Sarah. Is this possible?

[lotsahunters]

. Samuel and Sarah are both 60 years old in the 1841 census, giving us the estimated births to be between 1881 and 1886.

Sorry, I meant 1781 and 1786.

[janbooth]

Ancestry have the burial registers of Weston under Wetherley online and from them:

17 December 1844 Samuel STEEL, Weston, aged 74
5 November 1845 Sarah STEEL, Weston, aged 68

This gives approximate birth dates of 1770 for Samuel and 1777 for Sarah.

Looking at the STEEL burial records at Weston, there are the following:

31 August 1808 Joseph son of John & Mary STEEL buried
3 April 1814 John STEEL, Weston, aged 70
22 October 1830 Joseph STEEL, Weston, aged 48
19 October 1834 Joseph STEEL, Weston, aged 21
31 July 1842 Elizabeth STEEL, Weston, aged 85
6 April 1845 William STEEL, Weston, aged 77
11 December 1848 Kezia STEEL, Weston, aged 40

Hope this helps

Janet

[lotsahunters]

6 April 1845 William STEEL, Weston, aged 77 - estimated birth 1768, not likely the parent of Samuel but could be a sibling. Samuel's first born son, my ggg Grandfather is William, christened 25 April 1804 in Weston, also died in 1845, 20th of August, but I have his address as Cubbington.
11 December 1848 Kezia STEEL, Weston, aged 40 was buried on the 11th, she died on the 8th. I have her address as Cubbington. She's Samuel's son William's wife, my ggg Grandmother. 6 of their 8 children died in infancy. Sarah, my gg Grandmother and James Allen were 18 and 14 when she died. They were 15 and 11 when their father died. Sarah married 4 months prior to her mother's death. James Allen must have become an apprentice, but he was a visitor in the 1841 census, so we probably will never know. Sarah's 3rd girl, my g Grandmother is named after her mother. They didn't use the name William until their 11th or 12th child. Both were middle names. Anna Kezia and Alfred William.
I've been looking at that John Steel, estimated birth 1744. I wonder if I've got the wrong christening attached to John and Mary from Leek Wootton. If so, it could be him. I don't have a a birth for Mary, but they were married in 1762, Presently I have John Christened in 1726. I don't know who the Joseph's are and Elizabeth's estimated birth is 1765. This puts her at 16 for Samuel's birth. Another couple, John and Mary had a child named John who was christened 14 October 1804, the same year as William 25 March 1804; and Samuel and Mary had a child named Elizabeth who was christened 18 May 1806 the same year as Isabel 31 Aug 1806. Do you think it's possible the recorder got two brothers mixed up and the child is John's? It happened in Ireland. We knew it was wrong because it was my g Gandfather's sister.
So here's my questions: Is it feasible the families from Leek Wooten and Bishops Tachbrook are the correct families? They're Agricultual labourers and seamstresses, so they weren't tied to property. The parent's probably didn't own property to pass to their children, so they'd have to settle where there was work. My gg Grandmother and her family, the Thackers also lived in Tachbrook and immigrated to New Zealand with assisted passage, indicating they were likely poor.
Thanks again for your help!

[janbooth]

Could this marriage be relevant to you:

11 June 1765 at Weston under Wetherley John STEEL of this parish, bachelor, & Hannah WRIGHT of this parish, spinster. Both signed and the witnesses were William EBERALL & John ROCK? This marriage date would fit in with the dates of the John STEEL who was buried in Weston under Weatherley in 1814.

Could these perhaps be John's sisters?

6 September 1758 at Weston under Wetherley Edward ROLLISON of this parish, bachelor, & Sarah STEEL of this parish, spinster. Edward signed and Sarah made her mark. Witnesses were Edward SIMPSON & John EBORALL who both signed.

17 October 1758 at Weston under Wetherley William WRIGHT of this parish, bachelor, & Ann STEEL of this parish, spinster. William signed (William RIGHT) & Ann made her mark. Witnesses were Edward GRENDON & Thos COX.

However, there do not appear to be any baptisms for children of John & Hannah STEEL at Weston, but there is a burial at Weston on 11 February 1776 for a Hannah STEEL. Earlier baptisms at Weston (from the parish registers) which tie in with the above marriages:

17 December 1733 Ann daughter of John STEEL & Sarah his wife
3 February 1735/6 Mary daughter of John STEEL & Sarah his wife
Born & bap 1 Feb 1742/3 John son of John STEELL & Sary his wife

There are obviously STEELs at Weston going back at least a couple of generations from your Samuel, so it would appear feasible that he is connected to them in some way. It is strange that I can find no baptisms for children of John & Hannah STEEL in the parish registers during the period 1765, when they were married, and 1776, when Hannah was buried, especially given the fact that this is the period during which your Samuel is likely to have been born.

John & Mary STEEL at Leek Wootton are having children regularly between 1763 (Mary) and 1781 (Samuel), so I do think that the baptismal year of their Samuel is likely to be pretty close to his actual birth year. This gives me slight cause for concern in that his likely birth year is 11 years out to that of your Samuel in Weston which is quite a lot even given illiteracy as a factor. Also John & Mary STEEL had nine children baptised in Leek Wootton, two of whom would appear to have died, but the only STEEL marriage I can find at Weston in the appropriate timescale is that of your Samuel to Sarah HAYWARD and John & Mary STEEL did have four daughters. The last trace of John & Mary STEEL in Leek Wootton that I have found so far is the burial of their son John on 1 December 1785.

Tracing back in the Leek Wootton parish registers, Thomas STEEL married Elizabeth MARVEL there on 7 October 1725, their first child, John, presumably the one who married Mary EALES in Leamington in 1762, being baptised on 14 June 1726, followed by at least 6 more up to 1 January 1740/41, this being a William. Thomas STEEL, Weaver, was buried at Leek Wootton on 10 September 1741.

So far, none of the birthdates of the Leek Wootton STEELs that could be your STEEL family in Weston seem to tie in, and I do not seem to be able to trace with any certainty the family of John & Mary STEEL after the burial of their son John in 1785. However, perhaps the information I have given will help you in some way to trace your Samuel STEEL.

Janet

[lotsahunters]

Janet,

Here's how all the information played out. I don't really know how to determine young Joseph's parents. Hopefully the image is large enough to read. Any ideas on how we might verify any of this? Oh, Elizabeth was in the census with William, they were the same age, but they probably fudged a bit. Since it was 1841, no way of really knowing their relationship.

Thanks again,
Becky

[janbooth]

Sorry, Becky, I cannot read the images you have posted as they are not really clear enough to ascertain who they are. Which Joseph are you trying to find out about?

Janet