Carpenter Family in South Bristol

[PeteCarpenter]

Hi all,

I was wondering if anyone here has researched their families and come across any of the following names? They have all lived in South Bristol with teh possible exception of William Carpenter (1811)

I have mostly used ancestry and findmypast but have managed to get a little evidence elsewhere (genuki for example) the main issue is that I am very new to this and am not sure I'm getting the best from the tools at my disposal!

Anyway, as promised, my paternal male lineage as discovered so far starting with my Grandfather:

Clifford Sandford Carpenter (1925 - 1991) m.Sybil P Ward 1949
Clifford Ernest Carpenter (1902 - 1977) m.Beatrice Seaward (year unknown) (started recording her maiden name as Sandford in 1926!)
William Martin Carpenter (1877 - 1966) m.Ethel Maud Smith 1897
William Martin Carpenter (1839 - ?) m.Mary Ann(e) Dyer (year unknown)
William Carpenter (1811? - ?) I'm not sure if this is the correct person but this is where I've become stuck, possibly born in Frome.

I hope this proves useful, if more info is needed I have most of the Sibling details, not included her as there are a lot!!!

Many thanks in advance!

Pete

[christanel]

William Martin Carpenter (1839 - ?) m.Mary Ann(e) Dyer (year unknown)

Marriage
William Martin Carpenter
Widowed
Age 30 B0rn c1839
Marriage Date - 7 Nov 1869
Marriage Place - St. Thomas, Bristol, Gloucester, England
Father - Martin Carpenter
Spouse - Mary Ann Dyer, Single
FHL Film Number - 597027

[Pam Downes]

There's a marriage registration for Clifford E Carpenter and Beatrice Seaward June quarter 1925 Bristol registration district.

Have you heard about FreeBMD and/or the GRO Index?
And do you know how to order BMD certificates from the GRO Office?

If not, yell, and I'll tell you when I get back from shopping.

Pam

[PeteCarpenter]

Hi christanel,

Thank you so much for this! I had found a reference to Martin Carpenter previously as the father of William Martin Carpenter. This certainly points me in a clearer direction. There were so many Carpenters in the south west of England back then and they all seem to have been called William, Martin or Mary!!

[PeteCarpenter]

Thanks Pam I do use FreeBMD as a support to my usual searches on ancestry and findmypast

Beatrice is something of an enigma! In the 1911 Census she is listed as Beatrice Seaward (7 years old) a Boarder, along with Kate Sandford (30 Years old, widow). Beatrice recorded her maiden name as Seaward in 1925 when she gave birth to my Grandfather Clifford Sandford Carpenter, but then recorded her maiden name as Sandford a year later in 1926 when she gave birth to my great aunt Jean Mary Carpenter (married Genge)

I have mostly been focussing on the Carpenter side but this odd mystery fascinates me as I can't seem to find a record for Kate Sandford (though I haven't spent too much time on her yet)

[Pam Downes]

Have you got Beatrice's birth certificate? If not, my guess is that she is the Beatrice Seward, registered March quarter 1904, Bristol registration district. (Found by inputting just a first name, years 1903-1905, and Gloucestershire into FreeBMD, and then looking for 'likely' ones.)

Don't assume that because Beatrice and Kate are both boarders in the same household in 1911 that they are connected, though the fact that Beatrice uses the surname of Sandford for the births of both of her children (i.e. not just Jean but also Clifford) would make it seem that there is a link. (What I think is) Beatrice's birth certificate should give a few clues.
I could guess that Beatrice was illegitimate and that mother Kate then married someone called Sandford, but I can't find a Sandford/Sanford/Seward/Seaward marriage in England and Wales between 1896 and 1911.

Um, scrub that last sentence and try this theory instead.
I was searching on FreeBMD for Kate's born 1880-1882 Bedminster registration district, and saw a surname that I recognised - Beer.
Birth registration Kate Beer June quarter 1881.

Fast forward to the 1891 census.
RG12/1947 folio 28 page 2, living in Bedminster.
John Beer, 56, carpenter, Hartland North Devon
Sarah, wife, 47, [??] Devon
Alfred R, son, 16, carpenter, Monmouth Wales, (a remarkable likeness to the head of the household in 1911 methinks)
Benjamin, son, 14, errand boy, Monmouth Wales
Richard, son, 12, scholar, Bristol
Kate, daur, 12, scholar, Bristol

Marriage registration December quarter 1901 a Kate Beer on the same page as an Ernest Sandford, Bristol registration district.
Likeliest death registration for Ernest Sandford 1901-1911, is one in March quarter 1910, Long Ashton registration district; he's aged 33.
New theory regarding Beatrice is that in 1911 she's a foster child either of Alfred or Kate; Kate brought her up, and so when she was older Beatrice used the Sandford surname instead.

Pam

[Pam Downes]

Sorted.
(The Kate Sandford bit at least.)

1901 census
RG13/2360 folio 94 page 32
John Beer, 64, carpenter, Devon
Sarah, wife, 56, Devon
Ernest Sanford (sic), boarder, single, 24, [mill hand?], Bridgewater Somerset

Pam

[warncoort]

William b 1811 in Frome in 1891 census is unmarried and a retired cabinet maker,so it may be a brother of his you need.There is a baptism at St James in 1820 of William Martin Wilkinson Carpenter.Do you have census returns for the family?

[thewideeyedowl]

Hi and welcome...

You could get a lot of help from the Bristol and Avon Family History Society: https://www.bafhs.org.uk/.

The society is local to you. If you click on Members' Interests, enter 'Carpenter' and you will get several hits.


Swooping off.

Owl

[PeteCarpenter]

This is fantastic stuff Pam, thank you so much! I need to get this all down on paper to get my head around how it all works :P