Still Missing Two Mitchell Deaths - probably in workhouses

[vera2013]

That's odd. Maybe because she has Benjamin Armstrong's children with her, she has listed Edmund. Big gap between children.

Can see an Elizabeth (Elizbth) Biddick in 1841 aged 15 FS

There is a Will for Benjamin Armstrong who d 1857 which mentions Elizabeth, Benjamin and Mary Ann. Executor Wm Ell.

Also there is a record of baptism which was not carried out for for Betsy Biddick Jan 1832. Edmund father deceased at the time Tin Plate Worker. Elizabeth baptised 1877.

**EDIT marriage of Margaret Biddick 27 Feb 1850 to John Hanagan. father said to be Henry Biddick but note in margin says father is Edmund.
Witnesses the Pinks

Vera

[PhotoFamily]

So the children with her in the 1841: Sarah (16); Margaret (12); Mary Ann (3Mo - right?) Benjamin (2); Edmund's occupation (T.P.Worker) seems to make it pretty solidly this family.

WTH. She and Benjamin didn't marry until 1844. Both Armstrong kids are alive in the 1841 census. So, was Edmund still alive in 1841, but not a really part of the household, or was she misleading the enumerator (and her neighbors?) and pretending that Edmund was alive but he had really died 10 years before as previously believed? Another irregular marriage in this Mitchell family. They seem to work out in the end.

I'm not finding a birth registration for Benjamin

Mary Ann (Armstrong?) Mar 1841

Biddick	Mary Ann		Shoreditch	2	344

[cbcarolyn]

I think I am lost, due to them being highly unconventional!

this is Benjamin in 1841

https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/8978/images/MDXHO107_707_708-0038?

rest of household....a pink is there also

Name Age
Benjn Armstrong 65
Sarah Armstrong 70
Hannah Baily 70
Barthw Simmons 30
Jane Pink 20

[vera2013]

So the children with her in the 1841: Sarah (16); Margaret (12); Mary Ann (3Mo - right?) Benjamin (2); Edmund's occupation (T.P.Worker) seems to make it pretty solidly this family.

WTH. She and Benjamin didn't marry until 1844. Both Armstrong kids are alive in the 1841 census. So, was Edmund still alive in 1841, but not a really part of the household, or was she misleading the enumerator (and her neighbors?) and pretending that Edmund was alive but he had really died 10 years before as previously believed? Another irregular marriage in this Mitchell family. They seem to work out in the end.

I'm not finding a birth registration for Benjamin

Mary Ann (Armstrong?) Mar 1841

Biddick	Mary Ann		Shoreditch	2	344

My feeling is that Edmund was not alive at the time of the 1841 census. I agree Mary Ann was trying to 'save face' especially as there was a new born in the household.

Carolyn's link shows Benjamin Snr living separately in 1841 with ?wife/sister. In the Will Benjamin refers to Benjamin Biddick and Mary Ann Biddick as 'children by my said wife' ie Mary Ann Armstrong. Not of my said wife.

Edmund is recorded as deceased at the time of Betsy (Elizabeth)'s planned baptism. This was about 3 weeks after Edmund's burial

Lots of no marriages with children and one bigamist in my tree. If only they knew we would discover the truth years later.

Vera

[vera2013]

Will of Benjamin Armstrong

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/discoveryui-content/view/664638:5111?tid=&pid=&quer

Postponed baptism for Elizabeth Biddick

London, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1920 - Ancestry.co.uk

Vera

[cbcarolyn]

i did try and decipher the road names in 1841, kents road one, other wasn't too sure. I could see the areas were probably adjoining, ooh wouldn't it be great if we had that time machine and saw what they were up to. and 'Pink' with Benjamin too.

[cbcarolyn]

still no sign of John Bidgood death

quite a few Mitchell siblings with no 'ending'

Elizabeth Mitchell 1808–

Susannah Margaret Mitchell 1813–

Margaret Mitchell 1820–

Sarah Matilda Mitchell 1823–

Martha Mitchell 1824–

Susannah Mitchell 1826–

and also Phoebe 1801 and Prudence Coverley 1828

[vera2013]

At the time of Sarah Biddick's marriage in 1844, Father Edmund is recorded as deceased. Cannot see a death record for an Edmund Biddick between 1841 and 1844 on Ancestry or GRO

Vera


.

[PhotoFamily]

and also Phoebe 1801

Phebe/Phoebe went to the US and died there

[PhotoFamily]

Prudence Coverley 1828

Pru is a mystery - she's with her father in 1841. He was definitely having money problems. He had petitioned the Company for Relief several times, including in 1839 when he asked for relief to clothe his two daughters (Elizabeth, 14 and Prudence, 12) to "enable them to be sent out to service"

Coverly/Coverley - Ed seemed to use Coverly, but exactness is a modern hang up...and a problem for some search engines but not others. And then there's De Coverly/ De Coverley to make things more confusing.

[cbcarolyn]

if she is fibbing and he is very much gone there is this one:

Edmund Biddick
Event year 1832
Birth year 1802
Age at death 30y
Burial year 1832
Burial date 01 Jan 1832
Burial place St John The Baptist, Hoxton, County Of Middlesex
Street address Union Street
Place Hoxton
County Middlesex
Country England

but not sure where the children would have come from! Fits with the baptism record as he is recorded as deceased in 1832. Many transcriptions on ancestry fro this one

[vera2013]

Possible Margaret in 1841.

Shoreditch St Leonard

Margaret (transcribed on Ancestry as Richel) aged 24 Drapers Assistant
Living Provost Street

Vera

[PhotoFamily]

Possible Margaret in 1841.
Shoreditch St Leonard
Margaret (transcribed on Ancestry as Richel) aged 21 Drapers Assistant
Living Provost Street

What do you suppose the Tailor's surname really is? Is that an H or a K? Might be nice to follow the family forward.

[PhotoFamily]

if she is fibbing and he is very much gone there is this one:

Edmund Biddick
Event year 1832
Birth year 1802
Age at death 30y
Burial year 1832
Burial date 01 Jan 1832
Burial place St John The Baptist, Hoxton, County Of Middlesex
Street address Union Street
Place Hoxton
County Middlesex
Country England

but not sure where the children would have come from! Fits with the baptism record as he is recorded as deceased in 1832. Many transcriptions on ancestry fro this one

I had that burial attached, but took it off when I found her living in 1841with "Edmund".

The will seems quite loving and quite protective of her and all of her children even if it does favor the last two. He was a Proprietor of Houses or some such in the census. Bet she was living in one of the houses he owned.

[vera2013]

I love it when they say 'I bequeath to my dear wife'. Get the feeling Benjamin meant it though heaven's knows what he bequeathed. I need an interpreter. I know Mary Ann had a life interest.

Benjamin died 1857. Mary Ann 1874. They are buried together at Highgate Cemetery. The same cemetery as Karl Marx. Will post some links.

Vera

[vera2013]

What do you suppose the Tailor's surname really is? Is that an H or a K? Might be nice to follow the family forward.

I think an H. FMP has a better copy.

Vera

[PhotoFamily]

OK, just lost a reply.

Any guesses about the entire surname? Ancestry has "Hamdra". seems unlikely. I think the last letter is an 'n' or an 'r'

[PhotoFamily]

I love it when they say 'I bequeath to my dear wife'. Get the feeling Benjamin meant it though heaven's knows what he bequeathed. I need an interpreter. I know Mary Ann had a life interest.

I hate what I think of as "clerk's script". And I've had the thought that they were paid by the word, because it seems like things are padded with extras "whereas" and other words.

He left her the entire contents of his/their house. He gives his business buildings on Baldwin Street to his son George (or something like that?). But this is the good stuff: I bequeath all other my leasehold messauges or tenements wheresoever situate with their and every of their appurtenances and all other my Personal Estate and Effects of what nature find or quality ?? to my said wife for her life and after her decease. As to my messuages or tenements situate and being Numbers 20 and 21 oon Mouier Street and Number 4 Ebenezer Street Saint Leonards Shoreditch ... I bequeath the same with their and every of their appurtenances unto the said Mary Ann Biddick ...

So, trees on Ancestry say that Benjamin had a passel of children by his first wife, including George. And I'm not sure whether he's leaving this inheritance entirely to her discretion and ownership, or if he is leaving it for use in her lifetime (what I've usually seen for widows) but it seems to be her discretion. I thought I had seen him leave something from her other Biddick children, but I'm not seeing that now.

I had seen this word before, but never understood till I just looked it up.

Legal Definition of messuage
: a dwelling house with the adjacent buildings and curtilage and other adjoining lands used in connection with the household

[cbcarolyn]

I had come across messuage on another tree on here, was new to me until then. I thought he would get a mention in the papers, but didn't find him either.

So it looks like she was fibbing then and Edmund no longer alive in 1841, I guess it may have just been for the census, neighbours would have know he wasn't there. Unless she was passing off Benjamin as her husband when he visited!

[vera2013]

OK, just lost a reply.

Any guesses about the entire surname? Ancestry has "Hamdra". seems unlikely. I think the last letter is an 'n' or an 'r'

FMP has Haward. Ancestry has them as Hayward in 1851 and 61. George married. William remains single. No Margaret Mitchell with them.

Vera