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Swiss immigrant into London - dead end

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  • Swiss immigrant into London - dead end

    I have a 3rd great grandfather in London. He married my great grandmother Elizabeth Durran at Bethnal Green, London in 1857.

    He was an illiterate Swiss lace (narrow) weaver, and his (anglicised) surname was at times recorded as HENRY SHAWERS SOHURES and SAYERS.

    He would have been born in Switzerland about 1827.

    He may have been the passenger of The Lord Warden that disembarked from Boulogne to Folkestone in 1852, recorded as Monsieur Shawers "French".

    He recorded at his marriage that his father was called John Shawers (anglicised), and that his father's occupation was copper smith.

    Henry and Elizabeth Shawers had three sons, that I believe all died young. Their only surviving child being my 2nd great grandmother Elizabeth Rosina Shawers. I believe that the forename Rosina was popular in parts of Switzerland during the 19th Century? It could have been passed from her father's side.

    Henry and Elizabeth moved around various addresses in London, both sides of the river, before they went on a trip to the South Coast - stayed in a lodging house in Brighton - before returning to North London. They were poor, and Henry twice ended up gaoled - once for begging and vagrancy, and once for being drunk in the highway - his last record .

    His last record was the imprisonment in Wandsworth Prison in 1873. I have nothing on him after that. However, in the 1881 census - his wife and daughter now have the surname Hayes possibly suggesting that Henry Shawers was no more.

    The only record of religion suggests that he was happy to use Anglican churches. I do not know what his native language was - German, French, Italian or Romansh? I do not know what Canton that he was from, or associated with.

    I have made an online Timeline of his Life on record here: http://paulbrooker.posthaven.com/hen...of-an-ancestor

    I would really appreciate any help with learning more about Henry Shawers. Anything that could help identify his language, Canton of origin, his surname (and forename) before being anglicised. Where he may have disappeared - really, any clues or information not on that linked timeline.

    Perhaps someone with experience in Swiss genealogy?

    Thank you for reading this request.

  • #2
    Have you looked for a naturalisation certificate for him?

    From the National Archives website:

    4. Records of citizenship: denization and naturalisation

    For hundreds of years, foreign nationals living in the UK have been able to attain British citizenship through naturalisation. The National Archives holds records of naturalisation up to 1 October 1986. For records since 1 October 1986 to the present you should go to the United Kingdom Visa and Immigration Service.
    Denization was a legal process granting limited naturalisation to aliens. It granted a foreign national almost equivalent status of native-born Britons and provided them the protection of the law.
    For more information about denization and naturalisation and advice on how to find the related records, see our research guide to records of Naturalisation, registration and British citizenship.
    Last edited by Elizabeth Herts; 06-10-18, 07:48.
    Elizabeth
    Research Interests:
    England:Purkis, Stilwell, Quintrell, White (Surrey - Guildford), Jeffcoat, Bond, Alexander, Lamb, Newton (Lincolnshire, Stalybridge, London)
    Scotland:Richardson (Banffshire), Wishart (Kincardineshire), Johnston (Kincardineshire)

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    • #3
      wonder if this could be his death
      HENRY
      Last name SHEARS
      Gender Male
      Birth day -
      Birth month -
      Birth year 1827
      Age 53
      Death quarter 3
      Death year 1880
      District Poplar
      County London
      Volume 1C
      Page 473
      Country England

      Comment


      • #4
        @Elizabeth Herts. Thank you for that advice. No, I've not really thought about it. I searched the online records, I was surprised by the number of files tagged Switzerland - but not my Henry Shawers. I think that I need to plan a trip to Kew - take a look at the naturalisation rolls C 54 and C 275. However, I wouldn't know when or if he might have applied - but if he was the Monsieur Shawers on the passenger list of the Warden at Folkestone, he would have arrived in 1852. . He was an illiterate pauper - gaoled once for vagrancy, once for being drunk. Would he have applied for Naturalisation do you think?

        @Val wish Id never started. Thanks for the search. I have searched name variations - Sayers, Shaws, Shears, Shores, Schwarz, etc - I think that I've seen that index before - but maybe I should take the plunge and order it, cheers.

        Paul

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        • #5
          if you do get a pdf its much cheaper.

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          • #6
            just had a quick look dont order that, think I have found that man, and he isn't yours.

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            • #7
              where is he in 1871 ??

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              • #8
                This looks like the daughter Elizabeth in 1871 she was born in Dalston
                Elizabeth
                Last name Shawyer
                Relationship Niece
                Marital status -
                Sex Female
                Age 12
                Birth year 1859
                Occupation -
                Birth town -
                Birth place England
                Birth county Middlesex
                Birth county as transcribed MIDDLESEX
                House name -
                Street Albert Villas
                Parish West Ham
                Town Stratford
                County London, Essex
                Country England
                Registration district West Ham
                Vessel name -
                Archive reference RG10
                Piece number 1626
                Folio 159
                Page 71
                Record set 1871 England, Wales & Scotland Census

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                • #9
                  @Val wish Id never started. A big thanks for your help. Okay - I hadn't ordered that BMD cert. Where are they in 1871? Missing still. However, I don't think that the Elizabeth Shawyer is my Elizabeth Rosina Shawers. Main reason is that your Elizabeth Shawyer was still with her uncle William Conrad Kranshaw/Kranshaar in 1881 - but I have a better candidate in Islington for 1881 - "Rosa S Hayes", with her Deddington born mother, Elizabeth Hayes, working as servants in the Blundy (Portuguese) household:

                  1881 Census

                  Name Rosa S. Hayes
                  Age22
                  Estimated Birth Year abt 1859
                  Relationship to Head Servant
                  Gender Female
                  Where born Dolston

                  Civil parish Hammersmith
                  County/Island London
                  Country England
                  Street Address12 Wood Lane
                  Occupation Servant
                  Registration district Fulham
                  Sub registration districtSt Paul Hammersmith
                  ED, institution, or vessel 39 Piece 63 Folio 40 Page number 26

                  Household Members

                  Name Ada Eliza Blandy
                  Age29
                  Name Oswald N. Blandy
                  Age4
                  Name Claude M. Blandy
                  Age1
                  Name Laura Wright
                  Age37
                  Name Constance Leacock
                  Age24
                  Name Elizh. Hayes
                  Age45

                  Name Rosa S. Hayes
                  Age22

                  Name Amelia Granger
                  Age19

                  Elizabeth (Shawers née Durran) took the name Hayes from this point. She died as Elizabeth Hayes - wife of Henry "actor". Although I cannot find any record of a Henry Hayes "actor" with her. Last record of Henry Shawers was Wandsworth Prison for being drunk in the highway in 1873. So perhaps Henry Shawers died between 1873 and 1881 - and perhaps Elizabeth did marry a Henry Hayes?

                  I feel pretty happy that the Rosa S (Shawers?) Hayes in the 1881 census was my 2nd great grandmother age 22 - so the Elizabeth ShawYer in the Kranshaw household in 1881 (and in 1871) couldn't be her as well.

                  But really impressed. Thanks for that clue.

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                  • #10
                    where did you find her listed as married to a Henry Hayes actor ?? is that whats on the death cert

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                    • #11
                      I'm thinking she made that up ,to explain him being absent, maybe back in prison.

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                      • #12
                        @Val, yes it's a possibility. I haven't yet seen any evidence that Henry hayes was an actual person. She continued the rest of her life to be known as Elizabeth Hayes - in 1881, 1891, 1901, and 1911 - where she is living with her son and his wife, my 2nd great grandparents Henry & Elizabeth Rosina Brooker (née Shawers). She entered Greenwich Workhouse in 1914 as "widow of Henry Hayes, an actor". This is repeated on her death certificate in 1915.

                        If Henry Hayes did exist as a husband, and wasn't the same person as Henry Shawers, Swiss narrow weaver, then Elizabeth must have been widowed between 1873 and 1881, and married this Henry Hayes - who then evades all records.

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                        • #13
                          Again, his complete timeline here - is anyone here familiar with Swiss cantons and surnames?

                          The above image I took recently at the medieval festival in Bayeux, France.  My great great great grandfather, Henry Shawers is described as a narrow lace or trimming weaver.  Does the above...

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                          • #14
                            She maybe said actor ,to explain why he was never home, could have said he was touring, rather than have to explain.
                            Its a shame we dont know where he may have been, between 1873 and 1881, to pinpoint his death.

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