ARC TBC John Hamerton my personal brick wall!!!

[1959Boy]

Hi to all:

While being able to deliniate my family tree to some degree, I have not been able to go beyond my 3X Great Grandfather, John Hamerton.

His marriage was noted as being on the 21st of February 1829 at St Andrews in Holborn, but nothing is noted about him whatsoever, apart from the fact that he was, "of age" and supposedly of "the parish".

John then does a dissapearing act on history, as he never appears in any census returns with them. By the available data, John was still alive in 1851 as his wife was noted as married, but she was stated as a widow in 1861. So far, I have been unable to confirm his date of death, as the only Hamertons listed as dying between 1851 & 1861 are not him, as their certificates have been procurred.

Legal documents, pertaining to a will that my 3X G Grandmother was a beneficiary in 1859 doesnt mention John at all, so I take from the lack of mention, that he was dead by that date.

What little I DO know, is that on his widows death certificate, she was noted as "widow of John Hamerton, Draper Master". When enquiries with the Guild of Master Drapers led nowhere, I thought that I might have to give up, so am really asking all of this forums members for ideas on how I may take him forward, in any shape or form.

Not having any more info to tell you, does show the lack of solid leads that I have, so anything you can suggest would be welcome.

Thanks to all:

Andy

[Jimmy]

This any good.
From the NBI.

John Hammerton, burial, 09/09/1851, age 42, City of London, Tower Hamlets Cemetery.

[marie]

It would help if we had his wife's name.

[marie]

Ok - Was he married to Emily b 1810 with children Joseph b 1830 Holborn, a tutor and Isabel b 1832 Clerkenwell
The family being in Berkshire in 1851
Emily and Isabel are together in 1841 and Joseph is at the Grove School in Ealing
If this is your group it looks very much as thoughin 1841 there was money but by 1851 they may not have been as well off since Isabel is listed as a servant
So it looks as though John was either traveling in a less lucrative profession, in an infirmary or dead
Again if Joseph is part of your family is baptism appears to be recorded on the IGI at Saint Andrew's where his parents were married. Have you looked at the church record? By this time, it should have the father's occupation. There are also two children baptised at St. Andrew's near Joseph's birth to a William and Mary Hamerton - possible brother to John?
So it this is your group there are some leads

[1959Boy]

It would help if we had his wife's name.

Marie:

Thanks for your reply.

Her name was originally Charlotte Emily Ovenden, and I have been helped with her families line thanks to many other people, without whom, it is doubtful whether I would have been able to pick up her trail.

The history of my 3X Great Grandmother isnt in doubt, as I can trace her family back 2 further generations, before there is any problem.

As stated in my first post, at no time does her husband John appear with his family, nor can he be found via either the 1841, nor the 1851 census returns. This is why he seems to have appeared, married Charlotte and fathered 2 children, and then vanished!.

Regards:

Andy

[1959Boy]

Hi again Marie:

You are much quicker on the uptake than I, as your second post appeared before I could reply to your first!!.

To your points.

1) You are spot on regarding the family, both in 1841 & 51, although it does appear that there is a family connection between Charlotte, and the head of household in 1851, Benjamin Mathew Payne, as it states that she was his cousin in the relationship column of the census, and when he dies in 1858, he left her with a most of his household goods, and the house too.

2) Regarding the church baptism record, I havent seen it yet, but the transcript was forwarded to me by my cousin who had seen it, and no mention is made of John's profession.

3) There is a mention in a Times legal notice, (also to do with the will of Benjamin Payne), of a William Hamerton, but these dont mention what relationship he had to Johns son Joseph Hamerton, who was also named in the same article.

Can you tell me the names and dates of these two children who were also baptised at St Andrews Marie?.

[marie]

Mary Louisa Hamerton born 9 Dec 1832 - Christened 1 Jan 1833 - parents William Hamerton and mary
Ellen Hamerton 19 Aug 1830 - Christened 9 Sep 1830 - Parents William Hamerton and Mary
and of course
JOSEPH JOHN HAMERTON - 17 Nov 1829 - Chr 14 Dec 1829 - Parents John and Charlotte Emily
All are in batch P010518, film 374359
Looking at the 1841 census Mary, Ellen and Mary are living in St Giles Bloomsbury ( ancestry transcriber has made hash of the surname) - Mary has an occupation but I can't quite make it out - No William in evidence - There is however a WIlliam in Chelsea that is a male servant
Have you considered that the reference to being a drapers widow may have been in error, That John that is the barrister looks very likely, and I can't find him later. Being a barrister would explain his not being with the family on census day, the money to send Joseph to school and the chance of contacting a 'bug' that could finish him off quickly. He's born about 1804 and there is a marriage in 1804 in St Georges Hanover Square between a John Hamerton and Elizabeth Cox
In any case I would get the film or the St. Andrew record in some way and see what the complete birth record says

[FarSide]

3) There is a mention in a Times legal notice, (also to do with the will of Benjamin Payne), of a William Hamerton, but these dont mention what relationship he had to Johns son Joseph Hamerton, who was also named in the same article.

Not sure if this helps or not - there's this John Hamerton...
1851
142
Kirkgate?, Bradford
(looks like) Talbot Inn
William Wood 60 - Inn keeper
Margaret Elizth Wood 47
Ann Whitley 50
Ellen Cadteron 27
Caroline Boys 25
Martha Harkenger 31
John Smith 20
George Martin 24
John Treaw 16
John Hamerton 40 - Gentleman - Unmarried - Barrister at bar - b Essex, Board Oak
George Peace 38 - Commerical peddlar
William Farish 53 - Commerical peddlar
David Simpson 53 - Goldsmith
Lenn Lee 34
Henry McConnell 49
the others are staff

[Northern Lass]

Is this still a Brick Wall?
Or have you solved it?

Unless otherwise advised this will be moved to archived section

[1959Boy]

Is this still a Brick Wall?
Or have you solved it?

Unless otherwise advised this will be moved to archived section

"Northern Lass" Thanks for your interest.

For all I have done to try to track "John Hamerton" down, he is as much a ghost as before.

I hoped that the will of Charlotte Hamerton (nee Ovenden) would help, but no extra info has come to light. I hoped that if I tracked down the burial of Charlotte, it could give me a possibility that they may have been buried together. The problem is, that no such record seems to exist.

[Antie Em]

Is this still a Brickwall, or have you solved it?

Unless otherwise advised this will be moved to the Brickwalls Archived section
within 24 hours

[1959Boy]

Is this still a Brickwall, or have you solved it?

Unless otherwise advised this will be moved to the Brickwalls Archived section
within 24 hours

Thanks for your reply.....

Sadly, John is still a complete mystery.

It has cost a fortune to purchase the death certificates for those John Hamertons and HAMMERTONS appearing between the date Charlotte claimed she was still married, and the later will, where she is stated as a Master Drapers Widow.

Have had to move on from John, as it is a waste of time pursuing him unless I get lucky, and some relative I dont know of now gets in touch.

[Antie Em]

Shall we leave it here for a while longer then - just in case ???

Maggie

[1959Boy]

Shall we leave it here for a while longer then - just in case ???

Maggie

If possible, another couple of months.

Then I will admit defeat.

[Antie Em]

At least we've bought it to the top of the list