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My great-grandmother was born Marion Rosetta James. All we know is that she was born in Wales - no more specific than that - and that her parents were William James, carpenter, and Jane James (maiden name unknown). Her marriage certificate (1876, London) states that he was a carpenter, and was deceased at that time.

Marion had a son (my grandfather) out of wedlock in Chelsea, England, on Sept 6, 1873. She told him, when he was in his teens, that his father was Matthew Rufus Foster, son of Spencer and Flora Foster. That is all we know about his birth father. She told him that his name was actually William Henry Foster. That is the name that he went by from that point on.

Marion married Joseph Portius Clark (1831 - 1916) on May 21, 1876, at St. Luke's Parish Church, Chelsea, England. From then until his teens, as noted in the previous paragraph, her son was known as "Joey Clark Junior". According to the marriage certificate, they were living at 35 Leader St., London, England, at the time of the marriage.

Family tradition says that Marion's father died when she was quite young, and that she moved to London, England to work at a fairly young age. I have not yet been able to verify that.

I have not been able to find my grandfather's birth certificate, under William Henry Foster, or William Henry James, or any combination thereof. I cannot find Marion, or him, in the 1881 census. (Marion's husband retired from working as a sailor, and preceded her to Canada, where his sister and her husband and family were living. He is in the 1881 Canada census, at Beaverton, ON, Canada. It therefore is unlikely that he would be in the 1881 UK census) All 3 appear in the 1891 Canadian census as a family unit.

I cannot find a Spencer and Flora Foster marriage, and there is no record of them in the UK census documents. Neither can I find a Matthew Foster, son of Spencer and Flora. I have no information with respect to what part of England Matthew was from, but he obviously was in London around 1872 or early 1873.

With respect to Marion's family, I did find a William James in the 1851 census, age 20, working as a carpenter, born and living in Wales:

1851 Wales Census
about William James
Name: William James
Age: 20
Estimated birth year: abt 1831
Relation: Carpenter
Gender: Male
Where born: Llanllawddog
Civil Parish or Township: Llanfihangel AR Arth
County/Island: Carmarthenshire
Country: Wales
Registration district: Newcastle In Emlyn
Sub-registration district: Kenarth
ED, institution, or vessel: 6f
Household schedule number: 21
Household Members: Name Age
David Jones 57
Lettice Jones 63
Elizabeth Jones 23
William James 20

However, I cannot find a marriage record for him and Jane, whose maiden name I do not know. Another possibility is this family grouping, again from the 1851 census:


1851 Wales Census
about Marian James
Name: Marian James
Age: 1
Estimated birth year: abt 1850
Relation: Granddaughter
Father's Name: William
Mother's Name: Ann
Gender: Female
Where born: Pembroke Dock, Pembrokeshire, Wales
Civil Parish or Township: Pembroke St Mary
Ecclesiastical parish: St John
Town: Pembroke Dock
County/Island: Pembrokeshire
Country: Wales
Registration district: Pembroke
Sub-registration district: Tenby
ED, institution, or vessel: 1g
Household schedule number: 3
Household Members: Name Age
George Morgan 68 Head - widower - Superannuated - Dock Laborer
William James 39 Son-in-law - Joiner
Ann James 27 Daughter
William G James 8 Grandson
Jane E James 6 Granddaughter
Marian James 1 Granddaughter
Hugh Isaac 42 Visitor - Pensioner - Royal Marines
Jane Isaac 36 Visitor - Pensioner's wife
Louisa Curtis 16 Visitor

If you could help me to break through this brick wall that I've been struggling with for the past 10 years or so, that would be great! Any information re the Foster family, or the James family, would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance for your assistance!

Sue Fenn

For Ref

England & Wales, FreeBMD Marriage Index: 1837-1915
about Marion Rosetta James
Name: Marion Rosetta James
Year of Registration: 1876
Quarter of Registration: Apr-May-Jun
District: Chelsea (1841-1981)
County: Greater London, London, Middlesex
Volume: 1a
Page: 480

Married Joseph Portine Clark

Here's the Marian James from Pembroke in 1871:

1871 Wales Census
about Mary Ann James Name: Mary Ann James
Age: 21
Estimated birth year: abt 1850
Relation: Step Daughter
Mother's name: Ann Osmond
Gender: Female
Where born: Pembroke Dock
Civil Parish: St Mary Pembroke
Ecclesiastical parish: St John
Town: Pater
County/Island: Pembrokeshire
Country: Wales
Registration district: Pembroke
Sub-registration district: Pembroke
ED, institution, or vessel: 10
Household schedule number: 76
Household Members: Name Age
Thomas Osmond 39
Ann Osmond 45
Sarah Ann Osmond 8
Thomas Belt 24
Mary Ann James 21

Rose

Where is William in 1901? That census should list his date of birth.

Rose

Assume this must be the one? Birth year is listed as 1874 here and in 1911:

1901 Census of Canada
about H William Foster Name: H William Foster
Gender: Male
Marital Status: Married
Age: 26
Birth Day & Month: 6 Sep
Birth Year: 1874
Birthplace: England
Relation to Head of House: Head
Immigration Year: 1884
Racial or Tribal Origin: England (English)
Nationality: Canadian
Religion: Methodist
Occupation: Butcher
Province: Ontario
District: Peterborough (East/est)
District Number: 106
Sub-District: Otonabee
Sub-District Number: U-2
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
H William Foster 26
Jane Foster 21
Aurther J Foster 3
William F Foster 1

Rose

Marriage:

Ontario, Canada Marriages, 1801-1926
about William Henry Foster Name: William Henry Foster
Spouse Name: Jennie Shearer
Marriage Date: 23 Nov 1897
Marriage Location: Otonabee
Registration Number: 55131
Archives of Ontario Microfilm: MS932_93

Rose

Rose,

Thanks for the assistance. My apologies for not answering straight away, but I posted the message around 1:30 am our time, and retired for the night shortly thereafter. The marriage of Wm Henry Foster and Jennie Shearer is, indeed, my grandparents. The 1901 Canadian census listing is them, as well. The marriage registration for Marion James and Joseph Clark is the correct one.

In thinking about the Pembroke listing from 1871, her father's name and occupation are correct. However, I have spoken to a number of my aunts and uncles in the past, and no-one remembers any reference to Marion having any siblings. Whether that is because there were none, or because she fell out with them and did not mention them, I do not know. Her mother's name was always said to be Jane; I raised the Pembroke possibility because of the sister's name being Jane, rather than the mother's. Those are the only 2 Wm James I was able to find who were in the carpentry trade.

Sue,

You need put aside all the information you have that has been passed down by word of mouth. Typically, it's highly inaccurate and there's not Spencer, Flora or Matthew anywhere on Ancestry.

Did you see my earlier comment that William was born in 1874? Marion is listed as being from England in 1891.

Rose

I can't see Joseph in Beaverton in 1881. Can you list the results? In 1901, his year of immigration is listed as 1883.

Rose

Have you been able to find any information with respect to the Foster family (Spencer, Flora, and Matthew)?

Sue

Re Joseph - I found him listed in Ontario County, District 100, which is Beaverton, or close to it.

I have Marion's death certificate, which indicates that she is from Wales.

I note that District 100 in the 1881 census is not correlated with Ontario County; it is, however, in the 1891 census. It therefore appears that I have recorded Joseph P. Clark in Canada in 1881 erroneously.

I don't recall having been able to find him on any of the census documents, perhaps because he was a sailor all his life.

I also have the ship's passenger list for Marion and Joseph Jr. They arrived in Canada on September 13, 1884. Joseph Jr. is listed as age 11 - which is likely where I got 1873 for the year of his birth.

I also note that my grandmother named two of her children after what she thought were their forebears - Andrew Rufus Foster, and Stanley Spencer Foster. It would seem that both she and my grandfather took Marion's word for who the forebears were, although I have wondered, from time to time, whether that was only partially, or perhaps not at all, true. I know that my grandfather told my mother that he remembered, as a little boy, his grandfather, a tall, kindly, white-haired man, coming to visit, taking him for a walk, and holding his hand and pointing out the various constellations in the stars. That was in England, before Marion and he left for Canada. But that is all I know.

Rose, I just found the following record on Ancestry.

London, England, Births and Baptisms, 1813-1906
about Joseph Henry James Name: Joseph Henry James
Record Type: Baptism
Estimated Birth Date: abt 1875
Baptism Date: 19 Mar 1875
Father's name: William James
Mother's name: Marian James
Parish or Poor Law Union: Battersea St Mary
Borough: Wandsworth

The actual entry on the page indicates that his date of birth was Sept 6 1874; it states that his father, William was a "traveller". Address is 52 Henry St., Battersea, Wandsworth, Surrey. Even more interesting is the entry immediately above it, which lists the baptism of a Richard George Baker on the same date, born Feb 11 1874, son of Richard George and Elizabeth Baker, bricklayer, living at 52 Henry St., Battersea. Richard George the father was born in 1854, and is the son of Richard and Naomi Baker. Naomi is Joseph Portine Clark's sister. The story is getting even more interesting ...

William/Joseph registered her death. The information about Wales would have come from what he knew, so might not be accurate.

Rose

True enough.

Can't see a James birth registered in Wandsworth district that would fit. Of course, 6 months have passed since his birth so he could have been born anywhere.

Rose

I was always told that he was born in Chelsea, England. Interestingly, when looking on Ancestry last evening, I found a couple of William James (the name of Marion's father) who had died in Chelsea, in the right time period. Not sure yet if there's a connection ...

Sue

Jos Clark 1891
http://data2.collectionscanada.gc.ca/1891/pdf/30953_148159-00497.pdf

1901 Census of Canada Page Information
District: ON PETERBOROUGH (East/Est) (#106)
Subdistrict: Otonabee U-2 Page 4
http://data2.collectionscanada.gc.ca/1901/z/z002/z000096118.pdf

The above search at AG showed
Line 29: Researcher contact: Joan McCrory:
This is my husband's great grandfather More
etc - the email addy is 14m old - I don't know if it's still active.
http://automatedgenealogy.com/census/index.html

1901 Sched 2
http://data2.collectionscanada.gc.ca/1901/z/z002/z000096112.pdf
[addy=Conc 2 Lot 22 - it's a rented 6 room Wood house on 1/4 acre]

For a concession map, see:
http://digital.library.mcgill.ca/countyatlas/images/maps/townshipmaps/pet-m-otonabee.jpg
So the village of Villiers is on Villiers Line between conc 2 & 3 on lot 16 just S of route 2.
Thus, he lived a couple of miles N on Villiers line or maybe on the next line road to the E.



1901 Census of Canada Page Information
District: ON ONTARIO (North/Nord) (#97)
Subdistrict: Beaverton (Village) A Page 1
13 3 Clark Joesph M Head M Mar 3 1831 70
14 3 Clark Liza J F Wife M Feb 6 1844 57
15 3 Barker Margaret F Mother W May 10 1817 84
16 3 Goodwin Catherine F Lodger W Nov 29 1835 65
http://data2.collectionscanada.gc.ca/1901/z/z002/z000088402.pdf

Sched 2
http://data2.collectionscanada.gc.ca/1901/z/z002/z000088398.pdf
[addy=South Simcoe - it's an owned 5 room Brick house on 1/2 acre]
http://data2.collectionscanada.gc.ca/1901/z/z002/z000088398.pdf

I don't know if this is anything to do with your mob:

20457-1922 Donald McCRORY, 30, Miner, Ireland, Timmins, s/o Donald McCRORY (b. Ireland) & Rose CONROY, married Mary Bell FOSTER, 22, Peterborough, Thornloe, d/o William H. FOSTER (b. Ireland) & Jean SHEARER, Wtn. Nellie & Frank FOSTER, both of Thornloe, on Nov. 1, 1922 at Thornloe

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~onvsr/