14 Feb 2005
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The census search tools that the ancestry website provides really change the whole approach to genealogy. It allows you to make otherwise impossible connections. For example, I decided to try and find John Bryant with Bridget Dineen in 1871. This is a year before she married my great-great- grandfather and probably shortly after her second husband Daniel Palmer had died. John would have been about 6 at the time. I decided to search for all Johns aged 6 born in Risca. There was one entry in the England census for 1871:
1871 13 Old Bath Hill, Radstock, Wells, Somerset
Name Relation Condition Age Occupation Where Born
Sidney Smith Head Mar 44 Labourer Somerset, Radstock
Charity Smith Wife Mar 41 Somerset, Midsomer Norton
Ronald Smith Son 11 Somerset, Radstock
George Smith Son 9 Somerset, Radstock
John Bryant Foster Child 6 Monmouthshire, Risca
. . . quoted from RG10-2473-62-20 ()
Could this be Bridget’s son, fostered out after the death of her husband? Where was Jane? Were the Smith’s any relation? Here’s another theory: perhaps after Daniel’s death, Bridget ended up in hospital in Bristol or thereabouts; her son was fostered out locally during her stay. Perhaps she met Joseph Ximenes, not in Newport, but in Somerset. I check the smiths in 1881. They were still in Old Bath Hill in Radstock, but John Bryant had left:
Name Estimated Birth Birthplace Relationship Residence
Year
Charity abt 1833 Chilcompton, Somerset, Wife Radstock
Smith England
George abt 1862 Radstock, Somerset, England Son Radstock
Smith
Sidney abt 1830 Radstock, Somerset, England Head Radstock
Smith
All three were still there in 1891. I didn’t check 1901. I really must find Bridget and Jane in the 1871 census. I tried the following:
all people born in Risca mentioned in the England census. About 150. No obvious matches.
all people born in Caerleon mentioned in the England census. About 70. No obvious matches.
all people named Jane aged 3, born in Wales mentioned in the England census. 38 people. No
obvious matches.
all people named Jane aged 2, born in Wales mentioned in the England census. 29 people.
No obvious matches.
all people named Jane Bryant aged 3 mentioned in the England census. 7 people. No obvious
matches.
all people named Jane Bryant aged 2 mentioned in the England census. 1 person. No obvious
matches.
all people named Jane Palmer aged 3 mentioned in the England census. 13 people. No obvious
matches.
all people named Jane Palmer aged 2 mentioned in the England census. 16 peoplr. No obvious
matches.
all people named Jane Hemmings aged 3 mentioned in the England census. 2 people. No obvious
matches.
all people named Jane Hemmings aged 2 mentioned in the England census. 0 people.
all people with names sounding like Jane Hemmings aged 3 mentioned in the England census. 5
people. No obvious matches.
all people with names sounding like Jane Hemmings aged 2 mentioned in the England census. 1
person. No match.
all people with relationship of lodger and born in monmouthshire mentioned in the England census.
95 people. No obvious matches.
all people with relationship of lodger and born in monmouthshire mentioned in the England census.
41 people. No obvious matches.
all people with relationship of visitor and born in monmouthshire mentioned in the England census.
27 people. No obvious matches.
all people with relationship of patient and born in monmouthshire mentioned in the England census.
0 people.
all people with relationship of inmate and born in monmouthshire mentioned in the England census.
2 people. No obvious matches.
all people with name starting with bri and born in monmouthshire mentioned in the England
census. 1 person. no match
all people with first name jane in the parish of "vessels", i.e. aboad a vessel mentioned in the England
census. 192 people. No obvious matches.
all people with last name sounds like palmer in the parish of "vessels" mentioned in the England
census. 90 people. No obvious matches.
all people with last name sounds like bryant in the parish of "vessels" mentioned in the England
census. 155 people. No obvious matches.
all people with last name bryan in the parish of "vessels" mentioned in the England census. 17
people. No obvious matches.
all people with last name brian in the parish of "vessels" mentioned in the England census. 3 people.
No obvious matches.
all people with last name brien in the parish of "vessels" mentioned in the England census. 11 people.
No obvious matches.
all people with last name brine in the parish of "vessels" mentioned in the England census. 3 people.
No obvious matches.
I came across a Bridge Bryant who was a servant in Bristol aged 23:
Name Age in Birthplace Relationship Civil County/Island
1871 Parish
Emma 26 Staple Bumstead, Essex, Assistant Walcot Somerset
Bowyer England
Bridge 23 Bristol, Gloucestershire, Servant Walcot Somerset
Bryant England
Eliza J Heal 33 Frome, Somerset, England Head Walcot Somerset
Susan 17 Bristol, Gloucestershire, Assistant Walcot Somerset
Helson England
In fact, looking at the scan of the original, the name is Bridget Bryant. I think she is too young to be our Bridget though.
Dineen, Mansell
I’ve started a Hemmings Timeline to gather together all the evidence we have so far. It’s exposing some gaps around the Dineens and Mansells. Here are the results of my searches in the 1891 census:
1891 1 Philanthropic Terrace, Risca, |
Monmouthshire
Name Relation Condition Age Occupation Where Born
Edward W Head Mar 43 Blacksmith Glamorgan Abbey
Mansell
Mary A Mansell Wife Mar 36 Monmouthshire
Risca
Margaret A Dau. Mar 17 Monmouthshire
Mansell Risca
Edward J Son Mar 16 Catcher Monmouthshire
Mansell Risca
George Mansell Son Mar 12 Monmouthshire
Risca
Daniel Mansell Son Mar 10 Scholar Monmouthshire
Risca
Mary A Mansell Dau. Mar 8 Scholar Monmouthshire
Risca
Bertha Mansell Dau. Mar 5 Monmouthshire
Risca
Frank Mansell Son Mar 1 Monmouthshire
Risca
And the 1881 census:
1881 5 Tredegar Street, Risca, |
Monmouthshire
Name Relation Condition Age Occupation Where Born
John Deneen Head Mar 23 Labourer Monmouthshire Risca
colliery
Cathrine Wife Mar 23 Ireland N.K.
Deneen
David H Son Unm. 3 mos Glamorganshire Rhonda
Deneen Valley
And, working for a William A.D. Jenking:
1881 Ash Well House, Christchurch, |
Monmouthshire
Name Relation Condition Age Occupation Where Born
Catherine Serv Unm 18 General serv. Monmouthshire
Dineen Newport
And at Newport Union Workhouse:
1881 Newport Union Workhouse, Newport, |
Monmouthshire
Name Relation Condition Age Occupation Where
Born
Margaret Inmate Unm 6 Scholar Newport
## Dineen
In 1871 I found Mary Dineen, two of her sons and a granddaughter.
1871 Nailers Lane (New Inn), Risca, Monmouthshire
Name Relation Condition Age Occupation Where Born
Mary Dineen Head W 60 Supported by parish Ireland
relief serv.
Jeremiah Son Unm 18 Collier Monmouthshire
Dineen Risca
John Dineen Son 13 Work in Tin Works Monmouthshire
Risca
Jane Carmer Grand 2 Monmouthshire
dau. Newport
. . . quoted from RG10-5350-156-30 ()
This indicates that the John Dencen death that we found is either not John Dineen after all or Mary had another son she called John. I don’t know who Jane Carmer is I suspect she is Jane Palmer, Bridget’s daughter. In the census return, the first letter is definately a C, but this could be a clerical error or just a mis-hearing by the enumerator. We don’t know of any other daughters of Mary other than Bridget and we know that Bridget had a daughter Jane by Daniel Palmer who would be around 2 in 1871. So, the mystery remains - where was Bridget?
