Research Forum

John STOKES of Nailsea and Portbury born about 1810
published by Pat Hase on Tue, 13/03/2018 - 14:08

Would anyone like to sort out this family for me? I'm going around in circles and getting nowhere!

John STOKES appears on the 1841 census of Nailsea as a cordwainer with possible wife Sarah and four children, the first three are baptised at Holy Trinity Nailsea as children of John & Sarah - the 4th is a George aged 3 on the census. I think Sarah was buried in Nailsea - Holy Trinity 31 July 1842 aged 36
John STOKES appears on the 1851 census of Portbury as a shoemaker with wife Ann and the same first 3 children but an additional 4 born between 1844 and 1849. Emily (1846) and Charles (1849) have mother's maiden name of VOWLES - from GRO Index but the other two: Sarah (1844) appears to have a mother's maiden name of WEEKS (She was christened 7th July 1844 at Christ Church, Nailsea as son of John & Ann - John a shoemaker) and George (1840) seems to be the son of a mother with the name of HOBBS. I think that wife Ann was buried at Portbury 11th Feb 1857
John STOKES appears on the 1861 census of Portbury as a licenced victualler and farmer of 50 acres with wife Mary and daughter Emily.
John STOKES appears on the 1971 census of Portbury still as a licenced Victualler with wife Mary Ann (Same age and birthplace as Mary - same person) and children Charles and Emily.

John's son Charles later becomes the Landlord of the Priory Hotel in Portbury

As yet I haven't found any marriages for John STOKES who I believe could have been born in Portbury 1809 and christened in Clapton in Gordano the same year but no real proof - there are a lot of STOKES in this area.

Comments ..

Submitted by Pat Hase on Tue, 20/03/2018 - 22:24

I think I've sorted this out myself!

John STOKES married Sarah LEONARD on the 4th April 1831 at St James, the Horsefair, Bristol. They had 4 children, the youngest, George, was born in 1839 and the GRO Index confirms his mother's maiden name of LEONARD. Sarah died in 1841 and buried on the same day as her in Nailsea was a 6-day-old Mary STOKES, who was most probably another daughter (see our transcriptions). Unfortunately although Mary's death was registered it doesn't look as if her birth was, so I can't confirm her mother's maiden name.
John, as a widower, married widow, Ann WEEKS née VOWLES, on the 2nd Jan 1843 at St Mary Redcliffe, Bristol (Her father's name given as Richard VOWLES). John & Ann had 3 children, the first with mother's maiden name given as WEEKS and with VOWLES for the others. Ann died in 1857 and was buried in Portbury.
John's 3rd wife was Mary BAKER, who he married on the 21st December 1858 at Portishead and they did not have any children

The George STOKES with a mother called HOBBS was a red herring as he belonged to another family!

Did anyone come up with anything different?