Who was Anna Maria HARSE and what became of her? published by DebbieD on Thu, 12/04/2012 - 20:29
Anna Maria HARSE was in Axbridge Union Workhouse in 1851 aged 2. With her are Hannah HARSE aged 41 and Joseph HARSE aged 11. Joseph and Anna's place of birth is given as Weare and Hannah's is given as South Brent.
I am pretty certain that Hannah (nee ATWELL) was baptised in Weare, Somerset on 3 Dec 1809 and that she married a Joseph HARSE/HEARSE in Bristol in 1835. Their son Joseph was born in Newport, Mon in 1839 and the family were there in 1841.
The HURSE family were living in Nailsea, Somerset when another son Thomas was born in 1847. Joseph HARSE Snr died at Pill, Somerset in September 1849 followed by his son Thomas in the October . The informant for both was Emma HARSE who was present at the deaths and I now know her to be Joseph's adult daughter from a previous marriage.
There is a likely sighting of Anna Maria in 1861 in Hopkins Street, Weston-super-Mare. Anne HARSE is 11 years old, born Pill, Somerset and a boarder with the Fisher family. Hannah is remarried to William HARES and is also living in Hopkins Street with a lodger Joseph HURST aged 18 who was born in Newport, Mon.
Following your research I would agree that it is very likely that the Pill born, Ann HARSE aged 11, who was in Hopkins Street in 1861 is most probably the Anna Maria HARSE who was in Axbridge Workhouse in 1851. However, I cannot find birth registration for her - the nearest is an Anna Maria HARPER Sept qrt 1849 Bedminster Registration District - I agree that HARSE and HARPER are not exactly close but have you tried looking through the Easton in Gordano Parish Registers for a possible christening?
Coincidentally the William HARES who married Hannah HURST had a daughter, Selina, by his first marriage who married Henry HASE in 1846 so I had met up with Hannah before but although I had her son Joseph I hadn't picked up the other two children. I had noted that on later censuses Joseph gave his birth place as Pill.
Regarding Anna Maria - you've got me curious now - I haven't been able to locate her after 1861 either! Perhaps someone else can? Did she marry? Did she die? Did she emigrate?
There is an Anna Maria HURST who arrived in Australia from London in 1869 aged 20. I think this could be her but have found no trace of her marriage or death there so far.
Joseph and Hannah were in Newport in 1841. A son Thomas drowned aged 7 in Nailsea in 1846. His death was registered nearly a year later around the same time as his brother's (also Thomas) birth was registered in Nailsea. Unfortunately there appear to be no newspaper reports of the drowning or inquest. Joseph Snr and Thomas II died of spasmodic cholera in September & October 1849. There is no evidence of where Hannah was between 1847 in Nailsea and 1851 in the Workhouse so perhaps Anna Maria was born elsewhere.
Although Anna Maria is the real mystery in this branch I would love to find out more about them all because Joseph born in 1839 was my 2x great grandfather.
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