The ELIZABETH Dilemma

William DAWES (1804-1842) married Elizabeth UNKNOWN (1804-1867). More about their family can be found in an earlier post available here. I have not been able to find Elizabeth's surname which leaves a gap in my family tree.

What do I know about her:
1) I have found her on the 1841, 1851 and 1861 censuses and from these I have deduced that she was born about 1804 in East Peckham, Kent.

2) I have her death certificate from 01 Dec 1867 when she died of bronchitis in Uckfield.

3) She and William had five children born between 1828 and 1841.

4) Her first child, Elizabeth, was born in 1828 in East Peckham while the next one, Henry, was born in 1831 in Uckfield so we know the family moved sometime between those dates.

I have looked at the records held by the Centre for Kentish Studies in Maidstone and the International Genealogical Index to find a marriage between William DAW, DAWS or DAWES without success. The reason I am adding to this post is because I have just received CD #27 from the Kent Family History Society that contains baptism and marriage data for East Peckham. Unfortunately, the CD doesn't have a marriage for William and Elizabeth in St. Michael's church however, there is still Holy Trinity Church but their records on the CD start in 1843 which is too late.

My final attempt to solve this riddle was to look at baptisms for Elizabeth's between 1803 and 1804 in the hope that she and William followed the old English naming pattern for their children and using these I could identify her parents. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this, the first son is named after the father's father and the second son after the mother's father. The third son is named after the father with the same pattern applied to the daughters except that it starts with the mother's mother and so on.

Therefore, Elizabeth's parents should have been Elizabeth and Daniel. However, this doesn't hold water because their first son was Henry and William's father was Thomas. Besides, looking at the baptisms for Elizabeth's in East Peckham in the 1803-1804 timeframe here's what I have to choose from:
HODGE, John & Sarah
WATERMAN, Susanna (baseborn)
BARTON, Jane (baseborn)
CHILTON, Thomas & Elizabeth
BATES, John & Ann
MOORE, John & Rebecca
RICHARDS, Thomas & Jane

What did William and Elizabeth name their children? ELIZABETH, HENRY, CATHARINE, CHARLOTTE, and DANIEL. There are some large gaps where other children could have been born but didn't survive such as the five years between Catherine and Charlotte which were before civil registration started. Daniel only survived a few months in 1841 but got picked up by both a birth and death registration.

My choice is Elizabeth CHILTON bap. 12 Feb 1804. Since both sets of parents were Thomas and Elizabeth, they decided to name their children differently after their first daughter was born.

This dosen't mean that I am changing her name from UNKNOWN to CHILTON as I don't really have any proof, however, it does give me a lead to follow as I keep looking for her surname.

The PANNETT Family (Updated)

Through a contact I made on GenesReunited [http://www.genesreunited.com/] I have been able to add more detail to the PANNETT Family which was originally blogged here. To re-cap, Harriet(t) DAWES was the oldest child of George DAWES (1821-1869) and Esther COTTINGTON (1831-1863). Esther died when Harriet was 13. Father George quickly re-married the recent widow of his nephew, Sophia (DAWES) SANTER (1831-1914).



Harriett married George PANNETT (1849-1899) in Lewes 1870 and had eight children with him.






I am in touch with cousins in the UK who remember a couple of PANNETT sisters coming to visit in Uckfield. They were Emily (1873-1959) and Hephzibah (1887-1967).






This chart updates the PANNETT ancestry back to John PANNETT (1828-1906) and Maria RHODES (1828-1869).

Breaking News About William DAWS

In an earlier post, I lamented the fact that I couldn't find the marriage for William DAWS and Elizabeth which would have happened about 1828 given that their first child, Elizabeth, was born in 1828. This all happened in East Peckham, Kent before the family moved on to Uckfield in Sussex. For more on Uckfield see my previous post here.

I have lots of information on the family of William and Elizabeth gleaned from the 1841, 1851 and 1861 censuses. Since Elizabeth was married at the time of these tabulations her maiden name is not known but she did report in 1851 and 1861 that she was born in East Peckham.

The good news is that the Kent Family History Society [http://www.kfhs.org.uk/] has just released their 27th CD-ROM of baptism, marriage and burial data which includes the parish of East Peckham from 1563-1947. As you all know, civil registration of births, marriages and deaths started in the U.K. in 1837 and the census in 1841 so records of our ancestors prior to this time is dependent on church parish registers. I have ordered the CD and will update my family tree and this blog when the CD arrives. Stay tuned!

DAWS Family - Some Answers - More Questions

Looking at the 1851 census for Uckfield to see what additional information might be available there are 21 DAW/DAWS/DAWES listed. Actually, Ancestry.co.uk only shows 13 but I have found 8 more not listed in the transcript.

Looking at the 1841 census families from my previous post here's what happened:

Family #1
Thomas DAWS (missing) died in 1843
Elizabeth DAWS (missing) died in 1849
Sarah DAWES (found) (37) charwoman living at Church St by Pudding Lane
George DAWES (found) (29) now married living at Grants Hill
Esther DAWES (new) (20) wife of George M/S COTTINGTON living at Grants Hill
Harriott DAWES (new) (1) dau of George living at Grants hill
Eliza DAWES (found) (11) niece of George - dau of Sarah living at Grants Hill

Family #2
William DAWS (missing) died in 1842
Elizabeth DAW (found) (50) charwoman living at Old Workhouse
Elizabeth DAWS (missing) married George GURR in 1850
Henry DAW (found) (19) labourer living at Old Workhouse
Catharine DAWS (missing) died is 1846
Charlotte DAW (found) (17) scholar living at Old Workhouse
Daniel DAWS (missing) died in 1841

Family #3
Thomas DAWES (found) (39) living at High St
Ann DAWES (found) (35) living at High St
Joseph DAWES (found) (15) living at High St
Lucy DAWES (found) (13) living at High St
Thomas DAWES (found) (11) living at High St
Ann DAWES (new) (8) living at High St
Margaret DAWES (new) (5) living at High St
Elizabeth DAW (missing) married Henry Mitchell in 1846
Harriett DAW (missing)
Oliver DAW (missing) living with Henry and Elizabeth Mitchell

Family #4
Thomas DAW (missing)
Hannah DAW (missing)
Ann DAW (new) (73) widow living at Workhouse Lane
Harriett DAW (found) (26) g-dau of Ann living at Workhouse Lane
Edward DAW (missing)
William DAW (missing)
John DAW (missing)
Alfred DAW (found) (11) g-son of Ann living at Workhouse Lane

UNKNOWNS
Mary DAW (new) (26) Uckfield Union Workhouse born in Uckfield
Benjamin DAW (new) (46) Uckfield Union Workhouse born in Framfield???
Marten DAWS (new) (58) Kemphead Lane - lodger/labourer born in Uckfield

As you can see there are some answers, a little more information and some new problems.

Another DAWS Family in Uckfield

Looking at the 1841 census for Uckfield there are 27 people with the DAW/DAWS surname.

These can be broken down into 4 family groups as follows:

Family Group 1 living at Church St
Thomas DAWS (70) - Thomas the labourer
Elizabeth DAWS (60)
Sarah DAWS (25)
George DAWS (15)
Eiza DAWS (1) - probably the daughter of Sarah

Family Group 2 living at Church St
William DAWS (35) - son of Thomas Family #1
Elizabeth DAWS (35)
Elizabeth DAWS (12)
Henry DAWS (10)
Catharine DAWS (8)
Charlotte DAWS (3)
Daniel DAWS (2 months)

FAMILY Group 3 living at North Entrance
Thomas DAW (25) - Thomas the bricklayer son of Thomas Family #1
Ann DAW (25)
Joseph DAW (5)
Lucy DAW (4)
Thomas DAW (1) - Thomas the builder
Elizabeth DAW (25) daughter of Thomas Family #1
Harriet DAW (12) daughter of Thomas Family #1
Oliver DAW (2) son of Elizabeth

That accounts for 20 people of my DAWS family what about the others?

FAMILY Group 4 living at Church St
Thomas DAW (44) Horsekeeper
Hannah DAW (36)
Harriett (16)
Edward (10)
William (8)
John (5)
Alfred (2)

The image of this family is shown at the right.

Who are these people?

The George (1) DAWES Line (Expanded)

George DAWES (1821-1869) married twice, first to Esther COTTINGTON (1831-1863) and second to Sophia SANTER (1831-1914). The original post on George (1) is available here.


Sophia's lineage is cloudy but her parents are believed to be Stephen SANTER and Judith BUSBRIDGE who were married 30 Nov 1812 in Benenden, Kent.

Sophia was the widow of George's nephew, Henry DAWES, so there are many more children in this extended family than shown here.

The chart shows the two children that Sophia had with George, Eliza Emily (1865-1944) for whom more information is available in a previous blog, and Charles William (1868-1927). Charles and his wife, Janet Mary STREETER (1872-1949) AKA Jeanette had six children of which I will look at over the next few blogs which will include their wedding photos.

The Two Elizabeths (see original blog Aug 9, 2009)

Henry DAWES (1831-1864) married Sophia SANTER (1831-1914) on 11 Aug 1856 in Uckfield, Sussex. They had one child, a daughter, Elizabeth b. 1856 in Uckfield. Henry died in 1864 and his wife then married his recently widowed uncle George DAWES (1821-1869) on 19 Aug 1864 in Brighton. George brought 5 children with him into the union and then he and Sophia had 2 more, Elizabeth M. b. 1866 in Brighton whom I'll call Eliza and Charles William b. 1868 in Uckfield.

The census returns provide the following clues to their existence:

Elizabeth 1861 (age 4) born Uckfield
Elizabeth 1871 (age 14) born Uckfield
Eliza 1871 (age 5) born Uckfield (should have been Brighton)
Elizabeth 1881 (age 26) born Uckfield working as a cook
Eliza 1881 (age 14) born Uckfield (should have been Brighton)
Elizabeth 1891 (age 35) born Uckfield working as a cook
Eliza 1891 (age 25) born Uckfield working as a housemaid in Brighton
Elizabeth 1901 (age 47) born Uckfield working as a cook
Eliza 1901 (age 35) born Uckfield married to John Smith in Newick
Elizabeth 1911 (age 54) born Uckfield (pensioner)
Eliza 1911 (age 42) born Uckfield married to John Smith in Newick
Elizabeth 1935 (age 78) died in Uckfield
Eliza 1944 (age 78) died in Newick

It is clear that there were two Elizabeth's because they are both in the same household with Sophia in 1871 and both identified as her daughters while George's children are identified as in-laws which was used for step children. There are no deaths registered for either Elizabeth DAWES or Eliza DAWES between 1881 and 1901 nor is there a marriage so what happened to her?

The trail of these two Elizabeth's is a good example of the many pitfalls that genealogy researchers can fall into. When Eliza disappeared in 1891 it was because she used her middle name "Emily" on the census. It wasn't until seeing her marriage certificate (above) that her full name was confirmed as Eliza Emily DAWES. In 1901 and 1911 she reverts to using only Eliza but she has been found which is the main thing.

Similarly, Elizabeth b. 1856, was hard to find in 1911 until a search for only people named "Elizabeth" and born about 1856 in Uckfield turned her up as Elizabeth DAVIES, a common mis-transcription of DAWES. The fact that she is living with her mother, Sophia, b. 1831 in Cranbrook, Kent proves who she really is.

The final episode in this story will be to find the death of Eliza SMITH, sometime after 1911, and to determine if her daughter, Ellen SMITH b. 1904, married and had a family but that's for another day.

(UPDATE Sep 20, 2009) I found a death for an Eliza E SMITH (age 78) registered in Lewes in 1944 March Quarter Vol. 2b Page 269. It will not be conclusive without a death certificate but with the middle initial E, correct age and location it is good enough for me.

Also using the GRO indexes I have found a marriage for Ellen SMITH to Harry E. MOORE registered in Lewes June Quarter Vol. 2b Page 408 followed by two births of Moores with a Smith mother: Joan M. MOORE 1926 Dec Quarter Vol. 2b Page 213 and John E. O. MOORE 1928 Sept Quarter Vol. 2b Page 215 both also in Lewes Registration District.

View original blog from 09 Aug 2009

The Two Elizabeths

Henry DAWES (1831-1864) married Sophia SANTER (1831-1914) on 11 Aug 1856 in Uckfield, Sussex. They had one child, a daughter, Elizabeth b. 1856 in Uckfield. Henry died in 1864 and his wife then married his recently widowed uncle George DAWES (1821-1869) on 19 Aug 1864 in Brighton. George brought 5 children with him into the union and then he and Sophia had 2 more, Elizabeth M. b. 1866 in Brighton whom I'll call Eliza and Charles William b. 1868 in Uckfield.

The census returns provide the following clues to their existance:

Elizabeth 1861 (age 4) born Uckfield
Elizabeth 1871 (age 14) born Uckfield
Eliza 1871 (age 5) born Uckfield (should have been Brighton)
Elizabeth 1881 (age 26) born Uckfield working as a cook
Eliza 1881 (age 14) born Uckfield (should have been Brighton)
Elizabeth 1891 (age 35) born Uckfield working as a cook
Eliza 1891 -- not found
Elizabeth 1901 (age 47) born Uckfield working as a cook
Eliza 1901 -- not found
Elizabeth 1935 (age 78) died in Uckfield

It is clear that there were two Elizabeth's because they are both in the same household with Sophia in 1871 and both identified as her daughters while George's children are identified as in-laws which was used for step children.

There are no deaths registered for either Elizabeth DAWES or Eliza DAWES beween 1881 and 1901 nor is there a marriage so what happened to her?

Check out the updated information posted Friday 18 Sep. 2009

Below is a photo c. 1908 of the first Elizabeth Dawes b. 1856

The Three Unknown DAWES Women

There are three DAWES daughters of Thomas "the labourer" and Elizabeth for which no further information is known.




Susannah is the first b. 1807 in Hadlow, Kent. She doesn't turn up in any census records under Dawes although by 1841 she would have been 34 and likely married. There is no death registration for her either but that didn't start until 1837 so again a lot could have happened in the thirty years between 1807 and 1837. The next order of business is to search for burial records in Hadlow, East Peckham and Uckfield.





Mary was born in East Peckham, Kent in 1819 according to the parish church baptisms held a the Centre for Kentish Studies in Maidstone. No further information is known about her as she doesn't turn up in any census records or civil registrations.





The final unknown is Harriett b. 1829 Uckfield, Sussex which is 8 years after her brother George. Harriett is the only child to be born in Uckfield and would make her mother, Elizabeth, 46 years old at the time. Therefore, it is possible that Harriett is the child of another DAWES family or one of their children although my source for her birth is her baptism on 01 March 1829 to Thomas DAW (labourer) and Elizabeth at Holy Cross Church, Uckfield. It is also possible that she was born before 1829 and only baptised after the family settled in Uckfield. In the 1841 census, Harriett is shown living with the family of her older brother Thomas "the bricklayer" while her parents were living with her oldest brother William. By 1851, she is an under-kitchenmaid in service in the village of Glynde near Lewes.

The civil death registrations have a death for a Harriett Dawes in Hailsham in 1853. This is a case where her death certificate needs to be ordered to confirm her parents.

The Sarah DAWES Line

Sarah (b. 1811) was the last of the family to be born in Hadlow, Kent before the family moved to East Peckham, Kent. Sarah is believed to have had an illegitimate daughter, Eliza, about 1840 in Uckfield. Eliza went on to marry James MOON in 1857 Uckfield although there is no further infromation on this family. Sarah is believed to have died in Uckfield in 1864 still unmarried.

The George (1) DAWES Line

George Dawes (1821-1869) is the last child born in East Peckfield before the family moved back to Uckfield. George first married Esther COTTINGTON (1831-1863) in 1849 Uckfield and had five children with her. Esther died in 1863 and George married the widow of his nephew Henry who died in 1864. This line connects the COOPER and MUGRIDGE families to the DAWES.

George and Esther had 5 children and all except Fanny married and had families that can be flound in later posts of this blog. George and Sophia has 2 children and I only have additional details for Charles also found later in this blog.

The Elizabeth (DAWES) MITCHELL Line

Elizabeth Dawes (1816-1879) was also born in East Peckham before moving to Uckfield with the family. In 1846, she married Henry Mitchell (1809-1886) in Lewes in 1846 but had already had a son, Oliver, by him in 1839. Oliver married Anna Maria Wickens in 1863 Uckfield and had three daughters, Grace, Blanche and Elizabeth, of which Blanche was the only one to marry and carry on the family into the twentieth century.

The Frances (DAWES) HEMSLEY Line

This is a small line. Frances DAWES (1814-1892) was the first child of Thomas "the labourer" and Elizabeth who was born in East Peckham. An 1809 removal order directed the family back to Uckfield, Sussex from Hadlow, Kent. They weren't quick in responding and had two more children in Hadlow before moving. Along the way they had Frances, Elizabeth, Mary and George before arriving back in Uckfield. Frances married Henry Hemsley (1812-1870) in Uckfield on 18 Oct 1840 and they had one child, Henry, b. 1837 before they married who died in 1853 at the age of 16.

The Thomas (1) DAWES Line

This is the 3rd Thomas in a string of four. I refer to him as Thomas "the bricklayer." He married Ann LANGRIDGE (1814-1876) in Lewes, Sussex on 10 Nov. 1834. He died of cancer at age 42 in 1851 right after the census leaving his wife Ann with five children under the age of sixteen. The children dispersed at this point and became very hard to trace. In 1856, Ann remarried to a James GALLOP and had a daughter, Caroline b. 1856 as well. In 1861, they were living in Brighton and had her son Thomas "the builder" living with them and working as a wheelwright.

The Jane Ann (DAWES) CHATFIELD Line

Jane Ann Dawes (1805-1851) married three times to Thomas CHATFIELD (sometimes recorded as CHALFIELD) then William COOKE and finally John BENNETT. There is no marriage record for her and William COOKE although she appears as his wife in the 1841 census. She had two children with William whose names are COOKE while her children with Thomas retained their CHATFIELD surname. In 1851, Jane A. BENNETT is listed as the wife of John BENNETT although I don't believe that she had married him because William COOKE had been committed to the Uckfield Union Workhouse. In the same census her son Henry CHATFIELD (21) and daughter Jane COOKE (17) are visiting because I believe she was dying as she disappears from future censuses and there is a death registration for Jane BENNETT in the March quarter of 1851 Hailsham. Her son Henry CHATFIELD (1829-1912) had nine children who carried the name through into the twentieth century.

The William (1) DAWES Line

William DAWES and his wife Elizabeth (surname unknown) had five children. Henry b. 1831 married Sophia SANTER. Henry died in 1864 at age 33 and his widow married his uncle George b. 1821. George was also a widower after his first wife, Esther COTTINGHAM, died in 1863 so between all parents the final family consisted of eight children. Both Catherine and Daniel died young. Elizabeth (1828-1883) married George GURR and started a large family group while Charlotte (1838-1914) married Thomas BARTON and also started a large family group.

The DAWES surname wasn't carried on by any descendants of William. Henry's only child with Sophia before he died was a daughter, Elizabeth (1856-1935) who was in service all her life and never married.

The Oldest Roots

This is the root family starting in Kent.