Henry James Goss and Ann Wenman (née Costin)

Photo © John Salmon (cc-by-sa/2.0)
Holy Trinity, Morgan Street, Bow (now The HAC Bow)
Photo available for reuse under this Creative Commons licence.

Henry James Goss (b. 25 Aug 1832, bap. 16 Sep 1832 All Saints, Poplar) Bachelor, Ship's Caulker, son of Richard John Goss, Ship's Caulker (Richard John Goss and Martha Ayres), married Ann Wenman, Widow, daughter of William Costin, Shipwright and Anne Merchant, on 7 May 1855 at Holy Trinity, Mile End Old Town (Holy Trinity Church, Morgan Street, Tredegar Square, Bow). Witnesses were Mark Jones and Sarah Davidson.

Ann Costin (b. ~1830) had previously married Peter Edward Wenman, widower, Shipwright, at St Mary Magdalene, Gillingham, Kent on 12 Jun 1853. And Peter Edward Wenman had previously married Anne Johnson, in Minster in Sheppey, Kent on 23 May 1847, with whom he had one son:

1. Peter John Wenman b. 19 Mar 1849 (1849 M Quarter in THE SHEPPEY UNION Volume 05 Page 519), mother's maiden name JOHNSON

Ann Wenman (née Johnson) died aged 25 in 1852 M Quarter in THE SHEPPEY UNION Volume 02A Page 348.

Then Peter Edward Wenman died, aged 25, on 15 Jul 1853 (1853 S Quarter in THE SHEPPEY UNION Volume 02A Page 318) and was buried on 19 Jul 1853 in Minster in Sheppey, just a month after his second marriage.

But not before the conception of his posthumous child:

2. Peter Edward Wenman b. 1854 J Quarter in STEPNEY Volume 01C Page 552, mother's maiden name COSTIN. (Found no record after 1861)

Henry James Goss and Ann Costin then added a daughter:

3. Anne Goss b. 1856 J Quarter in STEPNEY Volume 01C Page 555, mother's maiden name COSTIN. (Found no further records.)

Henry and Ann Goss were married for little more than a year, because he died, aged 24, in 1856 S Quarter in WEST HAM UNION Volume 04A Page 27.

In 1861, Ann Goss (31) Widow was living in the household of her father, William Costin (75) Widower, Shipwright, in Bromley[-by-Bow], Poplar and Peter [Edward] Wenman (8) Scholar, listed as William's grandson.

Ann's father, William Costin, died aged 78 in 1865 J Quarter in POPLAR UNION Volume 01C Page 426, which may have precipitated the next event, as Ann Goss (31ish) daughter of William Costin, Shipwright, married a third time to Thomas Lewis (30) Batchelor, Bootmaker, son of William Lewis, Tool Maker, at St Michael and All Angels, Bromley-by-Bow on 19 Nov 1865.

There appears to be no record of his birth nor a baptism, but in 1841 a Thomas Lewis (4) was living with William Lewis (50) with several siblings including Caroline (2), among an enormous list of inhabitants of Pitts Place, St Giles in the Fields. St Giles in the Fields became known as the place where the Great Plague of 1665 originated, causing great mortality and leading to plague pits filling the churchyard. This doesn't sound like a very appealing place to live. Mind you, in 1851, Thomas Lewis (14) Pauper, from St Giles, was an inmate of the Union Workhouse in St Giles in the Fields.

Thomas and Ann Lewis then had two daughters:

4. Caroline Annett Lewis b. 1867 M Quarter in POPLAR UNION Volume 01C Page 639, mother's maiden name wrongly, but usefully, GOSS.
5. Elizabeth Louisa Lewis b. 1870 J Quarter in STEPNEY Volume 01C Page 501, with her mother's maiden name listed as COSTIER (closeish).

In 1871, living in Samuel Street, St Anne Limehouse, Stepney, were Thomas Lewis (34) Labourer at Works from St Giles, Middlesex; Ann Lewis (37); Caroline Lewis (4) and Elizabeth Lewis (10mts).

Meanwhile, also in 1871, in Rose Street, Minster, Sheppey, were Thomas Costin (claiming to be 50) Green Grocer from Sheerness; with Mary Costin (40); Caroline Costin (14), Alfred Costin (12) and William Costin (5).

Thomas Gaving Costin b. 8 Nov 1813, bap. 6 Feb 1814 in Sheerness, records show, was also the son of William Costin and Ann Merchant (who had married in Minster in Sheppey on 16 Jun 1810). Thomas Costin and Ann Lewis late Goss formerly Wenman (née Costin), therefore, were brother and sister.

Thomas Costin son of William Costin, had married Mary Ann Taylor in Minster in Sheppey, Kent on 4 Jun 1852. Thomas and Mary Ann had six children:

1. Thomas Gaven Costin b. 1853 J Quarter in THE SHEPPEY UNION Volume 02A Page 513, bap. 27 Apr 1853 at Holy Trinity, Sheerness. Died at 18 and was buried in Sheppey Cemetery on 26 Mar 1871
2. Caroline Costin b. 1856 S Quarter in SHEPPEY Volume 02A Page 534
3. Alfred William Costin b. 1858 D Quarter in SHEPPEY Volume 02A Page 584. Died, aged 16, in 1875 M Quarter in SHEPPEY Volume 02A Page 580 and was buried in Sheppey Cemetery on 28 Feb 1875
4. William John Costin b. 1860 S Quarter in SHEPPEY Volume 02A Page 573. Died, aged 3, and was buried at Sheppey Cemetery on 20 Sep 1863
5. Mary Ann Costin b. 1863 D Quarter in SHEPPEY Volume 02A Page 665. Died, aged 4, in 1868  M Quarter in SHEPPEY  Volume 02A  Page 450 and was buried at Sheppey Cemetery on 9 Feb 1868
6. William Costin b. 1866 J Quarter in SHEPPEY Volume 02A Page 682

Thomas Costyn (sic) died at 59 in 1872 S Qtr in SHEPPEY Vol 02A Page 438.

There is a death of an Annie Lewis, aged 42, in 1873 M Quarter in WEST HAM UNION Volume 04A Page 49, which I'm certain relates.

Because then, Thomas Lewis married his late wife's brother's widow Mary Ann Costin in Medway, Kent in 1876. Convoluted enough? (Actually, this nearly tripped me up, because Ann Lewis late Goss formerly Wenman (née Costin) and Mary Ann Lewis formerly Costin (née Taylor) were the same age, with the same birthplace. And with no birth or baptism record for Ann, one could almost be forgiven for assuming that Mary Ann earlier called herself Ann and later used Mary and that they were one person. This highlights the need to check all of the members of a household for clues. Only researching Mary's children and working backwards unpicked this immense puzzle.)

In 1881, Thomas Lewis (46) Greengrocer from Middlesex, London was living in Alma Road, Minster in Sheppey with Mary Lewis (50); Elizabeth Lewis (11) from Poplar; William Coston (sic) (15) Green Grocer's Assistant listed as Son and William Newman (17) Servant. Caroline Lewis (14) was working as a General Servant for Peter May in Trinity Road, Minster in Sheppey.

The Sheerness Guardian and East Kent Advertiser of 22 Dec 1888 reported that: "Henry Brend, of Alma Street, Marine Town, was summoned for unlawfully assaulting and beating Thomas Lewis, on dec 12th. The defendant pleaded Not Guilty. The complainant deposed that he was a greengrocer, and resided at Alma Road, Marine Town. About 11:30 on Wednesday night, the 12th inst., he was asleep in bed, when his daughter came and awoke him. She stated that she heard a noise at the front door, and he came down to ascertain the cause. His wife was standing at the door and he saw Brend standing there; but before he had time to ask what he wanted, Brend gave him a heavy blow on the left cheek. Witness closed the door and returned to his room to finish dressing, after which he went in search of a policeman, because he thought that would be the best course to adopt. He met PC Skinner coming towards his house, and just before his arrival, defendant ran away. The constable pursued him, but could not overtake him. Defendant: I did not hit him; I only shook him. His Worship: Shaking him is an assault. Mr Lewis said he did not wish to deal harshly with the defendant on account of his youth; but he would leave the matter in His Worship's superior judgement in the hope it would act as a warning to him. By his Worship: My son is a cab driver, and my wife was sitting up for him. She is so unwell that she can't attend here today. Replying to his Worship, Sergt Highwood said the constable did not see the defendant. William Costin, the complainant's son-in-law [step-son], said that between 11:30 and 12 p.m. He was taking the cushions from his cab to the shop, when defendant came along Alma Road and struck him. He had just passed a policeman and thought it prudent to go for him after the assault was committed. Defendant struck Mr Lewis in his absense. By his Worship: The defendant was formerly in my employ, and I have not spoken to him since he left me. He brought an action against me in the County Court for wages, and it was heard at the November court. The Judge gave a verdict in my favour. Mr Lewis: I saw the corporal on the night of the assault and showed him a mark on my cheek. PC Spencer Clarke, in answer to his Worship, said he saw a slight mark on the cheek, apparently caused by a blow. He saw it shortly after midnight. His Worship said it was clear that the defendant committed the assault out of spite on account of the proceedings at the County Court. He would have to pay a fine of £1 and 10s costs, or to go to prison for 14 days' hard labour. The money was paid."

In 1891, Thomas Lewis (56) Bootmaker (his original trade) was living at 12, Alma Road, Minster in Sheppey with Mary Lewis (60); William Costin (24) Cab Driver from Sheerness, Kent, Wife's Son; Amy H Symond (sic) (14) Grandchild born in Halifax, Nova Scotia (Henrietta Amy Simmonds was the daughter of Charles James Simmonds and Caroline Costin); and William J Pointing (15) Servant General help to cab driver. Elizabeth Lewis (18 - she was 21) from Poplar, London, was General domestic servant to George Watson, Shipwright, next door at 14, Alma Road, Minster in Sheppey.

Mary Ann Lewis formerly Costin (née Taylor) died on 12 Jan 1897 (1897 M Quarter in SHEPPEY Volume 02A Page 557), and was buried at Sheppey Cemetery on 18 Jan 1897. The notice in the press read "LEWIS Jan 12, at 12 Alma Road, Sheerness, Mary Ann, wife of Thomas Lewis, aged 67 years."

Thomas Lewis was buried at Sheppey Cemetery on 24 Apr 1916.