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Plymouth Minster: nave, Friday, 30 June, 2023 |
Thomas Back (39), Labourer, listing himself as a Bachelor and misnaming his father as Thomas Back, Shipwright, married
Mary Drake (42) (b. 20 Apr 1810 and baptised in Stoke Damerel on 15 Dec 1812), daughter of
Thomas Drake, Shipwright and Frances Poad, at the Chapel of East Stonehouse (
St George, which was badly damaged during World War II in 1941, and demolished in 1957) on
22 Jun 1852. Both gave their address as
20 George Street, which is in Devonport, so a marriage in Stonehouse definitely seemed an odd choice. Thomas Back undoubtedly
thought he was committing bigamy and these anomalies certainly make it look like he was actively trying to hide it.
Thomas Back (bap. 24 Oct 1813 in
Stoke Damerel), actually the son of John Back, Shipwright and Martha Norton, had previously married
Eliza Stafford (bap. 28 Jul 1814 in Stoke Damerel), 'Spinster', daughter of Samuel Stafford,
said to have been a Sergeant in the
43rd Regiment of Foot, on
7 Aug 1837 at
St Andrew's Church, Plymouth. On this marriage certificate, Thomas Back was (correctly) listed as a Mariner (Thomas Back b. 1813 is listed among
Britain, Merchant Seamen, 1835-1857), son of John Back, Shipwright.
However,
George Wright, Seaman, and
Elizabeth Stafford, Spinster, had married at
Stoke Damerel Church on
7 Aug 1832. Witnesses to this marriage were John Williams and Geo[rge] Nettle. Oh and just to double-check, I have researched and Samuel Stafford didn't have another daughter called Elizabeth, so this had to have been Eliza. As she didn't call herself a widow - and was again marrying under her maiden name of Stafford - when she married in 1837, we have to assume that Eliza was committing bigamy, so actually Thomas Back's marriage to her would have been automatically void.
We know this is her, because George and Eliza Wright had a son:
- Samuel George Stafford Wright, bap. 11 Apr 1834 at Stoke Damerel Church, son of George Wright, Mariner, and Eliza.
And we know this because, in 1841, listed as Samuel Stafford, aged 8, this child was living with his grandparents, Samuel and Mary Stafford. (Thomas Back may have been led to believe he was Eliza's illegitimate son.) In 1851, he was listed as Samuel Wright, then 18, and was living with Eliza's father.
So what did happen to
George Wright? Sadly, I don't have the answer. I did find a George Wright (~25) on the Stirling Castle, Convict Hulk, in Stoke Damerel in 1841, but no means of knowing if he was the right George Wright. If he was a seaman, he could have sailed off into the sunset, or have had wives in every port. That would change things, but I can see no way of tracking him down, nor isolating the correct records from so many with that name.
Thomas and Eliza Back had two daughters:
- Mary Ann Elizabeth Back b. 1838 J Quarter in STOKE DAMEREL Volume 09 Page 418 (mother's maiden name Stafford), bap. 25 Jul 1839 at Stoke Damerel Church, daughter of Thomas Back, Mariner and Eliza.
- Eliza Ann Beck (sic) b. 1840 S Quarter in STOKE DAMEREL Volume 09 Page 395. Died, aged 1y 11mts, on 26 Aug 1842 (1842 S Quarter in STOKE DAMEREL Volume 09 Page 332), and buried on 30 Aug 1842 in Stoke Damerel. The address on the burial record was 26, Clowance Lane, Devonport. (Eliza's father lived in Clowance Lane in 1841).
Thomas and Eliza must have parted ways in the early 1840's, because in the second quarter of 1844 William Hill and Eliza Stafford married in Stoke Damerel. (Awaiting certificate for confirmation, but I believe him to have been William Hill bap. 28 May 1826 in Stoke Damerel, son of John Hill, Mariner and Sarah Staton). Eliza's marriage to Thomas Back was void, but George Wright would need to have died, otherwise she was committing bigamy again, and we can tell that she absolutely knew she was, because if she'd been a widow, she wouldn't be marrying for a third time as Eliza Stafford.
So Eliza's marriage to William Hill was technically invalid too. And what was she telling her dad, that these mariners kept getting lost at sea?
Nevertheless, William and Eliza Hill had six more children together:
- Caroline Hill b. 23 Sep 1844 (1844 S Quarter in STOKE DAMEREL Volume 09 Page 437), bap. 11 May 1845 at Stoke Damerel
- Sarah Maria Hill b. 1846 S Quarter in STOKE DAMEREL Volume 09 Page 445 (No baptism record found)
- Lavinia Hill b. 22 Jul 1849 (1849 J Quarter in STOKE DAMEREL Volume 09 Page 464), bap. 3 Oct 1855 at St Mary's Church, Devonport
- John William Hill b. 2 Jun 1852 (1852 J Quarter in STOKE DAMEREL Volume 05B Page 300), bap. 3 Oct 1855 at St Mary's Church, Devonport
- Eliza Ann Hill b. 16 Sep 1855 (1855 S Quarter in STOKE DAMEREL Volume 05B Page 268), bap. 3 Oct 1855 at St Mary's Church, Devonport
- Elizabeth Jane Hill b. 1858 D Quarter in STOKE DAMEREL Volume 05B Page 286 (No baptism record found)
The mother's maiden name on all six birth registrations was Stafford.
In 1851, William Hill (the curly writing had been miss-transcribed as Still) (32) Waterman from Devonport was living at 6, Pembroke Street, Stoke Damerel, Devon, with Eliza Hill (36) Wife, Charwoman; Caroline (~12), Sarah (6) and Lavinia (4) and Mary A Back (12) described as his Daughter-In-Law - often used interchangeably, as here, to mean Step-Daughter. Both Caroline and Lavinia were also names of Eliza's sisters, which is how I found them and the correct surname, searching for anybody with those given names, whose mother was Stafford. Also living at 6, Pembroke Street, Stoke Damerel, in 1851, in a separate household, was Eliza's father, Samuel Stafford (59) Widower, Chelsea Pensioner; with his son William Stafford (22) Waterman (same occupation as William Hill) and grandson, Samuel Wright (18).
In 1861, at 4, Canterbury Street, Stoke Damerel, were William Hill (35) Waterman from Devonport; Eliza Hill (~45) Wife; Caroline Hill (17), Sarah Hill (15), Lavinia Hill (12), John Hill (9), Eliza Hill (7) and Elizabeth Hill (3).
In 1871, at 5, Prospect Row, Stoke Damerel, Devon, were William Hill (46) Waterman; Eliza Hill (56), Eliza Hill (16) and Elizabeth (12). (Next door were William Eustes (26) Seaman RN and wife Sarah (24) (née Sarah Maria Hill).
Eliza Hill, wife of William Hill, a Labourer, died on 28 Jan 1881 (1881 M Quarter in STOKE DAMEREL Volume 05B Page 241), at 5, Prospect Row, Stoke Damerel, with her age under-estimated to 63. The informant was Caroline Langmead, daughter, in attendance, of 4, Prospect Row, Stoke Damerel. (Source: Andrews Newspaper Index Cards.)
In 1881, William Hill (54) Widower, General Labourer was a 'Boarder' in the household of Eliza Felwick (26) Seaman's Wife at 18, Monument Street, Devonport. (Eliza Ann Hill had married Arthur Felwick in 1876.)
In 1891, William Hill (with his age over-estimated to 69) Widower, appears to have been living alone at 15, Pembroke Street, Devonport.
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| 43rd Regiment of Foot 1810 |
Eliza's parents: Bans were read on the 1st, 8th and 15th of August 1813 for the marriage between
Samuel Stafford and
Mary Winn,
Widow, both then of the parish of
St Andrew, Plymouth. Presumably they married there, however, I've not yet found the record of the actual marriage. As Mary was a widow, obviously, Winn was not her maiden name, but I've not yet been able to confirm what her maiden name was, nor when or to whom she was previously married (or indeed what happened to her previous husband - for all we know, there could be a pattern here).
When I read on the marriage certificate of the (
bigamous) marriage of Eliza to Thomas Back in 1837, that her father was allegedly of the 43rd Regiment of Foot, my first search was to see if that regiment had been in Plymouth at the relevant time and indeed, "
The 1st Battalion of the 43rd (Monmouthshire) Regiment of Foot arrived in England from overseas in July 1814 and was quartered at Plymouth, Devon."
Clearly, Samuel Stafford had arrived before the rest of the regiment and his service records provide the rest of the story: Samuel Stafford, born ~1789 (well, he said he was 16) from
Lambeth, Surrey, service number 121034976, had joined the army on 14 Mar 1805. His rank was Private, so (
no surprise), his daughter had given him a couple of promotions. Samuel Stafford was discharged from the army on 15 Apr 1813, "
in consequence of a gunshot wound to the hip at Badajoz on 27 Mar 1812". This will have been sustained taking part in the
Siege of Badajoz (1812), during the
Peninsular War.
At the time of his discharge, Samuel was 24 years old, 5ft 3in tall, with dark hair, grey eyes and a pale complexion. He was granted a pension from 6 May 1813. This fits in neatly just before the date the banns were read.
Samuel and Mary Stafford had these six children:
- Eliza Stafford bap. 28 Jul 1814 at Stoke Damerel Church
- Lavinia Luke Stafford bap. 29 Jul 1818 at St Andrew's, Plymouth
- Mary Ann Luke Stafford b. 18 Feb 1818, bap. 27 Jan 1819 at St Andrew's, Plymouth
- Samuel James Stafford bap. 25 Dec 1820 at St Andrew's, Plymouth. Died aged 3yrs 4mts and was buried on 8 Jun 1824 at Stoke Damerel
- Caroline Stafford b. 30 Sep 1822, bap. 3 Feb 1823 Wesleyan Methodist
- William Daniel Stafford bap. 26 Dec 1825 at Stoke Damerel Church
The family's address was Plymouth Dock (Devonport). With two of the girls being given the name Luke as a middle name, could this have been Mary's maiden name? I've not found a marriage of a Winn and a Luke to confirm it.
In 1841, living in Clowance Lane, Stoke Damerel, Devon, were Samuel Stafford (55) Army P[ensioner] (Samuel Stafford is marked as NOT being born in Devon); Mary Stafford (55), Caroline Stafford (15), William Stafford (14) and Samuel Stafford (8). There are no indications of relationships on this census, but we now know this boy was their grandson, Eliza's son.
Mary Stafford died, with her age listed as 67, in 1849 S Quarter in STOKE DAMEREL Volume 09 Page 459, suggesting a year of birth of 1782.
In 1851, as listed above, Samuel Stafford (59) Widower, Chelsea Pensioner; was living at 6, Pembroke Street, Stoke Damerel, with his son William Stafford (22) Waterman and grandson, Samuel Wright (18). Curiously, on this census, Samuel Stafford lists his place of birth as
St Peters, Worcester. That's a bit too specific to be some random error, but is a long way from Lambeth that's on his army records. I cannot find a baptism for him at either.
Samuel Stafford, Pensioner, died on 29 Dec 1852 (1853 M Quarter in STOKE DAMEREL Volume 05B Page 225) and his cause of death was "
An accidental fall". He was buried at Stoke Damerel Church on 3 Jan 1853. Mentioned in
The Western Courier of 5 Jan 1853. His army records erroneously killed him off on 28 Dec, then corrected it to the 29 Dec. His age was given as 69, which would compute back to a year of birth of 1783, which is a few years older than on his army records. In this case, I think the reason for that was because his wife was older than him and his children would probably have thought, or been led to believe, their parents were around the same age.
Research for a future date: Eliza's son Samuel George Stafford Wright married and all six of Eliza's children with William Hill lived to adulthood and married too. The only one of Eliza's children who I can't locate is her daughter with Thomas Back, Mary Ann Elizabeth Back, not yet confirmed after 1851. Well, there are some potential options, but only as either Mary or Mary Ann, but none that can be absolutely proven with corroborating evidence.
So, finally back to our original protagonists ...
In 1841, Mary Drake (30) had been residing in
Hill Street, St Helier, Jersey, along with her widowed mother, Frances Drake (75), and children Edward Drake (9) and Mary Drake (5). There is a baptism for this latter child, in St Helier, Jersey on 25 Jun 1837, illegitimate daughter of Mary Drake.
Mary Drake actually had 4 illegitimate children:
- Edmund Drake b. 5 Oct 1831, bap. 22 Jan 1849 in Stoke Damerel, Devon, son of Mary Drake, Single Woman. Mary's eldest illegitimate child was listed, in 1841, as Edward Drake, born around 1832 on the Isle of Jersey. On both of his marriages, Edmund named his father as Edmund Drake (often correct, but also common is saying the same as one's own name when the father is not known). He also lists his father as a Tailor. Mary was a Tailoress and again, when people make stuff up for the records, there's usually a grain of truth in it, as we can see here.
- Mary Drake (bap. 25 Jun 1837 in St Helier, Jersey) died on 3 Jun 1878 (1878 J Quarter in STOKE DAMEREL Volume 05B Page 261) with age estimated as 38 (she was 40). She was buried on 7 Jun 1878, with her abode on the burial record as 40, Cannon Street, Devonport.
- George Drake b. 23 Jun 1843, bap. 30 Jul 1843, illegitimate son of Mary Drake with abode given as Workhouse. George Drake from Devonport, Devon, with his date of birth listed as 23 Jun 1843 joined the Royal Navy at the Royal William Yard on 31 Jul 1857 as a Boy 2nd Class, service number 34047. At that time, the 14 year old was 4ft 9in tall, with a fair complexion, brown hair and blue eyes. He was at the Royal William Yard until Oct 1857; from Jan-Dec 1859 with HMS Impregnable (1810); from Dec 1859 to Aug 182 with HMS Hydra (1838) on the North America and West Indies Station; In 1861, at 17, George was with the "Royal Navy At Sea And In Ports Abroad", with HMS Hydra in Havana, Cuba; from Aug 1862 to Feb 1864 with HMS Trafalgar (1841); then six months at HMS Wellesley; his last ship was the armoured frigate, HMS Achilles (1863) with the Channel Fleet, from 30 Sep 1864, until his date of discharge, 13 Feb 1868, when his record states that he was invalided. (He wasn't with the Navy in 1871 and he was NOT the George Drake who died at sea in 1878, as he'd left the Navy a decade earlier.) Our George Drake, from Devonport, Devon, next turns up, in 1881, aged 39, as a Boarder in the household of Cornwallis Johnson from Shelford, Cambridgeshire at 19, Pitt Street, Stansfield, Todmorden, Yorkshire, employed as Cellarman at cotton mill. Not found him again.
- Thomas Drake, later known as Thomas Back b. 15 Oct 1850 in Stoke Damerel Workhouse, bap. 17 Nov 1850 at Stoke Damerel Parish Church of St Andrew with St Luke, son of Mary Drake, Single Woman.
In 1851, we still find Mary Drake (44) Unmarried, Tayloress (sic) living in
Stoke Damerel Workhouse, accompanied by Mary Drake (14) born in St Helier, Jersey; George Drake (8) and Thomas Drake (0).
(In 1851, there is a record of a Thomas Beck (also transcribed as Bick) (37), by occupation a Sail Maker born in Devonport, Unmarried, living at 7, Mount Street, Stoke Damerel, Devon, listed as being Deaf. While this is the only record of someone who is about the right age, about the right name and in about the right place, I am certain this is NOT him. Sail maker is a skill that this Mariner or Labourer hasn't otherwise used and the disability of deafness is not mentioned on any of the subsequent census records that we can identify as Thomas Back, who appears to have evaded this census.)
After their marriage in 1852, Thomas and Mary added a daughter:
- Eliza Back b. 21 Aug 1853 (1853 S Qtr in STOKE DAMEREL Vol 05B Page 266), bap. 12 Jan 1855 at St Mary's Church, Devonport, daughter of Thomas, Labourer, and Mary of 5 Trafalgar Court, Devonport
In 1861, living at 19, Dockwall Street, Stoke Damerel, Devon, were Thomas Back (42) Town Commissioner's Labourer; Mary Back (49), Mary Drake (22) Domestic Servant born in Jersey, Chanel Islands; Thomas Back (9) and Eliza Back (6). The jury's still out on whether Thomas was the biological son of Thomas Back, however, this census gives us the strongest evidence to suggest that he was, because they've made the distinction that Mary's daughter had the surname Drake and could have done the same for Thomas.
In 1871, at 17, Dockwall Street, Stoke Damerel, were Thomas Back (~57) Labourer; Mary Back (59) Tailoress; Mary Back (sic) (30) Servant born in Jersey; Thomas Back (20) Tailor and Eliza Back (17) Tailoress.
Mary Back of 40, Cannon Street, Devonport died on 20 Apr 1883 (1883 J Quarter in STOKE DAMEREL Volume 05B Page 226), with her age over-estimated to 75. As Mary Beck (sic) she was buried at
Milehouse Cemetery in Devonport, on 24 Apr 1883.
Thomas Back, then of Chapel Street, died five years later, on 12 Nov 1888 (1888 D Quarter in STOKE DAMEREL Volume 05B Page 217), with his age over-estimated to 78. He was buried (again miss-transcribed as Thomas Beck) on 16 Nov 1888 also at Milehouse Cemetery. On the cemetery records, M Back and T Back and the relevant dates are written next to each other on the page, so it it may be that they were reunited for a time. Sadly, in 1967, the cemetery was closed and cleared.
(My interest is because I'm
VERY distantly related to Mary Drake, by marriage, through her eldest son,
Edmund Drake. His son,
Edward Charles Drake, married
Emma Jane Gloyne. Her sister,
Maria Gloyne probably met my dad, when he was 3 weeks old, at her daughter,
Kathleen Mullarkey's wedding to
Frederick Thomas Stone on 4 Aug 1923. My grandfather,
Charley Stone was his 1st cousin and was best man at that wedding.)
