Comments

Can you tell us on which census you found his birth place? I can find a William BRIFFET of the right age in Llantillio Crossenny in 1851 but his birthplace is just Somerset and he's unmarried so probably not your gg grandfather - he is also on the 1861 census.  Most of the BRIFFET entries in Wales who are from Somerset seem to give their birth place as Bridgwater

GODING is another name which crops up in Axbridge Workhouse.  Two illegitimate children of Amelia GODING from Banwell are christened in the Workhouse - Fanny in 1870 and Walter in 1874.  In 1872 Amelia appears in the Workhouse Punishment Book and is locked up for 7 hours for bad conduct.  In 1875 she married Reuben RADFORD who was admitted to Axbridge himself at least 3 times during 1881 and was there when the census was taken - he died in the Workhouse in 15th Feb 1890 and was buried in Weston Cemetery on the 20th Feb 1890.  Amelia RADFORD (nee GODDING) in the meantime was housekeeper to John HARSE in Weston in 1881and appears to have anticipated her husband's death by marrying John HARSE in Bristol in 1883!  She is buried in Weston Cemetery as Amelia HARSE in 1892 along with her new husband John, who died in 1893.

By the way Amelia isn't the only GODING in Axbridge Workhouse!

Yes, this is the same Robert Cleve who married Ann Filer 1/4/1771in Blagdon. He was a labourer and they appear to be quite a poor family. I think one of his sons dies in a Bristol asylum for the poor. There are many Cleaves records in High Littleton (also a few in Long Ashton around this time) and I was wondering about trying to find the parish records for Nempnett Thrumbnett as it adjoins Butcombe.

I have seen the  Ancestry tree and realised the dates are wrong the name Unity does appear amongst Robert's Grandchildren although that could be pure co-incindence.

I have checked FreeREG and I am beginning to think that Robert could be a brick wall.

Thank you, I do appreciate your help.

From checking census records from 1841 to 1891 I think Isaac and Hester had more than six children.  There are children called, Thomas, Jacob and Jane, born between 1831 and 1835 in the 1841 census records as well as those mentioned in the 1851 census, and one other, William, mentioned in the 1861 census.  The only information I have on my great grandfather, George Edwards (one of Isaac and Hester's children), was from a death certificate that I obtained from BDM in Sydney, Australia that said that his father's name was Isaac and he was a butcher and that George was born in Somerset.  I think I have since worked out from the 1881 census that Isaac Edwards was a pork butcher. Hester, his wife, I believe, passed away about 1869.  I have no information on George as to how he came to Australia, but I believe that he travelled to Australia with Alfred Henry Bisdee somewhere between 1850 and 1860.  Any other information would be greatly appreciated.

Am I right in thinking that this is the Robert CLIVE (CLEVE) who married Anne or Anna FILER or TILER or TYLER in Blagdon on All Fools Day 1771?  It looks as if his wife was baptised in Blagdon as Anna TYLER d/o John & Susanne 17th May 1747. As he was buried as Robert CLEAVE you will have to look for all the variants of his surname.

Somerset is particularly poorly represented on Familysearch but he might not have come from Somerset.  Have you tried FreeREG which is becoming a very helpful tool to find Somerset baptisms? - I would look for baptisms between 1740 and 1750. Look at the names of his children - to see if there is a similarity with the names of possible parents.  Have you any idea what his occupation was?

Be aware that there is a family tree on Ancestry which suggests that his parents were John CLEVES and Unity SUTTON but as they were not married until 1769 in Ditcheat and John (the father) was only 2 years older than Robert (the son) this looks highly unlikely!

Adding to my earlier comment - I have an interest in Axbridge Workhouse and Isaac EDWARDS, aged 94, from Hutton, died in Axbridge Workhouse on the 25th August 1900 and was buried at Hutton on the 29th August 1900.  Is he your relative?  It is likely that as the Workhouse had a hospital attached that he was admitted as a patient to the Workhouse Hospital.  I haven't transcribed the admissions for that period so I can't say how long he was in the Workhouse - those records are in the Somerset Heritage Centre in Taunton.