Research Forum

Who did Samuel STOKES marry?
published by Pat Hase on Sun, 19/09/2021 - 0:36

My 2 x great grandfather Charles STOKES was christened in Wraxall on the 2nd Jan 1820, the son of Samuel and Elizabeth STOKES. Samuel was described as a labourer. I think that Samuel and Elizabeth could have been married at St James Church, Bristol on 23rd Oct 1815. They later had 3 children.

I haven't found the birth of an Elizabeth PEATES who fits the requirements to be the mother of Charles. Could she have been a widow?

There is a newspaper account which might have been her in the Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette Publication date: Thursday 05 August 1824 which has this entry

"Patients who have been discharged from Bath Hospital included: Elizabeth STOKES, Wraxall, Somerset, pain and weakness of her joints and limbs from rheumatism - much better"

I do have a death for Elizabeth STOKES in 1838, after which Samuel marries again. An Elizabeth STOKES was buried in Wraxall Churchyard 25 March 1838, aged 44 which suggests that she might have been born in about 1794. Can anyone find any information about Elizabeth PEATES?

Comments ..

Submitted by daveerasmus on Wed, 22/09/2021 - 19:31

Hi Pat.

As you know, I also have STOKES ancestors. So I have Samuel and Elizabeth in my tree even though I am not a direct descendant of theirs. For what it is worth I have exactly the same information as you. That doesn't help very much though I'm afraid.

Although Elizabeth's name has been correctly transcribed as PEATES, I did wonder if it might have been recorded incorrectly in the marriage record (I note that she marked). For example, might it have been PITTS or PETERS? The marriage was concluded after Banns. Have you managed to find a record of the Banns?

Dave Erasmus

Submitted by Pat Hase on Sun, 26/09/2021 - 10:49

Thank you Dave, I haven't found the Banns for St James yet. In 1815, on the same day and at the same church another Samuel STOKES was married to a Mary HIGGS, with the same witnesses - William & Ann LODGE - they witnessed all three marriages which took place that day. I also wonder whether errors might have occurred in entering these marriages.

I had been thinking along the same lines as you and had looked at PEARCE as a possibility but hadn't thought of PETERS - I'll look again. I looked at PEARCE because when Samuel married for the 2nd time in Wraxall in 1840 two people with that surname were witnesses - John & Martha PEARCE. I believe John & Martha were brother and sister to Samuel's second wife, Nancy (Ann) but they did also have a sister called Elizabeth who was christened in 1801 in Wraxall who was a little young to be Elizabeth PEATES - but who knows?

Submitted by gricharduk on Sat, 04/12/2021 - 3:20

I wondered if Elizabeth might be WEEKS (I know that is a bit of stretch)? It was a relatively common surname in North Somerset for that period. In the year following the baptism of Charles, and on the same page, an Elizabeth Weeks is baptised at Wraxall on 29 June 1794, the daughter of John and Mary Weeks.

Perhaps the old reverend might have been a bit deaf!

Best regards,
Richard

Submitted by Pat Hase on Sat, 04/12/2021 - 15:11

What an interesting suggestion! I can imagine some confusion caused with PEATES and WEEKS if the diction wasn't very clear - the central part of the name is very similar but I can't say I had ever considered it. I was wondering if she was a widow when she married Samuel STOKES. Oh well, back to the drawing board! Can't find a marriage or a suitable burial for the Elizabeth WEEKS born in 1794 so this is a real possibility.