John EDWARDS
John EDWARDS is identified as the father of Enoch EDWARDS on both Enoch's and Matilda's marriage certificates, although he didn't live long enough to see either marry. According to Enoch (and the 1841 census) he was a millwright, while Matilda said engineer. A family oral memory has it that John only spoke Welsh. This would imply that John was born and raised in Wales. According to the 1841 census he was born between 1796 and 1801 in Warwickshire, although I have found the 1841 records often to be inaccurate. Possible birth/christening records (Birth - Christening - Place - Father - Mother) between 1797 - 1801 in Warwickshire include: 24 JUN 1798 Exhall Near Coventry, Warwick RICHARD SARRAH 19 AUG 1798 Lapworth, Warwick JOHN SOPHIA 22 JUL 1798 Tredington, Warwick WM ELIZ. 29 SEP 1798 Saint Phillips, Birmingham BENJAMIN SARAH 07 JUL 1799 Aston Juxta Birmingham, Age at Christening: 1 JOHN REBECCA 20 AUG 1799 Saint Martin, Birmingham, GEORGE CATHARINE (John George) 23 MAY 1800 Solihull, JOHN ELIZABETH 07 JAN 1800 Saint Martin, Birmingham, JOHN LUCY He married Sarah, who was born in 1801/06, in about 1826/7 and they had seven children between about 1827/8 and 1840. His marriage to Sarah can be calculated from the age of his (assumed) first child, Mariah, who was 13 in June 1841. This implies (assuming a respectable 9 month pregnancy) a marriage before Sep 1827. Possible marriage record (of those in Warwickshire) is: Sarah CARTER 15 JUL 1823 Saint Phillips, Birmingham (From Family History Online: "On 15 JUL 1823 at Birmingham St Philip in county of WAR Groom John EDWARDS Status – Occupation – Residence – in county of – Notes – Bride Sarah CARTER Status – Occupation – Residence Shenstone in county of – Notes – Banns or Licence – General Notes – Source –" Unlikely - our Sarah was too young to marry in 1823, and from Staffs not Shrops.) Sarah RANCE CALDICOTT 30 DEC 1824 Edgbaston (From FHO: Date 30 Dec 1824 Groom – John EDWARDS Status – Home – Bride Sarah Rance CALDICOTT Status – Home – Church Edgbaston Extra Details) Sarah GRIGG 27 AUG 1826 Aston Juxta Birmingham Sarah HOLLAND 07 NOV 1826 Charlecote, Warwick Sarah REYNOLDS 15 JAN 1827 Saint Martin, Birmingham And those for Shropshire: Sarah DOWNTON 8 JAN 1827 Pontesbury, Shropshire Another possibility is that Sarah was his second wife. For instance in 1823 a Sophia EDWARDS was christened by John and Sarah EDWARDS. This is too early to be the Sarah born 1801-6. This would then open the possibility that Matilda's mother was another Sarah and that John and Sarah had other earlier children. We know that John had died by 1851, as Sarah was listed as a widow in the 1851 Census. Potential death records include: Dec 1841 - EDWARDS John Birmingham 16 221 Mar 1842 - EDWARDS John Kings Norton 18 349 Mar 1842 - EDWARDS John Birmingham 16 205 Sep 1842 - Edwards John Birmingham 16 196 Mar 1844 - Edwards John Birmingham 16 214 Sep 1844 - EDWARDS John Birmingham 16 169 Dec 1844 - EDWARDS John Solihull 16 342 Mar 1845 - EDWARDS John Birmingham 16 200 Dec 1845 - EDWARDS John Kings Norton 18 266 Dec 1845 - EDWARDS John Birmingham 16 230 Dec 1846 - Edwards John Birmingham 16 279 Mar 1847 - Edwards John Birmingham 16 259 Jun 1847 - Edwards John Birmingham 16 260 Sep 1847 - Edwards John Birmingham 16 185 Mar 1849 - Edwards John Birmingham 16 * Jun 1849 - Edwards John Birmingham 16 229 Mar 1850 - EDWARDS John Sadler Birmingham 16 251 Mar 1851 - EDWARDS John Foleshill 16 375 Mar 1851 - EDWARDS John Aston 16 173 His lack of children after June 1841 may indicate a death nearer 1841. A John EDWARDS, builder is mentioned in a building lease prepared by Beale & Co, Solicitors before 1845 for property next to a turnpike road from Birmingham to Coleshill in the village of Saltley. 1 2 3
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