Stephen Bignell
BIRTH April 1841 • Bishops Sutton, Hampshire, England
DEATH January 1887 • Alresford, Hampshire, England
2nd great-grandfather
Ancestry Synopsis at start.
When Stephen Bignell was born in April 1841 in Bishops Sutton, Hampshire, his father, William, was 25 and his mother, Mary, was 20. He married Elizabeth Ann Russell on 22 January 1863 in his hometown. They had 11 children in 23 years. He died in January 1887 in Alresford at the age of 45, and was buried in Bishops Sutton, Hampshire.
Introduction - Explanation
Discovery
I have decided to split the information about this person into two main sections. The first is discovery. Generally the first discovery is from Ancestry Trees and Hints. For the avoidance of repetition, I will not repeat that in the Discovery section for each person. Sometimes the lead maybe from MyHeritage, or other similar genealogy sites. Where that is the case, I will state so. Another lead could be DNA, including Ancestry's ThroughLines, again to be stated.
However, the main point of the discovery section is to create something of a story for the person and his or her life. A brief synopsis, sometimes over and above that created by Ancestry's AI.
Data Sheet
The next part is the Data Sheet. Designed to be the collection of all the records, and information found about the person. It can include records already shown in the Discovery Section, for completeness of the Data Sheet. However, although the template is structured for lots of possible information, I am sure that there will be times when there will be many gaps, which will be left so, just in case more information comes to light at a later time.
Structure
The structure of the family website is multifaceted. It depends of where you come into the site as to how transparent this is. The most simple page is that of a single person. More complicated is a single family, where there is a father and the articles within for associated people such as wife and children. The next level is multi-generation built around a hub, Articles within articles, generation after generation. With time it slowly grows. Each person within the growing mass, has a single focused article with a similar structure. This method, I think, gives structure to the reader, and to me.
This itself is a snippet which is frequently repeated, and not therefore specific.
Discovery
Discovery for Stephen Bignail [Bignell]
Early documents
One of the early documents found was his marriage record.
The 1861 Census
From the 1861 Census for Bishop's Sutton, Hampshire, England we find Stephen Bignall [Bignell], relationship to head, servant, Unmarried, of 20 years of age with an occupation of Carter. Place of birth Hampshire, Bishop's Sutton. Estimated year of birth 1841.
We need to look at the previous page to get the location, and who the head of the family was.
Joining the two pages together, there is a potential for something of a story here.
Light blue marker, highlights William and Mary Bignell, Stephen's parents living at Northside Farm.
The next property on the enumerator's walk is Sutton Farm, highlighted in brown. It would therefore appear the Stephen had just moved next door to find work. Not only did he find work but he also found romance. Highlighted in yellow we find Elizabeth A Russell, relationship to head, servant, Unmarried, of 19 years of age with an occupation of Dairy Maid. Place of birth Hampshire, Itchen Stoke. Estimated year of birth 1842.
That romance appears to have resulted in the marriage recorded above, given the proximity, and the matching of names and ages.
The head of the family at Sutton Farm is George Judd, Male, age 46, estimated year of birth 1815 and place of birth Winterslow, Wiltshire, England. He is a farmer of 875 acres, employing 8 men and 3 boys.
George Judd had an entry in Kelly’s Directory of Hampshire 1855 as a Farmer in Bishop's Sutton.
The image below is a repeat of the 1851 Census in Bishop's Sutton, showing the same parents. The siblings shown below have probably moved out to find work, apart from Mary Ann, who, by 1861 Census 13 years of age which matches the entry above.
Data Sheet
The Data Sheet for Stephen Bignail [Bignell]
Probably due to the times, and general level of illiteracy, the spelling of surnames fluctuates. The current consistent surname is Bignell, and that will be our theme irrespective of the spelling on individual documents.
Baptism
Found by page turning the images of the document instead of using search or hints. Slower, but then I can pick up changes in spelling and/or transcription errors.
An extract of the Baptism register for Bishop's Sutton, Hampshire, England.
On 11th April 1841, Stephen, son of William and Mary Bignail [Bignell] was baptised. They resided in Bishop's Sutton, abbreviated as Sutton, and his father was a Labourer.
Marriage
Marriage of Stephen Bignel and Elizabeth Ann Russel in 1863
The marriage in the parish church (of St Nicholas) in the Parish of Bishop's Sutton, in the County of Southampton ( now known as the county of Hampshire)
On January 22 1863 Stephen Bignel [Bignell], of 22 years of age, a bachelor, whose occupation was recorded as a Labourer residing in Bishop's Sutton, married;
Elizabeth Ann Russell, of 20 years of age, a spinster, residing in Bishop's Sutton,
It was an established church, Church of England marriage by Banns. There appears to be no explicit approval of the wedding in respect of Elizabeth Ann being only 20.
Their fathers were recorded as being William Bignel [Bignell] and a not recorded person, respectively, the former a Labourer.
Stephen Bignell did not signed his own name and is annotated with X. Elizabeth Russel appears to have signed her own name.
The marriage was in the presence of Henry Bignell and Charlotte Bignell, and conducted by the curate, Henry Watts.
Census and Voting Registers
1841
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1851
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1861
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1871
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1881
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1891
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1901
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1911
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Children
Elizabeth Ann Bignell nee Russell and Stephen Bignell children's Baptism Records.
1864
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1865
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1866
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1867
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1868
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1869
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1870
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1871
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1872
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1873
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Work and locations
Death
Conclusion
Key data about Elizabeth Eldridge and her family.
Dates
Key Dates
Name | Birth | Baptism | Marriage | Death | Interval between children | Mothers age at birth |
Elizabeth Eldridge | 23rd July 1826 | 19th August 1849 | (Marriage 25 y, 1 m, 29 d) | |||
James Hone | 19th August 1849 | |||||
Elizabeth Hone | 25th August 1850 | 24th November 1850 | (Marriage 2 y, 7 m, 28 d) | 27 years, 9 months, 26 days | ||
1 year, 1 month, 7 days | 28 years, 11 months, 1 day | |||||
Data Sources / Evidence
Key Data Sources / Evidence
Baptism | Census | ||||||||||||
Name | Birth | Record |
Parish Image |
1841 |
1851 |
1861 |
1871 |
1881 |
1891 |
1901 |
1911 |
Death | |
Elizabeth Eldridge | X | 25 | 45 | 53 | Charwoman | ||||||||
James Hone | X | 25 | 45 | 55 | -- | -- | -- | Carman | |||||
Elizabeth Hone | X | X | X | -- | 7 m | -- | ^^ | ^^ | |||||
-- | -- | Greengrocer assistant, Dock labourer | |||||||||||
-- | -- | Farrier, Fish Monger | |||||||||||
-- | -- | Seaman, Dock labourer | |||||||||||
-- | -- | Charwoman | |||||||||||
-- | -- | ||||||||||||
-- | -- | ||||||||||||
-- | -- |
Places of Interest
Places of Interest
Place | Event | Date | Note |
Birth | |||
Baptism | |||
. | Census 1841 | ||
Christ Church With St Mary and St Stephen, Spitalfields, Tower Hamlets, Middlesex | Marriage | ||
Marriage | |||
Baptism of | |||
Census 1851 | |||
Baptism of | |||
Baptism of | |||
Baptism of | |||
Baptism of | |||
Census 1861 | |||
Baptism of | |||
Baptism of | |||
Baptism of | 13th February 1870 | ||
Census 1871 | |||
Census 1881 | |||
Census 1891 | |||
Death |
Tree
his father | his mother | her farther | her mother | |||||||
him | her | |||||||||
child 1 | child 2 | child 3 | child 4 | child 5 | child 6 | child 7 | child 8 | child 9 | child 10 | |
next ancestor | or next ancestor | |||||||||
child 1 | child 2 | child 3 | child 4 | child 5 | child 6 | child 7 | child 8 | child 9 | child 10 | |