Mary Ann Bignell
Not very sure about this entry. 1838 was before William and Mary were married, and Mary was only about 17 years of age. Also, so far I only have one source for this record, a tree on Ancestry. The same name is used later in the family and Mary Ann is not included in the 1841 Census, which suggests that she died before 1841.
Lets look at the 1841 census for the parish of St. Mary Kalendar, Winchester. Not a long way away from Bishop's Sutton but very different.
This page is for St Peter Street and North Walls, which is in the centre of the City of Winchester, near the Cathedral.
So the first thing to note is that these are two different families, one in City Centre the other in a rural community. One is of independent means, which is wealthy, the other is employed as an Agricultural Labourer.
They are headed by a person named William Bignell, in both instances.
The City William Bignell shares his home with two twenty year old ladies, named Amelia and Mary Ann. Unfortunately the 1841 Census did not record the relationship between entries, so we can only speculate. That is until we look at the 1851 Census record.
They are followed in the records by two children, a son William Bignell, aged 5, and a daughter Mary Ann, aged 3. Their respective estimated birth years are, 1836 and 1838. The latter is the same as the Mary Ann Bignell purported to be part of the family, the subject of this article.
On the whole, in the absence of any confirming information, I think that the Mary Ann Bignall in the Winchester record is probably the source of the confusion, and is not part of this family.
I will leave the notes here for others to read or challenge, but annotate the tab with an "X" at each end of her name.
Mary Ann Bignell daughter of William Bignell and Amelia Gillingham.
Based on the confusion I have decided to create part of this branch, albeit as an unattached branch, within Ancestry. Hopefully this will also reduce the number of erroneous hints I receive within Ancestry for the subject of this article. I will refer to this William Bignell with the suffix (city)
Although the 1841 Census does not state who is William Bignell's wife, it seems to be Amelia Gillingham. Note should also be made that the next line on the 1841 Census, (below the above image, not shown here.) is a Mary Newlyn, of either 30 or 80 years of age. William Bignell's (city) mother is thought to be Sarah Bignell nee Newlyn, and his father James Bignell.
To add to the confusion, below is an extract of the Hampshire Allegations for Marriage Licences, 1689-1837. Now, this list is only Licences so presumably, it excludes marriage by Banns.
There are two entries for Bignell's of Itchen Abbas, one;
- Jonathan Bignell of Itchen-Abbas, aged 23, a batchelor, and Joan Wickham, of New Alresford, aged 25, a spinster, licenced to marry at Weeke, St Maurice, or St Thomas, 15 June 1690.
- William Bignell of Itchen-Abbas, aged 21, a batchelor, and Eliza Gillingham, of St John, Winchester, aged 20, a spinster, with Consent of her father James Gillingham, licenced to marry at I. A., 19 June 1835. Aff.
At least we can ignore the first entry for this purpose as at 1690, it is out of our date range.
William Bignell of Itchen Abbas (IA), who married Eliza Gillingham in 1835, as bachelor and spinster, with Eliza's father being James. Are Eliza and Amelia the same person, or perhaps sisters. Undecided at the moment.
By the 1871 Census the family had moved to Leeds Street, Sandown on the Isle of Wight, William Bignell (city) had a recorded profession of 'Income mainly from houses'. Still a wealthy family. Which is again confirmed by the Probate record of Amelia Gillingham Bignell.
There is also record of a William Bignell married to a Amelia Gillingham in 1st Q 1841 Portsea Island, Hampshire, England. Perhaps relevant, but why in Portsmouth?
I think that the above fairly conclusively separates the two families, or perhaps three. Need to get back to William Bignall of Bishop's Sutton now.
