Find Ancestors

Can anyone help me solve a mystery. I have found two of my Grandfather Frank Adolphus Coombs (b.1877 North Cheriton, Somerset )and his first wife Mary Jane Pearce's (b. 1875 or 6 Bradpole, Dorset) children, William Adolphus (b.1898) and Clarence (1901) both born in Cucklington, Somerset, both of whom died in the workhouse at the ages of 15 and 17. Mary Jane died in late 1905. My father told me that his father had children from a previous marriage and indicated that there were, at least, two girls. One of his sisters told me that another sister had at one time been in contact with one of the daughters of the previous marriage and thought that she had migrated, possibly to Canada. However, my father's brother insisted that there were only the two boys. Sadly my father and all his siblings have died before I got very far with my research. My Aunt thought one of the daughters was called Katherine/Catherine or Kathleen. I have also found a scrap of paper with the name Linda Beatrice Coombs on it, which I have not found to belong to anyone in my family tree. Given the rate at which women had children in those days, and that Clarence was born 4 years before Mary Jane's death, it seems to me possible that there may well be more children. On the 1901 census only Frank, Mary Jane and the two boys are listed. Any help/ideas would be greatly appreciated as I live too far away from Somerset to be able to visit the records offices there.

Birth:
COOMBS, LINDA BEATRICE mms PEARCE
GRO Reference: 1897 D Quarter in WINCANTON Volume 05C Page 392

From Ancestry.....

Frank was shown as 27 and an innkeeper when he married Mary Jane on 7 January 1897.
No father is shown for him.
He signed his surname as COMBS and in the groom part of that entry his surname was written COMBES, then the E was crossed out.

??

Penselwood is in Wincanton reg district.


Linda Coombs
in the 1901 England Census
Name: Linda Coombs
Age: 3
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1898
Relation to Head: Granddaughter
Gender: Female
Birth Place: Penselwood, Somerset, England
Civil Parish: Bourton
Ecclesiastical parish: Silton
Town: Bourton
County/Island: Dorset
Country: England
Street address:
Registration district: Shaftesbury
Sub-registration district: Gillingham
ED, institution, or vessel: 19
Neighbors:
Piece: 1968
Folio: 77
Page Number: 26
Household schedule number: 190
Household Members:
Name Age
Harriett Ford 77 - widow, Holton, Somerset.
Linda Coombs 3
Edith Dashwood 23 - servant



??

Harriett Norman
in the Somerset, England, Marriage Registers, Bonds and Allegations, 1754-1914
Name: Harriett Norman
Gender: Female
Age: Full Age
Marriage or Bann Date: 2 Jul 1846
Marriage Place: Horsington, Somerset, England
Parish as it Appears: Horsington
Father: John Norman
Spouse: William Ford

Harriet in 1891:


Harriet Ford
in the 1891 England Census
Name: Harriet Ford
Gender: Female
Age: 68
Relationship: Wife
Birth Year: 1823
Spouse: William Ford
Child: Silas Ford
Birth Place: Holton, Somerset, England
Civil Parish: Cucklington
Residence Place: Cucklington, Cucklington, Somerset, England
Sub registration district: Wincanton
ED, Institution or Vessel: 1
Neighbors:
Piece: 1903
Folio: 5
Household Members:
Name Age
William Ford 74
Harriet Ford 68
Silas Ford 36
Frank Coombs 20 <<<<<<<<<< boarder
Edith Dashwood 14

??


Frank Coombs Ashford
in the 1881 England Census
Name: Frank Coombs Ashford
Age: 8
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1873
Relationship to Head: Son
Father: John Ashford
Mother: Lucy Ashford
Gender: Male
Where born: North Cheriton, Somerset, England
Civil Parish: North Cheriton
County/Island: Somerset
Country: England
Street address: Cheriton
Registration district: Wincanton
ED, institution, or vessel: 12
Neighbors:
Piece: 2398
Folio: 55
Page Number: 4
Household Members:
Name Age
John Ashford 42 - Charlton Adam, Somerset
Lucy Ashford 32
Frank Coombs Ashford 8
Burt Ashford 3
Samuel Hannam 54


John Ashford
in the Somerset, England, Marriage Registers, Bonds and Allegations, 1754-1914
Name: John Ashford
Gender: Male
Marriage or Bann Date: 19 Mar 1876
Marriage Place: North Cheriton, Somerset, England
Spouse: Lucy Coombs <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

He was born to Lucy before her marriage:

COOMBS, FRANK -
GRO Reference: 1872 M Quarter in WINCANTON Volume 05C Page 555

Baptism of Linda...........

Name: Linda Beatrice Coombs
Baptism Date: 25 Dec 1897
Baptism Place: Penselwood, Somerset, England

Father: Frank Coombs..............Inkeeper
Mother: Mary Jane Coombs

Address shown as 'Queen's Head' Penselwood.

Re a possible earlier marriage -

there are only two possibilities showing up - in Somerset at least:

Marriages Sep 1890 (>99%)
Coombs Frank Frome 5c 749
Weaver Elizabeth Alice Frome 5c 749

This can't be your Frank - they had several children, and are all still together in 1911:

Frank Coombs
in the 1911 England Census
Name: Frank Coombs
Age in 1911: 47
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1864
Relation to Head: Head
Gender: Male
Birth Place: Frome, Somerset
Civil Parish: Frome
County/Island: Somerset
Country: England
Street address: 9 Castle St, Frome, Somerset
Marital Status: Married
Occupation: General Labourer
Registration district: Frome
Registration District Number: 311
Sub-registration district: Frome
ED, institution, or vessel: 4
Household schedule number: 10
Piece: 14462
Household Members:
Name Age
Frank Coombs 47
Alice Coombs 45
Ada Coombs 20
William Coombs 15
Rose Coombs 12
James Coombs 9
Lily Coombs 6
Horace Coombs 3



This is the other one:

Marriages Jun 1895 (>99%)
Coombes Frank Taunton 5c 574
Paul Rosa Anna Taunton 5c 574


Rosa was born 1863:

Births Dec 1863 (>99%)
PAUL Rosa Anna Taunton 5c 401

A son of the marriage:

COOMBES, ARTHUR PAUL
GRO Reference: 1896 M Quarter in TAUNTON Volume 05C Page 316

and his death:

Deaths Mar 1896 (>99%)
Coombes Arthur 0 Taunton 5c 240



I can't see Rosa in 1901.

Perhaps Frank had children with an earlier partner without marrying her.

The marriage of a Frank to Rosa is on Ancestry.

The Frank of that marriage is shown as an accountant of full age, of East Street Taunton.
He was the son of Mark Coombes ,a baker.

My thanks to you both for searching for both Frank Coombs and Linda Beatrice. I know for certain that Frank married Mary Jane Pearce and it is so good to know that there was at least one daughter although it seems odd that she is not on the 1901 census together with her parents. I did wonder if she died before 1901 as she is not on the census with her parents, or with her grandmother Lucy, who by this time is Lucy Pitman. Lucy's mother was called Harriet, but was Harriet Gallop nee Ames when she married Lucy's father Job. Frank's father's name does not appear on his birth certificate, so I am unable to trace that side of Frank's family. and see if she is with his father's parents. (Her mother had both Frank and an earlier child out of wedlock before marrying a John Ashford when Frank was about 3yrs, and then married Samuel Pitman when widowed.) I presume that you have found no trace of any other children born after Clarence.

I am most grateful for the time you have put into these reasearches and thank you most sincerely.

Val

Linda is listed as grand-daughter of Harriet Ford in 1901 .. but maybe that's a mistake or assumption by the enumerator.

Harriet may have some connection with the Ashford side of the family - as well as Frank Coombs being a boarder with her in 1891, there's a George Ashford, lodger, with her in 1881 - seems to be a son of John by a previous marriage :


Harriett Ford
in the 1881 England Census
Name: Harriett Ford
Age: 57
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1824
Relationship to Head: Wife
Spouse: William Ford
Gender: Female
Where born: Holton, Somerset, England
Civil Parish: West Camel
County/Island: Somerset
Country: England
Street address: Downhead Farm
Marital Status: Married
Registration district: Yeovil
ED, institution, or vessel: 3
Neighbors:
Piece: 2394
Folio: 33
Page Number: 10
Household Members:
Name Age
William Ford 64
Harriett Ford 57
Silas Ford 26
George Ashford 14 lodger, born in Charlton Adam, Somerset
Elizabeth Plucknett 14 - servant


George Ashford
in the 1871 England Census
Name: George Ashford
Age: 5
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1866
Relation: Son
Father's name: John Ashford
Mother's name: Mary Ashford
Gender: Male
Where born: Charlton Adam, Somerset, England
Civil Parish: Charlton Adam
County/Island: Somerset
Country: England
Registration district: Langport
Sub-registration district: Somerton
ED, institution, or vessel: 7
Household schedule number: 2
Piece: 2393
Folio: 26
Page Number: 1
Household Members:
Name Age
John Ashford 32 - Charlton Adam
Mary Ashford 27 - Corsley, Wiltshire
George Ashford 5


Death of Mary:

Deaths Jun 1874 (>99%)
Ashford Mary 35 Wincanton 5c 355

And then John marries Lucy in 1876 - already posted.


George's birth:

ASHFORD, ALFRED GEORGE mms CLEMENT
GRO Reference: 1866 M Quarter in LANGPORT Volume 05C Page 520

Alfred George Ashford
in the Somerset, England, Church of England Baptisms, 1813-1914
Name: Alfred George Ashford
Baptism Date: 11 Mar 1866
Baptism Place: Charlton Adam, Somerset, England
Parish as it Appears: Charlton Adam
Father: John Ashford
Mother: Mary Ashford


Parents' marriage:

Marriages Jun 1864 (>99%)
Ashford John Langport 5c 757
Clements Mary Langport 5c 757

No, I don't see any Coombs/Pearce children in Wincanton after Clarence in 1901.

I am trying to get my head around this!! Not having researched John Ashford I have no knowledge about his family. I will have to see what I can find. Curious that Frank and Mary Jane had no more children. Thank you very much for the time you have spent on this. I appreciate it very much.

Val.

In 1911 William Adolphus and Clarence are in the workhouse.

EDIT: Oh yes, you said that in your opening post.


Clarence doesn't seem to have been transcribed on Ancestry, but he's on the image, immediately below William:

William Adolphus Coombs
in the 1911 England Census
Name: William Adolphus Coombs
Age in 1911: 13
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1898
Relation to Head: Inmate
Gender: Male
Birth Place: Cucklington, Somerset
Civil Parish: Wincanton
County/Island: Somerset
Country: England
Street address: Workhouse, Wincanton, Wincanton, Somerset
Occupation: school
Registration district: Wincanton
Registration District Number: 310
Sub-registration district: Wincanton
ED, institution, or vessel: 13
Piece: 14450

Had Frank died? I don't see his death, unless his age is a few years out.
But I don't see him in 1911.

A possibility for Linda's death ??

Linda Coombes
in the England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007
Name: Linda Coombes
Death Age: 61
Birth Date: abt 1898
Registration Date: Mar 1959
Registration district: Eton
Inferred County: Buckinghamshire
Volume: 6a
Page: 520

Other than that possibility, I can't see her anywhere after 1901.
Marriages, deaths, emigration, 1939 register - nothing, as far as I can see.

An Uncle told me that Frank came to Kent to work in the Chatham Dockyard. I presume it was after the death of Mary Jane. He later moved to a village on the river Medway working as a diver building locks. My Grandmother Gwendoline's parents ran The Hop Pole Inn nearby where they met and married in 1912. It is heartbreaking to think of the two boys being left in the workhouse and one watching the other one get sick and die and then to become sick himself and perhaps realize he too was dying. Clarence was 15 and William 17. Frank died in 1941. He had 4 living daughters and 3 sons from the second marriage.


















He later worked on the River Medway building locks at Yalding, where he met my Grandmother Gwendoline, who worked in the Pub that her parents ran. He died in 1941. Both of his sons died in the workhouse. It is heart breaking to think of the boys left in the workhouse and one seeing the other die and then getting sick and perhaps realizing that he too was dying. My grandparents were married in 1912 and Clarence died in 1917, so presumably my Grandfather must have cut off all contact with his family in Somerset. Yet he was apparently a kind and caring man. I find it hard to understand and wish I had asked my father much more about his family, but then, don't we all!

Val.

Sorry . Some confusion. My husband thought he had lost my first reply but must have sent it in error, so I recomposed!!