Delving into the family history on and off for about 20 years has left me hopelessly addicted to the following clues, hunches and inevitable red herrings that are all needed to piece together the bare chapters of someone's life. Unable to resist people's 'brick walls' or an innocent query re the origin of grandparents and those before, there's nothing better than trying to find the unfound.
This is my sudoku, my multilevel crossword, my jigsaw where most of the pieces are missing and there's definitely no picture to start from.
So - to satisfy this addiction, each week I intend to choose someone at random from the 1881 census (checking that their story hasn't already unfolded on ancestry.co.uk) and uncover, piece together what I can from internet sources their untold story.
The puzzling and the unfolding story will be told in this blog.

Tuesday 31 July 2012

Second protagonist - James Harman (Futter)

Unfortunately it seems that James and Elizabeth must have married prior to 1839 and registration as there's no marriage registered for a James Harman with possible bride named Elizabeth in Norfolk. There is one registrered in Uckfield Sussex, but there were a number of James Harmans in Sussex in 1851 who that could be. With both James and Elizabeth being born around Martham according to the censuses it seems more than likely that their marriage would be there as well.

 Martham, Somerton and Rollesby are in the Flegg registration district but there are no birth registrations for any of James and Elizabeth's children under the surname Harman (or variants) in Flegg nor in the neighbouring district of Tunstead. Searching on FreeBMD for a Benjamin registered in Flegg 1851 - 1852 finds Benjamin Harman Futter September qtr 1851. Was the surname given in 1861 not Latter or Satter but Futter? Checking birth registrations for Futter children in Flegg brings up possibilities for all of James and Elizabeth's children including two with Harman as a middle name: John Harman Futter Dec. qtr 1853 and Harriet Harman Futter June qtr 1849, though Harriet isn't listed with the family in any census. Intriguing ...

 Familysearch has Henry Harman born 1799 marrying Susanna Futter 26 July 1820 in Martham. The 1841 census had their first child Henry born about 1821; could there have maybe been an earlier child born prior to the marriage, James in 1819/20 who took the name Harman but was a Futter? Benjamin living next door in 1841 would have therefore been grandfather?

 A James Futter born 1818 died in Flegg Sept. qtr 1891. There is a probate listed for him: The will of James Futter late of Martham in the County of Norfolk who died 7 August 1891 at Martham was proved at Norwich by Elizabeth Futter of Ame's Buildings St Nicholas Road, Great Yarmouth widow the relict the sole Executrix. Personal estate £25.

 In 1901 Elizabeth Harman Futter, widow, born about 1819 in Rollesby is living on her own means at the address given in the probate.
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