What a fascinating story, Shane! It is amazing how many occupations Charles Sommerton had, and all so different from one another.
The survival of workhouse records is very patchy, at least when it comes to the records about inmates. But there should be records about staff appointments: I have seen applications for such jobs in the MH 12 files at Kew and there will probably be stuff among the Board of Guardians minutes (held locally). Adverts for jobs for workhouse staff can also be found, e.g. in local newspapers. So potentially we could discover quite a bit more about Charles & Harriet's roles as master & matron of the workhouse.
When you consider that in 1901 and 1911 Harriet's younger brother Arthur was a workhouse inmate, you realise that Harriet has made quite a step up the social scale!
Look forward to discovering more about these folk....
Very interesting, thanks for that piece about Arthur and Emily.
Here's the newspaper item that you mentioned:
I can also spread a little more light on who Emily is as well as this is quite close to home. Emily was the sister of my Great-Great-Grandfather Edward, both children of Joseph and Mary (nee Cox).
I had knowledge from the 1881 census that Lizzie was reported as Joseph's daughter and had suspected that she was actually Emily's daughter - now you've really helped bring a key piece of information to the table on this - thankyou.
So, you mention it all sounds abit incestuous - well - just how incestuous is it?!?!
Not very actually, here's a diagram:
Something like 3rd cousins one removed is that?
So I guess, legally, with that sort of distant family connection they could have actually married should they have wished, I'm sure I've seen marriages with closure relationships!
Wootton South Petty Sessions, reported in JOJ 21 March 1868
"Arthur Oliver of Stonesfield, labourer, was adjudged to be the putative father of the illegitimate child of Emily Oliver, of the same place, single-woman, and was ordered to pay 1s. weekly from date of summons. Mr Francillon, of Banbury, appeared for the defendant."
Sounds a bit incestuous, doesn't it? Looking at later census returns for clues as to the baby's identity, I found that the 1881 census for Stonesfield has 13 year old Lizzie Oliver in same household as Joseph (65, b. Stonesfield), Mary (64) and their daughter Emily Oliver (34, b. Finstock). Lizzie is shown as daughter of Joseph but seems quite likely she's really his granddaughter.
A birth or baptism record for Lizzie would help to determine if she was indeed Emily's daughter.
There's been a lot of discussion of various members of this family, so I thought it might be helpful to summarise what we know so far and perhaps highlight some of the gaps in our knowledge.
This summary is mostly from census returns and BMD registrations: details from Stonesfield parish registers need to be checked.
The family of Robert Oliver & Susannah (Rowles):
James (b. about 1825), died in the Cataraqui disaster (see 'A tragic maritime disaster' in the Facts and Happenings section).
John (b. about 1828), married Jane Tidmarsh (see the threads on Philip & Minnie Oliver, and on Hunt/Oliver connections)
Mark (b. about 1829), moved to London (see 'Migration to London' thread)
Stephen (b. about 1832), moved to Brotton (see the thread on 'Stephen Oliver and family moved to Yorkshire')
(6 year gap here! have I missed some?)
Harriet (b. about 1838), married Charles Sommerton 1860; Shane has a story about them, I believe, so watch this space!
Arthur (b. 1839), didn't marry and ended his days in Woodstock workhouse: he was a bit of a naughty boy: more about that later
George (b. 1842/3): what happened to him?
Elizabeth (b. about 1845) (is this the Emma Elizabeth whose birth was registered 1844??? is she the Elizabeth who married George Lay and was later in North Leigh???)
Francis (b. about 1849), moved to Birmingham/Aston, married Emma (Sanders/Saunders?). Plasterer. Several children. Remarried by 1911.
Philip (b.1850), aged 5 mo. on 1851 census, maybe the Philip who died 1860?
Robert & Susan(nah) Oliver were still in Stonesfield 1871, when they had 78 year old Joseph Oliver (pensioner) lodging with them: see Shane's 'Waterloo Veteran' story.
Robert Oliver's death was registered in the first quarter of 1876. There is a widowed Susan Oliver in Stonesfield 1881, aged 72 and working as a gloveress. Perhaps she is the 77 year old Susan Oliver whose death was registered in the Headington district in 1885?
I am sure there is much more detail to be filled in here, but perhaps this will kick-start some new lines of research?
