Genealogy Chat

I am trying to find information about my great grandmother Isabella Tubbs, born 1857 in Headley Hants. I believe I have discovered that she was married, before she married my great grandfather, to a John Cawte who in the 1881 (Apr) census was 37. Isabella at that time had two sons, Peter aged 2 and William aged 10 months. William seems to have died very young because my grandfather was named William two years later. By April 1883 John seems to have disappeared from the scene because she became pregnant with my grandfather who was born in Dec. She was then known as Isabella Tubbs. I can find no record of her birth or marriage to my great grandfather (David) who in 1881 was single and living as head of the house with his mother, nephew and a boarder. So in a nutshell she lost one husband, found another and became pregnant in the space of two years. I have a photograph of her and she does not look like a woman to be messed with, although I believe she was very caring. One by-the-way, on the 1881 census she was down as a wife, to John, and a carpenter. Were my great grandparents 'living over the brush'? If this was the case I don't think Isabella would have bothered about public opinion.

Gloria, I have one lot who had four children and were man and wife on the census, BUT in fact did not marry until eleven years after the birth of the first child. They were not so straight laced these victorians eh?!! Fuzzy x

Gloria was her maiden name Tubbs? Georgina.

The only Isabella I can see marrying a John Cawte is this one... Marriages Sep 1878 CAWTE John Farnham 2a 159 Furse William Henry Farnham 2a 159 WATTS Rhoda Maria Farnham 2a 159 WHITE Isabella Farnham 2a 159 Georgina.

Gloria what was your great grandfathers name David ???? Georgina.

She did marry David Tubbs: Name: Isabella Cawte Year of Registration: 1882 Quarter of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep District: Winchester County: Hampshire Volume: 2c Page: 194 Spouse David Tubbs or George Vass Merry

Although he has lost a few years, I should think this is her first husband's death: Name: John Cawte Estimated Birth Year: abt 1848 Year of Registration: 1881 Quarter of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep Age at death: 33 District: Winchester County: Hampshire Volume: 2c Page: 69 Right district for Bishopstoke Merry

oooh Well done Merry, she was a fast mover eh?!! Fuzzy x

1871 John Cawke George, Ellen abt 1844 Bishopstoke Son Bishopstoke Hampshire 1861 John Cawte George, Elenor abt 1843 Bishopstoke Son Bishopstoke Hampshire 1851 John Cawte George, Elenor abt 1844 Bishop Stoke, Hampshire, England Son Bishop Stoke Hampshire

Hello All, Bless you I'm now totally confused. There looks as though there may be some leads here. I will tell you,hopefully clearly, what I know, because I've drawn a complete blank. GGF was David Richard TUBBS - Born 1849 Woodlands Dorset. He's on the census as a brick maker. Somewhen between 1861 and 1881 he and his mother Mary TUBBS moved to Fair Oak Hants. I don't know Isabella's maiden name, her first husband was John CAWTE. 3 Children, Peter, William and Frank (I knew Frank when I was a child). They were my grandfathers halfbrothers. Which is something I hadn't realised. It wasn't much talked about. Issie married David Tubbs around 1882/3. She was born in 1857 in Headley Hants, but there are two Headleys, one near Newbury and the other near Bordon. She and David had three children, William (grandad) Charlie and Kate. I know that Isabella was still alive in 1921 because she looked after my mother when her own mother died, and she was still going strong in 1925 when my grandfather remarried. She didn't look a happy bunny in the photo. I wish I had known her she seems to have been a bit of a girl. I'll go through the details you have left for me and get back to you. Many thanks Gloria

1881 for b/p refs Isabella Cawte John abt 1857 Headley, Hampshire, England Wife Bishopstoke Hampshire John Cawte Isabella abt 1844 Bishopstoke, Hampshire, England Head Bishopstoke Hampshire Peter Cawte John, Isabella abt 1879 Bishopstoke, Hampshire, England Son Bishopstoke Hampshire William Cawte John, Isabella Bishopstoke, Hampshire, England Son Bishopstoke Hampshire

hi there Gloria, If you could find the birth ref for one of the children of Isabella and her fist husband John Cawte and sent off for the birth cert, this would give you her maiden name. you right she certainly sounds a bit of a girl!! Fuzzy x

Thanks for all the information, although I'm a fully paid up member I am unable to access the records, so am relying on the information you have all provided. I shall visit the Hampshire record office asap.

I had a look on the John Owen Smith website with All Saints Headley (near Bordon) parish register transcriptions. There seem to be no TUBBSes or CAWTEs - no names even starting TUB... or CAW..., so I think yours must be in the other Headley - otherwise you'd expect to find at least one instance of the name, even if not the one you were after. Christine

Oh Help! What is the John Owen Smith website? How do I get to it and do you have to join to access the info? Gloria

Hi gloria, Found this on Ancestry, Think this maybe Isabella and Johns child, the birth cert orderered from the GRO with the refs I have provided would give you Isabellas maiden name. Name: Peter John Cawte Year of Registration: 1879 Quarter of Registration: Apr-May-Jun District: Winchester County: Hampshire Volume: 2c Page: 114 (click to see others on page) Fuzzy

Thanks Fuzzy, From what little information I have what you have provided ties in nicely. Peter I remember hearing went abroad. I dont know whether it was in the army but he contracted some sort of disease and when he came home he lived in the shed with no physical contact with anyone. Sounds awful but the 'shed' was very comfortable. I would like to find his details because I believe he may have had leprosy. Gloria

http://www.johnowensmith.*co.uk/ (remove *) It's his personal site, but includes both lots of useful history-links and also transcriptions of All Saints Headly Parish Registers. No, there's nothing to pay/join - it's just his own web pages. Christine

Open question to all. How do you organise all these little bits of information you uncover about the various ancestors because it seems a shame to lose all the little stories. Gloria

Gloria, you don't have to get the birth certificate of one of Isabella's children by her first husband to find out her maiden name; the birth certificate of one of her children by her second husband will also tell you that. Kate.