Who was William Caudwell, born 1776 or 1777

Question

William Caudwell married Elizabeth Hooton at Normanton-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire, England on 12 May 1798.   He was a carpenter and had 11 children at Egmanton in Nottinghamshire.    I have been unable to find any information about his birth or death.

Any information you may have would be very useful.

Thank you,

Geof Caudwell

Answer 1

Hi Geof

Am also interested in this William Caudwell who married Elizabeth Hooton. Since 2012 have you uncovered anything?

My interest in through his son, also William and their descendents.

Colin Martin

Comments

Thanks for your response, Colin.   No progress, I'm afraid.  Our William is very elusive.

I assumed that he was born in 1776 or 1777 because on his marriage licence it said that he was 21 years old.   However, I now believe that it meant 'over 21 years old'.    So he could have been born earlier than 1776.   It has been suggested by another researcher that he could be the illegitimate son of Barbara Caudwell (1744), born outside Nottingahmshire, but no evidence of this so far.

My ancestry is through William's son, John, the brother of your William.

Keep in touch.

Geof

Answer 2

Have you tried alternate spellings? For instance, Caldwell, & Cadwell.

Comments

Yes.   He was called Coudell on the marriage licence, and Caudell at his wedding.

Thanks for your comment.

Answer 3

Hi Geof,

Thanks for your response and  the comment concerning William's parentage echoes what I have hear about a branch of the Caudwells though I have not ascertained which one !!

I have not yet researched parish records but gather you have in view of the licence mentioned. Is there any reference thereon of the parish from which came Elizabeth Hooton and also her age? I estimate from Census records and marriage date she was just 16 when they married in May and that as their first child was baptised in early June she was thus named May after her birth month.

Wikitree is new to me and note I could not reply direct to your response. There is a comment  about seeking an invitation from you. How does that work out?

Regards

Colin

Comments

Hi Colin,

I have spent many hours at the Nottinghamshire Archives looking at parish records and anything else they might have that could be relevant.

My branch of the family might be the one you have heard of !   My great grandfather was illegitimate and so was his wife.  In fact I shouldn't be a Caudwell at all as my great grandfather was given his mother's surname.

Elizabeth Hooton was baptised at Sutton-on-Trent on 14 July 1782.  The 1841 census record (taken 7 June 1841) shows her as 60 years old, which means she was born between 8 June 1780 and 7 June 1781.   On the marriage bond dated 5 May 1798, she is aged 17 years, which means she was born between 6 May 1780 and 5 May 1781.   So, it looks like she was born between 8 June 1780 and 5 May 1781.

Elizabeth's first child, Mary, was baptised at Egmanton on 24 June 1798.  So you can see why Elizabeth married by special licence !

I don't know much about Wikitree either.   I just hit the 'comment'  to write my response.

Best regards,

Geof

Answer 4

Hi Geoff

Here I am again!

Not sure if you have fiound this.

the 1851 Census shows an Elizabeth Candwell aged 69 born at Sutton on Trent described as widow, pauper and former housekeepr resident with Thomas and Ann Lucas . In 2007 Jane Turnell Read suggested this was a transcription error with which I tend to agree . I beleive that AnnLucas was the daughter of William Caudwell and Elizabeth Hooten.

I have not been able to trace a record to suggest William was alive in 1841 but have found an Elizabeth Caudwell in Egmanton described as a Female servant , poaaibly to William Price (Cottager) which may be the said widow of William who was with her daughter  in 1851. .

With the deficiences of the 1841 census I accept that is speculation especially as I also have found an death record for a William Caudwell in the Southwell Records which covered Egmanton  for quarter 3  Vol 15 page 42.  I have not , however, obtained a copy of the certificate to see if that throws any further light on the mystery.

Perhaps you have something concrete to dismiss my speculation before following any more wild gooese!

Regards

Colin

Comments

Yes, the Elizabeth Candwell in the 1851 census is William's wife.   I didn't have the information that she was 69 years old.  The census was taken on 30th March 1851, which means that she was born between 31st March 1781 and 30th March 1782.  We can narrow this down from the previous information to say that she was born between 31st March 1781 and 7 June 1781.

Ann Lucas was Elizabeth's daughter.   She married Thomas Lucas on 7 Feb 1824 at Egmanton.   John Caudwell, her brother and my ancestor, was a witness at the wedding.  Ann was baptised 20 Jan 1805 at Egmanton.

The Elizabeth Caudwell in the 1841 census is William's wife, which means that William had either left home, died or was living in an institution.  His daughter Charlotte's marriage certificate (to Richard Saxby) on 8 Feb 1838 shows William as a Carpenter.   It does not say that he was deceased, but apparently that was not always shown on certificates.  So, he may,or may not, have been alive then.

There are many records of deaths of William Caudwells around that time.  Is the one you are referring to Southwell, vol15, page402 ?   I have a copy of that one, which is for William Caudwell who died on 8 Sep 1843 aged 14 years.   He is not our William.

There was another William who died 29 Jan 1859 (Southwell 7b 256) but he was only 4 years old.   I've checked quite a number of these out and found nothing of our William.  It's been very frustrating over several years.

There is an outside possiblity that William Caudwell baptised 29 Nov 1748 at Egmanton is our William, but he would have been about 50 years old when he married Elizabeth.   Seems unlikely.

Barbara Caudwell (1744) did have 2 illegitimate children, one born in Lincolnshire.   I intend to scour the Lincolnshire records sometime soon to see if William was born there.

The project drags on, I'm afraid.

Best regards,

Geof