Can you help me find more information about Fanny Spring of March, Cambridgeshire (b. about 1823)?

Question

I have just added a profile for Fanny's son George Spring to Wikitree. George and two of his siblings were born in the years prior to Fanny's marriage to Philip Shipley in 1849.

I found a baptism record for George which included only his mother's name; ditto for George's brother James.

The only marriage record I have been able to uncover so far for Fanny was an 1849 index listing (North Witchford, Cambridgeshire).

I am interested to know a few things about Fanny and would be thrilled for the help of fellow Wikitreers:

• What was Fanny's last name at birth? Was it Spring, or another name? Is there any way of knowing whether her marriage to Philip was her first marriage?
• Can Fanny be located in the 1841 Census? I couldn't find a mention, but maybe my search could be bettered in some way?
• Who were Fanny's parents?

If you are able to help me, that help would be much appreciated!

Answer 1

Clare

By the way that the curate has entered George's baptism into the record, it looks very much like Fanny Spring was an unmarried mother. (Thank you for providing the link to the image of the register in your sources).

On the previous day George Spring and his wife Ellen (nee Harrel) had their son James baptised. This would be a line worth investigating. March isn't a big place and it's very likely that Fanny and George were related.(especially as Fanny named her son George).

Here is the Wikipedia page for March with photos of the interior of the church of St Wendreda, March's own saint. This is where George was baptised. The other churches in March were all built after 1843.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March,_Cambridgeshire

Jo

Comments

This may also be her in the 1841 census

Class: HO107; Piece: 81; Book: 4; Civil Parish: Doddington; County: Cambridgeshire; Enumeration District: North Witchford Union Workhouse; Folio: 4; Page: 5; Line: 1; GSU roll: 241228 

She was an inmate of the North Witchford Union Workhouse

Fanny Spring aged 19, servant, not born in county

Sarah A Spring aged 2 child of the woman, not born in county

Correct age, and "not born in Cambridgeshire" may be red herring. The 1851 census has her born in "Bourne" , this spelling is the town in neighbouring Lincolnshire. "Bourn" is near Cambridge, but perhaps the enumerator /workhouse master thought she was from Bourne.

Also Fanny had a daughter called Sarah A with husband Phillip Shipley. This would indicate that the Sarah in the 1841 census had died, but the name was important to Fanny.

If you have an Ancestry account the image is here:

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Thanks Jo! I really appreciate all the docs you and Marion have uncovered for me! This is really coming together now.

It seems that Fanny's early life was a hard one, hopefully her life after marriage with Philip Shipley was a better time.

Answer 2

From Findmypast 

First name(s) FANNY

Last name SPRING

Birth year -

Marriage year 1849

Marriage day 25

Marriage month Feb

Spouse's first name(s) PHILIP

Spouse's last name SHIPLEY

Place MARCH

Groom's first name(s) Philip (x)

Groom's last name SHIPLEY

Groom's marital status bac

Groom's occupation lab

Groom's father's first name(s) John

Groom's father's occupation lab

Bride's first name(s) Fanny (x)

Bride's last name SPRING

Bride's marital status sp

Bride's father's first name(s) George

Bride's father's occupation lab

County Cambridgeshire

Country England

Record set Cambridgeshire Marriages

Category Life Events (BDMs)

Subcategory Parish Marriages

Collections from England, Great Britain

Comments

Maybe she had more than one George?

"England Deaths and Burials, 1538-1991," database, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JZT6-BTY : 10 February 2018), Frances Spring in entry for George Spring, burial 12 Dec 1841; citing Bourn, Cambridge, England, index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 1,818,369.

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From Findmypast, born and died same year, so think he was 13 days old, not 13.

First name(s)	George
Last name	Spring
Birth year	1841
Death year	1841
Age	13
Burial year	1841
Burial date	12 Dec 1841
Residence	otp
Parish	Bourn
County	Cambridgeshire
Record set	Cambridgeshire Burials
Category	Life Events (BDMs)
Subcategory	Parish Burials
Collections from	England, Great Britain

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Hi Marion

The age given for George in the register is 13 weeks rather than 13 years as has been entered in the transcription. See the link in my answer. Such a sad story.

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Thanks Jo, I thought 13 days, but thanks to your work Clare has a clearer picture.

Answer 3

The Fanny Spring in the workhouse in 1841 is your woman.

Her tragic story is here in the burial records of Bourn, Cambridgeshire:

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-896D-S4ZX?i=187

She was in the workhouse as she was pregnant with which was to be at least her second child George. 

She returned to Bourn.

Baby George ("the illegitimate child of France Spring") died aged 13 weeks and was buried on 12 December 1841 in Bourn. 

Three year old Sarah Ann Spring died about a week later and was buried 22 December 1841 ("the illegitimate child of France Spring").

These names must have been important to Fanny as she named her next son born 1843 George, and her daughter with Phillip, Sarah Ann.

Comments

Following on from Marion's excellent sleuthing for the marriage entry, Fanny's father was called George and perhaps this is why the name is so important to her. I would put money on the George and Ellen Spring in the March baptism register being Fanny's brother and sister in law.