William Henry Hamley

BMDB data

     William Henry Hamley was born cir. May 1846 Beer Town (aka Bere Ferrers), Par. of Bere Ferrers, DEV, ENG, FreeBMD has no William Henry Hamley or Hambly, nor William H Hambly/Hamley, and only the one William Hamley or Hambly registered Tavistock between 1845 and 1850, so WHH is assumed to be the William Hamley reg. Jun qtr 1846, which identification is supported by his baptism entry in the Beer Ferrers Parish registers.^3,5,2 He was baptized on 10 May 1846 Par. of Bere Ferrers, DEV, ENG; entry #1478 shows William Henry as s/o John, carpenter, and Mary of Beer Town.²
     William Henry Hamley married Ellen Ann Gill, daughter of Richard Gill, on 12 Jun 1870 at the Princess St Chapel (Independent), Devonport, Dist of Stoke Damerel, DEV, ENG, cert. shows William as 24, grocer of 18 Tavistock St, Devonport, s/o John Hamley, dec'd, carpenter; Ellen Ann 23, of 11 Duke St, Devonport, d/o Richard Gill, plumber, married by rites and ceremonies of the Independents, by certificate before John T Haddy, Minister, both signed, witnesses Richd Gill, Edward Joseph Gill an Mary ?Hockett?^1,6,4
     William Henry Hamley died aft. 1901 ?Devonport, Stoke Damerel, DEV, ENG.⁷

Census/Where lived/Occupations

     The census of 1851 showed James, William and George and their sisters Emlin, Sarah and Elizabeth in the household of their parents John and Mary Hamley Beer Town (aka Bere Ferrers), Par. of Bere Ferrers, DEV, ENG, enumerated as HAMLEY: John 34 carpenter; wife Mary 34; Children: Emlin 9, James 7, William 5 all scholars, Sarah 3, George 3, Elizabeth 1 All b Beerferris; Also Robert TOLL, 20 apprentice b Beerferris (interesting that they show Sarah and George as the same age, when Sarah's twin George died aged 3 mths.)³ William Henry Hamley appeared on the census of 1861 7 & 8 Doidges Well, Devonport, Dist of Stoke Damerel, DEV, ENG, in the household of Mary Hamley as son of Mary.⁸ William Henry Hamley was grocer in Jun 1870 of 18 Tavistock St, Devonport, Dist of Stoke Damerel, DEV, ENG.⁴
     William Henry Hamley was shown as the head of the household in the census of 1871 20 Tavistock St, Devonport, Dist of Stoke Damerel, DEV, ENG, with Ellen enumerated as HAMLEY: William Henry 25 grocer b Beer Town DEV; wife Ellen A 23 b Devonport.¹
     The census of 1881 showed William with his wife Ellen, their dtrs Minnie, Florence and Edith, their son William 20 Tavistock St, St Aubyn, Dist of Stoke Damerel, DEV, ENG, household enumerated as HAMLEY: William H 35 grocer (shopkeeper) b Beer Ferris; wife Ellen A 35 b Devonport; Children (all b Devonport): Minnie K 9, Florence M 4 both scholars, Edith B 2, William F 1; Serv HUGHES.⁹
     William H Hamley was shown as the head of the household in the census of 1891 Devonport, Dist of Stoke Damerel, DEV, with Ellen enumerated as HAMLEY: William H 45 grocer b Beer Ferris; wife Ellen A 43 b Devonport; Children (all b Devonport): Minnie K 18 pupil teacher; Florence M 14, William F 11, Sydney C 8 all scholars.¹⁰
     The census of 1901 showed William with his wife Ellen, their son Sydney, their dtr Minnie 51 Norman Ave, Devonport, Dist of Stoke, DEV, ENG, household enumerated as HAMLEY: William H 54 grocer shopkeeper employer b Bere Ferrers; wife Ellen A 53 b Devonport; Children (all b Devonport): Minnie K 27 assistant schoolmistress, Sydney C 18 solicitors clerk.⁷

All the other info

     At least one other researcher has this WHH as married to a Martha Woodhouse, but until I see a marriage cert that says that ones father was a John, carpenter, I believe that the son of John Hamley and Mary Toll was the one married to Ellen Ann Gill who carried on his grandmother's trade of grocer and consistently stated his birthplace as Beerferris.¹¹
     William Henry Hamley was considered as a potential duplicate of William Hamley Landport, Portsea, HAM, ENG, in 1871 but I cannot see any convincing evidence, working from the bmd registrations and census data for William and Martha (Woodhouse) Hamley, that leads me back to the WHH son of John Hamley and Mary Toll of Beer Town as there is nothing from 1870 to 1888 that shows this William as connected with Bere Ferrers. Confirmed by Ron later providing William and Martha's marriage cert. which shows this William as the son of a George, ?mason?^11,12
     William Henry Hamley was considered as a potential duplicate of William Hamley in 1881 but the one married to Fanny BISHOP, although born Bere Ferrers is younger, but as he's a grocer, may well belong to another of the tribe.¹¹