Stephen Lilly Williams was baptised on 30th April 1850 at St Clement, Truro, the son of Henry and Alice (nee Quick) Williams. He was my first cousin 3 times removed. Lilly is a family surname and appears a couple of times as a middle name in the Williams family. I've found him in the England 1851 and 1861 censuses (with family and at school) but I can't find him in 1871. I have found a person of this exact name in California, according to FamilySearch, on the California Great Registers at S Red Bluff, Tehama, in 1880 and at Fourth Ward 4, Yuba, in 1896. There's a Stephen L Williams at Fourth Ward 4, Yuba, in 1892, and at North Red Bluff, Tehama, in 1888. The US 1880 census has S L Williams aged 30, born in England, with wife Martha, 40, born in Scotland, at Red Bluff, Tehama. He's a farmer. With them is a nephew, Walter Parks, aged 10, born in California, with parents born in Ohio. The 1900 Census has a Stephen Williams (born March 1850 in England) at Marysville Township Marysville city Ward 1, 4, Yuba, with a wife, Martha, aged 53, born in Scotland. They have been married an estimated 23 years (I can't find a record of the marriage) and he is recorded as an electrician. His immigration date is shown as 1872 and hers as 1870. The 1910 census has them at Marysville Ward 4, Yuba. She's aged a bit(!) as her age is clearly 72 while his is correctly 60. Their immigration dates are both down as 1875. He's now a shipping clerk for a dredger company. There's a picture of his grave on U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current (although the middle name is spelled Lily). It gives his birth date as 9 Mar 1850, which would tie in with baptism on 30th April 1850, and birthplace England. He died at Yuba County on 8th Dec 1916 and is buried at Oak Hill Cemetery, Red Bluff, Tehama County. I've also found the full name on Ancestry in the index for the “UK and Ireland, Masters and Mates Certificates, 1850-1927” and “California, State Court Naturalization Records, 1850-1986” but I haven't got a sub to check any further. Could someone have a look for me if possible, please (but of course without incurring any costs!) to see if there's any mention of birthdate or birthplace. If it's the same Stephen Lilly Williams throughout, he's been a sailor, a farmer, an electrician and a shipping clerk. A versatile chap!
Masters and mates cert. Certificate of Competency as Only Mate Stephen Lilly Williams Issued 20 jul 1871 Reg. 21 jul Next image: Certificate #13794 Ordinary Examination 18 jul at Plymouth Of Alma Head, Truro Born 1850, Truro Signed Stephen L Williams Issued Truro 22jul Sorry don't have a World sub
9 August 1877 - just a "Declaration of Intention" (to become a US citizen) signed at Yuba City - Stephen Lilly Williams, age 28, native of England
Thanks so much for your quick replies It seems extremely likely that this Stephen is "mine" - everything seems to tie up!
I tried looking at various other U.S. and California sites and came up with nil. A death cert or marriage cert with parents names would nail it down.
Maybe they weren't married - could have just been living together? Athough that's unlikely with my lot - they were unbelievably conventional, educated and law-abiding! However Stephen has a gravestone so his death must be recorded somewhere...
An update, in case anyone's interested: Just had another look for this chap and found on FamilySearch the marriage of Stephen L Williams, aged 28, born England about 1849, to a widow named Martha Brown born about 1843 in England. It took place on 26th August 1877 and both were resident in Sutter Co., California. The marriage record has been filmed and can be seen online. I also found, on Ancestry's California Death Index, the record of a Stephen L Williams dying in 1916 in Yuba. I don't have a sub to look further but those details tie in with the info on Find A Grave. A newspaper report of his brother Henry Williams's death in Montana mentions that Henry had 2 brothers in California (the other was Archibald Shaw Williams). Stephen is definitely mine!
Thanks so much for that! Unfortunately I can't see what you sent - Ancestry keeps flashing back & fore between 2 screens. Probably doesn't want me to see something I haven't paid for I'll have a look next time I can go to the library. At least there's enough evidence to convince me this is my relative. He's the only one I can find with the middle name Lilly, which is a family surname and sometimes appears as Lilley. Think the person who made his memorial did an 'oops' in putting it as Lily
That's strange as I copied it... I will download and then send. If you are like us...libraries are all closed because of the pandemic.
Nothing's officially closed over here - we've basically just been advised to stay away from crowded places. It's ridiculous. I'm not going anywhere unless I have to. Thanks for your help
Hello again.. I downloaded it but couldn't get it on to the message page... I will try again later...