John Kingsley of Southill, Bedfordshire was (I believe) the father of George Kingsley Daniels (b1825), the illegitimate child of Sophia Daniels. George was my GGGrandfather. Grateful for any info on John.
There is a John Kingsley on the 1841 census reference- HO107 piece 4 book 6 folio 10 page 14 Living in High Street, Clophill age 60 of independent means also Peggy Kingsley age 60, Mary and Peggy age 25 and Anabella aged 15
I know it is not what you asked for, but do you have George's Criminal records. Ancestry seem to have 2 such records for him, one in 1849 where George Kingsley DANIELS would appear to have been committed to Bedfordshire Gaol, born c1825 at Southill, residing at Henlow, his offence being "a rogue and a vagabond" and one actual image dated 4 March 1876 where George Kingsley DANIELS was charged with Arson but discharged. Looking for John KINGSLEY in Bedfordshire, the only 2 records I can find on my Bedfordshire Name Index are both marriages, one in 1765 at Stotfold, he being of Pirton, Hertfordshire and the other in 1826 at Shillington, he being shown as a bachelor. I can give further details on the marriage at Stotfold from the parish register transcripts which show that the marriage between John KINGSLEY of Pirton and Elizabeth BRITAIN took place on 7 May 1765. Hugh Wallis's IGI site shows an extracted marriage at Shillington on 14 February 1826 of a John KINGSLEY & a Sarah STAPLETON. Southill is very close to Shillington, as is Pirton, so I would not be surprised if the 2 John's were connected in some way. Hugh Wallis shows the baptisms of 4 children at Shillington to John & Sarah but no baptisms for either of the parents. The 1861 census of Hitchin, Hertfordshire (RG9/818, folio 63, page 1) shows John & Sarah KINGSLEY living at St Andrew's Street with their children Edward & James and presumably 2 grandchildren. John is described as a 66 year old Tailor born in Pirton, Herts. Wife Sarah is shown as aged 66 born in Hitchin. I think the only way you are going to get some sort of proof as to whether this is your John KINGSLEY or not is to see if there is some form of Bastardy Bond or Certificate for your George or look at his actual baptismal record to see if the incumbent put any details about his reputed father. Janet
There is a tree on Ancestry with documented citations for the John and Peggy Kingsley in my previous post. It shows they had a son called John b1803 (but no details on him) - who could be a candidate for George's father.
Interesting that your George Kingsley DANIELS is in Shillington in both the 1851 and 1861 census records. Could all roads lead to Pirton, I wonder, as Ancestry have the birth on 26 Oct 1803, baptism at Pirton on 18 Jan 1805 of John son of John & Margaret KINGSLEY. Could these be the John & Peggy KINGSLEY that you found MollyMay? Another Family Tree on Ancestry shows this John's mother to be Peggy Margaret BARBER. Parish Register Transcript CD of St George Hanover Square shows the marriage on 9 September 1803 of John KINGSLEY of this parish, bachelor, & Peggy BARBER of Pirton, Herts, spinster, by licence - she must have been very heavily pregnant when they married. There is a PCC Will on Ancestry for a John KINGSLEY of Pirton with a couple of Codicils, the latter one dated 15 January 1839 in which he leaves a couple of cottages with gardens, orchards and appurtenances to his son John KINGSLEY who as far as I can see is not mentioned in any other part of his Will - but I may have missed him as I have only skimmed through it. Janet
If this is your George Kingsley, then you may be interested to know that in the Cambridge Independent Press of the 14th April 1849, it was reported that at Biggleswade on the 11th April, George Kingsley Daniel was charged by a farmer named William Fowler, for being on his premises late at night for an unlawful purpose. George was committed for three months under the Vagrancy Act. As far as the arson goes, he was accused of setting fire to a haystack at Meppershall, but the only witness failed to turn up in court, so George was discharged Ann
Thanks Molly, This JK is a candidate, Clophill is not a million miles from Southill. Would like to cross refer to something though. John
Hello Janet, Many thanks and first a word about George: Confusingly my GG Grandfather GKD (b1825 in Southill) had a son, my G.Grandfather, also named GKD (b1854 in Lower Stondon). It was GKD1825 who got 3 months hard labour in Bedford Gaol (BLARS ref: QQGV11/2) and GKD1854 who was aquitted of Arson in 1876 at the 1876 Spring Assizes. I will pursue the other parts of your reply shortly. Though I have not seen a Bastardy Order for George (I have heard one exists but no info on Father other than Southill and Farmer) I do have a copy of an order relating to a female bastard child of Sophia Daniels and Joseph Bryant. One begins to wonder about ones ancestors at this point!!!
Makes research interesting though John, doesn't it! I can't find any records relating to a John KINGSLEY, Farmer at Southill. I wonder if any Land records exist at Bedfordshire RO and as I said before, I don't think John KINGSLEY was native to Bedfordshire because apart from the 2 marriage records, there is nothing on the Name Index for a John KINGSLEY and it runs from the 1550's to 1852. George Kingsley DANIEL is on there, baptised 1825 at Southill and there is a Sophia DANIELS baptised in 1803 at Henlow - is this your Sophia? Janet
If you google Daniels Albert Southill it should with luck lead you to a message board where in 2005 someone posted the bastardy details from Southill parish records, overseers of the poor, for a male child born to Sophia Daniels. John Kingsley of Henlow,farmer is the father . Dated 1823 though. And if you search John Kingsley Henlow in the National Archives it is also there but dated 1825.
