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Hitting a brick wall - unique surname?

ellaybee

ellaybee

Brummie babby
Hello,

Researching my family tree and we've hit a brick wall in the mid 1800 with my wife's 3rd great grandmother: Betsy (or Betsey, or Elizabeth) She appears, with her maiden name, on only one document - her marriage certificate and her father's name is blank. It seems her brother was a witness and shares the same surname: Breaton-Ball.

She is also on the 1851 census with her husband and children (when she was an Alders) along with her Mother - her mother's surname looks like Breton and her (presumed) brother just has ditto marks underneath that.

Unfortunately, it has been transcribed countless different ways so it took us a while to find her - Breslow Ball, Briaton Ball, and just Ball with the other name as a second first name. Her mother, Prudence Breton also cannot be found anywhere else. Some french records come up, but on the census it says she they were all born in Birmingham ‍♀️

Betsy was born in 1827 and she died in 1856 after only 9 years of marriage to Thomas Allders (also Alders). They had 4 children together. To complicate matters he remarried in 1859 to another Elizabeth (Read, also known as Betsy) so there's a lot of confusion around what records are what and who's who!

Has anyone ever come across anyone with the surname Breaton Ball, Briaton Ball or Breton before? Or have any suggestions how else it might be interpreted, or where else we could try looking please?

Attached are the files we have so far...
 

Attachments

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Prudence appears to be listed as Ball in 1841 and 1861 in Bham. In 1861 still on Mary Ann St.

Her brother Josiah is listed as Ball on other censuses.

Elizabeth seems to be baptised as Elizabeth Freeman Ball 12 Jul 1826 Bham, daughter of Thomas and Prudence Ball. Other children are listed including Josiah and Charlotte who is with Prudence in 1841.

Can't see a marriage for Thomas and Prudence yet so perhaps they weren't married. I can't see the scan of Elizabeth's baptism so maybe it doesn't say Freeman. Sometimes if there's no marriage later children get 2 names.

One of my 2x great grandfathers was a Richings (illegitimate) but most of his children were listed as Pearce Richings.
 
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MWS said:
Prudence appears to be listed as Ball in 1841 and 1861 in Bham. In 1861 still on Mary Ann St.

Her brother Josiah is listed as Ball on other censuses.

Elizabeth seems to be baptised as Elizabeth Freeman Ball 12 Jul 1826 Bham, daughter of Thomas and Prudence Ball.
Click to expand...

Ooh thank you! Did not think to look for Prudence Ball with her name on the 51 census being Breton. I wonder where that came from?!

We did notice multiple Josiah Ball records but didn't consider they'd be him as there was no Breaton/Briaton/Breton and we have no other identifying information except his age in 1851.

Aaah Freeman Ball... could that sound like Breaton-Ball?? Possibly! Doesn't help that neither Elizabeth or Prudence were literate so they wouldn't know if their names were being recorded correctly or not! Interesting that there's a baptism record with a father stated but there's no father on her marriage certificate. How bizarre!
 
The births of Betsey's chidren are registered with variations on the double name
1681921236036.png
1681921288847.png
The last child seems to be registered just with mmn Ball
1681921537323.png
 
Interestingly there is a baptism in 1818 of the daughter of a Prudence Brereton "single woman".
The intriguing bit is the child's name
Jane Ball Brereton.
1681922362645.png
 
Address is Kenion St for both. So would suggest that Prudence and Thomas never married?

There doesn't seem to be a birth for a Prudence Brereton but there is a baptism for some Brereton children, parents William and Prudence. At least one lists the address Kenion St. And there is a marriage for a William Brereton and Prudence Phillips 1811 Handsworth.
 
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Looks quite likely no marriage. I couldn't find one either.
Prudence born before birth reg so if not baptised hard to find details.
 
It looks like Prudence Phillips married William Brereton in 1811 and had 3 children.

Some time around 1818 William is out of the picture for some reason and Prudence takes up with a Thomas Ball and has 5/6 more children.

Can't see a burial for William Brereton.
 
Possible. If his occupation was listed as soldier on any of the baptisms of his children then more than a possibility maybe.

He also may have just abandoned them or it may be there but mis-transcribed.
 
MWS said:
William's father was possibly a Samuel Brereton, baptised 1790. He also had a brother Samuel who moved to Walsall.
Click to expand...
This is the entry at St Philips on 15 March 1790. Samuel and Susanna seem to have had several children all baptised
1681998438802.png
 
Not really relevant to the OP but as well as William, his siblings Samuel and Elizabeth married at Handsworth in the 1810s. Elizabeth witnessed both brothers' and Samuel his sister's.

Is there a burial for a Thomas Ball between 1830 and 1841, hopefully with the Kenion St address and possibly a Lapidary?
 
It doesn't give jobs on the burial registers.
There are several:
1834 Hospital Street - aged 71
1835 son of Thomas and Sophia aged 13 address looks like Moseley Street deritend
1836 Bromsgrove Street - aged 24
1837 Moseley Street (think it must be Father of earlier Thomas) aged 39

1835 Pigot's directory has Thomas Ball Lapidary at 6 Barr Street
 
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Thanks. Thomas Ball would seem to be a bit of a dead end. Not sure if Kennion St is the same as Kenyon St which is not far from Hospital St but reaching a bit.

Two 'husbands' for Prudence and both disappear without trace...
 
The 1823 Wrightsons directory has Thomas Ball, lapidary at court 13 Kenyon st , in 1829 at 65 Kenyon St and in 1835 at 133 Constitution Hill65 Kenyon St
 
In 1841 Prudence is living on New Church St, which is listed in between St George St and New Summer St. Not far from Hospital St seemingly but I'm not sure where it was (changed name?).
 
Wow. Thanks so much everyone who has contributed! That sort of explains the Brereton Ball confusion then... Not sure where the Freeman comes in to it, or why Betsy was baptised a Ball but gave herself a Brereton Ball surname when she got married (as did Charlotte and Josiah!) Perhaps because their mother Prudence was still a Brereton at that point?

Lots of information for us to get our heads around now. We've got...

Prudence Phillips marrying William Brereton in 1811 in Hansworth. They had 3 children:

1812 Thomas J
1814 Elizabeth (not the one we're interested in)
1816 Mary Ann

Then no sign of William as in 1818 Prudence Brereton has Jane Ball Brereton by herself.

Prudence then hooks up with Thomas and they have several children:

1821 - Caroline
1823 - Charlotte
1826 - Elizabeth (this is our Betsy)
1827 - Josiah

Fascinating that both William Brereton and Thomas Ball appear to have just vanished!!!!

Thank you so much for filling in so many gaps! Looks like we've still got a brick wall with Thomas Ball and Prudence Phillips though haha :)
 
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