Introduction
One of the most frustrating aspects of genealogy is when allied branches of the family tree can be taken back centuries but the direct line can't. That's the scenario I've found myself in for some time. Now that I may have possibly broken my way through (I can't yet prove it), I want to lay out my notes in a form to which I can easily refer.
My Astell line is solid back four generations but information starts to become elusive in the fifth and going back one further is the real problem:
- Henry Charles Francis Astell (b 1971)
- Michael Henry Norman Astell (b 1943)
- Norman Francis Astell (b 1913)
- Walter Henry Astell (b 1875)
- John Astell (b 1838 or 1839)
Why? Because John Astell was born to a single mother right before the standard censuses begin.
So, what do we know for sure?
Baptism
John Astell was baptised on 14th June, 1839 at St. Dunstan, Stepney. He was one of six children baptised that day to single mothers resident at MEOT London Union. His mother was Mary Astell. Does that mean that she was born Mary Astell or that she took the surname of the child's father, even though he was not listed?
MEOT is Mile End Old Town. First recorded in 1288 as "La Mile ende", Mile End was "the hamlet a mile away" from Aldgate in the City of London, along the Colchester road. When a new settlement took the name of Mile End New Town, the existing Mile End became Mile End Old Town.
London Union presumably refers to a workhouse. One was built in MEOT in 1803 and there were 284 inmates by 1828. You can read about it at The Workhouse. There are records in the The London Workhouse Admission and Discharge Records (1764-1930) collection, which is searchable at Ancestry.co.uk, but I'm not a member. I'm hoping to see the 3 results for Mary Astell soon.
His baptism record is reference X024/020 in London, Docklands and East End Baptisms, 1558-1933 and here's an image. Click to open a larger version.
Marriage
John Astell, a bachelor of Bevenden Street, married Ellen Page, a spinster of Myrtle Street, on 27th November, 1859 at St. John the Baptist, Hoxton, which is in the Hoxton area of Shoreditch in the London borough of Hackney. It was built in 1826.
In this record, John's father is listed as —Astell (deceased) with no identified profession. This suggests that John didn't know who his father was or anything about him and perhaps assumed him to be dead. It's also notable that his mother, Mary Astell, is not on this document as a witness. Instead, the witnesses were John Page, Ellen's father, and Elizabeth Rhodes, who was presumably Ellen's elder sister Mary Elizabeth Page, who had married William Rhodes in 1856.
Ellen was the third child of John Page (b 27th January 1810) and Mary Clark (b c.1812), both from Boston, Lincolnshire. John was a bootmaker. They had at least seven children, though at least one (Christopher John) died young:
- Charles (b 15 Dec 1835)
- Mary Elizabeth (b 22 Nov 1836)
- Ellen Elizabeth (b 1839)
- Christopher John (b c.1846-7)
- Alfred (b 17 Jun 1849)
- Sarah (b 8 Nov 1852)
- Alice (b 7 Dec 1856)
Their marriage record is in England & Wales Marriages 1837-2005 Vol. 1C p435. and here's an image. Click to open a larger version.
Death
John Astell died in Hackney, London in the second quarter of 1916. He was 78 years old.
His death record is in England & Wales Deaths 1837-2007 Vol. 1B p515. I don't have an image yet.
Censuses
John Astell is listed in a variety of censuses, which helped me to flesh out his list of children and correct some inaccuracies that the family had previously maintained. Of course, they also generated new questions but I think I've figured out the answers now.
| Year | M | Age | Born | Occupation | F | Age | Born | Address | Other Astells |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1841 | John Astell | 3 | Middlesex | ||||||
| 1851 | |||||||||
| 1861 | John Astell | 24 | Stepney Middlesex |
Boot Maker | Ellen Astell | 24 | Islington Middlesex |
12 Bartholomew Sq St Luke |
Ellen M. Astell (6m) |
| 1871 | John Astell | 33 | Stepney Middlesex |
Bootmaker | Ellen Astell | 33 | Islington Middlesex |
32 Blackstone Rd Hackney |
Ellen Astell (10) Alice Astell (8) Ada Astell (6) Amelia Astell (4) Alfred Astell (2) Chas Astell (8m) |
| 1881 | John Astell | 42 | Stepney Middlesex |
Boot Maker | Ellen Astell | 41 | Islington Middlesex |
3 Victoria Chambers Shoreditch |
Ellen M. Astell (20) Alice Astell (18) Ada Astell (16) Amelia Astell (14) Alfred Astell (12) Fredk Astell (10) Albert Astell (9) Walter Astell (5) John Astell (2) George Astell (4m) |
| 1891 | John Astell | 53 | Stepney London |
Bootmaker | 78 Wellington Rd |
Constance A. Astell (23) Alfred W. Astell (22) Frederick J. Astell (20) Albert E. Astell (19) Walter H. Astell (15) John C. Astell (13) George A. Astell (1881) |
|||
| 1901 | John Astell | 63 | Stepney London |
Boot Maker | Martha Astell | 65 | Hoxton London |
37 Oriel Rd Hackney |
John C. Astell (22) George A. Astell (20) |
| 1911 | John Astell | 74 | Hackney | Boot repairer | 27 Swinnerton St Homerton |
Some notes on this data:
- In 1841, a 3 year old John Astell is living with the Grim family in Sebright St, Tower Hamlets. Joseph and Matilda Grim were in their thirties, with their daughter, Priscilla, and an older Matilda Grim, aged 70. I can't confirm whether this is the same John Astell or not, but it does seem possible given that a Mary Astell, aged 30, was living nearby in King St, Tower Hamlets, presumably as a servant in the household of Thomas Henstley, and another John Astell, aged 50, was living almost on the other side of the road to the 3 year old John, in Charles St, Tower Hamlets, possibly in lodgings. However, I haven't proved any connections yet. Here's a tantalising map, though. Click to open a larger version.
- For some reason, I can't find a believable John Astell anywhere in the 1851 census.
- In 1861, the recently married John and Ellen Astell are living with a slew of family beyond their 6 month old daughter, Ellen M. Head of the household is John Page, John's father-in-law, with his wife Mary and their children—Charles, Alfred, Sarah and Alice M. Thomas and Fanny Clark are Mary Page's parents, living there with their daughter Martha A., Mary's sister. Also present is Robert Anderson, an apprentice.
- In 1871, John is the head of the household with lodgers of his own: Margaret Debit with her sons, Samuel and Francis; and Ann Fielding with her daughter, Clara.
- In 1891, Ellen Astell is absent.
- In 1901, Ellen Astell is still absent, but Martha Astell is listed as John's wife. I believe that this relationship was a mistake made by the census taker and she's actually the widow of Ellen's eldest brother, Charles Page, who died in 1876, with their youngest son, Arthur J Page, also present. A further family are also listed at the same address: Edwin F. and Amy E. Buckingham, both in their twenties, with their 7 month old son Edwin A.
- In 1911, Martha Page is listed as John's sister-in-law, a 76 year old widow from Hoxton, backing up the note above. John's birthplace is listed as 'to my knowledge Hackney'. The form was signed by John Astell.
Children
John and Ellen Astell had eleven children, at least one of whom (Arthur Henry) died young.
As the table above suggests, their names varied on the censuses but a clear consensus can be found, especially with further investigation, as follows:
| # | Name | b | Location | m | Spouse | Location | d | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ellen Mary Elizabeth | 2 Oct 1860 | St. Lukes, Middlesex, England | 19 Jun 1881 | John Markquick | Shoreditch, London, England | 22 Sep 1938 | Chelmsford, Essex, England |
| 2 | Alice Louisa | 1862 | St. Lukes, London, England | Mar 1885 | Edward Ward | Hackney, London, England | ||
| 3 | Ada Florence | 23 Feb 1864 | Borough, Middlesex, England | 1888 7 Nov 1911 |
William Gregory William Clegg |
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA New Castle, Delaware, USA |
1949 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA |
| 4 | Constance Amelia | 1867 | Islington, London, England | 25 Sep 1892 | William Riches | Bethnal Green, Middlesex, England | 1904 | Bethnal Green, London, England |
| 5 | Alfred William | 23 May 1868 | Bethnal Green, London, England | 25 Dec 1893 | Elizabeth Riches | Bethnal Green, London, England | 17 Oct 1924 | |
| 6 | Frederick John Charles | 1870 | Bethnal Green, London, England | 1895 | Laura Butcher | Bethnal Green, London, England | 10 Feb 1948 | London, England |
| 7 | Albert Edward | 1871 | Hackney, Middlesex, England | 25 Dec 1898 | Emily Riches | Hackney, Middlesex, England | 1930 | Pancras, London, England |
| 8 | Arthur Henry | 1874 | Hackney, London, England | 1875 | Hackney, London, England | |||
| 9 | Walter Henry | 3 Nov 1875 | Hackney, London, England | 1900 | Minnie Butcher | Bethnal Green, London, England | 1942 | Great Burstead, Essex, England |
| 10 | John Christian | 1878 | 1903 | Elizabeth Parfree | Bethnal Green, London, England | 6 Sep 1949 | London, England | |
| 11 | George Arthur | 16 Nov 1880 | Holborn, London, England | 6 Aug 1905 | Jane Tilyard | Hackney, Middlesex, England | 1947 | Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada |
One note that leaps out here is the closeness of families, which continues one generation and perhaps goes back one too:
- Constance, Alfred and Albert Astell married William, Elizabeth and Emily Riches (three siblings marrying three siblings).
- Frederick and Walter Astell married Laura and Minnie Butcher (two siblings marrying two siblings).
- Elizabeth and Emily Astell, daughters of Alfred and Elizabeth, married Arthur and Ernest Walton (two siblings marrying two siblings).
- Elsie and Winifred Astell, two more daughters of Alfred and Elizabeth, married Henry and George Rich (two siblings marrying two siblings).
I've been able to track down the generations from here relatively easily, even when odd little quirks are thrown in. For instance, Constance Amelia Riches was the seventh child of William and Constance Riches but, after her mother died in childbirth, she was adopted by her uncle, Walter Astell.
In other words, one child born to parents who were part of a three siblings to three siblings family match was adopted by parents who were part of a two siblings to two siblings family match, all within the same generation of the same family. Whew.
Parents
But what about going up the generations? That's a whole new headache!
What we know for sure is that John Astell's mother was called Mary, who was a single mother who lived in Mile End Old Town, perhaps at the workhouse. That's not a lot to go on.
Searching around with looser and looser filters, I found possibilities worth following up on:
- A Mary D. Astell was born on 20th March, 1801 to Moses and Elizabeth Astell of St. George Hanover Square. This is presumably the Mary Astell who's living in a household of many families at Audley St N in St. George Hanover Square in the 1841 census and who died in the third quarter of 1848 in St. George Hanover Square. This is only five miles from Stepney.
- A Mary Elizabeth Astell was born on 28th March, 1807 to John Edmund and Elizabeth Astell. She was baptised a year later at St. James, Piccadilly. She's listed in the 1851 census as a 43 year old widowed laundress with a six year old son, Henry. She died at 17 Bride Lane, St. Bride a year later. It's worth mentioning here that John and Ellen's first child was Ellen Mary Elizabeth Astell, who could easily have been named after her mother and grandmother. However, it's also worth mentioning that Ellen's immediately elder sister was Mary Elizabeth Page.
Mary Pracy
A more likely candidate is Mary Pracy, who was born on 6th February, 1815 to Thomas Pracy and Mary Morgan of Shoreditch. The reason for this is that trend of sibling matches. Let's explain:
- In 1846, Mary Pracy married Frederic or Frederick Michael Astell in Shoreditch. He was a little younger than her, having been born in 1819.
- They had at least eight children: Louisa, Frederick, William Henry, James George, Charles Thomas, Mary Ann, Alfred Richard and Alfred John.
- Louisa Astell (b. 1844) and Frederick Astell (b. 1845) were both born out of wedlock, as their parents didn't marry until the following year.
- John Astell was born in 1839, five years before Louisa and six years before Frederick. At that point, Mary Pracy was 24 years old and Frederick Michael Astell was only 20.
- In the 1841 census, Mary Pracy is listed as a 25 year old servant in the household of Sarah Bocquet, two decades her senior. While there are other servants, Frederick Michael Astell is not listed among them. This is also the census that has a 3 year old John Astell listed with an apparently unrelated family, the Grims.
- In 1867, Frederick Astell, son of Frederick Michael Astell and Mary Pracy above, married Sarah Page in Mile End Old Town. You'll recall that John Astell had married Ellen Page eight years earlier and that Ellen's younger sister was Sarah, but these do not appear to be the same Sarah Page.
- Mary Pracy was resident in St. George in the East, Middlesex in the 1851 (with the family listed as Artell) and 1861 censuses and in Mile End Old Town in the 1871 census. She died in 1874.
- Frederick Michael Astell was born in Southwark, Surrey on 20th July, 1819 and died in Mile End in 1889.
There's lots of good possibility here. The dates and locations fit. There's a direct tie between Astell and Pracy, a further tie between Astell and Page and a third to Mile End Old Town. There are confirmed births outside of wedlock and Mary was working within a household which may not have looked positively on such a thing. The very familiar names of the children help too. If this plays out, then the Astell family shifts from the east of London to Southwark, Surrey, then to Claydon, Oxfordshire, where it remains for many generations, all the way back to Edward Austell or Austin, born in Claydonborough, Oxfordshire circa 1610.
The biggest catch to this theory is the suggested 1853 birth year of Sarah Page. That's based on one entry in one census, which experience tells me is not reliable on its own, but 14 seems a little young to be married. Frederick Astell's wife Sarah seems to have been born in 1848 but her parents are not known. Another catch is that my John Astell doesn't appear to have known who his father was at the time of his marriage, so that puts a dampener on family staying local and potentially in touch.
What This Would Mean
Should the Pracy connection prove accurate (which it hasn't done yet), then my direct line would go a lot further back. Instead of being the latest in merely five generations, I would become the latest in thirteen:
- Henry Charles Francis Astell (b 1971)
- Michael Henry Norman Astell (b 1943)
- Norman Francis Astell (b 1913)
- Walter Henry Astell (b 1875)
- John Astell (b 1838 or 1839)
- Frederic Michael Astell (b 1819)
- William Astell (b 1785)
- William Astell (b 1744)
- Isaiah Astell (b 1710)
- John Astell (b 1674)
- Edward Astell (b 1666, which is suspicious)
- Edward Astell (b 1635)
- Edward Austell or Austin (b 1610)
