What brings you to the conclusion there are no death records of Nicolas in the Channel Islands. If his last child was born in 1887, he isnt in the 1891 census and his wife Mary Anne had remarried by 1893 then it is probable that Nicolas died between 1887 and 1891. This narrows it down a bit. I will have a look at the Guernsey parish records for you.
What brings you to the conclusion there are no death records of Nicolas in the Channel Islands. If his last child was born in 1887, he isnt in the 1891 census and his wife Mary Anne had remarried by 1893 then it is probable that Nicolas died between 1887 and 1891. This narrows it down a bit. I will have a look at the Guernsey parish records for you.
Susan[/quote]
Hi Susan,
I contacted the Piraulx Library in Guernsey, Channel Islands asking them to research the family and it was they who told me there were no death records of Nicolas Adams in Guernsey.
Well I will give it a go anyway. Will let you know if I find anything. Do you know what Nicolas did for an occupation? If he was a mariner etc, he might have died overseas.
I have just finished researching an "Adam" family in Guernsey! I will check the records on Saturday when I am next at the library.
Well I will give it a go anyway. Will let you know if I find anything. Do you know what Nicolas did for an occupation? If he was a mariner etc, he might have died overseas.
I have just finished researching an "Adam" family in Guernsey! I will check the records on Saturday when I am next at the library.
Although I havent found a death or burial record for Nicholas Adams (yet), I have unearthed confirmation that he died.
I have looked at the original marriage record for Mary Ann Adams and Thomas Staunton and she is noted as "widow".
Also, Nicholas and Mary Ann's last child, Archibald, was born in June 1887 but not baptised until 1891 (after Mary Anne married Thomas) in a private ceremony at the Town Church in Guernsey. This is quite unusual for the time, especially as no godparents are noted.
My hunch is that Nicholas died either before Archibald was born or shortly after. It was quite unusual to wait four years to have a child baptised in those days. Also, it is probable that Mary Anne didnt marry Thomas straight after the death of Nicholas so with her second marriage taking place in June 1890 there is perhaps a smaller window of time in which Nicholas died.
Hoping that I have now narrowed it down a bit, I will have a look through the newspapers of the day next time I am at the library to see if I can find anything about Nicholas' death during late 1886 to perhaps 1888. There were only one or two newspapers a week and that sort of news always appeared in the same place in the newspapers so it shouldnt take me too long.
I have searched the Civil Register of deaths for Guernsey as well as the burial records for St John's church with no luck. I can see why the Priaulx didnt solve the mystery but I am sure I will find the death somewhere, given time.
If you email me at susan@guernseyancestry.com I will send you the electronic copies I have taken of the marriage certs for Mary Anne's marriages to Nicholas and Thomas and the copy of the entry in the baptism register of the Town Church for Archibald.
I hope at least this information provides you with part of the answer to your mystery.
However, because there is no record of the death I can't see how he could have died in Guernsey. I have another situation where the husband was listed as widower however I know that his wife didn't die but emigrated back to her homeland.!
I have come across this before, where no death record has been found but everything points to the person dying in Guernsey. There were some that slipped through the system for sure. Imagine Mary Anne is grief stricken and pregnant, Nicholas' father was dead by then and his mother perhaps housebound. Its not hard to imagine a scenario where the registering of a death would just not happen. They couldnt just jump in a car and drive to the Greffe Office like today. I believe there was a fine for not registering a death too but not everyone would have been aware of that.
I must admit I would have expected to find Nicholas' burial at St John's Church but I have not found it. He might have been cremated. He might have been working on a project on one of the other islands. Of course, if he didnt die then that makes Mary Anne a bigamist! I dont think that is likely, especially as she remarried in the same parish church as her marriage to Nicholas. St John's is a small parish and most folks would have known each other, just like in a village.
We might never know, but I still hope to find some account of him for you - I still have some research options!
I appreciate your version of what could have happened and it's a possibility.
I'm also thinking that Nicolas just may have emigrated for whatever reason,leaving behind his wife and family. MaryAnn later remarries. It would be very easy in those days, totally different to-day where records are available throughout the world for checking and re-checking. If this was the scenario, it would be understandable that MaryAnn would re 'marry'.
Knowing what I do, its a distinct possibility that Nicolas had little to do with his father, that could have had a bearing on his disappearance.
I appreciate very much your searching and it certainly would be great news if there was some 'closure' to be had.
LinkBack URL
About LinkBacks
Nicolas Adams
Reply With Quote
