Thread: William Constantine

William Constantine
CONSTANTINE MYSTERY: A family tradition had it that my 3x gr grandfather; William Constantine; a cutler living in Sheffield and had walked his family to London to try to improve their lot. For a long time I could find no evidence of this and then, with the help of other researchers on this reasonably unusual name, I found that the family had indeed originated in Yorkshire. William was born in Giggleswick, Yorkshire in 1786, apprenticed in 1800 to a William Collier a scissor smith moved from the Dales to Sheffield and then on to London. Sadly, there is no evidence that the move improved the lot of the family, at least in the short term because his son, Charles; a combmaker master died in the workhouse at Bethnal Green on 12 Jul 1882.

So what is my brick wall. I have two!
1. On Charles' baptismal record; 31 Mar 1822 at St Mary Whitechapel, Middlesex, England Charles' father in William (cutler) and Elizabeth. Charles DOB is given as 27 Sept 1813. So who was Elizabeth? I found a record of an Elizabeth (Dales) marrying a William Constantine (BOTP) in St Martin in the Fields, London on 19th Jul 1812. The date would be correct around 1812 if Charles was their first born, even if St Martins was slightly out of their area. I have a nagging doubt that this is wrong and can find no further records of Elizabeth Dales either. Any ideas?
2. By 1841 (the census) Charles' father William was back in Bailey Street, Sheffield but by now married to a Hannah who died in 1846 whereas William died in 1860. He appears on the 1851 also, but as a widower. Hannah is probably Hannah Burshell (widow) nee Drake who married William Constantine (widower) in St Dunstan Stepney in 1825. Other researchers have contacted us to say that they have children of William the cutler on their trees too. 1. Hannah (or Ann) Constantine born in Bethnal Green daughter of William (a cutler) around 1822. The middle names she uses for her children, tell me that Hannah is almost certain from this family, but I cannot find her baptism or that of a William Constantine son of William (a cutler) born in Smithfield, Middlesex around 1815. CAN ANYONE HELP?

Yes, Hazelnut. I have that too. It is the correct one but what of the marriage? Which Elizabeth did he marry? Any clues?

1. Why do you think that Elizabeth Dales isnt the right one ?

there is this william born london

Name:William ConstantineBaptism Date:Sep 1782Parish:St MaryleboneCounty:MiddlesexBorough:WestminsterParen t(s):Jno Baptiste,
PeggyRecord Type:Baptism

how do you know he isn't the william marrying Elizabeth in london and had charles in 1813????

All my records of the family are in the East End of London. Their son Charles born in 1813 was born in Shoreditch and baptised in 1822 in St Mary, Whitechapel. I am trying to imagine why a Yorkshire born cutler would have been right over in the West End getting married in 1812. It does not feel right, but in the absence of any other record - it is all I have.

Now that is a hard one and took me about 20 years to work out. The William born 1786 mentioned above is living in Sheffield, Bailey Street on the 1841 Census. In 1840, Charles' daughter Elizabeth was born there, even though he and the rest of the family were back in the East End of London by the 1841 census. Sadly, the same Elizabeth died in London in 1841 and is buried at St Matthew Bethnal Green

I think this is William son of William Constantine (a tailor). William (the father) appears on the 1851 Census in Shoreditch as a widow and gives his birth place at St Martin's. I think this more likely to be the William who married in St Martin's also. There are several siblings to this William, Lavinia Peggy, Rachael Theresa, Harriet Amelia, Ann Elizabeth etc