The Exploring Family History Tutorial

Session 2

What happened to Francis Lewin and his family?

Summary

The only link with Hertfordshire found relates to Francis Lewin before he married, as none of his family have any connection with the county. It would therefore seem appropriate to suspend further research on this line at the present time.

Task: Summarise what has been found, and highlight areas any unanswered questions relating to Hertfordshire.

The following information is so far known about Francis Lewin

Date  Place Event Notes
10th August 1777 St Albans, Hertfordshire Birth Son of John and Sarah Lewin.

Information relating to his period in St Albans as a child will be covered in Session 3.
18th August 1815 Bishops Tachbrook, Warickshire Marriage Married Sarah Abbotts, widow of Richard Robbins

Register entry not yet examined. It would be interesting to know what brought him to find a wife in Warwickshire. Was there a marriage licence? Is there, for instance, a family connection? Was he already at Honingham - and why did he move there?
1816-1822 Honingham, Norfolk Children born Charles Abbotts, William, Sarah Lampfrey, Mary - Occupation Miller
1836 Honingham, Norfolk Son becomes miller William Lewin (presumably his son) listed as miller at Honingham.

Has Francis retired or moved to another mill? What happened to William (not found in 1851 census)? Does 1841 census help?
1840s ? Children Marry Both Charles and Sarah married during this period.

The marriage certificates (and possibly marriage licences) may throw a little light on the family at the time.
1851  Hilborough, Norfolk Census Retired Miller, staying with son-in-law, Edward Leeds
1857 ?   Recorded as still alive in Lewin Family Bible.
1861 ? Census Not listed - he may well have died.

Where and when did he die, and where was he buried? It is possible that any will could reveal whether he had any property interests in Hertfordshire.

This page (and tutorial) will be updated to take into account any responses from other people researching this family.

Result of Investigation

The more you know about anyone the more unanswered questions you end up with. Several possible lines for further research into Francis are identified above, and the number of questions one could ask about his descendants are legion. It is clear that this branch of the family seem to have abandoned their connections with Hertfordshire, and this line of research is being closed, apart from further attempts to contact the other researchers.

One general question remains, which may be worth following up once all branches of the family have been investigated. The fact that Francis and other members of the family left Hertfordshire may well relate to family contacts covering a larger geographical area. The family tree described in Who is Related to Who? reveals a network of mainly well-to-do tenant farmers spread out over Hertfordshire and East Anglia, and the Lewin family may well have been members of a similarly dispersed family of millers. 

 

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