Charlotte WINGATE, born c. 1832
I think this Charlotte who appears in the 1851 census aged 19 (birthdate 1832?) may be the same Charlotte as the Charlotte GIDLEY nee WINGATE who married Richard E BELSEY at St Nicholas Church, Brighton 6 Jun 1865. Her father's name was Thomas.
There is a record of a baptism for a Charlotte WINGATE in 1832 in Devon. The full record is available from BMD Registers.
There is a record of the marriage of Charlotte WINGETT and Bartholomew GIDLEY in the Newton Abbot Register District in the March quarter of 1852 (GRO REF: 5b 269). And there are records of a death of a Bartholomew GIDLEY in the March quarter of 1855 in Plymouth (5b 224), in Newton Abbot in the June quarter of 1856 (5b 102) and the December quarter of 1857 in Barnstaple (5b 332). The death certificate would need to be examined to see which is the correct one.
This is probably her in the 1861 census, living at 66 Boston Fields in the Ecclesiastical Parish of Upton, Torquay.
| Surname | First name(s) | Rel | Status | Sex | Age | Occupation | Where Born |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GIDLEY | Charlotte | Head | W | F | 29 | Laundress | Devon - Totnes |
| GIDLEY | James | Son | U | M | 6 | Scholar | Devon - Stokeinteignhead |
| GIDLEY | John | Son | - | M | 4 | Scholar | Devon - South Zeal(Originally: Devon - South) |
The BELSEY's appear in the 1871 census and the 1881 census as follows:
| Census 1871
25 High Street, Brighton RG10/1074 70-77 Richard Belsey 38 no occupation b. Ramsgate blind Charlotte Belsey wife 37 charwoman b. Torquay, Devon John Belsey son 14 errand boy b. Torquay Mary Elizabeth Belsey dau 8 scholar b. Torquay |
Census 1881
17 High Street, Brighton RG11/1078 82 24 Richard E Belsey 49 annuitant b. Ramsgate blind Charlotte Belsey wife 49 laundress b. Totnes, Devon Andrew Field lodger 30 unm carpet beater b. Brighton |
We think Richard died March quarter, 1890 at Brighton aged 57, and Charlotte died Sept quarter 1894 in Lewes Regist. District age 62. This information has been provided by Rachel Elder, e-mail: randj@elder65.freeserve.co.uk, who is researching BELSEYs.
We are not sure which tree she belongs to nor even which Thomas was her father. There are three possible fathers with a christian name of Thomas in the 1851 census but, of course, he may already have died. Her baptismal record would need to be examined to see exactly where she was baptised and if there are any clues as to parentage.