PRINCIPAL RECORDS

b=born  m=married  d=died

C=Christened        B=Buried

BIRTH

 

Susannah’s age both on her death certificate and in the 1851 census give a birth year of 1809.  The 1841 census also implies a birth year between 1806 and 1811.  Her marriage licence on the other hand states that she was 21 when married in 1827.  This can mean 21 or more, giving a birth date of 1806 or earlier.   It seems possible that she  gave a false age for the licence and was in fact only 18 or so when married.  It is concluded therefore that she was born close to 1809.

 

Susannah was married in Finchingfield, and the 1851 census states she was born there, but there is no suitable baptism in Finchingfield.   In fact there are no CORNELL baptisms at Finchingfield between 1800 and 1815.  The Essex baptism index has the following possible baptisms nearby:

 

C 29Jun1806 Susannah d George  & Mary   CORNELL  at Felstead             (8 miles from Finchingfield)

C  8Nov1807 Susan    d Joseph  & Susan  CORNELL  at Shalford             (3 miles from Finchingfield)

C 10Jun1810 Susan    d William & Rachel CORNELL  at Wimbish  b 27Apr1810 (6 miles from Finchingfield)

C  1Dec1813 Susanna  d William & Kexiah CARNELL  at Saffron Walden b1807 (10 miles "       "        )

 

The Felstead baptism can be ruled out, as a Susan or Susannah Cornell married William SARGANT at Ashdon on 17Nov1825 and in the 1851, 61 and 71 census for Ashdon Susan SERGANT stated she was born in Felstead in 1806, 1807, and 1804 respectively.   The Shalford baptism can also be excluded as the register notes that this Susan was born ten years earlier on 10Feb1797.  The Wimbish baptism can also be ruled out as this Susan Cornell married Daniel SWAN at Wimbish in 1830 and the 1851 census confirms Susan Swann was born in Wimbish.  The Saffron Walden baptism is too lste but can also be ruled out; Susaana Carnell m John Plumb at Saffron Walden in 1827 and later lived in Ickworth (1851).

 

It is interesting to note however that there are two other Finchingfield CORNELLs married around the same time as Susannah’s, who were not baptised in the parish either:

 

m25Oct1824 Richard RHODES of Hampton MDX bch & Mary Ann CORNELL spr by licence; wit: John HART, H CORNELL

m 9Oct1827 Francis Speakman SMITH bch        & Susannah x CORNELL spr both otp by licence

m 4Sep1833 Samuel CORNELL bch                & Elizabeth CLEMENTS of Long Melford by licence; wit: H CORNELL, John WHITE clark

 

The 1851 census for Hampton MDX states Mary Ann RHODES was born Finchingfield 1806.  The 1851 census for Susannah states she was born Finchingfield 1809.  The 1861 census for St Pancras has Samuel CORNELL born Finchingfield 1816. 

 

It is now known that Henry Cornell, miller of Little Bardfield (2 miles from Finchingfield) was not the father of Susannah (as once thought).  Henry died in 1843 and his will mentions 5 daughters but these have now been identified as Emma, Mary, Ann Phelpes, Hannah (m Evan Berry 1831) and Rebecca (m Thomas Talbot 1826)

 

The failure to find the baptism of Susanna (or Samuel or Mary Ann) suggests non-conformism, and there was an Independent Finchingfield chapel from 1779 but the only surviving records are baptisms 1815-1837. where H Cornell junior was a member in 1814, as was Miss Emma (Milbank) Cornell of Lt Bardfield in 1841 but few other records survive.  No suitable quaker record has been found

 

Even were Susanna C at a chapel, her parents marriage might have taken place in a parish church.  There are numerous possible Cornell marriages arounf Finchingfield

 

No suitable illegitimate Susanna has been found C at Finchingfield, but others nearby include:

C 23Jul1809 Susanna d Susanna Andrews at Lt Bardfield  m 1835 Oliver Turner at Lt Bardfield

C  9Jul1809 Susan   d Susan Pain      at Steeple Bumpstead

C  9Jul1809 Susan   d Mary Saunders   at Steeple Bumpstead

but no subsequent Cornell/Andrew, Pain or Saunders marriage found

 

Cornell (C) Families at Finchingfield (F)

 

1804 James C of F m Ann Hart of F at F 7 Jun 1804

1808 James b c1808 son of James C farmer of F tried for embezzling 5/- at Thaxted?
1816 George s James farmer of F & Ann C (formerly Hart) C 13Apr1817 b31Jul1816 at F independent
1819 Caroline d James & Ann C (formerly Hart) C10Feb1820 b25Mar1819 at F independent
1823 Lilah Ann C12 Mar1834 b 10Jul1823 d James & Ann d James & Ann  C 30Nov1828 b 10Jul1823 at F independent
1845 13Jan James B at F age 66 b1779

MARRIAGE

 

Francis & Susannah's daughter, Susannah SMITH (sometimes known as Susannah Speakman Smith) married Samuel Kilbourn in 1848, and the 1861 census of her Kilbourn family shows that she was born about 1829 at Waltham, Essex (see CENSUS section below).  Two years before 1829, a marriage licence and marriage at Finchingfield was recorded of Francis Speakman SMITH and Susannah CORNELL.  Although Finchingfield is a few parishes away from the Walthams, the timing and correct Christian names identify this marriage with confidence:

m licence application dated 5Oct1827; licence granted 6Oct1827

Francis Speekman SMITH bch of Finchingfield age 21, and Susannah CORNELL of Finchingfield age 21 spinster.  Susannah CORNELL had her usual place of abode in Finchingfield for 15 days last.  To marry at Finchingfield

from Finchingfield register:

m 9Oct1827 Francis Speakman SMITH otp & Susannah x CORNELL otp by licence.  w: Sarah SMITH, John SMITH,

 

DESCENDANTS

 

From the 1841 census (see below) Susannah & Francis had a son Francis born c1828 and a daughter, Susannah, born c1830.   The baptisms of five further children have been found at Rotherhithe in the dockland area of London, and a later child by a different father (see Edward Stevens section below) born in Newington.  Both Rotherhithe and Newington are south of the Thames, in the county of Surrey.

from Pebmarsh register

C 8Jun1828 Francis Cornell s Francis & Susanna SMITH

from 1841 & 61 census

bc1828 Susannah at Waltham Essex(m Samuel KILBOURN 1848)

from transcript of Rotherhithe register:

C  7Feb1836 b 12Dec1833 Edward    s Francis Speekman & Susanna SMITH  of Rotherhithe

C  7Feb1836 b 30Dec1835 Elizabeth d Francis Speekman & Susannah SMITH of Rotherhithe

C 28Nov1839 b 28May1838 Mary Ann  d Francis Speekman & Susannah SMITH of Rotherhithe; B 13Dec1839

C  1Nov1840 b  7Sep1840 William   s Francis Speekman & Susannah SMITH of Rotherhithe

C 20Sep1845 b  2Jny1845 George    s Francis Speekman & Susannah SMITH of Rotherhithe

birth certificates:

b  2Jny1845 George, male at 16 Coburg St Rotherhithe

r 28Jny1845 by Susannah x SMITH, mother of 16 Coburg St Rotherhithe, SRY at Rotherhithe

            f: Francis Speakman SMITH “in the Customs”; m: Susannah SMITH formerly CORNELL

 

b 23Aug1848 Mary Ann, female at 33 Harper Street

r  3Oct1848 by Ewd STEVENS father of 33 Harper St, New Kent Rd; at Newington St Mary, Surrey

            f: Edward STEVENS gentleman; m: Susannah STEVENS formerly CORNELL

 

From the 1861 census, Susannah bc1830 was born in Waltham Essex, but her baptism is not recorded in the parish register of Lt or Gt Waltham.  Possibly she was baptised at nearby Braintree:

from Braintree register  (ERO D/P264/12/23)

C 27Jul1832 Susannah d Francis & Susannah SMITH of Braintree, shoemaker

C 27Jul1832 Alfred   s Francis & Susannah SMITH of Braintree, shoemaker

 

Although baptised on the same day, there was no note that these were twins and no further references to these parents were found at Braintree.  Braintree is some 5 miles north of the Walthams and on the way to Finchingfield so it seems likely that these are baptisms to Francis Speakman Smith and Susannah.  No further record of Alfred is known. The Alfred Smith buried at North Weald Bassett aged 1 was baptised there Sep 1833

 

marriage certificate of daughter Susannah

m 18Jul1848 Samuel KILBOURN wdr, full age, carman of 21 Brunswick St & Susannah X SMITH spr full age of 21 Brunswick St; at St Mary Haggerstone after banns

                         f: Samuel KILBOURN dec carman; Francis Speakman SMITH grocer; wit: James SWEET; Harriet GROVE

SUSANNAH and EDWARD STEVENS

 

Neither Susannah nor Francis was found in Rotherhithe in the 1851 census.  Francis has still not been located, but a search for any Susannah bc 1809 in Finchingfield gave the following result from Kingston-on-Thames, Surrey

 

Edward    STEVENS he mar 49 1802 oil & colorman    Rotherhithe SRY

Susannah  STEVENS wi mar 40 1811                   Finchingfield ESS

Edward    STEVENS so unm 17 1834 shopman           Rotherhithe SRY

Elizabeth STEVENS da     15 1836                   Rotherhithe SRY

Mary Ann  STEVENS da      2 1849                   Newington SRY

 

The exact correspondence of the two children Edward and Elizabeth STEVENS to Susannah’s children Edward and Elizabeth SMITH baptised at Rotherhithe strongly suggests that Susannah is now living with Edward Stevens and taking his name for herself and her two children.  This was confirmed from the birth certificate of the new child Mary Ann Stevens (see above) where Susannah STEVENS reveals that she was formerly CORNELL.

 

A search of the BMD indexes failed to find any marriage between Susannah CORNELL/SMITH and Edward STEVENS.  (The Susannah Smith married at Stoke next Guildford in 1847 married Henry Potter)

 

Thus it appears that at some time between the birth of her son George in 1845 and the birth of her daughter Mary Ann in 1848, Susannah left her husband and went to live with Edward Stevens and called herself his wife.  But perhaps Francis and Susannah separate earlier.  The fact that the first child born there was named Edward raises the suspicion that he and all the children born in Rotherhithe may be the children of Edward Stevens, even though she baptised them as children of Francis Smith.  Edward became an oil and colorman like Edward senior and married a woman 20 years older than himself (see 1861 census for Surbiton, below)

 

There is in fact no record of Francis in Rotherhithe.  He was not with the family in the 1841 census and despite extensive search has not been found in either the 41 or 51 census. The fate is also unknown of the eldest son Francis, and the two younger children William b1840 and George b1845.  They have not been found in any subsequent census.  They may have died, but the names too common to search for in the death indexes.  Considering their age, it seems unlikely that William or George remained with their father.

 

The 1841 census (see below) shows that Edward Stevens was living in Rotherhithe close to Coburg St, where Susannah lived.  He was then living with Catherine Stevens, both of independent means.  Catherine was not his wife since in 1861 she was still at the same address in Rotherhithe, unmarried, “proprietor of houses and fundholder”.  In 1861 Edward was still an oil and colourman in Kingston on his own – Elizabeth and Mary Ann were visiting their sister Susannah.  In 1871, Edward was an oil and colourman in Hampton Wick with Elizabeth and Mary Ann his “daughters” as assistants.  Edward died in 1874 aged 72 but no will found.  In 1881, Elizabeth and Mary Ann were together in Teddington, laundress and domestic respectively.

 

DEATH

certificates:

 

d 7Oct1858 Susan Ann STEVENS female 49 [b1809] wife of Edward STEVENS oil and colour man, at Thames St Kingston

           of diseased liver, jaundice and ascites  [dropsy (swelling) of the abdomen]

r 9Oct1858 by Edward STEVENS pad of Thames St Kingston at Kingston, Surrey

 

the death certificate of a Susannah Smith registered in 2Q1846 in Rotherhithe is not she.

 

d 11Aug1862 Francis Speakman SMITH male 56, custom house officer, at Hospital for Diseases of the Chest
            cause: phthisis in left lung

r 16Aug1862 by H J LANCHESTER at Bethnal Green (Green) MDX

 

from BMD index

d 2Q1874 Edward STEVENS at Kingston age 72 [b1802]

CENSUS

1841: St Mary, Rotherhithe,   Coburg St   HO 1067/4 f32 enum dist 11

 

Susannah  SMITH   30  1806/11  N

Francis   SMITH   13  1828     N

Susannah  SMITH   11  1830     N

Edward    SMITH    7  1834     Y

Elizabeth SMITH    5  1836     Y

William   SMITH    9m 1840     Y

 

Francis Speakman SMITH not found in 1841 census

1841 St Mary Rotherhithe, Stringer Row, HO107/1067 bk 4 enum dist 12 f46 p7

 

Catherine STEVENS 40 ind  y

Edward    STEVENS 35 ind  y

in a group of 6 independents: William Cuff 27, Miss Ashe 30, Hephzibah Thomas 60, Ann Gunion 40

1851 Kingston on Thames, Thames St  HO107/1603 f241

 

Edward    STEVENS he mar 49 1802 oil & colorman    Rotherhithe SRY

Susannah  STEVENS wi mar 40 1811                   Finchingfield ESS

Edward    STEVENS so unm 17 1834 shopman           Rotherhithe SRY

Elizabeth STEVENS da     15 1836                   Rotherhithe SRY

Mary Ann  STEVENS da      2 1849                   Newington SRY

 

Francis Speakman Smith not found in 1851 census; not in Coburg St Rotherhithe, his wife’s address in 1845

 

1861  Poplar, 36 Manor St,  RG9/305 f100 p37

 

Francis S SMITH he wdr 54 [1807] outdoor Customs Officer London    Gt. Leighs ESS

Ann M     SMITH si unm 60 [1801] housekeeper                       Gt. Leighs ESS

1861 Bethnal Green, 4 Parliament Place, Abingdon St RG9/255 f131

 

Samuel     KILBOURN he mar 38  1823 labourer Spitalfields

Susannah   KILBOURN wi mar 32  1829          Waltham ESS  [daughter of Susannah and Francis Smith]

Susannah S KILBOURN da     16  1845          Bethnal Green

Francis M  KILBOURN da     11  1850          Bethnal Green

Eugene     KILBOURN da     6   1855          Bethnal Green

Samuel     KILBOURN so     4   1857          Bethnal Green

Elizabeth  KILBOURN da     2   1859          Bethnal Green

Elizabeth  STEVENS  vi     28  1833          Rotherhithe[bap. Elizabeth SMITH, dau of Susannah & Francis]

Morgen?    STEVENS  vi     12  1849          Newington  [Mary Ann, daughter of Susannah and Edward STEVENS]

1861 Kingston on Thames, Thames St  RG9

Edward STEVENS he wid 59 1802 oil and colorman  Rotherhithe SRY

1861 Kingston, Surbiton, Westfield Rd, St Andrews Cottages no 6  RG9/456 f38 p9

Edward  STEVENS he mar 27 [1834] oil & colorman Rotherhithe SRY

Sarah   STEVENS wi mar 48 [1813]                Bermondsey SRY

Harriet SMITH   ni unm  9 [1852]                Rotherhithe

1871 Hampton Wick, Church Grove  RG10/866 f19 p30

Edward    STEVENS he wid 69 [1802] oil & colorman Rotherhithe SRY

Elizabeth STEVENS da unm 28 [1843] assistant      Rotherhithe SRY

Mary Ann  STEVENS da unm 22 [1849] assistant      Rotherhithe SRY

 

OTHER RECORDS

Wills held at Essex Record Office

D/ACR20/86

Henry CORNELL farmer of Little Sampford

Son Benjamin

Daughter Sarah wife of Robert TAYLOR

Son Henry

Daughter Elizabeth wife of Newman EVERITT

Daughter Mary

Daughter Hannah wife of Samuel MUMFORD

Son Edmund

s21Dec1816 p29May1820 w: John CORNELL Edward CORNELL John F….. junr

 

D/ACR20/320

Mary CORNELL spinster

Brother Benjamin

Sister in law Sarah wife of Edmund CORNELL

sS22Jul1825 p29Jul1827

 

D/ACR21/810

Henry CORNELL miller of Little Bardfield

Brother Benjamin

Daughter Emma

Daughter Mary

To my five daughters [not named]

s15Jul1843 p16Oct1843 w: Edward PERRY, William BARKER

 

Register of Finchingfield Independent ERO D/NC6/1

1839 March  Mrs Cornel Cattams? Farm removed⁺

1841        Miss Emma *^MillBank Cornel Little Bardfield

1814 25 Jan Subscribers to the meeting H Cornel Junr

                                      Jas Coonell [sic]

 

⁺ “removed” normally means joined another chapel.

* the name Millbank was interpolated between the words Emma & Cornel as if it was an after thought.

 

 

 

 

return to top