31 Aug 2023

It occurred to me that the note “N3 from private Sth Hants” against William Hinksman’s recruitment could mean that he had transferred from the South Hampshire regiment, the 67th Foot. This would explain his extremely rapid promotion. He was made a Corporal three weeks later and was Sergeant a month after joining. This theory also explains why there is a second note stating “from Sth Hants” against his promotion to corporal on 15 Aug 1799.

The main evidence against this theory is that in 1799 the South Hants regiment were in Jamaica, having been suppressing a slave revolt in St. Domingo, now the Dominican Republic. The regiment returned to England in 1801¹.

Perhaps William was at home or sent home due to injury. This might explain why he spent most of his time recruiting for the regiment, possibly this duty that he was fit for.

It’s also possible that “Sth Hants” refers to the South Hampshire Light Infantry militia. The militia records are held at Hampshire Record office. The records for the 67th Foot are held at Serle’s House in Winchester, the “Lower Barracks” that I investigated yesterday.

The muster rolls for the 67th Foot are at the National Archives. WO 12/7540 is the reference for the 1798-1799 rolls. I should try and look at this during my visit next week.

Later on I was writing some more of the Suffolk Hinksman story and researching Richard Hinksman’s wife Mary Ann Spencer. We’ve never found her baptism or any information about her parents. Her birthplace was recorded as Huddersfield in each census she appears in and her father is recorded as John Spencer, a cloth manufacturer on her marriage certificate. One of the witnesses was Charles Spencer.

I found a Mary Ann Spencer baptised in a Wesleyan register for Heptonstall in Yorkshire. The parents were John and Susanna Spencer²:

30 Jun 1837, baptism of Mary Ann, daughter of John and Susanna Spencer, Heptonstall, occupation Weaver, born 9 Apr 1830
30 Jun 1837, baptism of Jonathan, son of John and Susanna Spencer, Heptonstall, occupation Weaver, born 13 Dec 1835

I looked in the census and found a Jonathan and Susanna, with a daughter Mary age 11, in Hebden Bridge in 1841³. They also had children Sarah (24) and Richard (15). Hebden Bridge is just a mile or so to the east of Heptonstall, north-west of Halifax. Huddersfield is about 10 miles away, south east of Halifax.

In 1851 Susanna is a widow and a pauper, living with her daughter Sarah in Hebden Bridge⁴. Sarah married John Fielding in 1859 at the age of 43⁵.

Mary Ann Spencer didn’t state that her father was dead on the certificate of her marriage to Richard Hinksman in 1855. It might have been omitted or this Jonathan and Susanna are not her parents. I think I have found Mary Ann in the 1851 census working as a servant in Tynemouth where she married Richard⁶.

If I could find Mary the daughter of Susannah and Jonathan in the 1851 census then I could eliminate her as a candidate. A cursory check didn’t turn anything up but she could have married by then.

Another angle would be to try and find the Charles who was the witness to her marriage. Perhaps he is a brother.

Interestingly I found a Charles Spencer aged 24 in the 1851 census, living in Haworth, Yorkshire, born in Heptonstall. This would make him three years older than Mary Ann. He is lodging with a Mary West and her family, his occupation is given as Wool Comber⁷.

Unfortunately there are several other Charles Spencers, including

• Charles aged 23, a button turner lodging in Sheffield, born in Sheffield
• Charles aged 27, a stone mason living with his wife and three children with his father in law in Bradford, born in Bradford
• Charles aged 30, a master cabinet maker living in Bowling, Yorkshire with his brother Amos, born in Bowling
• Charles aged 19, a gun smith living in Northallerton, born in Northallerton

I also found a Charles Spencer aged 34, a clothes mender living in Tynemouth in 1851. I can’t decipher his place of birth, it looks like two letters “UK” or “NK”, but his wife Mary A was born in Huddersfield. They had two children: Elizabeth (13) and William (11). ⁸

He would have been born in 1817.

This looks very promising. Perhaps he moved to Tynemouth and his sister Mary Ann joined him and found work as a servant.

I think I found his marriage:

23 Oct 1836 marriage of Charles Spencer of Huddersfield and Mary Ann Hayley of Huddersfield, by banns. Neither could sign their names. Witnesses were Joseph Bottomley (signed) and J. Battye (signed). Huddersfield.⁹

I don’t seem to be able to find a baptism for him in Huddersfield though.

I found a good candidate for his wife’s baptism in Huddersfield in 1815, daughter of William and Sarah Hayley. Her father was a clothier.¹⁰.