By John Slaughter
The only enquiry of any substance that I have received since my last journal report came from, Joanne Saul from America. She initially posted a message on our Forum seeking information about the family of Edward Saul from Cumberland who had married an Ann Hodgson. One of Edward’s descendants was a John Edward Saul who had emigrated to Los Angeles, California in 1891. John Edward Saul appears on one of our charts but I was unaware that he had emigrated. Joanne advised me that John Edward had married in the US, a lady from Switzerland Emma Linder and had four children, namely Edward Fisher Saul, John Fletcher Saul, George Joseph Saul and Dinah Saul. George Joseph Saul was Joanne’s grandfather. Recent member Janet Geddes is also related to this chart and I gave Joanne contact details.
Rosemary Bailey has recently made a breakthrough on her Saul family tree. Rosemary wrote an article about her Saul ancestors in our July 2000 edition. The relevant paragraphs reads:
My great grandmother Sarah Jane Saul (1852-?) was the oldest of the 9 children of Thomas (2) Saul and Susanah Bassford. I have Sarah’s birth and marriage certificates and she is on the 1861 and 1871 census living with her parents and siblings in Oldbury, Worcestershire. All ages and occupations fit. The 1861 and 1851 census show her father Thomas (2) Saul was born around 1828/1829 in Oldbury and his marriage certificate names his father as Thomas Saul (1), engineer. Sure enough a Thomas (2), son of Thomas (1) and Harriet Saul was baptised at Christchurch Oldbury in 1828. Thomas and Harriet had a total of 6 children baptised between 1822 and 1839 and Thomas (1) is described as an engineer in all entries. The 1841 and 1851 census has the family living together – all the ages fit and both Thomas’ occupations are given as engineers. The census suggests Thomas (1) was born around 1790 in either Oldbury or Banbury (Oxfordshire).
Until here I have no doubts about the accuracy of this line, but now things get less certain as this is where the missing baptism comes in. The baptism of Thomas (1) is not in the Oldbury or Banbury registers. The first Saul entry in Oldbury is 1797 – William son of Peter and Hannah Saul. Their son Samuel is baptised in 1805. The Wesleyan Methodist registers of Oldbury show the burial of Peter Saul of Oldbury, born Banbury, aged 85 in 1832. A Peter Saul married Hannah Hanton in Banbury 1787. Banbury seems to be the link.
The evidence so far: my 3x great grandfather Thomas (1) was born c1790 possibly in Banbury. Peter and Hannah Saul of Banbury were living in Oldbury from 1797. In the absence of any other Sauls in the area I have assumed Thomas (1) was Peter and Hannah’s son. I think there can be little doubt that there is a very close connection between Peter and Thomas (1) and that probably they are father and son. However Thomas (1) may have been a young relation who Peter and Hannah brought with them from Banbury when they moved to Oldbury or he may have joined them to work in the industrial black country at a later date. There is also a James Saul born Oldbury ca 1801 for whom a baptism can’t be found but, by the same logic, is probably the son of Peter and Hannah.
As well as being editor of our journal Rosemary also does the desktop publishing for the journal of the Oxfordshire Family History Society. Aware of her missing baptisms a search was made in the OFHS Search Services and the following baptisms were discovered in Claydon, Oxfordshire:
SAUL Thomas, son of Peter & Hannah, 1790
SAUL Sarah, daughter of Peter & Hannah, 1793
SAUL Mary, daughter of Peter & Hannah, 1794
Claydon is a small parish a few miles north of Banbury and it seems clear that Peter and Hannah spent a few years there before moving on to Oldbury. Thomas was either unaware of exactly where he was born or perhaps gave the name of the nearest big town. What we are still lacking however is the baptism of Peter and Hannah’s other assumed child James born ca 1801. Perhaps that too will turn up one day.