14 Apr 2021

I received a copy of Bridget Dineen and Daniel Palmer’s marriage certificate.

Marriage at St. Mary’s Church, Stow Hill, Newport, Monmouthshire on the 7th December 1867 between Daniel Palmer, 24, Bachelor, Journeyman Shoemaker of Risca and Bridget Brien, 25, Widow of Risca. His father was Jeremiah Palmer, a farm labourer. Her father was Daniel Dinneen (deceased), a farm labourer. Daniel could sign his name but Bridget could not. The witnesses were William Probert and Jane Palmer, neither of whom could sign their names.

The new information here is that Daniel was a shoemaker. I used this information to find this report in the Star of Gwent on 4th Jun 1864:

A SHOEMAKER IN TROUBLE - A journeyman shoemaker, named Daniel Palmer, who had been apprehended on a warrant, was charged with having left the employment of William Whitechurch, Abereychan, without having given the necessary notice.

Complainant said that defendant went to spend Whitsuntide with his friends at Newport and that he had advanced him money on some work which he had neglected to finish. Complainant added that he had been served so many dirty tricks by such men as defendant that he wished to make an example of him. Defendant said that the work he had left unfinished would only take him a short time to complete. Complainant reiterated his statement that he had been very badly used by his men and defendant was ultimately committed to Usk for 14 days with hard labour.¹

Later on I found another reference in the Monmouthshire Merlin, 6 July 1867:

Thomas Palmer and William Palmer were charged with being drunk and disorderly, in Charles-street, Sunday afternoon.—The latter defendant only appeared. —P.C. Chamberlain found the defendants in Charles street very drunk, and was told that they had been fighting.—William was fined 10s., and Thomas, who has become a notorious character, was fined 40s. ? Daniel Palmer, a third brother of the same family, was charged with drunkenness and disorderly conduct, about ten o’clock on Sunday night.—P.C. Nightingale found him on Stow Hill, apparently asleep.—Fined 10s.²

Thomas Palmer has many entries in the court sessions of Usk for stealing and similar crimes.

We also received the birth certificate for Samuel Lay, Bertie Herbert Tew’s older brother.

Birth at 47 St. George’s Street, Northampton on the 18th April 1896 of Samuel, a boy, father George Lay, mother Annie Lay formerly Tew. He was a jobbing gardener. The informant was George Lay, father, 47 St. George’s Street. The birth was registered on the 14 July 1896.

It’s surprising that Annie is recorded as being Annie Lay since there is no evidence that she married George Lay and her later children were called Tew. Since George registered the birth and stated he was the father then we have to conclude that Samuel is George’s biological son. Perhaps he stated Annie’s surname as Lay to avoid scandal or embarrassment. They could even have been planning to marry at some point and he wanted to avoid casting doubt over his son’s parentage.

His claim of parentage for Samuel makes it even less likely that he is Bertie Herbert’s father since he made no similar claim on his birth certificate: no father is recorded at all.

I believe that George and Annie met in Greens Norton when George returned to look after his mother after his father died in 1884. He is shown to be living alone with his mother in the 1891 census. Annie was 16 in 1891 and living with her parents in Pattishall, about three miles north. The Tews had been living for many years in the hamlet of Handley, a couple of miles south of Greens Norton. It’s possible that Annie was employed to help with domestic duties at George’s mothers’ house and the two started a relationship. George’s mother died in 1893 in Greens Norton and by April 1896 Annie was in Northampton with George at the birth of their son Samuel. Annie was 21 by this time, George was 48. Almost certainly their relationship was scandalous and they may have moved to Northampton to escape attention. The recording of Annie’s surname as Lay on Samuel’s birth certificate suggests that they may have been planning to marry.

There is no evidence though that they married and by the 1901 census Annie and George are still living together in Northampton with their son Samuel. However Annie and Samuel are shown as boarders with George and all three are listed as unmarried. Annie and Samuel’s surnames are recorded as Tew. In November 1902 Annie gave birth to her son Lewis in Greens Norton, where her parents and brother were now living. No father is recorded on Lewis’ birth certificate. Then, in September 1908, she gave birth to Bertie Herbert in Greens Norton, again with no father recorded. She is recorded as being a housekeeper at this time.

In the 1911 census Annie and George are shown living in the same house in Northampton with the three boys. Annie is recorded with the surname Tew and she is a housekeeper and boarder. The boys are all listed with the surname Lay and shown as the children of George. Confusingly Bertie Herbert is listed as a daughter. The house has two rooms. By this time Annie is 37 and George 65, still a jobbing gardener.

My assumption is that Annie lived continuously with George between 1901 and 1911 but returned home to Greens Norton to have her two boys. This is in contrast to the birth of Samuel which occurred in George’s house and was registered by him. Annie was the informant for both Lewis and Bertie Herbert’s births. This is suggestive that George did not want involvement with the two boys.

In June the next year Annie married Joseph Wyatt, a 55 year old widower. They married at the register office and Annie is recorded as a spinster charwoman aged 37. Her address is given as 10 St. George’s Square. Joseph’s address is 9 St. George’s Square, the same address he can be found at in the 1911 census where he is shown living with his two sons and a daughter. One of the witnesses to the wedding was Mary Wakling, Annie’s sister.

At this time Samuel Lay would have just turned 16.

My theory is that Annie and George started their relationship in Greens Norton and moved to Northampton together to avoid scandal when they discovered she was pregnant. At some point their relationship broke down and they came to an arrangement whereby George would support his son Samuel until the age of 16. Annie could remain living with them as his housekeeper. During this time she had one or two other relationships that led to the birth of Lewis and Bertie Herbert but George Lay is not the father of either. I feel that since he took responsibility for Samuel on his birth registration and the offer of support until age 16 then he would have continued this with the other boys if they had been his own children.

Annie left George’s house when Samuel turned 16 in April 1912 and moved with Lewis and Bertie Herbert to St. George’s Square and subsequently married Joseph Wyatt a few months later. She possibly knew of Joseph through George’s gardening work but we can’t tell how long for. Joseph’s first wife died in childbirth in 1906 so Annie may have helped him with housekeeping or child care after that event. Annie and Joseph went on to have two daughters, Mary Kate in 1913 and Florence in 1918.

There is no evidence that George Lay and Annie Tew had contact again. Their son Samuel died in the first world war and when, in 1919, Annie Wyatt filled out a form to claim Samuel’s effects and pension she recorded George as his father, address unknown. Annie listed herself, Lewis, Bertie Herbert, Mary and Florence as Samuel’s “full blood” relatives.

Joseph Wyatt died in 1925 age 66, Annie died in 1927 age 52 and George Lay died in 1930 age 82, still a jobbing gardener. All were still in Northampton.