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Thanks for these posts Ozi, they are definitely worth pursuing.
All help so far much appreciated.
Matthew

This is interesting, considering the surnames and date. (Although not working with the birth above.) Found on FreeReg.

County: Somerset
Place: Wells
Church: St Cuthbert
Register Number: 135
Marriage Date: 07 Sep 1802
Groom Forename: John
Groom Surname: DIX
GroomCondition Bachelor
Groom Abode: St Cuthbert, Wells
Bride Forename: Sarah
Bride Surname: SMITH
Bride Condition: Spinster
Bride Abode: St Cuthbert, Wells
Witness One Forename: Mary
Witness One Surname: HORLEY
Witness Two Forename: Mary
Witness Two Surname: SMITH
Notes: Banns read on 22, 29 Aug & 05 Sep 1802
FileNumber: 10235

Matthew as of my post 20 Aug 2012 21:46 there are websites you can try for yourself for free. Another one is this www.familysearch.org.

Where I found

name: James Smith
gender: Male
baptism/christening date: 08 May 1805
baptism/christening place: St. Cuthbert's, Wells, Somerset, England
father's name: William Smith
mother's name: Sarah
indexing project (batch) number: I01821-1


Although no marriage.


Ozi

Is there any chance that the marriage between Temperance and James is recorded under the surname Smith, not Dix.
Anyone able to find a clue?
Have no idea what year this would be. Maybe 1829?
Any help appreciated.

This is amazing Sylvia - thank you so much for all of this - the listing on that ancestry tree of James Dix being born Smith fits in with the convict record of son Edmund (Edwin from 1841 onwards) having his name listed as Edwin Hooper alias Dix, birth name Smith.. the plot thickens!
I will sift through what you have posted and try to make some sense of it all.
Any other breakthroughs, would love to hear from you..!
Many thanks
Matthew

Sorry Matthew


I missed your posting above


Yes, that means you need to find the parish records.

possible death for William ........ Axbridge is the registration district that includes Weare


Deaths Jun 1852 (>99%)

Hooper William Axbridge 5c 424



and ???? Jane

Deaths Sep 1854 (>99%)

Hooper Jane Axbridge 5c 345




??? Benjamin's death


Deaths Mar 1856 (>99%)

HOOPER Benjamin Axbridge 5c 400




sylvia

IF that is Temperance's parents and siblings, the following MIGHT be her father on the 1841 Census ................ but with a different wife???


1841 Census

Name: William Hooper
Age: 65
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1776
Gender: Male
Where born: Somerset, England

Civil parish: Weare
Hundred: Bempstone
County/Island: Somerset
Country: England

Registration district: Axbridge
Sub-registration district: Wedmore

William Hooper 65 Ag Lab
Jane Hooper 75 b.ca 1776, Somerset
Benjamin Hooper 30 b.ca 1811, Somerset, Ag Lab

Address:- Upper Weare



and the same family in 1851??


1851 Census

Name: William Hooper
Age: 77
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1774
Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Jane Hooper
Gender: M (Male)
Where born: Weare, Somerset, England

Civil parish: Weare
County/Island: Somerset
Country: England

Registration district: Axbridge
Sub-registration district: Wedmore

William Hooper 77 Farm Labourer
Jane Hooper 81 b.ca 1770, Weare, Blind
Benjamin Hooper 47 b.ca 1804, Weare, Cripple
Thomas Wells 84 Lodger, Farm Labourer
Mary Williams 59 Visitor, Ag Lab



"England, Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," Benjamin Hooper, 1802

Name: Benjamin Hooper
Gender: Male
Baptism/Christening Date: 14 Mar 1802
Baptism/Christening Place: Weare, Somerset, England
Birth Date:
Birthplace:
Death Date:
Name Note:
Race:
Father's Name: William Hooper
Father's Birthplace:
Father's Age:
Mother's Name: Fanny Hooper
Mother's Birthplace:
Mother's Age:
Indexing Project (Batch) Number: I07097-3
System Origin: England-EASy
Source Film Number: 1471170
Reference Number:





sylvia

a family tree on ancestry has the following parents and siblings for Temperance

I have no idea of how accurate this information ..... but it may give you a start, if you do not already have it.


Parents

William Hooper 1775 –
b. ca 1775, Weare, Somerset England

Frances Gatcomb 1775 –
b.ca 1775, Somerset


William and Frances married 20 April 1795, Weare


Siblings

James Hooper1795 – 1796
James Hooper1799 – 1802
Benjamin Hooper1802 –
James Hooper1808 – 1878




The tree owner appears to be descended from James Hooper, b. 1808.



This is what the tree owner has to say about James Dix


James Dix
Birth
Wells, Somerset
Birth name is noted as SMITH - Dix was listed as an alias


1829
Age: 18
Marriage to Temperance Hooper
Somerset, England


1841
Age: 30
Residence
St Cuthbert In and Out, Somerset, England

On 1841 census shown as James Dix (alias) Occupation - Carpenter


1851
Age: 40
Residence
Hanley Castle, Worcestershire, England

On 1851 census reverts to birth name James Smith Occupation - Carpenter and Joiner





SO ................. no sign of birth certificate to prove this????




sylvia

Do you have this????

England & Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791-1892 about Temperance Hooper

Name: Temperance Hooper
Date of Trial: Jan 1825
Trial Year: 1825
Location of Trial: Somerset, England
Sentence: Acquittal
Crime: See Image
Date of Execution or Release: See Image


from image:-

Charged with Larceny
Verdict:- Not Guilty

so this is Temperance and James under the name Smith in 1851????


Name: Temperance Smith
Age: 41
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1810
Relation: Wife
Spouse's Name: James Smith
Gender: F (Female)
Where born: Ware, Somerset, England

Civil parish: Hanley Castle
Ecclesiastical parish: Malvern Wells St Peter
County/Island: Worcestershire
Country: England

Registration district: Upton On Severn
Sub-registration district: Hanley

James Smith 40 b.ca 1811, Wells, Somerset, Carpenter & Joiner
Temperance Smith 41
Emma Smith 10 b.ca 1841, Wells
Richard Smith 8 b.ca 1843, Wells.





There will have been a reason for the change of name ................... and often that is because of some sort of criminal act, or getting away from trouble,



I wonder if James Dix had been married before ............ that could be "trouble" if he'd taken up with another woman. And could also explain why we cannot find a marriage.



and they are still Smith in 1861 ...............

Name: Temperance Smith
Age: 50
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1811
Relation: Wife
Spouse's Name: James Smith
Gender: Female
Where born: Wedmore, Somerset, England

Civil parish: Great Malvern
County/Island: Worcestershire
Country: England

Registration district: Upton On Severn
Sub-registration district: Hanley

James Smith 52
Temperance Smith 50
Richard Smith 18





sylvia

am fiddling about trying to find anyhting!


I looked at the 1841 Census, and am going to post it, just for reference purposes


1841 Census

Name: Temperance Dix
Age: 30
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1811
Gender: Female
Where born: Somerset, England

Civil parish: St Cuthbert In and Out
Hundred: Wells Forum
County/Island: Somerset
Country: England

Registration district: Wells
Sub-registration district: Wells

James Dix 30 b.ca 1811, Somerset, Carpenter
Temperance Dix 30
Edwin Dix 13 b.ca 1828, Somerset
Emma Dix 11 Mo b.ca 1840, Somerset

Address:- Mill Pond





sylvia

Thanks Sylvia, think this means I will need to search Somerset Parish Records??

you won't find a birth certificate for James Dix ......................... he was born before civil registration began on July 1 1837.


The most you will find is an entry in a Parish Record for his baptism, which may or may not also have his birth date marked.

I too have noticed the other surnames used and just assumed that they were on James Dix's side of the family. I believe, but can't be sure as I am unable to find a birth certificate for James Dix, that James' mother was Anne Tucker which would explain the Tucker, and that James' grandmother was Elizabeth Green which explains the Green.

There are other births in the 1840's, a Richard and an Emma, who with Edmund go on to be two of their only surviving children. Also two other births before Edmund under the surname Hooper.MArriage could have occured at any time.
When Richard marries c1870 he is Richard Smith Dix!
He then continues going under the name Richard Smith.

Burials
County: Somerset
Place: Wells
Church: St Cuthbert
Register Number: 2384
Burial Date: 25 Jul 1835

Forename: Richard Henry
Surname: DIX
Age: 1m
Abode: Lawpool Lane

File Number: 10234

So if these are the only known children then the marriage should be between 1829 and 1831, is that so?

indexing project (batch) number: C00240-5 (St. Cuthbert, Wells, Somerset)

name: Edmund Hooper
gender: Male
baptism/christening date: 25 Dec 1829
baptism/christening place: St. Cuthbert, Wells, Somerset, England
father's name:
mother's name: Temperance Hooper




name: James Green Dix
gender: Male
baptism/christening date: 27 Jul 1831
baptism/christening place: St. Cuthbert, Wells, Somerset, England
father's name: James Dix
mother's name: Temperance Dix

name: Anne Tucker Dix
gender: Female
baptism/christening date: 20 Mar 1833
baptism/christening place: St. Cuthbert, Wells, Somerset, England
father's name: James Dix
mother's name: Temperance Dix

name: Richard Henry Dix
gender: Male
baptism/christening date: 23 Jun 1835
baptism/christening place: St. Cuthbert, Wells, Somerset, England
father's name: James Dix
mother's name: Temperance Dix

name: Eliza Harriett Green Dix
gender: Female
baptism/christening date: 14 Sep 1836
Deaths Dec 1837 Dix Eliza Harriet Gr___ Wells 10 357


Just an observation: are you sure about Temperance's surname? It seems unusual that other surnames (Green & Tucker) are used, but not Hooper.

Ozi

Somerset records are elusive on the web. I know because even though I live in Australia both my husband's and my ancestors come from Somerset.

Here is an excellent page that brings Somerset online sources together and is updated fairly regularly: http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/ian.sage/PR/pr_index.html

and of course freereg is always worthwhile: http://www.freereg.org.uk

Ozi

Anyone else able to shed light on the elusive marriage record of Temperance and James Dix?