An Index of the Poll of the Freedholders of Wiltshire, 1772

My tree starts of with a possible John or August WHEELER born c1755 Wiltshire England. Married unknown and had one known child: John WHEELER born 1776 Bremhill, North Wiltshire, England. (Birth details for John Wheeler 1776 estimated from 1841 Census).

John WHEELER born c1776 married unknown and had two children:-

1.John WHEELER born 1801 Bremhill, North Wiltshire, England, died possibly before 1851 as I can't find him on the Census. Occupation: Farmer. Note: My 4g grandfather.
2.Hannah WHEELER born 1819 Chippenham, North Wiltshire, England. It is supposed that Hannah WHEELER had an illegitimate daughter, namely Ann WHEELER born 1834 Pewsham, Wiltshire, christened 14 Feb 1836 Bremhill, Wiltshire (christening source: IGI). Hannah then married on 27 May 1841 at Chippenham, Wiltshire to William FORTUNE born 1826, christened 7 Jan 1827 Bremhill, Wiltshire, buried 6 Sep 1851 Derry Hill, Wiltshire, England. Groom's name and marriage details supplied by GenesReunited Member Sue Hatfield 20/04/2006. William FORTUNE and Hannah WHEELER had one known child, a daughter Mary Jane FORTUNE born 1843 Pewsham, Wiltshire, England. In 1851 Census she is listed as a scholar aged 8yrs.

Family History Tree - references to the FORTUNE family

1841 CENSUS

Wm Fortune abt 1806 Wiltshire, England Pewsham Wiltshire
Hannah Fortune abt 1816 Wiltshire, England Pewsham Wiltshire
Enoch Fortune abt 1826 Wiltshire, England Pewsham Wiltshire
Wm Fortune abt 1828 Wiltshire, England Pewsham Wiltshire
Eliza Fortune abt 1830 Wiltshire, England Pewsham Wiltshire
Sarah Fortune abt 1833 Wiltshire, England Pewsham Wiltshire
An Wheeler abt 1834 Wiltshire, England Pewsham Wiltshire

BREMHILL 1851 CENSUS, WILTSHIRE

WHEELER John Widow/er 75 Parish Relief Bremhill, Wilts.
FORTUNE Hannah Daughter Widow/er 32 Domestic Duties Bremhill, Wilts.
WHEELER Ann Granddaughter 17 Domestic Duties Bremhill, Wilts.
FORTUNE Mary Granddaughter 8 ? Scholar Pewsham
RAWLINGS George Visitor 64 Shoemaker Chippenham, Wilts,

WICKS Stephen 50 Ag. Lab. Bromham, Wilts.
Elizabeth 45 Ag. Lab. Chittoe
Mary 19 Bromham, Wilts.
Fanny 17 Bromham, Wilts.
Joseph 15 Ag. Lab. Bromham, Wilts.
Hannah 7 Bromham, Wilts.
Frank 3m Bromham, Wilts.
AMOR William Lodger Unmarried 18 Ag. Lab. Bromham, Wilts.

Moonrakers Wiltshire Genealogy, Wiltshire, England. Click on Wiltshire Families in left-hand margin, then search the whole database for WHEELER. Note: I have found lots of references to Wheeler and Amor families in Bromham going back to the 1700s.

CENSUS DATA

1841 CENSUS
Westwood and Iford
HO107/1176/2 Fol.6 Pages 6&7
Upper Westwood
John Wheeler 40 Ag.Lab yes
Ruth 35 yes
Frederick 8 yes
Ann Priscilla 6 yes
Jane 4 yes
John 1 yes

1851 CENSUS
Wiltshire
HO107/1841/folio 276/schedule 138 - Bradford South Eastern
Address Morgans Hill, all surnames Wheeler, all born WIL Westwood
John, HD, M, 52, LAB
Ruth, WI, M, 48
John James, SO, U, 11,
Robert, SO, U, 7

NEXT GENERATION

John WHEELER born 1801 Bremhill, North Wiltshire, England married 14 Nov 1824 Westwood, Wiltshire, England to Ruth BANCROFT who was born either 1803 or 1806 Westwood, Wiltshire, England. {Marriage details confirmed by Parish Registry Lookup by a fellow rootschatter in August 2006 lookup request at Rootschat - Free Genealogy Research. It was by banns and witnesses were John Godwin Jnr and James Forsith}. This couple were my 4g grandparents.

More information on Ruth BANCROFT
In a lookup of the Westwood baptisms which are covered on the IGI by batch record C054811, There are only two Ruths in the period 1666-1876. One of them looks suspiciously like my Ruth, but with a different surname.

Ruth WILLSHER
chr 19 Aug 1804 Westwood Wiltshire
Father: Neamya WILLSHER
Mother: Sarah

Is it possible that Neamya died when Ruth was very young and that Sarah re-married (to a BANCROFT) hence the name change.

No baptism could be found for Ruth Bancroft in Westwood (or Winsley and Wingfield which are next door).

MISCELLANEOUS

There appears to be a few entries on the 1851 Census for WHEELER girls working as servants at Stowford Farm, Bradford on Avon, namely: Jane aged 14yrs domestic servant; Ann aged 16yrs servant born Westwood; and Charlotte WHEELER aged 25 yrs, servant born Westwood.

NEXT GENERATION

John WHEELER and Ruth BANCROFT had 8 known children:-

1.Matilda WHEELER christened 7 Aug 1826 Westwood
2.Martha WHEELER christened 7 Aug 1826 Westwood (it's possible they were twins, or just siblings baptised on the same day).
3.Simon WHEELER born 3 May 1829 Westwood, died aged 4yrs 11 May 1833 Westwood.
4.Frederick WHEELER born 1832 Upper Westwood, christened 29 Jul 1832 Westwood, Wiltshire.
5.Anne Priscilla WHEELER * born Arnecliffe, Westbury, West Wiltshire, England, christened 8 Feb 1835
6.Jane WHEELER christened born Upper Westwood, 12 Mar 1837 Westwood.
7.John James WHEELER born 1840 Upper Westwood.
8.Robert WHEELER born 1844 Upper Westwood.

*1851 CENSUS, Wiltshire
Anne Priscilla Wheeler was aged 17 years, domestic duties at Bremhill. She was living with her grandfather John Wheeler, cousin Mary Fortune and Aunt Hannah Fortune. Ann was my 3g grandmother.

More information on Anne Priscilla WHEELER
Married William AMOR of Bromham, Wiltshire on 3 Oct 1856 at Chittoe, Devizes, Wiltshire.
Emigrated to Australia after they were newly married on the ship 'Beejapore' from Yorkshire arrived Botany Bay, New South Wales 14 Mar 1857. The couple settled in various areas and had 11 children, the youngest being my grandmother's father.
Died aged 71 yrs at Kotupna, Numurkah, Victoria, Australia
Cause of death: Cancer of the stomach, and heart failure

UPDATE
Of late, my ancestors William Amor & Anne Priscilla Wheeler's names have been commemorated in bronze and inscribed on the Welcome Wall. Their stories recorded on database. Unveiling of panel 49 will be tomorrow, 26th October 2008.
Australian National Maritime Museum

Please see my other journals on the AMOR family as there is a photograph of my ancestors, William AMOR and Ann Priscilla WHEELER attached.

Regards,
Alison.