From the Archives - February 1999

From the information you give it would be well worth you while looking at the microfilms of the census returns for St Albans which should give you much of the information you seek.

In addition you may be interested in the following information from my press files relating mainly to Bernards Heath, St Albans. I have various photocopies of cuttings from the Herts Advertiser which include the name Elborn/Elbourn, and may well find more as my indexing proceeds. The dates relate to the date of publication. I have also included a couple of trade directory entries. It is clear that the spelling was variable and that there were several Elbourn families in St Albans in the second half of the 19th century.

C. ELBOURN played for the St Albans Perseverance Club when they played cricket against Luton United (2nd & 9th August 1862) Other members of the team were T. PEARCE, T. WESTAL , G. EVANS, G. HILLIARD, C. CROUCH, W. DIXON, E. LUCK, J. COLLINS, C. GILES and J. LAWRENCE. 

The first match was at Luton, and the St Albans team lost. The return match was on Bernards Heath and the St Albans team won. After the match an excellent dinner was provided on the ground by Mr Deayton, of "The Trumpet."

James ELBORN, junior, basket maker, Lower Dagnall Street, 1862

John HARRIS and Alfred ELBORN, of St Stephens, guilty of trespassing in search of conies on land of Mr. George FRANCIS. Edmund CLERK was assistant gamekeeper to the Earl of VERULAM. … Harris had been previously convicted five times. (20th January 1866 )

In 1871 William SEABROOK was charged with stealing a copper pump, value £2, the property of Mr Frederick BARFORD. Joseph ELBORN gave evidence " I am a labourer. Last Monday morning I was at work for Mr. SAVAGE, digging foundations for cottages on the left side of Bernard’s Heath, going from the town. …" ( 23rd September 1871 ) [For a longer account of this case see Old News - Charge of Stealing a Copper Pump from a Brickfield]

George Elbourne is listed as a shopkeeper in Grange Street in 1890.

Jane Elbourn was one of the children attending the prize-giving at the Abbey National School. (10th February, 1894 )

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January 2005

Carole MacPherson [now of (macs260769 @t btinternet.com) of Cliveden, Bucks], writes: Some years ago, when we were all much younger! I emailed you about my St Albans relations, the Elborns, (sp var).  Then, you very kindly answered my question, saying there had been something in the local paper about getting caught for maybe trespassing for coneys.  Sadly, I have moved computers since then and had not saved your answer.  Did you publish these early answers to a website back then?  I think it would have been about 1999. Now I really have so much more time as I am retired to work properly on the family history, which I am finding fascinating, it would be wonderful to see again your findings.  Are they still on the web?

As you will see from the above, the original material got "lost" from the web, but I have archived material which has allowed me to reconstruct the original question and answer, and include a little extra information.

Carole continued: Also, what was the rule/convention in Victorian times about marrying your brother or sister in law?  Was it illegal - I have read your page about the Burchmores [see Right Name, Wrong Body?] and we have a similar situation in our family.  I am worried that it might be bigamy though!  William Ellborn to Fanny Ellborn in 1842. I received the marr cert this morning and it  really is not correct.  She married Joseph Elborn in 1824 but calls herself spinster.

As I understand it, being married to the brother or sister of a deceased spouse was not illegal (in civil terms) but the Church of England would not knowingly carry out such a wedding. Before 1837 this meant that the second marriage was carried out in a church where the relationship was not known, and not in the local town or village. For many Hertfordshire couples in this situation the second marriage took place in London. After civil registration began in 1837 it was no longer necessary for a marriage to be carried out by the Church of England - so it was even easier.

On reading the above Carole commented: I am now on a quest for a body of Joseph Elborn, (alive or dead) after the birth of his last child in 1835, the C Elborn of the cricket team you mentioned.  The Herts NBI shows nothing ........... but that's what genealogy is all about, sleuthing! The naughty Alfred was my great grandfather.

February 2005

Pam Dollimore (pam_dollimore @t hotmail.com) writes I believe Carol is right Fanny (Elborn?), spinster m Joseph Elborn in 1824 and had 2nd marriage to Wm Elborn in 1842.  It appears that Joseph and Wm were brothers. Pam provided the following information - which I have reorganised into a table:

Pam also noted the following marriage on the IGI  - Daniel Elborn & Eliza Howard m Nov 7, 1801 St. Peter, St. Albans M072861

To fill in the picture I can add: the following christenings at St Peters, which suggest William and Joseph were brothers, from the IGI:

1. JOSEPH ELBORN - 03 OCT 1802 - married Fanny Carrington at Redbourn 12 June 1824
2. GEORGE ELBORN - 11 MAR 1804
3. ELIZABETH ELBORN - 17 APR 1808
4. DANIEL ELBORN - 17 APR 1808
5. WILLIAM ELBORN - 17 FEB 1811
6. SUSANNA ELBORN - 23 APR 1815 
7. MARY ELBORN - 20 SEP 1818

A key document is clearly the 1841 census. This is difficult to read in places but the following family is recorded as living in Catherines Lane, St Peters, St Albans: