BRYER of Marylebone Family Chart no. 3

	?		Emma BRYER
			b. circa 1822 Paddington

Emma's Children

William Frederick	Mary Ann
b. 27 Aug 1840 Paddington	b. circa 1843 Lambeth

Where They Lived

At the time of William Frederick's birth in 1840, the family lived at 6 Star Street Paddington St John. No father's name is given on the certificate, only the mother's name, Emma BRYER.

In 1851, when the family were living at 20 Little Earl Street, Christchurch Marylebone, Emma described herself as a widow, and in 1863, when William married, he gave as his father James BRYER, bricklayer, and does not mention that James is deceased. In 1863 his address was Devonshire Street, Christchurch Marylebone.

I have a theory about William and the lack of father's name on the birth certificate. I believe that Emma, William's mother, was not married when William was born, and that she was the daughter of James Bryer. I examined the baptism and marriage records for St James Sussex Gardens Paddington (the parish in which Star Street is found) and came across an interesting record:

On 24 August 1840, Mary Bryer, daughter of James Bryer, labourer, of Star Street, married George Bishop, bricklayer, son of John Bishop, also a bricklayer, of Star Street.

It is interesting because it places another Bryer family in the vicinity with a connection to a Star Street address, and the marriage took place only 3 days before William's birth! It is also the first Bryer I have come across with a connection to bricklaying (except of course for William's marriage certificate!). I think it highly likely that Emma and her new-born son were living in the family home, Emma may have even left her son with her parents while she went to Lambeth and subsequently had Mary Ann. William was brought up by his grandparents and thought of them as his parents. When he came to be married he naturally gave his grandfather's name. Emma referred to herself, in the 1851 census, as a Widow, because that was more respectable than being an unmarried mother in Victorian times. Until such time as I have been through every parish register in London and eliminated all other marriages of an Emma to a Bryer, then I think this is a reasonable explanation.

It is a pity that the 1841 census records for Paddington have been lost, as this might very well have answered a few of the questions surrounding this family.