1817 in Upwell, Cambridgeshire.
Mother: Elizabeth (Smith)
Father: N.N. Smith
Unknown
1) 18?? John Breeze, agricultural labourer
(b. 1801 - see 1841 census, died about 1845 - see newspaper reports below.)
1837 John Jnr. (died young ?, see 2nd. John, 1847)
1841 Elizabeth
1843 Anna Maria
1845 William
In the 1851 census, Maria is shown as "Head of Household" so John Breeze
must have died defore then. In a newspaper report from 1852 (see below) Maria
"has been a "widow about seven years, and has four children living."
This would suggest his year of death as "about 1845".
In a further newspaper report from 1859 Maria said "her husband had been
dead for fourteen years", i.e. since 1845.
So (even allowing for faulty memory) John Breeze is probably not the
father of this child…
1847 John
and he is definitely not the father of these children…
1852 Unnamed, died during or after birth (see below)
1859 Rose Elvina Breeze
(In the birth certificate, "Father" was left blank)
A possible second marriage…
2) 1864 Thomas Brown in Wisbeach, Norfolk.
None
Unknown
I don't know if this is "our" Maria Breeze, as only a name is given, without any distinguishing details.Maria Breeze, stealing a quantity of groceries. Cambridge Independent Press, 31 December 1853
This was an appeal against an order of bastardy whereby the appellant, who is a farmerThe name of the child is not mentioned in the newspaper reports, but Rose Elvina Breeze was born in 1859 and Maria's previous child was born in 1852, so my first thought was that Rose was most probably the child referred to here. However, the conception was allegedly during the "Wisbech Statute"*, in September 1858, and Rose was born in January 1859, so the dates don't tally.
and surveyor of Upwell, was adjudged to pay for the respondant's illegitimate child. The respondant has been before the court before, some years since, charged with concealing the birth of a former illegitimate child.
[...]
It was also proved that Maria Breeze had said that the child was not Wade's but she had sworn it for revenge.
The Bench quashed the order. Cambridgeshire Chronicle, 22 October 1859
Henry Harry Amos, James Housden, and Elizabeth Lefever, were charged upon the information of Mr. Supt. Stocking with having, on the 19th day of October last, in the parish of Holy Trinity of Ely, falsely, wilfully, wickedly, and corruptly committed wilfull and corrupt perjury in the testimony of a certain appeal before Her Majesty's Justices of the Peace ...
[...]
The further hearing of the case was adjourned until Saturday, at one o'clock. Cambridgeshire Chronicle, 31 December 1859
The CHAIRMAN said said they had given the case every attention, and were unanimously* Wisbech Statute Fair: an annual corn market and fair.
of opinion that there was not enough evidence to justify a conviction. At the same time it was evident that perjury had been comitted on one side or the other, and he grieved to say it was very frequently committed, especially in cases of bastardy. [...] Mr NAYLOR [ed.: defence lawyer] ... was prepared to prefer a charge of perjury against the girl Breeze, and to substantiate that charge by independent witnesses. A hint from teh Bench that his clients were still open to indictment at the sessions, however, induced him at once to let the matter rest where it was. Cambridgeshire Chronicle, 7 January 1860
Date | Given Age |
Event | Source material(s) | |
1817 | Born in Upwell, Cambridgeshire | √ | Census images | |
06.06.1841 | 24 | UK Census | √ | Census image |
30.03.1851 | 34 | UK Census | √ | Census image |
Mar. 1852 | Jailed for concealment of birth | √ | Newspaper images | |
Dec. 1853 | Jailed for theft (poss.) | √ | Newspaper images | |
Oct. 1859 | Court case for bastardy order (quashed!) | √ | Newspaper images | |
07.04.1861 | 41 | UK Census | √ | Census image |
Late 1864 | (poss.) Marriage | – | [source(s) ?] | |
02.04.1871 | 52 | UK Census | √ | Census image |