Timmins family

As time permits, I will put some of the website information on the blog. This will be my first post, and it will center on my great grandmother Elizabeth Ruth Timmins and her ancestors.

Elizabeth Ruth Timmins was the first of her family to be born in the United States in October of 1889. Her mother and brothers immigrated from West Bromwich, Staffordshire, England in 1886. I haven't been able to find a port of entry for her father, but we know that her father, George Henry Timmins also immigrated.

Elizabeth was the youngest child, and only daughter of her parents, George Henry Timmins and Sarah Brampton. When Elizabeth was 2 years old, her father killed himself. I found a newspaper article on the coroner's inquest. George had malaria, and according to the article, when the doctor stepped out of the room, he opened the drawer took out a razor blade and slashed his throat. He was delirious at the time.

Around this time, George's brother came to live in Syracuse as well, his name was Joseph Timmins. Both George and Joseph had sons named William Henry Timmins close in age. An important consideration when researching. By 1905 a sister, Harriet Timmins Hinton and her family also immigrated to Syracuse. All of the family didn't apply to become citizens of the United States, citing their birth in Philadelphia. In reality, only George Henry was born in England, so in fact, my family were illegal immigrants.

George likely worked at the same factory as his brother, Solvay Processing Plant. In the 1920's Joseph Paxton, and his nephew (son of George and Sarah) Joseph Paxton both worked at the plant, were neighbors on the same street, and married women named Caroline Lakin. The difference being that Joseph (my great grandmother's brother) married the niece by marriage of the Caroline Lakin who married the elder Joseph.

It was baptismal records for the Episcopal church in Syracuse that first clued me in on the fact that the family was related. After I found a burial article for Joseph Timmins (elder) that listed my great grandfather as a pall bearer. Funny thing, my grandmother and her sister who gave me so much of the information I started with (accurate information too), never mentioned that their mother had cousins in the area.

In 1881 England, George Henry Timmins is living with his wife's parents in West Bromwich. His occupation was glass cutter. 

George Henry Timmins was born in 1860 in West Bromwich, Staffordshire, England to Joseph Timmins and his wife Sarah Phillips. He was their eldest child. His siblings were Sarah Timmins Bayliss who died in 1908 in West Bromwich, Joseph Timmins who died in 1937 in Syracuse, Margaret Louise Timmins Simcox who died in 1932 in West Bromwich, and Harriet Timmins Hinton who died in 1963 in Syracuse.

Joseph Timmins was baptized in 1835 in Christ Church, West Bromwich. His parents were Thomas Timmins and Roseanna Hale. He married Sarah Phillips in 1858. He is found with his parents on the 1841 and 1851 census. In 1860 his son George is recorded born in West Bromwich, but he is absent on the 1861 census. I don't find Joseph and Sarah again until 1870, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

According to the 1870 census, all of the children were born in Philadelphia except George, so the family had immigrated sometime between 1860 and 1864. I only find one baptism record for the family in Philadelphia, that is for Harriet in 1871 in the St. Steven's Episcopal Church. From the records it is apparent that Joseph and his family were acquainted with his Uncle's family as they are witnesses for each other.

Joseph Timmins lives near his Uncle, Joseph Timmins and his Aunt, Hannah Timmins Bradley in Philadelphia. His occupation was as glass blower. When his Uncle Stephen dies, his will leaves his estate to various nieces and nephews. Among them is Joseph Timmins whose address matches that of our Joseph.

Joseph and his family returned to West Bromwich in the 1870's. I have not found a record of either trip on ship manifests. He may have returned home after his father's death in 1871. In 1881 we find Joseph with his family in West Bromwich where he and his family reside until his death in 1906.

 His wife Sarah Phillips died in 1895. Sarah was the daughter of James Phillips and Hannah Emma Castle. Her paternal grandparents were John Phillips and Mary Shakespear. Her maternal grandparents were John Castle and Sarah Bates. The Phillip family came from Henley in Arden to West Bromwich in the 1850's. Prior to that they had lived in Wooten Warren and Beaudesert in Warwickshire.

Mary Shakespeare's father Thomas Shakespeare was an illegitimate child of Sarah Shakesepeare. He was born in Wooten Warren. I have contacted a Shakespeare researcher, and it's quite possible that these Shakespeare's are collaterally related to William Shakespeare in some degree.Thomas Shakespeare's wife was Elizabeth Marrell.

The Castle family came from Cow Honey Bourne and Aston Subedge, Glouchester. Hannah's father was John Castle and her mother was Sarah Bates.

Joseph Timmins was the eldest son of his parents Thomas Timmins and Roseanna (Rose Hannah possibly) Hale. He had the following siblings, William Timmins, James Timmins who died in 1901, Sarah Timmins Johnson who died in 1923 (she and her family were also in Philadelphia with her brother Joseph), Stephen Timmins who died in 1918 and Thomas Timmins who died in 1925.

I have not been able to accurately place Roseanna Hale with a family. I thought I had found her baptism, but it ended up that there was a good documentation to that particular Roseanna and it wasn't ours. I have pondered if the name should be Hall, but to no avail, I  haven't found a variation of Rose, Roseanna, or Hannah that is for our family.

Thomas Timmins was baptized in Mares Green Independent church in West Bromwich in 1813. His parents are William Timmins and Esther Sadler.  In 1841 an Edward Hale nearby the family maybe a clue on Roseannah. The family is found in West Bromwich on the 1841, 1851, 1861 and 1871 census. He was listed as a laborer in 1841, 1851 and 1871. In 1861 he is listed as a watchman.

Mapping of the address locations for the families of Thomas and Joseph both show that the family lived within a few mile radius their hole lives. Most of the sons appear to have gone into the glass business, likely working at one of the factories, perhaps even the Chance Glass factory which was nearby. Thomas died in 1871 and his wife in 1876.

William Timmins and Esther Sadler were married in All Saints Church, West Bromwich in 1810. William was baptized in 1788 in Mares Green Independent as the son of Stephen Timmins and Sarah. As this is the same church that he himself baptized his children, I believe this is our William. Esther Sadler was baptized in 1790 in Halesowen, Worcester the daughter of William Sadler and Sarah (Hately).

William and Esther had several children, the children born prior to 1820 all were baptized in Mares Green Independent. It is from these baptisms that I have the following children, Sarah, Thomas, Emma, Hannah, William, David, Martha, Stephen, James and Elizabeth Sadler.

William died in the 1830's. I have 1839 recorded, but I am not sure that is the right date. The William Timmins who died in 1837 and left a will is not ours. Esther was acquitted of accepting stolen goods in West Bromwich in 1838. It is quite possible that he was already deceased by this time.

Esther is found in 1841 in West Bromwich with her children, David, Stephen, James and Elizabeth. Elizabeth is recorded in deaths that year, and Esther in 1846. I think that it is around this time that several of her children left England for Philadelphia. Of those that we can trace only Thomas, William and Martha remained in England. David, Stephen and Hannah are found in Philadelphia.

A thorough examination of the will of Stephen Timmins in Philadelphia may bring forth information on other descendants. I think that Williams parents may be Stephen Timmins and Sarah Bell. Esther Sadler's parents were William Sadler and Sarah Hately.