Breaking Down My Gauler Brick Wall
This brick wall had been puzzling me and my second cousin twice removed for some time now. We had managed to get our Gauler line to Edward Gauler, born 1803 in Malmesbury, Wiltshire (according to census), the wife of Sarah Cosburn, but we couldn't seem to get it back any further. That was until, in January, I decided that I was going to throw everything at this wall to break it down!
I did...
I decided that as we couldn't find anything about Edward in Malmesbury or the surrounding area; I would have a closer look at where he was living in 1841 - Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire. On the 1841 & 1851 census there was no other Gauler (including variants) that I could find living there other than him and his descendants. I had to look for something else; so I found his second marriage record, to Mary Gwilliam, which stated his father was William Gauler, a dealer. Low and behold a newspaper article from the Bath Chronicle & Weekly Gazette published on the 12 May (my birthday) 1803 (not my birth year!) appealing for the creditors of William Gauler of... Malmesbury, Wiltshire! This suggested that I may have Edward's father - just not anything else! I also (had already) found a burial in 1819 for a William Gauler in Avening, Gloucestershire (neighbours with Minchinhampton) that would put his birth at around 1774. William was a victualler who lived at the Old Lodge Inn on Minchampton Common.
Nothing came about, until, I found a marriage record for a William Gawler and a Ann Chappell in the small village of Didmarton, Gloucestershire - about 10 miles south of Minchinhampton. It stated William was of the parish of Walcot in Bath and she was of the parish of Didmarton. I couldn't find any baptisms for a Gauler in the Didmarton parish records - however in Bath I found that there was a few Gaulers living there in the late 1700's. Although there was no relevant baptism for William Gauler, I did find one in 1806 for a Ann Gauler, with the parents being William and Ann. This matched an already found burial in Avening for a Ann Gauler who died in 1828 aged 21. So I was certain I was getting somewhere with Ann Chappell. Very shortly after William died (4 months) there was a marriage for a William Woodward to a Ann Gauler in Avening. I managed to find Ann now Woodward on the 1841 and 1851 Census before her death in 1854. She was the innkeeper of the Salutation Inn in Minchinhampton born around 1779 in... Didmarton!
Everything seemed to fit in quite nicely so I found her will to find it saying that she had a son called... Edward Gauller! EUREKA!!! I had broken this brick wall down. I then found Ann Chappell's baptism in 1778 in Didmarton to find that she was the daughter of Edward and Ann Chappell. It seems quite clear now where the name Edward came from now! To double check that this was correct I found the will of Edward Chappell in 1818 to find it saying 'to my daughter Ann Gauller the wife of William Gauller' - I had finally broken down this brick wall!
However, I haven't been able to prove who William's father was - although I have a possible baptism for him. I'll leave it there for now though!
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I have pictures of many the records if anybody related wants to get in touch - I like to hear from potential cousins!
Published: 25 February 2016
I did...
I decided that as we couldn't find anything about Edward in Malmesbury or the surrounding area; I would have a closer look at where he was living in 1841 - Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire. On the 1841 & 1851 census there was no other Gauler (including variants) that I could find living there other than him and his descendants. I had to look for something else; so I found his second marriage record, to Mary Gwilliam, which stated his father was William Gauler, a dealer. Low and behold a newspaper article from the Bath Chronicle & Weekly Gazette published on the 12 May (my birthday) 1803 (not my birth year!) appealing for the creditors of William Gauler of... Malmesbury, Wiltshire! This suggested that I may have Edward's father - just not anything else! I also (had already) found a burial in 1819 for a William Gauler in Avening, Gloucestershire (neighbours with Minchinhampton) that would put his birth at around 1774. William was a victualler who lived at the Old Lodge Inn on Minchampton Common.
Nothing came about, until, I found a marriage record for a William Gawler and a Ann Chappell in the small village of Didmarton, Gloucestershire - about 10 miles south of Minchinhampton. It stated William was of the parish of Walcot in Bath and she was of the parish of Didmarton. I couldn't find any baptisms for a Gauler in the Didmarton parish records - however in Bath I found that there was a few Gaulers living there in the late 1700's. Although there was no relevant baptism for William Gauler, I did find one in 1806 for a Ann Gauler, with the parents being William and Ann. This matched an already found burial in Avening for a Ann Gauler who died in 1828 aged 21. So I was certain I was getting somewhere with Ann Chappell. Very shortly after William died (4 months) there was a marriage for a William Woodward to a Ann Gauler in Avening. I managed to find Ann now Woodward on the 1841 and 1851 Census before her death in 1854. She was the innkeeper of the Salutation Inn in Minchinhampton born around 1779 in... Didmarton!
Everything seemed to fit in quite nicely so I found her will to find it saying that she had a son called... Edward Gauller! EUREKA!!! I had broken this brick wall down. I then found Ann Chappell's baptism in 1778 in Didmarton to find that she was the daughter of Edward and Ann Chappell. It seems quite clear now where the name Edward came from now! To double check that this was correct I found the will of Edward Chappell in 1818 to find it saying 'to my daughter Ann Gauller the wife of William Gauller' - I had finally broken down this brick wall!
However, I haven't been able to prove who William's father was - although I have a possible baptism for him. I'll leave it there for now though!
You can now sign up for email alerts to be notified when a new article is released. To sign up fill in you email address on the homepage and click 'subscribe for email updates'.
I have pictures of many the records if anybody related wants to get in touch - I like to hear from potential cousins!
Published: 25 February 2016
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*Note - No copyright infringement was intended. If there is a breach in copyright contact me through the 'Contact' section so it can be removed. All photos are Copyright © 2016 Harry Clarke. All Rights Reserved. The photo on the first page of this article is courtesy of Alfred Beard.