#52Ancestors 2025 Week 1 - In The Begining

 In the beginning, well 2004, a new programme started on BBC1 called Who Do You Think You Are... I started watching and thought I can do that, got myself an Ancestry monthly sub and I was hooked !

The first branch I went down was the Wadey line as I knew the family lived in Brighton for many generations and as a Brighton girl it piqued my interest 

So this week lets look at the first Wadey I have found in Brighton.

William Wadey was born around 1764 places unknown as no record of his early life has been found (yet)

The first record is his marriage to Hannah Burstow on 4th Dec1825 at St Nicholas, Brighton

St Nicholas c1820

As you can see he has been recorded as a widower, I have found no earlier marriage for William that ties in. Another brick wall.  No clues even from the witnesses, Tho Pocock seems to be a regular witness along with his brother John Pocock who is listed as Parish Clerk, so imagine Thomas is also a church official.  Louisa Shelley does not appear to have any link to the family either

William and Hannah had two children Thomas born 1827, his baptism record shows they were living in Circus Street, a street that will be home to the Wadey family for the next 107 years until compulsory purchase forced them to sell up

Their second born is Stephen Edwin Wadey born 1829 his story you can find here Stephen E Wadey

Unfortunately William died before Stephen was born, he was buried on 21 Dec 1828 at the same church he was married at just 3 years earlier

William's occupation was Sawyer, the definition is "one who saws wood" he will be the only Wadey in Circus Street not to be a chimney sweep.  

Here is a drawing completed around 1828 of Brighton with a view from the newly built St Peters Church, Circus Street is approximately where the yellow line has been added