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William James BELLCHAMBERS
- Yes, date unknown
Has no ancestors and no descendants in this family tree.
Set As Default Person 
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Name William James BELLCHAMBERS Relationship 
with Teresa Ann GOATHAM Gender Male Died Yes, date unknown Person ID I32280 All Last Modified 25 Mar 2023
Family 1 Susan Eliza SHOESMITH, b. Mar Q 1863, Faversham Reg Dist, Kent, England 
, d. Yes, date unknown
Other Partners: William UNDERDOWN m. Dec Q 1884Married? Not married or evidence to suggest they didn't marry Notes - In the 1891 census Susan was shown as married (presumably still to William Underdown) but living with widower William Bellchambers and his family as housekeeper. In 1901 she was still with the Bellchambers family, now shown as wife, although there is no evidence that she had married William, and there seems to be no death registration for her husband William Underdown. To avoid the possible repercusions of bigamy is probably Susna she had not married William Bellchambers.
The children suggest that William Bellchambers and Susan were living together as man and wife before 1891. Five were recorded as the offspring of William, all listed before Susan, the housekeeper. However, the last, another Susan, was born after William's wife had died, and although shown as a Bellchambers in the censuses, 1891-1911, she was registered at birth as an Underdown.
Who her father was is unclear, although I think it probable it was William Bellchambers. Since William Bellchambers and Susan weren't married, Susan (senior) was still an Underdown and it was correct that her child was registered as an Underdown, regardless of who her father was.
Their next child Augustus was not only, like Susan, registered at birth as an Underdown but in the censuses as a Bellchambers, but was also recorded with the middle name Bellchambers when his birth was registered.
William and Susan had five more children, all registered at birth as Bellchambers. Perhaps the local sub-registrar had changed and the new one did not know William and Susan were not married.
Last Modified 25 Mar 2023 Family ID F302099 Family Group Page | Family Chart
Family 2 Harriet Ann CARTER, b. Abt 1861, d. Jun Q 1888, East Ashford Reg Dist, Kent, England (Age ~ 27 years) Married Jun Q 1882 East Ashford Reg Dist, Kent, England Last Modified 11 Dec 2020 Family ID F302100 Family Group Page | Family Chart
- In the 1891 census Susan was shown as married (presumably still to William Underdown) but living with widower William Bellchambers and his family as housekeeper. In 1901 she was still with the Bellchambers family, now shown as wife, although there is no evidence that she had married William, and there seems to be no death registration for her husband William Underdown. To avoid the possible repercusions of bigamy is probably Susna she had not married William Bellchambers.