Ancestors of Mandy Willard

Stephen SIMMONS (1792-?)

and Sarah DOWNS (1791-1823)

Stephen Simmons and Sarah Downs may have been my 5x Great Grandparents.  (Click here to see their possible place in my pedigree chart.)  They married by banns on 29 March 1813 in Brighton, Sussex.  He was a bachelor and she a spinster and they were both of Brighton.  As a widower he married Barbara Green by banns on 15 August 1827 in Brighton.  She was a widow and they were both of Brighton.

Stephen Simons was baptised on 22 February 1792 at St. Nicholas in Brighton.  He was the son of Samuel Simons and Barbara Harman (1765-?).

Sarah Downes was born on 11 June 1791 and baptised on 15 March 1801 at St. Nicholas in Brighton.  She was the daughter of John Downs and Elizabeth Gillam.  Sarah was buried on 14 April 1823 in Brighton.

Barbara's date and place of birth/baptism and previous marriage are unknown, to me.  She may have been born about 1798 in Brighton.  The death of Barbara Simmonds was registered in the first quarter of 1855 in the Brighton registration district.

When the 1841 census was recorded 50 year old Stephen was a labourer living in Orange Row, Brighton, along with 50 year old Mary Simmons (was her name wrongly recorded, should she have been Barbara?), 21 year old John Simmons who was a labourer and 11 year old William Simmons.  In 1851 Stephen and Barbara were living alone at 2 Orange Row and he was a stonemason's labourer.

Stephen Simmons and Sarah Downs had 5 known children:

1. Sarah Simmonds was baptised on 13 June 1813 at St. Nicholas in Brighton, at which time the family were living in King Street and her father was a fisherman.  Did she marry Charles Oliver on 23 April 1831, or John Kidgell on 17 July 1838, or John Sargent on 7 January 1844, or John Thomson on 28 April 1846 all at St. Nicholas, Brighton?

2. Thomas Simmons was baptised on 17 May 1818 at St. Nicholas in Brighton, at which time the family were of Middle Street and his father was a labourer.  Thomas was buried in Brighton on 18 March 1820.

3. Mary Anne Simmons was baptised on 26 November 1819 at St. Nicholas in Brighton, at which time the family were of Air Street and her father was a labour.  She was buried in Brighton on 1 December 1819.

4. John Simmons was baptised on 21 January 1821 at St. Nicholas in Brighton, at which time the family were of Air Street and his father was a bricklayer.  Did he have a relationship with Ann Back, which resulted in the birth of my 3x Great Grandfather, John Simmons Back in 1843, who also became a bricklayer?  John and Ann never married and she died in 1847.  John junior would seem to have been raised by his mother's sister.

5. Anne Simmonds was baptised on 30 January 1823 at St. Nicholas in Brighton, at which time the family were of Air Street and her father was a labourer.  In 1851 she may have been the unmarried 28 year old Ann Simmons living at 21 Cumberland Row, Brighton.  On census night she had an unknown male visitor aged 25 years.

1841 census - Brighton, Sussex (HO107/1121, folio 31, page 5)

Stephen Simmons, 50, Lab, born in Sussex

Mary Simmons, 50, Ind, born in Sussex

John Simmons, 21, Lab, born in Sussex

William Simmons, 11, born in Sussex

1851 census - 1 Orange Row, Brighton, Sussex (HO107/1645, folio ?, page 1)

Stephen Simons, Head, Mar, ?0, Stonemason's labourer, born Sussex, Brighton

Barbara Simons, Wife, Mar, 52, born Sussex, Brighton

SIMMONDS