AUSTIN, James ¹

  General Notes:

In his daughter, Martha's marriage record, he is listed as a shoemaker. Therefore, it is likely that the following 1851 census record applies to this James Austin. He and his wife, Caroline, lived in Biddenton, Kent Co., ENG. He was 45, born in Heybridge, Essex Co., England and his wife, also age 45, was born in Linkan, Kent Co. England. He is listed as a shoemaker and mason. He is the only shoemaker named James Austin born between the years 1790 and 1810 in the 1851 census records for all of England. In the 1861 census, he is listed as a shoemaker. His age is 55 and his wife, Caroline, is 57. This time it gives his birthplace as Maldon, Essex Co., England and hers remains the same. They lived on #2 Woodside Dr. in Chatham Parish, co. Kent, England. In the 1871 census, he is listed at age 65, born Malden, co. Essex, England but his profession has changed and is unrecognizable to me, "Klotkelden". He is listed as married but his wife is not listed with him. He lived with his 2 nieces, Ruth and Alice Gibson, age 23 and 15 respectively. They were both born in Kent. He seemed to have lived on Greenstreet in Kent Co., England.

I researched Alice and Ruth Gibson to find out who their parents were as their mother would have been a sister of James or his wife Caroline. It appears that Ruth was already out on her own in the 1861 census as a servant, but Alice still lived with her family. Their mother was Elizabeth (married name of Gibson). Elizabeth was born in Lenham, co. Kent, England about 1810.

He could easily be the James Gardner Austin who was age 71 when he died in Tendring, Essex, England from Oct.-Dec. of 1880 according to the England & Wales, Free BMD Death Index: 1837-1983. In the 1841 census, I've found one James Austin, age 25 living in a community quarters as an agricultural laborer along with a Samuel Austin (possible brother) both living in St. OSyth Church?, District 12, Essex England.

James married Caroline UNKNOWN. (Caroline UNKNOWN was born about 1806 in Linkan, Kent, England and died after 1861 of Chatham Parish, Kent, England ².)