Hayes

Ralph Hayes (b abt 1874) married Emily Jane Lye (1870 - 1935) in 1897. Though there are a few minor inconsistences in the historical data, I am reasonably confident that the tree that follows is Ralph's pedigree. But two mysteries remain:

1. who were Ralph's maternal grandparents?
2. what happened to Ralph? For in 1909, following the death in childbirth of her sister Agnes, Emily moved into her brother-in-law's house to bring up her sister's children, remaining with that family until her death in 1935. She continued to use her married name and in the 1911 census is recorded as married and housekeeper to her brother-in-law. At the 1911 census Ralph is a boarder in the household of his brother William.

Ralph's pedigree

• Benjamin Hayes (b abt 1799 Meare, Somerset) married
  1. Martha <surname unknown> (b abt 1806 Somerset) by whom he had children
     or at least these are presumably their children as the 1841 census does not give relationships.
     • Elias Hayes (b abt 1823 Somerset)
     • James Hayes (b abt 1831 Somerset)
     • Thomas Hayes (b abt 1833 Somerset)
     • George Hayes (b abt 1837 Somerset)
     • Alfred Hayes (1841 Congresbury, Somerset)
  2. Elizabeth <surname unknown> (b abt 1810 Wells, Somerset) with whom he had children
     • Benjamin (1849 Congresbury, Somerset)
     • Wallace (1851 Congresbury, Somerset) married Hannah Linham (b abt 1853) and had children
       • John (1871 Wookey, Somerset)
       • Thomas (1872 Wookey, Somerset)
       • Albert (1873 Wookey, Somerset)
       • Ralph (1874 Henton, Wookey, Somerset) who married Emily Jane Lye
       • Sidney (1877 Wookey, Somerset)
       • Kate (1878 Wookey, Somerset)
       • William (1879 Wookey, Somerset) married Mary Ann Reed   <known grandchildren living>
         • Hannah (1903 – 1997)
         • Beatrice (1905)
         • Ivy (1909)
         • Alice (1911 – 1933)
         • Thomas (1913 – 1931)
         • Albert (1915 – 1967)
         • William (1917 – 1981)
         • Ernest (1919 – 1994)
         • Phyllis (1921 – 1999)
       • Edward (1881Wookey, Somerset)
       • Burt (1887 Wookey, Somerset)
       • Earnest (1889 Wookey, Somerset)
       • Frank (1890)

Variations on the spelling of Hayes occure, including Hays (thus Banjamin Hays).  Also Wallace's name is given as Walter Hayes on Ralph's marriage certificate.
Henton and Wookey are adjoining villages in Somerset so the names may well have been used interchangeably. In some transcriptions Henton has been written as Stenton.

Linham & Sealey

Hannah Linham's pedigree has taken rather more detective work and I am far from confident that I have the right answer. The surname is frequently written Linnam, and has been subject to the most horiffic inaccuracies in transcription in on-line resources.

Since none of the four or more family trees on Ancestry.co.uk that include Hannah make any suggestion as to her parentage, the following is my thoughts based upon unpicking a miscellany of data.

Hannah's maiden name was not Sealey, as some reseachers have recorded, but Linnam or Linham (the two spellings seem to be used quite interchangeability).

Hannah was the illegitimate child of Maria Linnam, daughter of Charles Linnam and Sarah Buxton. Maria had several other illegitimate children: Ellen Linnam (b 1842 and who would marry Emmanuel Brand), Sarah Maria Linnam (b abt 1848 <known descendants living>), Hannah (b 1853 and who would marry Wallace Hayes) and Sidney (b 1855 <known descendants living>)

Maria married Joshua Sealey in Q4 1858 in Wells district.

Thus we find at the 1861 census Hannah Linnam & Sidney Linnam in Joshua & Maria's household. Both are recorded as if they are Joshua's children, rather than step children. Such errors are quite common and are probably due to the enumerator interviewing the wife and she saying that they are (her) son/daughter.

Joshua & Maria subsequently had Esan / Esaw Sealy in 1864 and Emily Sealy in 1867.

Joshua was a lot older than Maria and appears to have been previously been married to Ann who died in 1848, and to Jane West in 1850 (she died 1851), with a dau Louisa b 1840 in Street, Somerset.

Returning to Hannah. Her eldest child was illegitimate - John Linnam born about Dec 1870. This is 3 - 7 months before she married Wallace Hayes so the probability is that he is the father.

At the 1871 census (April of that year) Hannah and John are in the household of Joshua Sealey. Both are given the surname Linnam and the relationship to the head is given as daughter and grandson respectively, Hannah being unmarried.

There is an alternative theory as to Maria's pedigree and this is that she was Maria Foxwell b abt 1823 and she married Samuel Linham in Q1 1852 in Wells district.  But I do not now think that this is the Maria who married Joshua Sealey.