STEVEN

The Steven’s family, are traced back to Kent, I think to a place called Ridley, just south of Dartford. Sarah Steven’s was born around 1842, according to her ages on the 1871 1881 and 1901 census. She married William Jones on 1st January 1866. We have a copy of the wedding certificate, as shown in the Jones chapter earlier on, this shows her father to be William Stevens. Her witness were William Stevens and Jane Stevens, this could have been her father and mother or her brother and his wife, or a number of other possibilities.

From searching the IGI there is only one christening of a Sarah Stevens between 1838 and 1842, and this is one in Ridley, Kent on the 1st May 1842. Furthermore there are only to registered births for a Sarah Stevens in Kent, Mar 1842 volume 5 page 21 in West Ashford or Jun 1842 volume 5 page 99 in Dartford. Dartford is very much closer to Ridley than Ashford is so I guess this should be the first certificate to be ordered.

So taking that the Ridley christening as correct, remember this is only an IGI record, I then searched for other Stevens, in the Ridley area. Obtaining copies of the birth certificates will probably lead to some more certain information, but for now I have found and assumed the following;

Pinden Stevens was born in 1769 in Ridley, Kent. He married Mary. I have found 2 children born to this couple, Mary Stevens, after her mother, born 1803 and christened in Ridley 5th June 1803. She was followed by a brother William, born 1811 and christened 3rd February 1811 again in Ridley, Kent.

This William, married Anne. This Anne I think to be from Wrotham, Kent and her surname I think was Hunt. This was assumed from the fact that Sarah Stevens IGI christening record shows Anne as her mother, and there are no other records of a William Stevens and Anne marrying in Kent around the right time. So the wedding I found was 15th December 1834.