The Mystery of Caroline Barton and Francis Pogson

I have found a distant cousin thanks to the internet, Peter Driver, who has been fantastic in helping me uncover details of my Driver ancestors.  Peter is now helping me to do some research on Caroline Barton and Francis Pogson.

Peter has found several potential candidates for Caroline Barton in the parish registers.  He asked me to send him a copy of Caroline and Francis's marriage certificate.  This led me to read the various certificates that Mum had ordered in more depth, and I discovered some interesting nuggets when reviewing the timelines.  Here is a copy of the latest email I have sent to Peter, it is self explanatory.

I have a memory of a child, Caroline Bertha, being born in Tasmania.  I will need to dig this out as it would support my hope (theory!) that Caroline travelled to Tasmania with Francis.

One day, I know it, Caroline Barton will reveal herself and her secrets.    And nothing has changed my view that Francis Pogson was a hapless rogue who failed to stand by his wife and children.  If he was born today we would say he was born with a sense of entitlement.  Thomas Pogson's wealth did his son no favours.

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Hi Peter, attached is a copy of the marriage certificate of Caroline Barton and Francis Pogson.  Married August 1847.

I have found the birth certificate for Francis and Caroline's first child, Arthur Neville, born 10 January 1846 registered in Notting Hill.  A second child, Emily Jane, was born 29 June 1847 registered in Waterloo.  The third child, Caroline Annie (my ancestor) was born 5 November 1850, registered in Lambeth. 

The birth certificate for Arthur Neville gives Caroline's name as "Caroline Pogson formerly Barton", as do the other two birth certificates. On Arthur's certificate, Frank's job is given as "Lieutenant in the Army" and on the others, "gentleman".

I don't know, this is total supposition, but perhaps Caroline Barton was his mistress and then when child no 2 came along, Frank had an attack of responsibility and decided to marry her!!!   Would explain a few things, I never really understood why the Pogson clan did not stand behind Caroline Annie, she travelled to New Zealand as a young woman on her own with presumably little money, whereas other Pogson grandchildren lived fairly well. 

One other interesting thing, Frank came to Australia in the late 1840s and was still in Tasmania in 1851.   Caroline was back in England by 1850.  I will need to do some research to see if I can find her travelling to Tasmania with Frank, or equally whether I can find her returning to England by 1850.   It does not seem likely that he would have gone to Tasmania, come back to England by 1850, and then gone back again (or maybe he did) to Tasmania and then being in the midst of insolvency proceedings by 1851.  Need to find out the cause of the split with Caroline and when it happened.   

One last thing, there is a 1851 census record of Caroline Anne Pogson, aged 3 months, living with her mother Caroline Pogson and elder sister Emily aged 3  in Nottingham.  The birth locations of both girls are given as Lambeth, Caroline Barton Pogson gives her place of birth as Nottingham, and her age as 27.  She is listed as married and her occupation as lace maker (I think, the writing is very faint).  So perhaps she returned to Nottingham because this is where she came from and she was a single mother having split with Francis?

Caroline Annie also listed Francis Pogson as her father on her death certificate in Australia.

So I guess, apart from immigration records, can we find a Caroline Barton born to Thomas Barton (horse dealer) in Nottingham?

Thanks again for helping me with my research!