In the 1841 census, Charlotte Stockwell is at home with her parents and two younger
brothers, in Dudbridge, in the parish of King Stanley, Gloucestershire.
Ten years later in the following
census, her parents have with them one son, John Stockwell age 28, and two grandsons, Henry Stockwell age 9 and Enoch Stockwell age 8. The census records each person's relationship to the head of the household. It does not necessarily show the relationships between family members although sometimes these can be inferred, for example a mother-in-law would be the wife's mother.
On looking at this census household our first thought would naturally be that John, age 28, farm labourer, could be a widower who has brought his two sons to be cared for by the older generation. However, John Stockwell is recorded in the census as being unmarried.
Amongst the birth registrations for the district, there is one Henry Stockwell which is in the last quarter of 1842 and one Enoch Stockwell whose birth was registered in the first quarter of the following year. These births seem to be too close together for these to be brothers of the same mother. According to the baptism record, Enoch was baptised on 3 January 1844, having been born on 4 January 1843. As for parents - just Charlotte Stockwell of Dudbridge is named, with the column entitled "Quality, Trade or Profession" recorded as "Spinster".
The corresponding birth certificate says Enoch was born on the Fourth of January 1843 at Dudbridge Rodborough. The spaces reserved for the father's name and "Rank or Profession" contain no text but just have a line drawn through. However, the baby is registered with a middle name of Charles Pegler! Whilst the clergyman wrote only Enoch on the church register, John Stephens the civil registrar recorded the child's name as Enoch Charles Pegler Stockwell for posterity.
Two years later, on the Third of July 1845, at Ebley in the Parish of Randwick, Peter was born to Charlotte Stockwell. The local registrar for the Stonehouse area was John Cooper Grimes and, as before, the birth certificate columns for the father's name and rank/profession were left empty. However, this time there was no middle name clue, but perhaps the first name itself could be key.