KG7 Major William Kingdom Rains and The Doubleday Family

The Doubleday Family

Many stories have been written that Major William Kingdom Rains, went to America with two wards, Frances and Elizabeth Doubleday, who were born in Wales.  Children of his friend Mad Jack Doubleday.  Well that is not correct.   In order to get the facts correct, about these prior statements, comprehensive research into the family was undertaken.  After all they were the mothers of the Kingdom Sister's great nieces and nephews, - lots of them, and our cousins.

There are no birth records in Wales for any person of that name, particularly sisters, in a ten year period between 1810 and 1820.  There are no records which show anyone of their name, travelling to Canada or New York, which poses the question, how did they arrive in America?

Clearly they were not orphans.  No doubt a likely story handed down over the generations, and which often becomes embellished along the way.  Perhaps the answer lies in his attempt to lose himself in another country, far from the comments or laws of England.  He would not be the first one to do so.
The role of a family historian is to find facts, to support misinformation that is prevalent in numerous stories.  Often those stories cast aspersions about a family member's character, and when these mistakes are found, it is my belief, that we owe it to our ancestors to set the records right.

A saying that is relevant - "You cannot change history - you can only change a person's perception of history".   Such is the story of Major William Kingdom Rains.  He was no doubt an embarrassment to his family.  For the Kingdom family, he certainly was the proverbial "Black Sheep".


While this is a puzzle, and has taken a long time to put together, it is very relative to who the girls were.  The lynchpin is John Doubleday, who died in 1832.  He was not the father of the girls, rather we was the brother, and by reading his will, some interesting points arise.

His executor was Henry Woolcott, who had married his sister Ann Maria Doubleday. Ann had died earlier in 1832.

John made mention of her in his will, along with his executors realising his assets, and to distribute them to his sisters, Frances and Eliza Doubleday.

His will can be found in the National Archives in London:

Will of John Doubleday, Statuary and Mason of Queens Parade in Bristol , Gloucestershire                  Date: 07 November 1832.  His brother in laws, Henry Woolcott and Edmund Watson are his executors, and was written in July 1832.

Edmund Watson had married Catherine Ann Woolcott who was the sister in law of his wife.

The funds were to be used by the girls individually and not by any husband.

There is no contact address for the girls, but he had saleable property and his estate, to sell and to distribute to them.

Were they ever given their money?  Did Henry and Edmund ever find them?   Serious questions.

John's parents were John Doubleday b 1774 and Elizabeth Sarah Woolcott 1779 

John Doubleday b 1774 was the son of Franks Doubleday b 1747 - 1818 and Anne Cowley 1752 -

The Doubleday family had their origins in Ashfordby Leicester, and they were buried in the cemetery there.  Franks Doubleday was a cheese and cordial merchant in London.  They had nine children and all were baptised in St Pancreas Old Church in London, as well as having records at Ashfordby.

The Doubleday family followed the naming patterns, with their daughter Jane Cowley Doubleday, having the family name as her second name.

John married Elizabeth Sarah Woolcott, known as both Eliza and Sarah, in 1797 at St Pancreas Parish Church in 1797 in London and had four children.

1. John 1798 d 1832 in Bristol

2. Anna Maria 1799 d  1832 m Henry Woolcott

3. Franks 1801

4. Mary 1802

No records other than birth can be found for Franks or his sister Mary.

Anna Maria died in May 1832 and left young daughters Emma Elizabeth Woolcott b 1825, and Ellen Woolcott who was born in 1829.  Henry remarried in October 1832, Mary Evans.  In 1833 they had a daughter Catherine Ann Woolcott.

Henry died in 1842 and he left as his executor his sister Eliza Ann Betts.  His will was written January 1842.  His witness were Ellen James a spinster and William George Woolcott were witnesses.  No doubt Ellen James was his sister on one side of his family.

Henry Woolcott was born in 1797 the son of William Woolcott b 1769 - 1821 and Catherine Ann Corbett 1775 - 1832.  He was baptised at St Marlybone in London.

What now becomes apparent is the Henry and Ann Maria are most likely first cousins.

Elizabeth Sarah Woolcott b 1779, is the daughter of William Woolcott 1742 - 1811 and Mary. 

               (Mary is a derivative of Maria, depending upon who wrote the records, as is Margaret)  

William Woolcott married Ann Maria Baker.  1742 - 1796

Two birth records to be found are:

1. William Woolcott     c 1769 - 1811 who married Catherine Ann Corbett  1775 - 1832

2. Catherine Woolcott  c  1779 who married John Doubleday in 1797.

Their descendants also followed the naming patterns, as in Henry's children, with Ann Maria, Catherine, Franks, Eliza all featuring. 

There are still no records for a Frances Doubleday or an Eliza Doubleday, who could be deemed to be the sisters of John Doubleday as per the will.  There are two children with unaccounted records Franks and Mary.   

Some questions to pose 

While Elizabeth and Frances were the sisters of John and Ann Doubleday, were they full sisters, or were they the illegitimate daughters of their father John Doubleday born 1774 who died in Haverfordwest in 4 January 1831?  Haverfordwest and Lambston are close villages.  

What was the relationship between William and John Doubleday? Was he the same John Doubleday who served in the  British Royal Navy & Royal Marines Service?  Or was he on Malta and both girls born there?

Tudor Maddoc Rains was baptised at Lambston Pembrokeshire on 5th April, 1830.  William must have met Frances at least by June 1829.  However he was still serving in 1829.  

Why was Frances and William at Lambston, and why live at the house Sutton Lodge? This was the same property he and Ann were in 1819, and he returned to it in 1829, with Frances, who is pregnant.

He didn't own the property, and he was still serving in the Military prior to 1830.

The girl's father died January 1831, were they looking after him?  Their father John must have been aware of the second pregnancy and the birth of Tudor Maddoc Rains.   Was it the home John Doubleday?

The second son, Owen Roland Rains is attributed to being born 25 March 1831 in Canada.  His mother was Frances Doubleday.  However, perhaps he also was born in Haverfordwest, and they emigrated after his birth.  If so, the arrival in Canada was sometime later 1831.

Their brother John who lived in Bristol, died in 1832, and lived quite a long way from Haverfordwest, in those times.

On what ship did they board, and what name did they use, and when did they arrive in either Canada or America?  

The only record of a William Rains arriving in the United States, at New York, was 25th May 1832.

The fellow Rains passengers follow.

There is a James Rains in his family, he was his nephew.  He was born in 1813, and no other records can be sourced. 

Agnes Doubeday Rains is attributed to being born 25 May 1832 in Canada, her mother Elizabeth.

Walter Williams Rains is attributed to being born 31 July 1832 in Canada, his mother Frances.

Would he have travelled with two heavily pregnant girls?

• Allan Wilfred Rains is attributed to being born 14th February 1841 at St Josephs Island, mother Frances

• Arthur Morgan Rains is attributed to being born 18 th April 1841 at Rains Point, mother Frances.

That cannot be correct, and as Allan is listed in census records as Allan Wilfred Doubleday with Eliz Doubleday.  Eliza was no doubt, his mother, not Frances.

The boys enlisted in the Volunteer Militia in 1874.

The area they settled in:

Among the first to see this potential was Major William Rains. A veteran of British wars in Europe, Rains resigned the military in 1830 to start a new life in British North America. In 1834, Lieutenant Governor John Colborne allowed Rains to purchase over 2,200 hectares to start a colony on St. Joseph Island. Rains, his family and a company of investors established Milford Haven - named after Rains' hometown in Wales - complete with a store and saw mill in the southeast of the island. 

However, few settlers came to the island and by 1839 the community consisted of only eight houses. Rains became estranged from his fellow investors and relocated to a point of land not far from the site of Fort St. Joseph. Rains' wife Frances and her sister Eliza bore nineteen of Rains’ children, many of whom remained in the area 

His son Tudor Rains would go on to establish a successful store at Sailors Encampment on the northwest of the island.

The children's names?  Apart from references back to family, his children with Ann were named after his engagement in the Napoleon Battles.  

Lissa, was the battle,  Numa (Nura)  was the ship he was on, Hoste (Hoel) the commander in 1810, Melita was a family name, Fletcher, was an officer from the RE who married Mary Mudge, from his uncle Thomas's family, he fought at the same battles in the Napoleonic Wars. Rupert was his brother. 

British fears of French expansion in the Adriatic and Balkans led to the detachment of naval forces to the area. Although the local population was generally anti-French, initial British operations were limited by the lack of a permanent base in the region where ships could be resupplied.

The solution was to seize the island of Lissa (now known as Vis), situated off the Croatian coast south of Split. Occupied in 1807, Lissa became the base for a growing British naval presence, and its elimination became a key French goal. During 1810, Dubordieu was able to decoy the British squadron – commanded by Captain William Hoste of the frigate HMS Amphion – away from Lissa long enough to get a landing force ashore: however, the island’s garrison simply retreated into the hills and Dubordieu was unable to successfully occupy the place before the British squadron returned. As a result, the British were temporarily reinforced by the 74-gun HMS Montagu, and the presence of this powerful warship presented any further French action. By early 1811, however, Montagu had been withdrawn for other duties and the remaining British ships were scattered: this gave the French their opportunity and a powerful expeditionary force was assembled to capture the island.

.

The Doubleday Family in England  -  No relation

there was an extended Doubleday family in Newcastle, Henry and Ann Doubleday.
The first record of a Doubleday in Wales, is of Henry and Ann's youngest son Martin, who obtained his Masters Certificate of Service for British Merchant Service, Certificate number 72041
The Doubleday family were merchants and soap manufacturers in Newcastle, in England.  They were also Quakers.
Henry was the son of Henry Doubleday 1769 - 1808 and Frances Brough who died in 1808.
He was married 29th October 1805 to Ann Pearson, and they proceeded to have a very large family.
In 1807 a Henry Doubleday was serving for a time in Canada, and then in  1809 they were living at the Hilsea Barracks in Portsmouth, where Ann was born

1. Humphrey Doubleday b1806 d 1806
2. Elizabeth Doubleday b 1808
3. Ann Doubleday b 1809
4. Charles Doubleday         b 1810 rebaptised in 1841 living with parents
5. Frances Doubleday b 1813
6. Harriett Doubleday b 1814 in 1851 was a teacher     d 1884
7. Jane Doubleday b.1816  m 1841 in Sutherland
8. William Doubleday b 1818
9. Mary Doubleday         b.1819  m James Branscombe    d 1897
10. Isabella Doubleday    b.1821
11. Martin Doubleday          b.1822 d 1877

Unfortunately after leaving the Militia, he worked as a postman, but then was declared insolvent in  1839.  He was not living with his wife Ann and son Charles, and daughters Jane and Isabella at their home at King William Street, Gateshead, in 1841.

 Their son Charles became an apprentice in the Merchant Navy in 1838, aged 16 on the Neptune
He made regular trips to Australia on various ships, In 1868 on the Armistice; the Marquis of Argyle in 1876, Omagh in1867, the Alma in 1872, the Rita in 1873 the Marquis of Argyle in 1874
Records for Martin Doubleday show he was the Mate, on to New South Wales, he died onboard the Marquis of Argyle from Singapore in 1877