ELLIS

Born 27 May 1799, Long Alley, Shoreditch, Middlesex³
Christened 23 Jun 1799, Shoreditch, Midsx., St. Leonard's⁴
Occupation: Silk velvet weaver (1861)⁵
Abode: 15 Dunk Street, Stepney, Middlesex (1851, 1861)⁶


IS MATTHEW, MARTHA?
The entry in the baptism register is "Matthew". It is thougtht this is the same person as Martha Vandersteen who married George Joseph Ellis.

This Matthew of 1799 is the only Matthew Vandersteen in my database. Before the nineteenth century, I only have one baptism of a Martha Vandersteen. So it would be quite a coincidence to have both a Matthew and a Martha in the same year, 1799.

Her age given in both the 1851 and 1861 Censuses is consistent with birth in
May 1799. But in neither case is the place of birth given as Shoreditch. In
1851 it is given as Bethnal Green and in 1861 as Whitechapel. So she is
uncertain where she was born.

We could speculate that when the child was baptised the information was
first written in a day book and later transcribed into the parish register.
Perhaps the entry was miscopied. What are we to make of "D of" being crossed out and replaced by "S of"? Another even wilder speculation is that at birth the sex was uncertain and later Matthew turned into a Martha!

Ancestry, UK and Ireland records, produces 45 for Martha Vandersteen and none for Matthew Vandersteen. So no marriage, burial, death or census for him. Ancestry also has nothing relevant worldwide for Matthew
Vanderst* and nor has FamilySearch.