The blog pages about Hampshire Backlers via the Isle of Wight and via Haverhill, have had some amendments made, because Find My Past have released some new records related to the City of Portsmouth and surrounding area. These amendments are where I can identify further information directly related to those pages. However, this additional information revealed a more extensive number of Backlers in this area, going back further in time. The purpose of this blog page is to add details on these additional Backlers.

The geography of the area around Portsmouth Harbour is quite interesting. Portsmouth itself is on the east side and is split into the districts you would expect in a large city. Those relevant to Backlers are Portsea, Southsea, Buckland, North End and Landport. On the west side of the harbour is Gosport, with other relevant areas being Alverstoke to the south west and Hardway to the north. This geography is important, because in the absence of direct documented knowledge of the various family connections, location, including the parish churches, is the only remaining guide.

The earlier blog page about Backlers via the Isle of Wight, had them located on the west of the Harbour at Gosport and Alverstoke. The Backlers who were featured in the Blog page via Haverhill, were mostly on the east side of the Harbour, although some were located in Gosport and Alverstoke. The following family groups were not featured in my other Hampshire Backler blog pages.

Benjamin Backler and his wife Elizabeth had a daughter Elizabeth Backler baptised in 1783 at St Thomas, Portsmouth. This church was only referred to once in my other Hampshire blog pages, in reference to Owen Key Backler.

Leonard Backler and his wife Emily had a daughter Mary Ann Backler baptised at Holy Trinity, Portsea in 1862.

John Backler and his wife Mary had a daughter Fanny Backler baptised at St Matthew Gosport in 1863. This church was used by George Backler and his wife Harriett to baptise their children, so there may be some family connection there.

William Rouse Backler and his wife Rose had four children all baptised at St Mary, Portsea in 1879, which seemed to be all four on the same occasion: Jessie Rose Backler was born in 1868, Alice Maud Backler was born in 1871, Rosa Backler was born in 1875 and Walter William Richard Backler was born in 1877.

Frederick William Backler and his wife Annie Ash were married in Buckland in 1894 and their son Reginald Backler was born and, sadly, buried there in 1896.

Cecil Leopold Victor Backler married Bertha Ellen Eyles in Alverstoke in 1908 and they had a daughter Freda Evelyn May Backler baptised in 1918.

There were two marriages where no further family connection information was available. Jane Backler married Edward at St Mary, Portsea in 1855 and Ivy Amanda Lydia Backler married Herbert Douglas at Holy Trinity, Gosport in 1906.

There were a number of burials where family connections are not available:

Alice Susannah Backler born 1866 and buried the same year, Arthur Edward Backler born 1879 buried 1898, Elizabeth Backler born 1842, buried in 1914 at St Mark, Portsea, Elizabeth Thorpe Backler born 1866 and buried the following year, John Backler who was buried at St Mary, Portsea in 1761, Nellie Backler born and buried in 1882, Sarah Backler born in 1785, buried in 1875 and Louisa Backler born in 1845, who was buried at Elson in 1876. Elizabeth Thorpe was probably a daughter of either George and Elizabeth Thorpe or Leonard and Mary Anne Thorpe, because the date fits both families and her second name is a big clue. I have also come across a record of Abraham Backler buried on 25th May 1779 at St Mary, Southampton, which is close to Portsmouth.

Sarah and Abraham pre-date the Backlers on my Hampshire Backler blog pages. It is likely they were related to George Backler born 1799 on the Isle of Wight, rather than via Leonard Backler, who arrived from Haverhill between 1812 and 1819, and appears to have started that line. It is also possible that one or more further lines of Backlers exist in Hampshire and the names identified in this blog page, where the family connections are unknown, opens the door to this possibility.