|
Pages: [1]
|
 |
|
Author
|
Topic: William Henry Parks of Arundel and Mayfield (Read 336 times)
|
kiwijulia
RootsChat Extra
 Offline
Posts: 41
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
|
Hi - I've just joined and am hoping someone out there will help me get unstuck! 
Specifically I need help with:
William Henry Parks b.1857 in Mayfield, Sussex (according to census results 1881,1891 & 1901). He was a carpenter and married Rebecca McLelland in April 1881.
I have got a birth certificate for William Parks born to Sarah Parks (no father) 1857, Woodbridges, Mayfield and the same guy christened there too.
I have William Henry Parks born to Hannah Parks (no father) 1858 Bodiam Sussex.
Any suggestions as to how I could figure out which is Mum?
I suspect it is Sarah b/c she lived at Woodbridge Farm 1841 but on "theweald.org" she is listed as getting married six months after when my guy would have been born and only her legitimate children are listed.
I can't find any census results for William H Parks until 1881 and have no way of confirming who his mother is - I figure he got "sent away" or something because he was illegitimate. Any info on this? Where would he have gone?
All his info is on ancestry.co.uk if you wanna look.
I would love any leads or even historically relevant info anyone can provide. Thanks! Jules
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Brooks (Dundee. Scotland)
Collins (Sussex, England)
Cunningham (Kent and Sussex, England)
Jamieson (Dundee, Scotland)
Low (Perthshire, Scotland)
McKames and McKinnes
McLelland (Wigstownshire, Scotland)(Shropshire, England)
Parks (Sussex, England)
Reeves (Kent and Sussex, England)
Sim (Scotland)
Still (Scotland)
Whitby (England and Scotland)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Valda
RootsChat Moderator
RootsChat Marquessate
Offline
Posts: 7446
|
Though the birth registration only states William
Births Mar 1857
PARKS William Uckfield 2b 94
but the baptism entry confirms the second name of Henry.
PARKS, William Henry
Christening Date:5 Apr 1857 Mayfield, Sussex
Mother:Sarah PARKS
The marriage took place later in the same year
BELLINGHAM, Thomas
Sarah PARKS
Marriage Date:29 Aug 1857 Mayfield, Sussex
Husband's Father:David BELLINGHAM
Wife's Father:Richard PARKS
Marriages Sep 1857
Bellingham Thomas Uckfield 2b 135
Parks Sarah Uckfield 2b 135
Regards
Valda
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
kiwijulia
RootsChat Extra
Offline
Posts: 41
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
|
I have the marriage cert (copy of).
William Henry's father's bit just has a very poignant line through it!
4th April 1881 District of Epsom, county of Sussex.
There are side notes on it but unfortunately due to the quality of the photocopy it's impossible to read.
Interesting what you said about your illegit's - as he didn't put down Mr Bellingham as his dad on his wedding cert either his Mum told him he's not his Dad or they had a nasty falling out! We will never know, but it's reassuring to have some conclusive info about him.
I'm new to this but I'm addicted already!!!!!!
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Brooks (Dundee. Scotland)
Collins (Sussex, England)
Cunningham (Kent and Sussex, England)
Jamieson (Dundee, Scotland)
Low (Perthshire, Scotland)
McKames and McKinnes
McLelland (Wigstownshire, Scotland)(Shropshire, England)
Parks (Sussex, England)
Reeves (Kent and Sussex, England)
Sim (Scotland)
Still (Scotland)
Whitby (England and Scotland)
|
|
|
Valda
RootsChat Moderator
RootsChat Marquessate
Offline
Posts: 7446
|
Until the Legitimacy Act of 1926 a person remained illegitimate no matter whether his parents subsequently married - like all laws the Act was not retrospect. Legally before 1926 an illegitimate person had no claim on their father - they were not a legal child.
I'm afraid you are assuming from one 1881 marriage record that either - no father's name means
'his father was not Mr Bellingham
they had fallen out'
The interpretations of records need to be placed in an historical context. As he was illegitimate he legally had no father to place on what was a legal document. Other illegitimate people did give their father's names and sympathetic officials allowed those names to be placed on the certificate, but many would not - it was a legal document. Illegitmate people also often tended to lie about their illegitimacy on their marriage records and their father acquired their own (mother's) surname.
All you know from the census record is what the enumerator was 'told'/or had written down for him on the household schedule. Why indicate to some official one of the children was born illegitimately? The census doesn't tell you the name the child went by in everyday life (you are assuming from one snap shot record on one night that that was the surname he was known by - it might be it might not). I have examples of illegitmate people who have one surname on all census records but on all legal documents such as birth and marriages register with another surname - usually their mother's. Which name were they known by in everyday life? I think likely in this scenario the census surname.
Basically illegitmate people can appear in different records with different surnames. Even birth certificates cannot be relied on as mothers too bluffed it out with the registrar when registering births. I actually know someone born in the 1930s who has a legitimate birth certificate though his parents never married - you could assume from the one record (plus his other 5 siblings birth certificates) they had. There were no checks in the system until after the Second World War.
Epsom is in Surrey not Sussex. I see William Henry and Rebecca's two eldest children on the 1891 census were born in Sutton Surrey. You could order a copy of the marriage certificate if you think the notes in the margin might give you more information.
Regards
Valda
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
kiwijulia
RootsChat Extra
Offline
Posts: 41
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
|
Yes you are right - I do have a GRO copy - I didn't know you could get any other kind.
All that info really puts things in context -
I did know that Epsom was in Surrey - William was working and living in Surrey in the 1881 census a couple of months before the marriage took place and subsequently had children with Rebecca there before moving back to Sussex.
So it is likely that Thomas Bellington is the Dad - I'm discovering that you have to know all sorts of info to be able to make informed decisions about the presented data.
I'm so pleased I found this website with people to offer expert assistance! Thanks for your contributions, Jules
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Brooks (Dundee. Scotland)
Collins (Sussex, England)
Cunningham (Kent and Sussex, England)
Jamieson (Dundee, Scotland)
Low (Perthshire, Scotland)
McKames and McKinnes
McLelland (Wigstownshire, Scotland)(Shropshire, England)
Parks (Sussex, England)
Reeves (Kent and Sussex, England)
Sim (Scotland)
Still (Scotland)
Whitby (England and Scotland)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pages: [1]
|
|
|
|
|
