Eltham brothers missing in 1841

[LizzieL]

I am looking for Joseph Eltham b abt 1820 Robert Eltham b abt 1822 on the 1841 census. I have tried all possible variants of the name I can think of on FindMyPast but no luck. They were born in West Challow, Berkshire and would be unmarried in 1841. They both married in 1847, Robert to Mary Ann Maslin of Chaddleworth and Joseph to Sarah Peatey of Letcombe Regis, so I expect them to still be in Berkshire probably around Wantage area in 1841. Joseph's occupation in 1851 is Ag Lab and in 1861 sawyer. Robert is a sawyer in 1851, innkeeper in 1861, but sawyer again on later censuses.

They are not with parents (Robert senior and Mary) or with either of the older brothers (John and William), so I expect they are either lodgers with unrelated family or living in with employer.

[Craclyn]

Tried thegenealogist.co.uk
Could not find a Joseph Eltham anywhere that fit your age range.
Did a search on all Joseph in Berkshire with 1820 +/- 1 year to see if he could be mistranscribed.
Closest I found was a Joseph Aleter in Longcott. HO107/0027/13/F5. Probably not yours, but may be worth a closer look.

[LizzieL]

Thanks for taking the time to look. I checked the Joseph "Aleter", but I'm pretty sure that he is Joseph Alder, checks out as that on later censuses too. Possibly they were not recorded or on pages that were so faded as to be unreadable.

FindMyPast transcribed John Eltham (oldest brother) as ? ? ?  ? ? ?. I only found him because his father in law's name was correct and fully readable above him and also his wife and daughter's christian names below him, so he was the only likely one in the gap.

[ribbo39]

Hi LizzieL,

I know you have looked at all variations of surname spellings but in the Letcombe Regis transcripts from the Oxford FHS they have Joseph's name as Elton fa, b, Sawyer to Sarah Peaty, 19, sp,  both from LR.
Their father's names recorded as Robert Elton and Thomas Peaty, both Labrs.
Wits; Thomas Elton, Elizabeth Woodley.

There are 3 trees on Anc... that are showing Robert Elton as coming from Steventon. In this respect
there is a Robert Eltom bapt. 28-1-1776 s/o Robert & Elizabeth.
They say that Robert married Mary Hawkins (b.1787 West Challow) but they are not showing any sources to prove this info.

If you want more let me know.

Alan

[LizzieL]

Thanks Alan,
I hadn't got details of Joseph and Sarah's marriage just got it from the indexes. Elton is a very common mispelling - have had to endure it myself many times - even my schoolteachers couldn't always get my name right! The witnesses were his brother Thomas and the lady Thomas was to marry a few months later. Robert Eltham snr was indeed born in Steventon, but I have him as the son of Richard and Elizabeth (Betty) nee Brook(e)s. I have the marriage between Robert and mary Hawkins as 7 Jul 1806 in West Challow, but not sure where I got the information from as this part of my tree being my paternal line was the first I did about 20 plus years ago. I did have correspondence with then vicar of West Challow, which I have filed away so carefully, I can't find it now, so it might be there. Two house moves in between don't help.
I have seen some of the online trees - one has my 2 x great grandfather William (another son of Robert and Mary) as dying in USA! In reality he died in Wantage workhouse and probably never left the county in his life.