I am struggling !

[butlersearch]

Hi

I have now managed to speak to an elderly relative on a 'lucid' day and she has confirmed without any prompting from me the information garnered is correct.  I have just two queries now on the 1901 census Johns Birth is shown as England but I cannot read the word underneath, on the 1911 census which is clearer he unfortunately just states England. Also there is a discrepancy in Josephine's age of 5 years between the censuses . Can anyone help with this.

[avm228]

John's birthplace is given in 1901 as England, with Devon written underneath.

[groom]

The only John Challis I can see that fits from the English censuses is this one in 1861

RG9  Piece: 1434 Folio: 50 Page: 10     
7, Parr Street, Charles, Plymouth

George Challis   Head   Married   M   48     Labourer    Sussex   
Hannah Challis   Wife   Married   F   40               ..., Devon       
Emma Challis   Daughter      F   17     Potter        Sussex   
Ellen Challis   Daughter      F   15        Potter      Plymouth, Devon   
John Challis   Son      M   5        Scholar            Plymouth, Devon

[butlersearch]

Thank you for that I can see a birth on fmd.org for John Denning Challis in 1854 in Lympstone Devon
that seems to fit and another in 1854 in St thomas but I think they must be the same person and the parents are Sarah and jno denning.

[avm228]

Thank you for that I can see a birth on fmd.org for John Denning Challis in 1854 in Lympstone Devon
that seems to fit and another in 1854 in St thomas but I think they must be the same person and the parents are Sarah and jno denning.

This child may have been born posthumously (i.e. after the death of his father) as I see there is a death of a John Denning Challis in St Thomas in Mar qtr 1853.

The child was baptised on 1 January 1854 according to Familysearch, and registered in the Mar qtr of 1854.  Depending on the precise dates it's not impossible that the man whose death was registered in Mar qtr 1853 was his father.

In those circumstances it would be worth looking for a remarriage of Sarah - if she did remarry, she and her son John may appear in subsequent censuses under a different surname.

[avm228]

Also in Mar qtr 1853 St Thomas are two deaths apparently of children of John & Sarah, namely

Mary Rosamond Challis (bap 1851):

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/N544-78S


Edwin Thomas Knight Challis (bap 1852):

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/N544-3HF

[butlersearch]

Thank you for your help , poor Sarah losing a husband and 2 children I will now investigate further , it seems strange that young John went from Devon to Kingstown in Ireland but both are fishing ports.

I started this thread in the Surrey forum as I thought that was where all my relatives came from so really interesting to now see new areas to look into.
 

[groom]

To be absolutely sure that you have the right family you really need the marriage certificate of John Challis and Josephine which will give his father's name. Or see if the name Denning was used as part of any of the children's names. 

[groom]

Just found this which looks right.
 from  Ireland, Civil Registration Marriages Index, 1845-1958

John Denning Challis
Date of Registration:   Jan-Feb-Mar 1886
Registration District:   Rathdown
Volume:   2   Page Number:   781

On the same page Josephine Farrell