Tola MELHUISH

[Jamesk10]

Tola Melhuish born 1866 in Uffculme.

The 1871 census shows that Tola is living with grandparents William Melhuish (born abt.1825) and Charlotte (born abt.1820) in Uffculme.

On the 1881 census Tola is a servant in Stokeinteignhead and in the same household there are other servants William Melhuish (b.1848 Uffculme) and Emily Melhuish (b.1876 Tosse) - likely relatives of Tola, I had thought perhaps father and sister.

From the 1851 census this William is indeed the son of William and Charlotte.

In 1891 William is with Catherine Griffiths (b.1854 Carnarvonshire) whom he married in 1898, and in 1901 they are together with their son also called Tola (b.1887 Stokeinteignhead).

I found Tola on the 1891 census in a different household, but he's stated as a Griffiths not a Melhuish. On the 1901 census he's with William etc but stated as his nephew (not his son as expected).

Can anyone help figure out just where Tola fits into this family?

[Mabel Bagshawe]

There's a mariage for Tola in London in 1902 on Ancestry - although indexed as Ida, 1911 confirms it is him. The space of name of father is left blank - suggests he may be the illegitimate child of on of William and Charlotte's daughters?

[Milliepede]

I guess the surest way is to get his birth certificate to find out who his parent/parents were.
Sep 1866 Tiverton 5b 391 Tola Melhuish

[Mabel Bagshawe]

where do you see Tola as a Griffiths? Both are in the same households in 1891 and 1901, and both are Melluishes on the images.

Is the younger Tola the son of William and his first wife? He is listed as married on 1881 and 1891 - and with a Sarah Melluish, even if not listed consecutively, and there's a marriage in Newton Abbot district in 1874

[Jamesk10]

I guess the surest way is to get his birth certificate to find out who his parent/parents were.
Sep 1866 Tiverton 5b 391 Tola Melhuish

Yes though I was hoping to do this at the moment without the expense of acquiring the birth certificate.

where do you see Tola as a Griffiths? Both are in the same households in 1891 and 1901, and both are Melluishes on the images.

On the 1891 census found on FindMyPast they are all living together - Tola is stated as a Griffiths on the transcription - but just checked the image and he's there as a Melhuish! Ah that makes more sense now (yes yes I should have checked it before ).

Is the younger Tola the son of William and his first wife? He is listed as married on 1881 and 1891 - and with a Sarah Melluish, even if not listed consecutively, and there's a marriage in Newton Abbot district in 1874

From that 1891 census it does look like William was married to Sarah before he married Catherine, perhaps that is them who married in 1874 that you have identified. With the age difference, it seems more likely Tola is Sarah's son than Catherine's. And Emily is probably Sarah's daughter - I wouldn't be surprised if their "A" initials were the same name.

Quite why Tola is "nephew" on the 1901 census though, I can only think to distinguish that he's not Catherine's son, it wouldn't be the first time I've seen the wrong relationship stated for something like this.

Thanks for all your help seems one of the rare relatively simple branches of the Melhuish tree

[Mabel Bagshawe]

It's 1867 Tola who is nephew - I am assuming he is the child of one of William's siblings (sisters?) whom William has taken on, whilst Emily (c1876) and Tola (c1887) are William and Sarah's children.

Sarah dies in 1895

Sarah Anne Melluish
Q2 1895  Newton Abbot, Vol 5b, p102
Age at Death 49

Of the girls at home in 1861, two could be Tola's mother. Emily is still at home in 1871 and marries later that year. Ann I'm not sure about.

[DOB7]

I've made a correction to FindMyPast regarding the GRIFFITHS transcription error.
There is an OPC for Uffculme who offers free look-ups of parish registers - go to http://genuki.cs.ncl.ac.uk/DEV/Uffculme/index.html and scroll down to Genealogy for the link. Let us know the result.