Trying to firm up the Chapman family of Sevenoaks

[bugbear]

I have been clawing my way into a family, one tiny scrap of information at a time.

I started with Celia Fanny Chapman (d1986); she was born 1893, and in the 1901 census
was in the Sevenoaks Workhouse; by 1911 she was a domestic servant in Sevenoaks.

The 1901 workhouse census also showed two likely siblings;
Louisa, b1892. Louisa had also been farmed out as a servant in 1911.
Gladys Eveline, b1896; in the Kensington and Chelsea workhouse in 1911.

Cross checking from the census, I'd found all the births on FreeBMD.

There I had stalled.

Until the GRO indices came along.

This gave me a mother's maiden name for the 3 siblings; "Armstrong"
Searching further in the GRO for "Chapman's born of Armstrong in Sevenoaks" gave me more possible siblings:

Beatrice May, b1900
William John, b1902
Arthur George, b1905

Finally, searching freeBMD for a Sevenoaks marriage loosely around/prior to 1892 (the youngest sibling I know about) gives only 1 result;

Olive Armstrong/James Chapman, married in Sevenoaks, Dec 1891

Lovely. Result! Careful research leads to knowledge of a family.

Perhaps.

I cannot find any other records for these induividuals, and (in particular) any record of them as a family.

The trail will obviously not be easy, since it is very possible that it was death of one or both parents that led to the children being in the workhouse.

But I can't find ANYTHING.

Can anyone help?

Or is my "family" just the result of my over optimistic interpretation of ambiguous BMD records?

  BugBear

[CaroleW]

As the marriage seems the likeliest starting point - a copy of the 1891 marriage cert will give further details re: ages etc  to at least trace Olive on earlier censuses

Presume there are no likely 1901/1911 entries for Olive or any death/remarriage for her?

[lizdb]

Beatrice Chapman age 10 bn Seven Oaks in Glos.
And William Chapman age 8 bn Sevenoaks in Sevenoaks workhouse, with a George age 6 (may be Arthur George)

So clearly something has happened to the parents of all these children

[bugbear]

Beatrice Chapman age 10 bn Seven Oaks in Glos.
And William Chapman age 8 bn Sevenoaks in Sevenoaks workhouse, with a George age 6 (may be Arthur George)

So clearly something has happened to the parents of all these children

Poor Beatrice - I wonder what "St Catherine's House" was, run by a Sister Maud Bacon.

Edit; found a passing reference to it in a case file referred to by the Children's Society.
1911 - A home not operated by The Society: St Catherine's Home, Woodchester

I agree that the parents are noticeably absent; it's not cheerful that William John, and "Arthur George" were born after the 3 girls were already in the workhouse.

If your hits are right, that's all the children accounted for in 1911.

  BugBear

[bugbear]

As the marriage seems the likeliest starting point - a copy of the 1891 marriage cert will give further details re: ages etc  to at least trace Olive on earlier censuses

Presume there are no likely 1901/1911 entries for Olive or any death/remarriage for her?

Would you believe (on FreeBMD) there is only 26 Olive Armstrong born pre 1891 in the UK,
and only 1 of those is in Kent?

Sep 1872, Maidstone, which is plausible. I'm off to pursue.

EDIT; oh, for cryin' out loud! GRO gives mother's maiden name of "-" for that birth.

  BugBear

[MaureeninNY]

Very unsure...but take a look at William and Olive LUCAS in 1901 ...living in Dartford.

2 children-Olive b 1898 Dartford and Beatrice 10months born Sevenoaks.

There's this birth:
CHAPMAN, OLIVE  AMELIA  mmn    ARMSTRONG     
GRO Reference: 1898  S Quarter in DARTFORD

Just a thought!

Maureen

[bugbear]

Very unsure...but take a look at William and Olive LUCAS in 1901 ...living in Dartford.

2 children-Olive b 1898 Dartford and Beatrice 10months born Sevenoaks.

There's this birth:
CHAPMAN, OLIVE  AMELIA  mmn    ARMSTRONG     
GRO Reference: 1898  S Quarter in DARTFORD

Just a thought!

Maureen

The spouse (Olive) is b1872 Maidstone. Interesting...

Edit; it all (for some meaning of "All")  checks out. Thank you!

(getting details for this family is  like pulling teeth!)

 BugBear

[lizdb]

Olive and mother Olive appear to be on 1911 too ........  (mother misindexed on the site I am using)

[bugbear]

Olive and mother Olive appear to be on 1911 too ........  (mother misindexed on the site I am using)

I was just going to post that!

Class: RG14; Piece: 4012; Schedule Number: 51 (page 102)

 BugBear