Why were three Yorkshire ancestors born in Belgium?

[LouiseB31]

Good morning

I am researching the family tree of my step son at the moment

According to the 1871 Thornaby, Stockton on Tees, census his great great grandfather William James Greaves was born in Jemappes, Mainault, Belgium in circa 1853.

WJGs father, John Greaves was born in Burslem, Staffordshire in around 1829. He moved to Thornaby, Stockton on Tees as a toddler and married Mary Ann Dale in 1849. He appears on the same 1871 census as a widow.

He and Mary Ann appear to have gone to live in Belgium for a period of time. 

After William, there was Rosa Abbey Greaves born in circa 1857 and John Greaves circa 1863.

By 1865 they were back in Thornaby having their next son Albert.

I have read that Belgium was the next most industrialised nation after Britain, is that relevant? John the father was a turner according the 1871 census.

I have been researching family trees for over 30 years and I don't believe I have ever seen this before.

What are your thoughts? Do you know where I might look in Belgian records? I have spent a couple of hours poking around but haven't yet got anywhere. It's fascinating.

Thanks very much!

[nanny jan]

FamilySearch.org has some records from Belgium:

https://familysearch.org/search/collection/location/1927071?region=Belgium

[jorose]

Must be Hainault, not Mainault. This was a heavily industrial area (now part of Mons) so likely

Jemappes records are online but you will not find them indexed.

Birth record for William James in 1852:
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01jnx/
I am sure siblings can be found also.

Gives John's occupation I think as "ouvrier faïencier" - an earthenware (pottery) worker.
http://jemappespasse-present.skynetblogs.be/archive/2015/11/13/la-fabrique-de-porcelaines-8554524.html

One of the men associated with a pottery factory in Jemappes according to the above link was a William Smith, from Stockton-on-Tees. In 1847 a business was established to produce and sell "la faïence anglaise" - he apparently already had been doing business in England for many years and it is not unlikely that he brought some experienced workers from Stockton-on-Tees when starting up his new factory in Belgium. This was not an entirely unusual pattern; normally the locals would be trained up and then the English workers returned home. You see it in the 1830s in France with iron works, for example.

[BelgianAncestry]

Jean Greaves was born 14 October 1850 in Jemappes, Belgium.
Yours sincerely
Belgian Ancestry Help
Please visit our website belgianancestry.weebly dot com

[LouiseB31]

Good afternoon
It would seem I missed an alert to let me know about these responses
They are excellent, so helpful, exactly what I needed to know
And yes, branches of the family did work in the Thornaby Pottery so this makes perfect sense
And thanks also for finding the births
What terrific work; this is the best genealogy website with the best members
Best wishes, Louise