Showground and Fairground Travellers circa 1900 - Elizabeth Aston and family

[Tramore]

I wonder if anybody might be help me please. I am trying to trace the whereabouts of my grandfather, Thomas Bacon born 1889 after being in Wednesfield Cottage Homes in 1901 for a brief period. His father, Joseph Bacon born in 1862 married Elizabeth Aston, born 1859 who had died in July 1898 when Thomas was 11 years old. I now know that from the 1881 Census that Elizabeth Aston lived with her mother Phoebe in Wolverhampton and that their occupation was decsribed as Hawkers(Fair). I have a feeling that Thomas after being in the Wednesfield Cottage homes stayed with relations of his mother, Elizabeth Aston probably travelling to Fairs etc.
    I was wondering if anybody from his mothers side could help me with Thomas Bacon's whereabouts from 1901 up to he got married in 1911. Thanks.

[CaroleW]

Hi

Have you checked to see whether the Cottage Homes records are still available as they should show his discharge date and possibly an address to which he was discharged. 

It was commonplace for them to be discharged into employment from approx 13/14yrs old

[Tramore]

Hi CaroleW. Thanks very much for4 your reply. Yes I only checked the records in Wolverhampton Records office yesterday, Thursday. Thomas's father had been put in prison for two months for assault. Thomas, his sister Hannah and his younger brother, William were moved into The Cottage Homes the day he was put in prison and then all three children were collected by their father the day he came out of prison according to the records. So their stay in the Cottage homes was only a brief two months.
     I am trying to establish what happened after they were released. I have reason to believe that Thomas at least went to live with the travelling Fair relations from his dead mother's side. Her name had been Elizabeth Aston before she was married.
Once again thanks for your help.