Good Evening,
I am trying to locate the parents of my Great Great Grandfather James Esherwood. James was born in Westminster on 7 Feb 1866.
On the 1881 census (aged 14) he was located living at an Industrial School in Essex, joining the army shortly afterwards.
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/7572/ESSRG11_1756_1760-0315/5006765?backurl=https://www.ancestry.co.uk/family-tree/person/tree/150781421/person/332001138256/facts/citation/962001351583/edit/record
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/1219/gbrmil1914r4pt2_138500-00727/645592?backurl=https://www.ancestry.co.uk/family-tree/person/tree/150781421/person/332001138256/facts/citation/962001351989/edit/record
I cannot locate any birth records for James, but I know his father was called Benjamin Esherwood from James' marriages certificates (he was married twice). Benjamin was a sailor.
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/1623/31280_196301-00220/2693433?backurl=https://www.ancestry.co.uk/family-tree/person/tree/150781421/person/332001138256/facts/citation/962001247125/edit/record
James had two brothers called Bennett and John, and possibly a sister called Ellen (Not 100% on the sister, I found her name as a next of kin on one of the brothers army service records but she is not named on James' like his two brothers were).
I'm after any help that could point me in the right direction of James' mother, and more information about his father. I just can't seem to find anything at all.
Thanks in advance.
Hello
From the comments you may have this already?
Added: noticed Mike put a link. Definitely wants thorough investigation and a double check of all your other records against the full marriage indexes etc., again ...
1871 Census Place, St John, Westminster, London, MiddlesexBennett Isherwood Head M 39 Blank, Lancashire
Catherine Isherwood Wife F 32 Brighton
Bennett Isherwood Son M 6 Westra, Westmorland
Ellen Isherwood Daughter F 8 Shoreditch, Shropshire
James Isherwood Son M 4 Westra, Westmorland
John Isherwood Son M 2 Westra, Westmorland
**Above transcription requires checking against the actual image**
I see in the links, reference to 'family-tree', not sure whose this is.
However, I wouldn't trust the family tree of anyone else, for all the tea in china. Nor would I trust the information from Family Search (from where I have quoted), without seeing the original Census image, or other original images Family Search volunteers have transcribed from.
There are numerous transcription and other errors online, both from documents and assumptions in trees, due to copying and other assumptions because they seem near enough, but can belong to another line (not even related).
In family history the researcher must be working backward from the actual Certificate Copies of your earliest known Ancestor known to you and your actual known family, along with the Census for this period in time 1841 to 1911, as primary information. Bear in mind Census Enumerators sometimes wrote down what they heard spoken.
When Civil Registration began in England and Wales in 1837, there was no Legal requirement to Register a Birth.
Bear in mind a few Census Sheets for England & Wales are missing. But it is possible to check with a place name, as the missing parts of a Census were generally listed on transfer to the Public Record Office (now TNA), Kew.
Mark