The April 2005 Rootschat Challenge

[Paul E]

If you've reached the end of the line (for the moment) with your own research, or just fancy a diversion ... then the 2005 Rootschat Challenge could be just for you!

I've selected an individual ENTIRELY AT RANDOM - ie I have no connection to this person in my tree.  I've checked on the surname interest table, and no one has declared this surname in their own tree.

So what's the idea?

Well, the collective wisdom of Rootschatters is to be pitted against the censuses, bmd info and other resources to COMPILE A FAMILY HISTORY OF THIS MAN, with as much information and detail as we can muster.

Anyone can contribute anything to the debate - however small or however detailed.  No prizes, but ... wouldn't it be nice if some soul searching on Google for this chap sudddenly chanced upon this thread?

Your April 2005 Rootchat Challenge is:

Abraham BLAND, shown in the 1881 census as living in Washway Road, Sale, Cheshire, born 1875.

Away you go! (And I haven't checked, so lets hope he doesn't die in 1882! )

[SS from The Rhondda]

I'll start with the easy bit

His parents were:
John BLAND, a gardener, b Esholt, York (b 1817)
Eliza BLAND,, b Barnsley, York (b 1837)

He had siblings named:
John(b 1870), William (b 1871), Frank (b 1874), Arthur (b 1877) & Eliza A. (b 1878)
All except Eliza A. shown as being b. Sale, Cheshire.
RG11 3506 fo56 pg43
(Source: 1881 Census, FamilySearch website)

Paul.. What a good idea for a challenge. Well done! Perhaps next time, you can start with my elusive ggg grandfather

[Arranroots]

By 1891 his father was a landscape gardener...

[Paul E]

"Sale is bisected in a roughly north to south direction by the Roman Watling Street, which, today, as Cross Street and Washway Road, forms the A56 trunk route between Manchester and Chester...

Sale lies on the former Manchester, South Junction and Altrincham railway line which reached the town as early as 1849, linking it to Manchester. The A56 runs in a straight line for over two miles through Sale. In Roman times Watling Street was a part of the route from Mamucium (Manchester) to Deva (Chester). Until the 1930s, the area to the west of this road was known as Ashton-on-Mersey, whilst that to the east constituted Sale and Sale Moor."

Taken from: http://www.personal.u-net.com/~luso/sale1.htm

[Sisterjane]

This is my bit
1891 cencus
RG12/2825
Folio 104
----------------- 
Bland, Abraham 16 Sale, Cheshire Son  Sale    Labourer
Bland, Arthur 15 Sale, Cheshire Son  Sale   
Bland, Eliza 55 Barnsley, Yorkshire Wife  Sale   
Bland, Eliza 13 Sale, Cheshire Daughter  Sale   
Bland, Elizabeth 9 Sale, Cheshire Daughter  Sale   
Bland, Frank 17 Sale, Cheshire Son  Sale    Under gardener
Bland, John 74 Esholt, Yorkshire Head  Sale    Landscape gardener 
Bland, John 21 Sale, Cheshire Son  Sale    Railway clerk 
Bland, William 20 Sale, Cheshire Son  Sale    Under gardener
---------------------------
Joe

[emilysiobhan]

He seems to still be living at home in Sale in 1901.....with both his parents still alive and masquerading under his middle name of Lionel.

On freeBMD I found:
Births Mar 1875  Bland  Abraham Lionel G     Altrincham  8a 182

Sale registers in the altrincham district.

Emily

[Paul E]

Phew!  At least he's still alive, then!
 

[Arranroots]

Name  Abraham  
      
Gender male

Origin Hebrew

Meaning  father of a multitude

Similiar Names  Abram, Avraham, Avram, Avrom, Abe, Abie, Abra, Ibrahim, Braham, Bram, Abramo, Abran, Abramio  

from: http://baby-names.adoption.com/search/Abraham.html

[gennig]

Yes he's living at home with his parents at 117 Washway Road, Sale.
He's become a Railway Fireman.

His Father John is retired
Eliza, his mother doesn't work
Brother John is a Railway Clerk
Brother Arthur is a day gardner
Sister Amy E H is a dressmaker.

Genni