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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Topic started by: UpstairsDown on Friday 30 September 16 19:09 BST (UK)
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Dearest Rootschatters,
I am trying to trace the origins of a great grandfather who seems to have appeared in 1907. Before that? Nothing
The first confirmed record I have of him is marriage certificate:
Thomas Atkinson,
24 years of age,
bachelor,
Stoker in the Royal Navy (I have what I am told is his seaman's register and have matched this with a record card)
He claims his father was deceased by the date of the marriage and was a labourer, also named Thomas Atkinson *facepalm*
He was was married to 22 year old Ethel May Colwill on the ninth of September, 1907 at Plymouth registry office. This makes sense given that he was in the Royal Navy, which had a large presence in Plymouth.
He had three children with Ethel- Gladys, Ivy and their youngest, a boy, Frederick Thomas.
Apart from that I know very little
What appears to be his seaman's register has him listed as being born in West Bromwich, but this register was a copy given to me by a relative who had it off the NA site.
Family lore also suggests he was born in West Bromwich (his son, my grandfather always spoke of having cousins there and they certainly weren't from Ethel's side, as they are all accounted for).
Family lore has it that Thomas' middle named was Frederick, but as none of the three records list a middle name I'm stuck.
What I'm looking for:
1) Any details of where he was in 1911. His wife was living back with her family in St Germans at that point and my hunch is he was in the Royal Navy on board a ship. Anyone that can help with how to search census records from navy vessels for 1911 I would be grateful. I can provide an entry for the ship name from the seaman's register attributed to him
2)A probate or death index entry. My parents seems to think he passed in 1961, in either Devon or Cornwall. This might or might not be true. He was certainly gone by the time of his wife's death in the mid 1960s. My one parent cannot remember ever meeting him and they were born towards the end of the 1960s.
3)Any indication of where he may have been from.
Any help you can give would be wonderful. There were very few Atkinsons in Devon or Cornwall at the time, it being mainly found in a spread between Manchester up to Durham, reflecting Viking patronymics perhaps? Mere speculation on my part.
Please help!
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Anyone that can help with how to search census records from navy vessels for 1911 I would be grateful. I can provide an entry for the ship name from the seaman's register attributed to him
Please help!
If yoou are on Ancestrty go to the 1911 census and under county you will see Royal Navy, and under Civil Parish you will see six locations.
Stan
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Stanmapstone, you're a star :-* Thank you!
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Hi did Ethel M Atkinson die 1965 Bodmin aged 78 eg born 1887?
Keyboard86
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She did indeed, keyboard86
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there's this death reg making him older?
Thomas Atkinson 86 sep qtr 1962 Bodmin vol 7a pg 9
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Excellent work keyboard86 and osprey :)
BURIALS
06 July 1962, St Luke, Tideford, Cornwall
Thomas ATKINSON, age 86
Abode; Quay Road, Tideford
Note; Died at St Lawrence's Hospital, Bodmin
04 September 1965, St Luke, Tideford, Cornwall
Ethel May ATKINSON, age 78
Abode; Quay Road, Tideford
Both on FreeREG
Trish :)
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Thank you both so much!
So he may have been fibbing about how old he was, which explains why I had problems finding him on the various censuses.
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Before I get going, I warn you that this will be lengthy.
I studied long and hard the few Atkinsons living in West Bromwich, followed them forward and accounted for all but one who was indeed a Thomas Atkinson. He appeared to vanish after the 1901 census whilst in 1903 your Thomas joined the Royal Navy. So, we had a Thomas disappearing after 1901 and your Thomas apparently appearing in 1903 aged 20 with no earlier record of him.
When a likely death in 1962 Bodmin for a Thomas bc.1876 was mentioned by osprey it 'fitted' with the Thomas I'd found who appeared to vanish - and now trish1120 has given burial details which confirms your Thomas did indeed die in 1962 and thus some years older than you'd thought.
I note that on his navy record his birthdate is 1/8/1883 (in 1939 year has changed to 1885!!). However his birthday of 1st August is consistent on both. If it's any consolation he appears to have inherited the changing birth year gene from his father who was named Charles, not Thomas.
I first find Charles Atkinson appearing in West Bromwich in 1861 - he is shown as aged 33 (no status given), a Field Labourer, born Rugeley, Staffordshire - he is a lodger.
In 1871 still in West Bromwich - now 45, again a lodger, unmarried, Millman Ironworks and birthplace now Lichfield, Staffs.
By 1881 - still in West Bromwich - transcribed as 'Atkiss' on Ancestry - with wife/children:
Charles Atkiss 51 Iron Worker born Lichfield, Worcestershire
Mary Jane " 33 born Oldbury, Worcestershire
Sarah 10
Charles 8
Eliza 7
Thomas 5
Josiah 2
John 2mos.
Looked for a corresponding marriage for Charles and Mary Jane but couldn't find one in the right time frame. Eventually discovered that they didn't marry until 1885:
Charles Atkinson 48, bachelor, son of Joseph Atkinson (deceased), labourer married Mary Jane Jenks 39, dau. of Thomas Jenks, Wire Drawer on 14/12/1885 St. Johns, West Bromwich - address for both given as 81 Sam's Lane, West Bromwich - in 1881 they were living at 18 Sam's Lane!!
Checked birth entries for their children as shown in 1881 to see if registered as Atkinson or Jenks - from Eliza through to John they were all registered as Atkinson. All 6 children are shown as born in West Bromwich - the elder 2 (Sarah bc.1871 and Charles bc.1873) not registered as Atkinson, nor in their mothers maiden name of Jenks. The closest birth entries I could find were a Sarah Atkin in Dec.qtr.1871 and a Charles Atkins in Sept.qtr.1872 but no idea if these are them.
By 1891 Charles is 60, Mary J. is 43 and they are now with just 3 children - Thomas 15 and Josiah 12 plus a new daughter May who was born in 1889.
Charles Atkinson's death recorded Dec.qtr.1895 West Bromwich as aged 60. So, as you can see from the various records his own year of birth varies between 1826 and 1835!
1901 - still living in Sams Lane, West Bromwich is Mary J. Atkinson, 52, widow with son Thomas 24, bricklayers labourer, dau. Eliza 27, son Josiah 22 and dau. May 11.
Thomas Atkinson, son of Charles and Mary Jane, had his birth registered in Sept.qtr.1875 West Bromwich and appeared to vanish after the 1901 census. Then we have your Thomas joining the navy in 1903 giving a birthdate of 1/8/1883 who didn't appear to exist before then.
I truly think these 2 Thomas' are one and the same - however, I cannot explain why when enlisting in 1903 he states he was born 1/8/1883 aged 20 when he was in fact 28, nor why he gave his father as Thomas when he was in fact Charles. He was 20 when his father died so no excuse for forgetting his name.
As I said at the outset, explaining all this makes for a lengthy post. So, the only thing I can think of to try and confirm any of this is to get the birth certificate of Thomas Atkinson reg'd Sept.qtr.1875 West Bromwich in the hope his birthdate will be given as 1st August which is the birthdate he gave in 1903 when joining the navy and again on the 1939 Register.
Also found out a bit about Mary Jane Jenks but will leave you to digest and try to understand the above before mentioning that.
Annette
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My apologies Annette.
I have been somewhat occupied with a new job and family matters.
It does indeed appear that this Thomas is one and the same.
I am looking at his marriage certificate now and he has his father's name recorded as Thomas, and as a deceased labourer, in 1907. I have no explanation for the faked age other than it might be he was trying to leave something behind- pretty drastic to join the RN at the age he did, give a fake name for his father and a fake age, too? I am bamboozled.
Keyboard86, Osprey, Trish and Annette I am so very grateful to all of you. Time to do some re-evaluating on the family tree. This does explain a potential American connection though. I am completely flabbergasted.
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By 1881 - still in West Bromwich - transcribed as 'Atkiss' on Ancestry - with wife/children:
Charles Atkiss 51 Iron Worker born Lichfield, Worcestershire
Mary Jane " 33 born Oldbury, Worcestershire
Sarah 10
Charles 8
Eliza 7
Thomas 5
Josiah 2
John 2mos.
Looked for a corresponding marriage for Charles and Mary Jane but couldn't find one in the right time frame. Eventually discovered that they didn't marry until 1885:
Charles Atkinson 48, bachelor, son of Joseph Atkinson (deceased), labourer married Mary Jane Jenks 39, dau. of Thomas Jenks, Wire Drawer on 14/12/1885 St. Johns, West Bromwich - address for both given as 81 Sam's Lane, West Bromwich - in 1881 they were living at 18 Sam's Lane!!
Checked birth entries for their children as shown in 1881 to see if registered as Atkinson or Jenks - from Eliza through to John they were all registered as Atkinson. All 6 children are shown as born in West Bromwich - the elder 2 (Sarah bc.1871 and Charles bc.1873) not registered as Atkinson, nor in their mothers maiden name of Jenks. The closest birth entries I could find were a Sarah Atkin in Dec.qtr.1871 and a Charles Atkins in Sept.qtr.1872 but no idea if these are them.
From new GRO index the Thomas reg Q3 1875 West Brom has mother's maiden name of GEE.
John and Josiah both have mother's maiden name JINKS, so they seem to fit allowing for spelling difference.