RootsChat.Com

Greetings Genies,

I think I've <i>finally</i> found my Isabella JOHNS(T)ON nee DYER in the 1861 census Cockermouth:

RG9/3935/94/33 Derwent St
   WHITAKER Betsy / head / mar / 37 / Cleator
   SCOFIELD Sarah J / dau / 11 / Hull
   WHITAKER James / son / 4 / Cockermouth
   JOHNSTON Isabella / grandmother (sic) / wid / 73 / Whitehaven

Betsy JOHNSON/SCHOFIELD/WHITTAKER fits fairly well with Isabella's daughter Elizabeth b 1821. Also, a Henry JOHNSTON just around the corner in Crown St Cockermouth in 1861 census fits perfectly with Isabella's son Henry b 1818 Whitehaven. So I <i>think</i> (hope!) this is my Isabella.

I'd be grateful if SKS could please check 1851 census for Cockermouth for Isabella JOHNS(T)ON, hoping she's with husband Joseph to confirm it is the right Isabella (marr 1817 St Bees). When youngest son William arrived Sydney 1852, he said they were both living, and in Cumberland.

Roly Grigg's index shows the following in Cockermouth, giving me hope:
JOHNSTON ... Jos (54) Isabella (62) ... [2434 fols 420-507]
I checked online partial transcription for Cockermouth 1851, but they're not there.

TIA
Steve

PS Whoo-hoo! In the 1871, 83yo Isabella is head at Derwent St (lodging house), and "Betty" (39yo!) correctly shown as daughter (her husband William is at home too). Then in 1881 Elizabeth WHITTAKER (58yo) is there as head (William elsewhere again). I'm pretty sure these are the folk I've been looking for the last five years... just wish Betsy would age at the same rate as the rest of us...

PPS Even better, just found another of Isabella's daughters, Maria b. 1819 in Cleator, marr to Thomas BELL and living in Cockermouth in 1861 - looks like the whole tribe moved from Whitehaven some time.

Usually when posting a reply, "Additional Options" allows me to add attachments... but sometimes (recently) the "Attach" option does not come up (but it's there this time).

It seems a bit random - the option mainly not there when I really *do* want to attach (Sod's Law in action).

Steve in Brisbane

This concerns William Henry Wackerell STAVELEY (b. Dec 1822 Camelford Cornwall, d. 27 Jul 1891 Reading Berks), my g2-grand-uncle by marriage to Frances SIMS.

He was a prominent dentist (& sometime chemist, druggist, insurance agent) in Reading for 40+ years. Both his father and his son were surgeons.

In earlier censuses he puts his occupation down as "Dentist", but in 1891 (a few months before his death) it appears to be "Dentist (Royal)" as shown in the image.

When I first saw this it thought it might be analogous to "Physician Royal", but I have been unable to find out more.

My current thoughts are:
- It was some sort of honorary title? OR
- It was an official appointment possibly involving letters patent? OR
- He was making the whole thing up (though why he should do this in a document to be sealed for 100 years escapes me).

I'm trying to resist the image of the elderly dentist heading up the road to Windsor, black bag in hand... I don't imagine VR had too many teeth left by then...

I'd welcome any advice on royal appointments, and how to follow this up.

Cheers
Steve

PS Then a generation further back there is a g3-grand-uncle by marriage to Elizabeth SIMS, one Henry HAVELL (from a noted family of artists, engravers, etc).

One of the older art refs (Bryans) says Henry was "Decorator to the King" before he & Elizabeth left for New York c1829 - this too remains a mystery...

Could I please have a lookup for my GREENHALGH family in Manchester in any early census:

Thomas GREENHALGH born by 1807 (Manchester?)
Prudence (nee HOWARD) born by 1807, bapt 17 Sep 1809 Manchester
They married 2 Jun 1828 Manchester; known children:
  Hannah bapt 2 Oct 1831 Manchester
  Frances bapt 2 Oct 1831 Manchester
  James William bapt 21 Jul 1833 Manchester
  Thomas bapt 8 Dec 1839 Manchester (born Manchester, probably 1839 Q3).

The marriage is by banns, no consent shown, so probably Thomas & Prudence were of age thus born no later than 1807.
The name sometimes appears as GREENHALCH, eg. on the marriage record.
The marriage and all baptisms shown were at Manchester Cathedral.
Thomas sen. was a labourer in 1828, reportedly a builder by 1865.
Thomas jun. went to Australia in 1863 as a single man.

I don't have any addresses, and I do appreciate just how big Manchester was/is. So I'm hoping that some kind soul has a name index to an early Manchester census esp. 1851 or 1861, and can find the family by looking for Prudence GREENHALGH - Thomas may be too hard as there were many Thomas GREENHALGH in that part of the world!

Any help or advice much appreciated. Even a folio reference or general location would help.

Thank you
Steve