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Out of the blue I've just acquired (been given) two of his medals. Not being very bright I don't know what the letters on the edges stand for. They are as follows:-

BLR MKR. W.F.A.

Apparently he died in 1917 in West Derby Lancashire. I'm awaiting his death certificate. He's not a close relative but I'd still like to know and do some following up. Help please?

Ken

Apologies. I tried to put some others on and it made the post too big. Not very computer literate so here is another picture - I hope.

He is my GG grandfather and I have almost all  relevant documentary evidence relating to him and his family including photographs, certificates of birth,marriage, death etc EXCEPT where he is in 1861 and 1871. I mention this so that anyone reading this need not look elsewhere and elsewhen for information on him that I might not have. I have him in the other  four census from 1851 to 1901.

Useful information on him:- Born 1845 in Liverpool. Not married until 1868. Dies in 1908.
 Father's name is James Thorp born 1807 in Liverpool, watchmaker, and in the 1861 census is a widower living with a married daughter.

I have his wife Louisa Sophia living with her mother Catherine in Liverpool in the 1871 census. He is not with her.
I DO know that two of his children Willaber(1872) and Hannah Maria (1873) were born in Widnes. One possible presumption is that when the census was being taken in 1871 he was working away  and was eventually joined by his wife and son.

Really I'm wondering if I have missed doing something very obvious or was he not recorded because he was living in temporary lodgings when both censuses were taken? Plasterers could be easily missed, as other itinerant workers may have been.

All commentsand suggestions welcome.

Ken

I have Selina Roberts with her sister Jane Annie in the 1871 census living at what I imagine to be a lodging house  - 23, Huntley St. St. Pancras.

1871 Census ref.   RG10/211/67/51.
No problem there.

Two years later she marries Joshua Halls in the presence of her sister and one of the other lodgers Alfred Joseph Gyaury? on June 28, 1873 at All Saints, St. Pancras after banns.
No problem again...


Addresses when she has her  children,  born from 1875 onwards, are in Little Pancras St. .  Children's names and details are as follows:-

Selina Esther born February 4th, 1875,  baptised March 11th. Address is 11 and a half Little Pancras
St, St. Pancras. At All Saints Church (and next 3 children)
Joshua Halls born May 3rd, 1877. Baptised Oct.13, 1880. Address:- 5 and Half Little Pancras St.
Alonso Halls born April 4th, 1879. Baptised Oct.13, 1880. Address – as Joshua
Alfred Halls born August 27th, 1880. Baptised Oct.13, 1880. Address -as Joshua
Jane Annie Halls born ? Bap. April 11, 1884 at St. Mary Magdalene, St. Pancras. Address:- 27, William Street.
Louisa Alice, born? Bap. April 11, 1892.  Address – 17, Johnson St., St. Pancras
 May Florence, born May 8, 1894. Bap. June 3, 1894. Address – 17, Johnson St., St. Pancras
Blanche Louise, born March 21, 1890, Bap. April 20, 1890.  Address – 17, Johnson St., St. Pancras.
Note:- FreeBMD has her as Blanche Louisa.

All OK so once again no problem....but now?

1881 Census – not found her nor any of the rest of the family at present, though I have looked through all of the St. Pancras entries. Presumably mistranscription? Don't know but I'm feeling extremely grumpy. I have searched on every one of the names with variants which might be there in 1881 and on addresses and have no more ideas.

Even worse I can find them as below in 1891:-

1891 Census. (Badly transcribed on Ancestry)  Address:- 17, Johnson St., Somers Town,
(Incidentally I can find no baptisms for either Albert or Archille.)

 Ref:  RG12; Piece: 128; Folio: 143; Page: 32;

HALLS, Joshua    Head    Married     38 1853    French Polisher      St Pancras
HALLS, Selina E    Wife    Married   35 1856                St Pancras
HALLS, Selina   Daughter Single    16 1875   Factory Hand         St Pancras
HALLS, Joshua    Son           14 1877 French Polishers Assist      St Pancras
HALLS, Archille    Son           4   1887                St Pancras
HALLS, Albert    Son           3   1888                St Pancras
HALLS, Jane       Daughter       8   1883  Scholar            St Pancras
HALLS, Blanch    Daughter        1   1890                St Pancras

I also have them in 1901 and Selina (now a widow) with what remains of her family in 1911.

So please can someone put me out of my misery and grumpiness and find them in 1881 or tell me the page is missing?
My apologies if I am missing something extremely obvious.

Ken

Background:-

He is my grandfather. In May 1947 he emigrated alone to Cape Town. I have his details for that. His wife followed in December 1947 - I have that also. Later his granddaughter Margaret Roberts joined them - I have yet to follow that up. He lived (I think) in Cape Town and (possibly) Johannesburg.

I have NO informatione about his life in South Africa where he stayed until 1961 when he returned to Liverpool. The only information I DO have is that I know he gave away his granddaughter Margaret (my cousin) in marriage in 1953 - so I was told by a relative who is now dead. I have a photograph of her on his arm going down the aisle so I believe it. I think she would have been about twenty at the time.

 I have many photographs which belonged to him and which came to me, many with people in them. Almost none have anything on the backs so I know nothing. I do not even know why he went to South Africa though it may have been that he was invalided there during the FWW - I have a dozen or so photographs of him convalescing -  "somewhere hot" is the most I can say because of the flora behind him.

So......I am simply looking for advice/guidance on whether or where I can find out anything more about his life there.

Ken