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« on: Saturday 13 June 09 13:10 BST (UK) »
In the process of researching my extended Rowe family (in this case Jane Rowe b Q3 1844 Boscastle), I have discovered a marriage between her and a Francis Dicker Rowe 10/12/1863 at Forrabury. The bride's father is named as William Rowe, which fits with what I knew and I have census back-up for her/them in 1851 and 1861.
For the life of me, I can not find Francis Dicker Rowe in any records, even though you would have thought it a relatively straightforward task with such a distinctive name. On the marriage record his age is given as 21 and his occupation is quarryman as is his father Charles. I can not find any record of Francis' birth under Rowe (or Dicker) and I have also tried first name only searches for Camelford, Launceston and Bodmin between 1840 and 1845, again without success.
So, to the census records. I have found a possible sighting in the 1851 census for the family living in Stowford Devon (references available) with a Francis aged 8 born in Saint Teath and parents Charles and Nancy. To add further to the confusion, Charles' age has been mis-indexed as 86 when it should read 56, unless he fathered a child at the age of 83.
I think I may have found the family again in the 1861 census living at Old Hill Launceston but again nothing is straightforward. The family has been recorded as Wrath, not Rowe, (references available) and this could be an error by the compiler, as the family immediately above is called Worth. The members of the family fit the Rowe records with Sarah and Simon being recorded as being born in Devon, as they are in the 1851. Also, Francis is recorded as Francis D, and that is the first time a confirmation of his middle initial has appeared.
So, who is Francis Dicker Rowe - where and when was he born and why are the records conspiring to preserve his anonymity? Just one more twist, his wife is recorded as widowed in the 1871 census, living next door to the post office in Boscastle with two young children - and I have been unable to find her husband's death record.
Any help much appreciated.
Clive