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Between 1 Apr 1901 & 10 Mar 1910 2 of my wife's greatuncles, brothers Stephen & Albert Edward DUCKHOUSE, were taken into Dr Barnardo's care.

On 10 Mar 1910 they were shipped out to Canada on SS Tunisian from Liverpool, arriving in Halifax on 18 Mar 1910 - part of the disgraceful British Home Children episode. Albert's name appears in the shipping lists as Alfred E DUCKHOUSE.

Apart from a 1911 Canadian Census entry for Albert, boarding on the THOMPSON family farm with 3 other British Home Children, nothing else is known of him. It is believed that his life there was traumatic and possibly short.

Conversely, the Canadian McPHAIL family with whom Stephen was placed treated him as one of their own, so much so that he appears in their Ancestry family tree. All that happened to Stephen from the time of his arrival in Canada is known about. They have his original Barnardos trunk in the barn of the farm which they still own. They have invited my wife to go and stay there with them on 4 Sep 2013 (in 4 weeks time) and have asked for as much family background information as possible - hence my sudden quest for information.

I have found the following post-1900 references to the family:-

31 Mar 1901 Census Ref / RG13 / Piece 2925 / Folio 144 / Page 46 / 304 Warwick Road, Greet, Worcs
- Frederick DUCKHOUSE - Head - Married - 29 -  Cycle packer - b. Wednesfield Staffordshire
- Ellen DUCKHOUSE - Wife - Married - 30 - b. Stratford on Avon, Warks
- John DUCKHOUSE - Son - 8 - b. Hednesford, Staffs
- George DUCKHOUSE - Son - 6 - b. Hednesford, Staffs
- Stephen DUCKHOUSE - Son - 4 - b. Acocks Green, Worcs

There is also an entry for the eldest brother, Fred, living with his grandparents:-
31 Mar 1901 Census Ref / RG13 / Piece 2933 / Folio 52 / Page 38 / 3 Poplar Ave, Acocks Green, Worcs
- William PARDOE - Head - 42 - Married - Labourer - b. Stratford on Avon, Warks
- Eliza PARDOE - Wife - 42 - Married - b. Stratford on Avon, Warks
- James PARDOE - Son - Single  - 14 - Errand boy - b. Hednesford, Staffs
- Frederick T DUCKHOUSE - Grandson - Single - 10 - b. Hednesford, Staffs

Q4/1901 Birth Registration at Solihull / 6d / 631
- Albert Edward DUCKHOUSE

Q4/1905 Birth Registration at Solihull / 6d / 593
- Walter DUCKHOUSE

2 Apr 1911 Census Ref / RG14 / Piece 18659 / SN 333 / Coronation Bldgs, Waterloo Rd, S Yardley, B'ham
- William PARDOE - Head - 63 - Married - gardener - b. Stratford on Avon, Warks
- Eliza PARDOE  - Wife - 63 - Married - b. Stratford on Avon, Warks
- James PARDOE  - Son - Single - 24 - butcher - b. Hednesford, Staffs
- William COTTERALL - Grandson - 10 - school - b. Birmingham, Warks
- Fred DUCKHOUSE - Grandson - 20 - Single - butcher - b. Hednesford, Staffs
- Hellen DUCKHOUSE - Visitor - 41 - Married - millinery warehouse cleaner - b. Stratford on Avon, Warks / Married 20yrs / 8 children / 6 still living
- John DUCKHOUSE - Visitor - 18 - Single - cycle polisher - b. Hednesford, Staffs
- George DUCKHOUSE - Visitor - 16 - Single - cycle polisher - b. Hednesford, Staffs
- Walter DUCKHOUSE - Visitor - 5 - school - b. Birmingham, Warks

1 Jun 1911 Canadian Census in Wentworth, Ontario - living on the McPHAIL family farm
- Stephen DUCKHOUS - single - b. Mar 1896 - age 14 - English - yr of immigration 1910 - domestic servant - "home boy" - no wages

1 Jun 1911 Canadian Census in Muskoka, Ontario - living on the THOMPSON family farm
- Albert DUCKHOUSE - single - b. Oct 1901 - age 9 - English - yr of immigration 1910 - boarder

5 Nov 1911 Marriage at St James the Less, Ashted, Birmingham
- Groom: Frederick Thomas DUCKHOUSE - age 20
- Bride: Emma BARLOW - age 20
- Groom's father: Frederick Thomas DUCKHOUSE
- Bride's father: Thomas BARLOW

Q4/1911 Marriage Registration at Aston / 6d / 370
- Frederick T DUCKHOUSE
- Emma BARLOW

Q2/1919 Marriage Registration at Aston / 6d / 1185
- Ellen DUCKHOUSE
- John BAGGOTT

The 1911 Census shows Ellen DUCKHOUSE's status as "married" but I can find no trace of the father, Thomas Frederick DUCKHOUSE, after the 1901 Census - no death, re-marriage, census, electoral register, migration, military, poor house, prison record or anything else - he just disappeared into the ether. Perhaps he changed his name again - maybe to HOUDINI.

We have requested information from Barnardos but this will not be forthcoming until months after my wife's return from Canada.

Can anyone throw any light on this matter, please.

I've had trouble finding my G2Grandfather, primarily because the Halstead One-Name-Study people have been totally mis-informing me. 

However, I think that I have now been able to find him and his family living in Little Bolton in 1841. 

The family are Thomas (35), Betty (30), William (15), Mary (13), Betsy (9) and John (7) HALLSTEAD.

They are living in Turton Street with a lady named Ann ELLISON or ELLENSON (60'ish) as the head of their household. 

On IGI (Batch P007153) there is a reference to a christening of a Thos. HALSTEAD at St Peter's, BLM, on 24 Jul 1803 with parents John and Ann HALSTEAD which could be the aforementioned Thomas whose age in 1841 would indeed round down to 35.

Again on IGI there are references to records of two marriages that could, with a fair wind, turn out to be the aforementioned Ann ELLISON or ELLENSON - both of them within Batch M007151.

One is that of an Anna HALSTEAD to a Thomas ELLISON at St Peter's, BLM, on 24 Oct 1813.

Prior to that there is one of an Ann FIELDING to a John HALSTED at St Peter's, BLM, on 2 Aug 1802.

For these marriages to work for me there would need to be a death of John HALSTED between 2 Aug 1802 and 24 Oct 1813 but, from the comfort of my armchair here in the Midlands, I have been unable to find one. 

Before I commit any hard-earned cash or (eughhh, perish the thought  ) physical effort I wonder if SKS could please help me clarify my thoughts. 

Regards,

alhal

I have a couple of generations of my family working at a paper mill in Little Lever from 1841 to 1861.

One of them has an occupation described as "pauper"  but perhaps this should really be "paper" related  - but who cares!

Their homes at that time were Meg-Row & Top o'th' Brow.

Could this mill have been the Radcliffe paper mill where we occasionally played as children in the 1940/1950's or was there really a separate paper mill in Little Lever 

Regards,

alhal

Can anyone shed any light on my mysterious American aunt

She was born in 1887/88 in Ashcroft,USA.

In the 1891 census returns (RG12/3119/3/50a/33) she was shown as ELIZABETH A (3) living at 4 Back Rose St., Bolton (Holy Trinity Parish) along with my grandfather JAMES HALSTEAD (25), his wife MARY H HALSTEAD (25), another child ALBERT (1) and a boarder ALICE SMITH (27).

I can find no trace of her in the 1901 census, nor can I find her amongst the 1891/1901 deaths and she would surely have been to young to have married in time for the 1901 census.

All I can find out about Ashcroft, USA is that it was near Aspen in Colorado. It was incorporated in 1882 and was originally called Castle Forks and then Chloride. It was a silver mining boom town but had had its day by 1900 at which time there were only 2 redidents left. It is now on the tourist trail as a ghost town.

Any clues or advice. 

Regards,

alhal