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Topics - PommieG

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1
Lancashire / Birmingham born in Manchester or Hambleton ?
« on: Friday 17 February 23 08:34 GMT (UK)  »
I'm trying to find something about Ellen Birmingham b. 1822 or about. Wife of Thomas Robertson b. 1819. Found in 1851 census in Leeds, mother of Sarah. 1847. Birthplace Manchester. In 1861 census, also in Leeds her birthplace reads like Hambleton or Hamberton which is struck through.The only town of Hambleton I can find is in Rutland,
    Searching in Manchester for the name Birmingham I came across a marriage 1813 of Thomas Birmingham and Martha Hambleton. Could it be that Ellen Birmingham was confused and gave her mother's name instead of her birth place ?

2
London & Middlesex Lookup Requests / John Potter Hammond (1855-1918)
« on: Sunday 12 June 22 02:52 BST (UK)  »
     Just when you think you have solved a problem another crops up. John Potter Hammond (1832-1902) married Louisa Batham, Nov 1854. John Potter jnr, was born 1855 and soon after Louisa died. I found John in 1861 census with his grandmother Mary Batham (1794-1870) in Kensington. Then nothing more till 1891 when he has a wife and family. Mary Ann Hammond who appeared in my tree as Mary Unknown. Other trees on ancestry.com had Mary Ann Newman but that didn't seem right to me. I found a marriage for John,1876 but not the spouse, so I sent for the marriage certificate. Mary Ann Stanborough. Good ! Got a name !
   But the doubts crept in. No suitable Mary Ann Stanborough appeared in censuses. Perusal of the certificate showed some serious faults. John, bachelor and Mary Ann spinster. Brides father was George William Hammond. What ?  John's father, John. Correct but Whitesmith ? No. After the death of his wife Louisa John snr. went back to Suffolk, remarried and raised another family. Searching further I found another set of marriage banns Apr 1876 which says John Hammond, widower and Ann Stanborough, widow. Two people born 1855 and widowed in 1876 seems a bit much.
     Mary Ann Hammond is still Mary Ann Unknown.

3
Occupation Interests / French Polishers
« on: Sunday 08 May 22 10:57 BST (UK)  »
It surprised me to learn that French polish only came into fashion in the early 19th century although shellac had been used for centuries for other purposes.
   My great grand father Thomas Robertson is listed 1851 census as a French polisher in Leeds. He may be the same Thos Robertson whose trial in Middlesex 1841gave his occupation as 'Polisher'
  As he was a bit of a traveler I wonder what he found to polish in Leeds ?
1861 he had changed to glassblowing.
      Anyone else got a French Polisher ?


4
Kent Lookup Requests / Sussannah Johnson of Yalding and father Richard Johnson ?
« on: Wednesday 27 April 22 09:29 BST (UK)  »
Sussanah Johnson married John Burris in 1827 at St. Lukes Finsbury, London.  John Died 1848 and Sussanah married Samuel Saunders. Their marriage certificate fives her father as Richard Johnson, farmer. The 1851 census gives her birth place as Yalding, Kent. My access to  records is restricted to on-line sites and I cannot find anything of her birth or baptism. No record in Yalding of Richard Johnson. Other trees on ancestry list her mother and wife of Richard as Frances Quinnel. I don't know where this comes from. Anyone know ?

5
Wiltshire / Smith and Elliot of East Knoyle
« on: Sunday 20 March 22 07:03 GMT (UK)  »
What a wealth of information East Knoyle parish records have yielded. My connection is found in 1881 with the death of my g-g-grandfather George James Smith in Southwark, London. He made it to the 1881 census which gave me his birth place E. Knoyle Wilts. Son b. 1819 of William Smith 1795-1861. The line then goes back to a birth in 1688. William Smith 1720-1813 Married Mary Elliot in 1744 and through a long line of Thomases I get to Thomas Eliot 1591 who married Margarett Williams in 1616. Their son Thomas married ?..... and here's my problem, reading ye olde Englishe. I have it in my tree for years as Elizabeth Escot but now I am doubtful. The entry reads '1656 The contracted marriage between Thomas Eliot, son of Thomas and Margaret Eliot and Elizabeth Escot ? Escot did not show up in any search for parents. Can anyone read it differently ?

6
The Common Room / Is a DNA test really worthwhile ?
« on: Sunday 13 March 22 02:40 GMT (UK)  »
I have just destroyed my family tree and started over again. 15 years of work because of one discovery. I had a DNA test some years ago, the 23 and Me site. They sent me contacts who might be relatives. I found about 6 or 8 second cousins. All from my mother's side of the family who by the records in the 'paper trail' appear to have been 'decent moral' people.
      Nothing, not one contact from my father's side. Why ? I decided to do a bit of digging. I am my father's son, no doubt about it. My resemblance to him leaves me no doubt. But, was the man I have on paper as my grandfather really my grandfather ? This man died when My father was 4 yr old and had never married my grandmother. It appears 'Grannie' was a prostitute in the late 1800's and had at least 4 children before living with 'Grandpa'.
      So, my Family Tree is a genealogy construct rather that a biological one.
      So, is family history really worthwhile ?

7
London and Middlesex / Thomas Robertson and family
« on: Monday 07 February 22 04:02 GMT (UK)  »
Does every family tree have it's enigmatic member ? I put this in Middlesex because that is where the story ends.  Thomas Robertson 1820-1895 my g-g-g- grandfather. The one certain fact I have, he's dead. What I have found in the census 1891, 1881,1871 confirms he is he same man although born in East India or At sea or (most likely) Middlesex. 1851-61 he is in Leeds Yorkshire with wife Ellen Birmingham. No marriage found. 3-4 Children birth certificate confirms Ellen formerly Birmingham. Shortly after 1861 something happened and they left for London. Daughter Sarah E. married Thomas Burris 1863 Whitechapel. It looks like Sarah took to prostitution.  Thomas Robinson lives in Bloomsbury with daughter Ellen. Wife Ellen Birmingham has disappeared with baby Selena whose birth in Leeds was unregistered.
    An Ellen Birmingham of about the right age was admitted to Hoxton House 29 July 1862 and died there 1864. UK, Lunacy Patients Admission Registers, 1846-1912
    Back to Thomas and 1841 finds one in the Clerkenwell House of Corrections.
Another aboard the Prison ship York in 1840.
Oh! what an interesting character,
  To add to the mystery in 1881 census he has a new wife Amelia and a 16 yr old daughter Harriet Robertson born in Spitalfields.... Name Harriet Robertson Birth Date 3 May 1864 Baptism Date 3 Dec 186    Saint John Evangelist,Limehouse,London,England Father Thomas Robertson.  Mother Ellen  No registration index so I cant get a certificate.

8
London & Middlesex Lookup Requests / Smiths or Smiffs of Southwark.
« on: Thursday 03 February 22 23:45 GMT (UK)  »
I have a family tree on ancestry.com. One of my 'brickwalls' was great uncle Henry Thomas George Smith b. abt 1877 son of George Alfred Smith 1856-1936. My grandmother Agnes Jane Smith told me years ago that her brothers were killed in WWI, so I didn't bother to search. I had a birth and baptism and 1881 and 1891 census and that was all. There were that many 'Enery Smiffs' died in WW1 it was a daunting task.
   Earlier this week I decided to see if anything new had turned up on ancestry. For HTG Smith a 'hint' from another tree appeared, like ancestry does. The woman owner had HTG Smith, father George Alfred Smith, married 1897 to Emily Martha Poole. ??? something wrong somewhere I thought. She also had the marriage banns showing the father of Henry George Smith as Edward Charles Smith, (dec). I pointed out her error but she insisted she was right and the marriage banns were wrong. An argument ensued.
      I found military records for my HTG Smith. Father George Alfred Smith, served in Boer Wars hence not in 1901 census. Married 1907 to Ellen Clarinda McCarthy.  1911 Chelsea Pensioner. Survived WWI and lived till 1948. My records are correct. All this was conveyed to my adversary who still insists she is right.
      So to help this poor woman I thought I'd do a search for her. I drew a blank on Edward Charles Smith who died before 1897.  Any help appreciated.

9
London and Middlesex / Clara Burris mystery.
« on: Sunday 21 November 21 21:56 GMT (UK)  »
      Just when you think you've things sorted something odd crops up. It concerns Thomas Burris 1876-1945. I had all BMD records except the death of his wife Ellen Mary Freeman whom he married in 1904. Three children, 1905, 1906 then Alfred 1916. Obviously Ellen was alive 1916. But nowhere in 1911 census can I find her. Thomas and children were residing with George Batham 1865-1912, brother-in-law. No Ellen. No death registered,
    Then while searching for something this turned up. 1939 Register for Willesden Middlesex. Thomas Burris, birth 76. Clara Burris birth 01. Clara, not a daughter so a de facto wife ? !960 she married Frederick C. Edmonson.
       Clara appears from nowhere, no birth, no marriage to Thomas. Perhaps the 1921 census may show something.
Can anyone assist ?

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