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For all there is on him and his family no one knows his wifes maiden  name.

I can't disagree with that, so don't know whether she was a local lass or from further afield. No clues so far in any local church records. Ah well, I guess I just have to keep looking  Thanks for looking.

Regards,

Alan

I think you have your census years a little muddled.....

If George Beers had a daughter Ellen listed as age 18 in 1891 that would put her y.o.b. c.1873 not 1883
Ellen daughter of George Beers is age 18 on 1901 census
on 1891 census her age is transcribed as 1 on one site and 2 on another - the enumerator has not filled the census in very clearly -image to me at first glance looks like age 2 but on closer study I think it is 8 (kind of scribbled and on its side)

I think that you were right on all counts!! I did muddle things up, didn't I? Apologies. I had spent so much time looking at this whole query, that I just had to lay it down for a few days. I applied for the George Henry BEERS birth certificate (pdf) version, in the hope that the situation re Ellen, his mother, may have become a little clearer.

Having received it today, the only thing I can say is that I am convinced you are right and that Ellen's maiden name was HAWKSLEY, although it is clearly shown on the birth certificate as HOAKSLEY (which you and others have consistently said).

George Henry's dob was 9th Feb 1874. His place of birth is given as Amber Mill, Wessington. That is nearer South Wingfield than Wessington

I have been backwards and forwards in several parish records including South Wingfield and nearby Wessington baptismal records, but nothing!

Also, still can't find a marriage between father George and mother Ellen. Ah well, will keep thinking and hoping something turns up.

Regards,

Alan

Re my last post in which I commented on the 'mysterious' Ellen. I mentioned the fact that the 1871 & 1881 Census listed her as being about seven years older than George BEERS. George's birth was registered in 1846 but according to the Census entries in which Ellen appears, I calculate that she is estimated to have been born around 1839/1840.

There is a death recorded for an Ellen BEERS in Mansfield Registration District in 1883. That would include Hucknall under Huthwaite, where Ellen & George were recorded as living during the 1881 Census. At the time of her death, the Ellen listed on the 1883 Index is listed as age 43. That would just about fit with the suggested birthdate.

Another interesting aspect is that on the 1891 Census there is a daughter to George BEERS, called Ellen, listed as 18 years old. Her age on the 1891 C would put her birth date around 1883 (the same year as the older Ellen's death. Could that reflect another death following childbirth?

The strange thing is that on the 1881 Census the 'child' Ellen's age is given as 2 years old. Most peculiar, a 16 year age difference between the 1881 & 1891!

I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion that some members of the BEERS family were not careful about total accuracy on such official forms.

Given the death date for Ellen senior, it's no doubt safe to ignore my previous comment about her approaching 50 and still bearing children.

I have been backwards and forwards through what I thought might be the relevant years of the South Wingfield Registers but have not come up with any clues as to Ellen's family name. I have therefore sent off for the PDF version of George Henry BEERS birth registration, in the hope that it may clarify the peculiar name on the GRO indexes. Well, I can at least hope!

I'm sorry if all this is becoming a bit tedious as you will have plenty of other desperate souls to help.

Regards,

Alan

What can I say? The BEERS were a family, some of whom certainly moved around quite a bit. A number of them, including George Henry, were born locally. Indeed, George Henry BEERS appears to have been born in South Wingfield, which is only about three miles from where I live (at Crich). Wessington is also mentioned with a BEERS connection. Again, that is just up the road from South Wingfield and was once in Crich Parish.

HAWKSLEY is a known name in South Wingfield, so if that somehow has been corrupted along the way might explain some of the confusion. Also, Second and possibly third marriages certainly complicate the issue and I am coming round to the conclusion that getting a PDF version of George Henry's birth certificate might be the only way of resolving his birth parents (providing they have spelt the names correctly).

The village of Unstone which you found Annette is in North-East Derbyshire and is close to Chesterfield and the then coal mining area around Dronfield. Finding George & Ellen BEERS there, would I suppose, be no great surprise. It's a pity that a marriage record is not more prominent.

One thing for sure, there are far more people named BEERS than I ever expected.

As I have said before, I am so grateful for all the help I am receiving. You folk are just wonderful!!

Alan