RootsChat.Com

Thanks so much for your help.

There is a reg of a William Whitton in Dec Q 1837 Haverfordwest which looks quite promising. Also, in later censuses, William B's age fits with birth in abt 1838.

That also explains the absence of Phillis then. Thank you. There doesn't seem to be an entry in the GRO Index, but I'm glad you have found a burial.

Many thanks again.

I just can't understand why they don't show up though. I have trawled through the images several times and have done countless forename searches. I guess they must be away somewhere, visiting!

 I have tried the obvious family connections. Both sets of their parents had died by 1881, so there is nowhere obvious she might have gone to be looked after, for example. By 1881, she could still have had Tom aged 15, John Gibbons Harrison aged 11, Eliza aged 8, Mary Isabella aged 3 and Sarah Ann aged 1 at home. I wouldn't think she would want to go far.

Interestingly, I also can't find James in the 1871 census before he marries her later in the year.

Thanks so much for looking these up in the archives for me. I live near the Hampshire records office, so let me know if I can return the good deed.

Barbara

Oh dear, white flag - I stand corrected!

Thanks for all that, Michael... I didn't mean that enumerators deliberately spoilt papers, but that they might have got spoilt by water, ink blots etc or were illegible. However, I did wonder that enumerators might have found such  closes a bit of a warren. I was making these judgements after wandering round the closes of Edinburgh and imagining enumerating those closes in bygone times. I enumerated in 1991 UK census, and whereas I did not 'chicken out' by any means, I had some areas that were a bit of a nightmare.  From the 1891 census, Robert Spence was a rent collector in 1891, so not a stranger to visiting the households.

You have however uncovered an amazing bit of info here though. The census enumerator, Robert Spence, if one and the same as in my notes, has a nephew Joseph Edward Spence whose son will marry the daughter of Sarah Ann Gibbons b. 1880  - whom we are looking for now-  much  later in 1928!!! If you look at Robert Hudson Spence in the 1881 census ref RG 11 Piece 5058 Folio 18 /Page 30 Robert is resident at 14 Standfordham Place, St Andrew's Parish  with brother John D Spence and family.

I just love these kind of finds - but, back to the drawing board, they are obviously not there then!!

Thanks so much once again.

No connection I know of, jacques, but will have a look.

Yes, I think that might be the best thing to do re the birth certificate of Sarah Ann. She was christened at St Nicholas in March 1880.

Mary had two babies born and died in Sep Q 1882 - christened St Nicholas, so that does put her in the area still, even though I realise the area was far reaching.

Thanks Jacques.. I will have a look at that one again, but I'm sure 'our' Thomas Harrison was not born in Ponteland and  think there is a Thomas born Ponteland who I have traced through later censuses. I will have a look again though in case I have missed anything.

Yes, both Thomas and John were born before her marriage, but Tom took the Gibbons name afterwards. Not quite sure when exactly. John was born John Gibbons Harrison in Gateshead in 1870.

The fact that there are no Gibbons to be found in 1881 makes me think they are grossly mistranscribed, or that census records are missing - but then again they could be with the extended family as more children are born. The earlier ancestors  came from Northumberland/Durham.

Two of us have been working on it for a very long time. It's a puzzle certainly. Thanks very much for having a look.