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I’ve been posting various requests all over RootsChat following different angles, but have still failed to track the elusive John Campbell born 4 Oct 1897 [edit from original typo] in St Giles [edit: wrong, should have typed St George], Bloomsbury, London.  There is a possibility he went to Australia at an unknown age, and from there to NZ, based on a weak DNA match with a descendant of a John Campbell of the same dob.  This person gave varied and conflicting accounts to family members and officials about his background, which is muddled and probably a mix of fact and fiction with half-remembered names and details.  I cannot connect the dots between my John, with the last record I can find in 1902, and this John, whose earliest record that has come to light so far being his marriage cert from 1925 in NZ, although he said he arrived in NZ from Australia.

Now I have a few more firm pieces of information so here is what I know, and would like to know.
Ann Matthews, twice married and twice widowed (first husband Robert Crook), born late 1837/early 1838 in Claverton (Glos) was John C’s grandmother. In Dec 1901, John C’s mother was committed to an asylum, where she remained until death in 1924.  His siblings were cared for via the St Pancras workhouse system, and I have plenty of info on them.  However for some reason, John was taken in by his uncle (Smith) and aunt (sister of John’s mother) in Nottingham.  The Smiths emigrated to S Africa in 1903 but did not take John.  The workhouse records show that John went to his grandmother in Dec 1902.  She had the same address as in the 1901 census i.e. Baystone, Florence Rd, Chester Rd, Birmingham North, (now Sutton Coldfield) where she was shown as widowed, letting lodgings, with her daughter from her first marriage Maud Crook (born 1882, Calne, Wilts); her widowed daughter-in-law Charlotte Crook and her daughters; and boarder Ernest S Reeves 35   Prof of Music born Margate.

The census showed this address to be in the civil parish of Sutton Coldfield, Wylde Green Ward of Parliamentary Division Northern or Tamworth, and reg district of Aston.

I cannot find Ann Matthews’ death for certain, but a librarian at Sutton Coldfield looked at electoral registers for me and found her at Florence Rd on the 1901-4 registers but no later.  She also looked for any Matthews or Crook names in later registers for Florence Rd with nothing.   I have looked at a 1905 Kelly's and she is not listed in Florence Rd. She may have died in 1903-4, or remarried, or moved away.   I would like to find her death – I did find on Ancestry a 1913 Q2 entry for Birmingham, which could be her, but frustratingly cannot find it on FreeBMD or the gov BD site to order the death cert, and that might not help confirm it is her in any case.

I have tracked Charlotte and her daughters and not found John with them at any point.

This is from a passenger list in 1921.  I've copied a few entries to help with the handwriting, but the address I'm interested in is for Smith, Harold Vernon.

Is the first line the name of the house, and if so, what is it?  New something?

Help please.

Thanks.
Val

I'm not sure if this is solvable, but here goes. 

I'm not sure whether William Walker (from census records he was born around 1797/8 in St Giles, Northampton), married Ann Abbot in Wellingborough in 1823 or Ann Sharman in Hardingstone in 1821.  Would anyone be able to look up parish registers please to see if there are any more clues, such as William's parents names?  Not that I have established who his parents were yet, because there are several William Walker baptisms in Northampton in 1797/8.  One shows dob 27 Aug 1797, bap on 28 Aug 1797, parents John/Elizabeth. Another shows dob 28 Aug 1797, bap on 29 Oct 1797, parents John/Elizabeth.  The other is bap on 22 Nov 1797, parents George/Jane.

George appears a lot in subsequent generations, which might make the last entry the most likely.

The family settled in Hardingstone, where the children were born, and William and Ann died. As far as I can tell, William and Ann's first child was Charles Walker in 1826.  He was included in the 1941 census in their household, but an older child might have left home by then.  The other two children were George and Elizabeth.  Also in the 1941 census, both parents are shown as born in the county. In the 1951 census, William was a widower.  I've found a possible Ann Walker death, age 53, in 1850 in Hardingstone.  This roughly fits as in the 1941 census she was described as 40, so could have been nearer 45, and would explain just the three children.

I have found plenty of info on William/Ann's children, and their grandchildren (so please don't trouble to look up info about them) but am now stuck at William Walker senior so welcome any help.

Thanks.

Val

I am having trouble finding this person and the address in the 1901 census so wonder if I am misreading the information?

This snippet is from Dec 1901, so of course the person may not have lived at this address at the time of the census but I would have expected the address to exist.

I think is says Mr Maunder, Hallsop, Belsize Park, SE

I have searched FindMyPast 1901 census using the address and found Belsize Park, Gardens and Mews but all of them have numbered houses, with no names, other than one that is The Parsonage.  Perhaps I am misreading Hallsop?  I think Maunder is correct.

I can't find a likely Maunder either in the 1901 census, or electoral rolls.  I thought he would have a vote since he owned property.

Any ideas please?

Thanks.
Val