Another opinion needed please

[lesleyhannah]

I'd like someone else's opinion on a death cert that's puzzling me.

In 1841 William Henson (born c1786) was living in Keyworth with his daughter Sarah and Sarah's niece Mary, all born Keyworth.

In 1851 Sarah is  described as a schoolmistress and living with Mary in Keyworth. William can't be found, so I assumed he'd died between 1841-51.

I now have a death certificate for a William Henson born in Keyworth. He died aged 72 in Keyworth, which would make his date of birth about 1775. So now I'm a little bit unsure. The informant on the death certificate was Sarah Henson, which was hopeful, but she signed her name with a cross. But if she was a schoolteacher she could certainly sign her name.

So with the slight difference in date of birth, and Sarah signing with a cross, do I have the wrong William? I can't find another death in Keyworth during those years - and the name, place and dates fit. On the census William was described as a stockinger. On the death cert he is described as FWK - would the two names be interchangeable?

I WANT this to be my William, so I can start looking for his wife, but I don't want to go down a blind alley because I'm making the facts fit what I want them to be. I've done that before, and regretted it!

I'd love to have someone else's opinion and would be grateful.
Thanks
Lesley

[Shaztoni]

As his daughter was a school teacher I don't see how or why she would have marked an x it doesn't seem to fit. That with the age makes me think that he isn't your William,
Sharon

[claudia99]

Lesley,
I think Sharon is right, unfortunately.
The fact that the dates do not tally AND the fact Sarah could not sign her name, point to the fact its not the right death.

Here is the results of a search I carried out for deaths of William Henson in Nottinghamshire 1841-1851.

Sep 1844 Loughbro' 15/87
Sep 1844 Mansfield 15/328
Dec 1844 Shardlow 19/374
Jun 1846 Basford 15/313
Mar 1847 Bingham 15/407
Jun 1848 Loughbro' 15/92

Not really sure of the geography of Nottingham, so forgive me on that,
Hope you find him!
Claudia

[lesleyhannah]

Seems like I'll have to start looking again! I don't know Nottingham either, but all the certificates I've had from that branch of the family for about 4 generations have come from Keyworth (they say Ratcliffe on Trent on the certificates) and as Claudia has found there were no more William Hensons dying during that time in Keyworth.

However, another puzzle - if this William and this Sarah from Keyworth were not mine, where did they appear from?

I'd be very grateful if anyone with access to the 1841 census could see whether there was in fact a William Henson born about 1775, preferably with wife or daughter called Sarah (though that's not essential because she could have lived somewhere else).

Thanks to both of you for your help - it wasn't what I wanted to hear, but you've probably saved me messing up my records by going down the wrong track.

Lesley

[janan]

Hi Lesley
There isn't another William Henson of suitable age in Keyworth but 6 possibles in Nottinghamshire. Only one with suitable occupation - a F.W.K no stockingers- is in Nottingham St Mary. Wife Ruth, no Sarah living with him. Not sure if that helps or makes things more confusing 
Cheers Jan

[janan]

Only one other Sarah Henson in Keyworth age 13, mother Frances - maybe she could be related and be the one who left her mark on the death certificate
Jan

[Jane Eden]

Hi Lesley

I do live in Nottingham. On the FWK/stockinger question yes they could put either BUT Nottingham was full of FWK/stockingers so you must not go on that.

For registration districts, Keyworth comes under Bingham. This had 2 sub districts: Bingham and Ratcliffe on Trent.

I have the Nottm Fam Hist Soc CDs for BMDs so I will have a look and see if there is anything on them.

Jane

[Jane Eden]

Hi Lesley

A few questions:
Are you certain you have the correct William for the birth date and Sarah and Mary?
Is it just the death certificate you are querying?
Are you certain they actually lived in Keyworth and were baptised in Keyworth? There are several villages around there - Bradmore, Bunny, Sutton Bonnington.

I have found a few BMDs, the only William in Keyworth at the right time is age 71 10/1/1847 which I presume is the one you have got. If it could be the surrounding villages then maybe you are looking at the wrong census entry.  There are possibilities in Bunny and Bradmore.

Jane

[lesleyhannah]

I'm very grateful for everybody's help.

This is my line of searching - you may be able to see where I'm going wrong.

I have the marriage cert for John Henson (full age) and Elizabeth Garner (full age) on 2/4/1839 in Wysall. I know these to be the right couple for my family, so I started to look for John's parents. This is what I'm aiming for - to find JOhn's parents, and take another step backwards.

His father's name on the marriage cert was given as William Henson, stocking maker.

I bought William's entry for the 1841 census. He was living in Keyworth next door to his son John and Elizabeth. His age was given as 55. He was living with Sarah 35 and a Mary Wright aged 9. In fact, though he was living in Keyworth, the census does only say born Nottinghamshire.

On the 1851 Keyworth census Sarah is aged 43, a school mistress, living with her niece Mary (mary later marries, has children and dies, still living with her aunt Sarah). Sarah is described as a schoolteacher in every census till her death.

I haven't been able to locate William so have assumed he was dead by 1851.

So I looked for a Keyworth death of a William Henson between 1841 and 1851, and the certificate I've described was the only one that seemed to fit - except his age (OK I know censuses aren't that accurate, but . . .) and the fact that Sarah signed with a cross. Why would a schoolteacher do that?

So I'm totally confused - but don't want to mess up my tree again by adopting the wrong ancestors - which is why I'm grateful to hear other people's opinions.

Thanks again everyone - any more suggestions will be very welcome.