Please find Wiliam Woods, born in Amersham

[askwendy]

My 4Xgt grandfather William Woods is in several census, including 1861, as a coachman domestic born in 1811. His birth place is given as Amersham and his wife Ann was born in 1816 in Manchester. In 1841 he was in the Picquet Barracks in Devonport, and 61 and 71 he was in London.

I can't find any record of him being born in Amersham. Can anyone help? Family lore says his grandson, my gt. grandfather, was Welsh, if that contributes anything. I've found family lore somewhat inaccurate!

[CaroleW]

Baptisms pre-1837 were recorded in parish records

If one of William's children married and had a child in Wales, that would not have any effect on any baptismal record for William pre-1837

Have you checked for your great grandfather on any census to establish his birthplace?

[askwendy]

Yes, the gt. gt. was born in Devonport when his father was at the Picquet Barracks and the gt. was born in Brixton. I just meant that the story of being Welsh could be further back than the family thought.

[charlotteCH]

Family thought can help but often leads astray, in my experience.  Before putting too much weight on it, best to cross check it with an independent source as you are doing.
I've found that sometimes family thought handed down info is "laundered". Amazing what sceptical me has dug up from census etc. I can see how the laundered version arose but just as well I checked it out to get the truth.
good luck.

charlotte

[askwendy]

Thanks Charlotte. Many of the family "memories" have proved to be wrong, although it's great when they are verified by research.