PRICE of Herefordshire

[Bosuns Call]

I've been researching my family tree for a while but I seem to be getting nowhere fast. My granddad was George Price and he was born in Letton, Herefordshire in 1901. In the census records I found his father, a George Henry Price born about 1845 in Kinnersley, Herefordshire. He moved to Letton and was an agricultural labourer/gardener.

I've written to the registrar but they haven't been able to find his marriage certificate. George Henry I presume must have got married in about 1895. He married a Louisa Vale who was born in 1875 in St. Devereux, Herefordshire.

George Henry's dad I also found in the censuses and my great great granddad was James Price and he was born about 1805 in Staunton-On-Arrow, Herefordshire. During his life he moved from Staunton-On-Arrow to Shobdon, then on to Kinnersley and finally Letton. James married a Susanna from Shobdon born in 1807 but I don't know her surname. Besides George Henry they had 3 other children who were Sarah Ann born 1837 in Shobdon, James Thomas born 1843 in Kinnersley and Arthur born 1847 also in Kinnersley. James Price was a farmer/gardener and he died in Letton in 1891. Susanna died in Letton in 1895.

That is as far back as I can go in the family line to be sure of. Hopefully there is someone on this forum who has a family tree that crosses over with this one?

[Spidermonkey]

Hi Bosuns Call,  welcome to Rootschat!

I'm afraid I dont share a family tree with you, but I was thinking about the missing marriage date for your gt grandfather and Louisa Vale.  My first thought was whether it was possible that George Henry had been married before and so he and Louisa hadn't been able to get married, and also whether you had looked at the 1911 census to see how many years they stated that they had been married?

Best wishes,

Spidermonkey

[lizdb]

If you get Geroge henry's birth cert it will give his myms maiden name (Susannah).

Have you got George bn 1901's birth cert? Is that where Louisa Vale's maiden name came from?

[lizdb]

I cant see George Henry and Louisa on 1901 census.
Was there really a 30 yr age difference?

[Bosuns Call]

Hi Spidermonkey, thanks for the welcome.

It hadn't occurred to me before you mentioned it, and now I am wondering if he did have a previous wife hidden away somewhere. I have found them in the 1911 census at Back Lane, Staunton-On-Wye, Herefordshire. He's listed as a labourer on farm and that he and Louisa had been married for 15 years which would make an 1896 marriage. I'm a little wary over that fact though as George Henry seems to have stretched the truth quite a bit over the cenuses. George Henry states he was 51 in 1911 which would mean he was born in 1860 which is a miracle on his part as I have found him aged about 6 in Kinnersley in the 1851 census!

In the 1911 census George Henry and Louisa are living with 3 of their children, Susan aged 14, Isabel aged 11 and Thomas aged 5. I found my granddad George aged 9 living in an Alms house, Staunton-On-Wye and he was living with his great aunt Sarah Price aged 74, born in Shobdon but on the census George is only listed as a nephew rather than great nephew.

As Price is such a common surname and with so many George's too I could not be sure of which George is which when they're away from family, so I have a 20 year census gap for George Henry as I can't be sure of finding him in either the 1861 or 1871 censuses as he must have left his family and Herefordshire during this period. Perhaps George Henry got married to someone else during this period? Thanks for your interest.

Best wishes,

Bosuns Call

[Bosuns Call]

Hi lizdb,

I can find no trace of a birth certificate of George Henry. With him being listed on the census as born in Kinnersley and with family from Shobdon and Staunton-On-Arrow I wrote to the Leominster Superintendent Registrar to apply for a birth certificate, where I gave all this information and unfortunately they drew a blank which is one of the reasons I've joined RootsChat!

I did apply for the birth certificate for my granddad and his mother was listed as a Louisa Vale and her sister Mary Jane registered the birth and was also listed as present at the birth. His birth was registered as being at Hurstley in Letton.

I'm not surprised you could not find them in the 1901 census. Even knowing where they should be, I struggled to find them. I knew that in 1901 they lived in Hurstley, Letton and I found George (Henry) who I knew to be a gardener and my granddad's sister Isabel, all on the same census so it has to be them and is surely beyond coincidence?

In the 1901 census George is listed as aged 49, born in 1852, while Louisa is mentioned as a 'Lys' aged 27 years old, born in 1874. They have 2 daughters. Isabel is a 1 year old and there is an Eliza who is 4 years old. But in the 1911 census this Eliza has now been changed to Susan but is the same age. George Henry states they had 4 children and none died so I presume Eliza became Susan. While Lys is in fact Louisa.

There was a very large age gap in their marriage as from family accounts I know that George Henry died a very old man during the 1920's while Louisa was still living well in to the 1950's. Form seeing the pattern of how he changed his age over the censuses I believe that George Henry may have been born before 1845 so the age gap may have been even greater. Louisa would have been 20/21 years old when she married while George Henry would have been about 50 years old, possibly even older. Thanks for your interest.

Best wishes,

Bosuns Call

[lizdb]

I am wondering if the George Henry you have found on earlier censuses is actually a different person - you say they indicate that he may have been over 50 when married. But that seems unlikely given he is 49 on 1901, and you say 51 in 1911 (have you seen the image or just a transcription? could it be 59?).
I am wondering how you got from this to the idea that his
parents were James and Susannah, if the George son of J & S is of a different age, and no mariage cert with a dads name on it as yet!
Anyway - here is 1901, which from what you say is definitely him, so a good place to work from.

RG13 2486 101 10
Hurstley, Letton
George 49 Gardener bn Kinnersley
Luis 27 bn St Deveraux   (indexed Lys, but image says Luis)
Isabel 4 bn Hurstley
Eliza 1 bn Hurstley

I have been trying to find birth reg of Isabel and Eliza(Susan), as their birth certs would give mums maiden name, and help with finding the marriage, tho yuo do already have their brothers so maybe not much help.
But no Isabel Price around that time in Weobley reg District!

[lizdb]

Bit of a sidetrack, but you never know what will be useful

Here is Louisa with her family in 1881

Rg11 2597 96 6
Criseley House St Devereux
James 36 Shoemaker and farmer bn Callow
Eliza 40 bn Callow
Emily 11 bn Much Dewchurch
Ada 8 bn Much Dewch.
Elizabeth 7 bn MD
Louisa 5 bn St Dev
MAry J 4 bn St Dev
Sarah Ann 1 bn St Dev
William 5mths bn St Dev

in 1891 Louisa is not with them

Horse shoe, Much Dewchurch
James 46 shoemaker bn Calow
Eliza 47 bn Twyford
Mary J 14 bn St Dev
Sarah A 10 bn St Dev

does you grandad's birth cert JUST say mum was Louisa Price nee Vale? No hint of another name, a previous marriage?

[lizdb]

In 1891
Louisa is a servant in a big house with lots of servants
at RG12 4570 55 8, over the Welsh border at
St Davids,  Llanspiddyd, Breconshire