BLANCHARD in Watford

[mygirlbill]

I am guilty of having "corrupted" (lol) Vivien into taking up genealogy whilst staying at her home when I was evacuated due to the flood crisis. As she is still new to this, I am helping her as much as I can. However, I have a problem. According to Ray (CroxleyGreen's) message, William Blanchard was a 34 year old bachelor when he married Jesse Long in 1909. According to Mort29's message, he had previously been married to Alice Marian Kiff and if that is the case he would have been a widower not bachelor at the time of his marriage to Jesse. I am therefore inclined to think it is not one and the same William Blanchard. Can anyone throw any further light on this? Many thanks in advance. Cheers. mygirlbill

[keyboard86]

Hi mygirlbill, so it was you behind the scenes!

I think the answer may lie in the fact that Mort29 could not also locate a death for Alice, but I can assure you, it is the same man who married Jessie!

Keyboard86

[mygirlbill]

G'day. Thanks Keyboard for your reply however, I can't say that as yet I am totally convinced. (Middle name is Pessimist) Ha! If I am reading it right, I think that I may have found another discrepency.
According to Ray (CroxleyGreen) "Daniel Blanchard 62 Beerseller etc. etc. born Handley Dorset. Wife Jane." Source 1901 census.
According to your message. "Daniel Blanchard 41, born Danhead Berks, wife Jane born Hundly Dorset." Source 1881 census.
Both these Daniels have a birth year ca. 1839/40, however, places of birth differ. I'm confused.
Calling on all Sherlock Holmes's ! HELP!!!!!
Many thanks in advance. Cheers. mygirlbill

[keyboard86]

G'day!

Daniel Blanchard's birth place history:-

1851 Ash Grove Dorset
1861 Don Head St Mary Wilts
1871 Donhead
1881 Donhead ( With Jane/William etc )
1891 Handley Dorset ( With Jane and Ernest b 1880 Violet J b 1883 )
1901 Handley Dorset

Phew!!

Keyboard86

[[Ray]]

Hi all,

Bachelor? Widower? Divorcee? He may be a bigamist................
Also the Kiff lady's "name" appears in marriages in/around Watford 4 times in a 25 year period. (I don't want to follow that one up).

As for places of birth, there is one on RC from yesterday where the census enumerator has written the correct place in and then changed the first part (Harefield to Enfield).
Don't forget that the individuals do not complete the census forms (then).

In all cases, take the info we have found, digest it, use as you think fit.
Then tell us what you do (do not) like and we'll try to help.

Good hunting

Ray

[vivien27]

thanks everyone for your help my girl bill is right  i am a beginner and not quite sure how to proceed help! we all have skeletons in the closet id like to find mine vivien 27

[mygirlbill]

G'day Ray. Thank you for your help.
Bigamy is not something that had occurred to me until you mentioned it. The  fact Alice Kiff had been married 4 times and that William was a "bachelor" at the time of his second marriage could I suppose mean that the marriage had been annulled. Do you have any idea as to when divorce became legal in the U.K? Do you know of any websites where I can go to and research further into this.
As for the discrepancy's regarding his place of birth. Keyboard has PM'd me to explain how all that came about.
Thank you to everyone for your help. Cheers. mygirlbill

[vivien27]

considering william was married 1909 which would make his birthdate somewhere about 1889 and if daniel was his dad then it would have to be his birth either don head 1861 or ashgrove dorset 1851 please correct me if i am wrong

[[Ray]]

Aha!

Donhead in Wiltshire and Handley in Dorset are only 10K apart.

(In English about 6 miles apart)

"Sorted" as they say?

Ray

Subsequent addition, further to Keyboard86 reply #21

Ash Grove Dorset I would take to be .....

Ash Grove Farm, Ashmore, Dorset which is less than 2km from Tollard Royal

Ray