Missing Record for Bitchenor Family, Cranfield.

[vivijune]

With the help of some great old family stories, I've traced the Bichener/Bitchenor(er) family of Cranfield back to the early 1700's. Hale/Heytor Family Tree helped a lot and I managed to navigate through all the mispellings for Henry Bitchenor(er), my great grandfather for most of the 1800's census. This is where I'm surprized and not sure how to correct: record of my grandfather William Bitchenor (1873-1943) marrying Lilian Bradley, moving to Birmingham is on ancestry.com etc but my dad is missing everywhere I've looked. His 4 siblings show up but he doesn't! He was born William Donald Bitchenor in Birmingham in September 1905. How do I get him added if he's lost?

[Lisajj]

I've just found his birth on Free BMD

William D Bitchenor, registered December quarter 1906, West Bromwich, 6d 769
Looks like you were a year out!

He also appears on the 1911 census.

Lisa

[vivijune]

Thank you so much. I'm so new at this but I just couldn't believe my dad was missing having married my mom , served in the R.A.F. during World War 2 etc. The irony was that there I was with all those Bitchenor(er) ancestors and I couldn't find my dad!

[vivijune]

Wondering if you could help me see if you come up with a better result.  I've thoroughly searched the 1901 census for my grandfather William Bitchenor who was born at Cranfield in Bedfordshire in 1874. I have records under his father for him from the 1881 and 1891 census when he was still living at home. I expected to find him in Birmingham in 1901 probably as a lodger. The woman he married, Lilian Bradley, is living in Soho/Handsworth, Birmingham in 1901 with her family and is aged 22. The Bradleys even seem to be working at the cycle warehouse where he's likely to have worked. There is a marriage recorded for Lillian and William in 1903 in Handsworth.

The only Bitchenors(ers) I found in the 1901 census was his brother Fred who had moved to London to work for the Salvation Army and a William Bitchener who is his cousin, a policeman, who moved to Streatham, London with his wife Annie, born 1872 in Cranfield.

Likely my William was a lodger somewhere and simply missed the 1901 census? Any thoughts? Thanks in advance.

[bedfordshire boy]

Might he have been a soldier serving in South Africa in the Boer War?

[vivijune]

Bedfordshire Boy, hello. Mine was a pretty anecdotal family so if he'd been the the Boar War I'd have heard about it. I think when it came to that census of 1901 he just fell through the cracks, maybe moving from the countryside to Birmingham. Maybe he lived in a rooming house. I don't believe he knew anyone in Birmingham or I'd have heard about that too so it's not like I can look for another family name.
While we are on the subject of wars, do you happen to know the date range for call up for the 1914-18 war. Can I assume 18 do you think.... wondering what age it capped out and people became ineligible because of age?
Many thanks again for responding.

[tazzie]

  Hi

 Yes he is a lodger in Birmingham

 can be found here...  RG13/2825 F 36 PAGE 15

 transcribed as Bitcharor

 Tazzie

[vivijune]

Thanks Tazzie. I should know by now the creative spelling that can go into this same family thread's name, Bitchenor from Cranfield which has made the 1800's search so intriguing, like it's a real puzzle to solve like a spelling bee: Richard then Henry then son William- Bitchenor, Bitchene, Bitchann,Bichenor, Bitchener, Bitchenk back to Bitchenor and now this one just to keep me on my toes. I thought I'd exhausted the possibilities but this 1901 takes the prize- Bitcharor.

Like trying to spell your name from left over scrabble pieces.