Unregistered birth

[LizzieW]

I have the same problem with my g.grandfather who was supposed to be born in Bethnal Green abt 1857.  There is no trace of him until his name turns up on my gran's birth cert in 1884.  He and g.gran although they stayed together until they both died, did not marry (no-one can find a marriage anywhere) so no father's name, made up or otherwise to try to trace.  His death was notified by a son, his will was witnessed by the same son and a stepdaughter, so no clues there.

Interestingly like GCE's ancestor, my g.grandfather was supposed to be descended from someone with a Spanish/Portuguese sounding surname, in GCE's case Da Silva, in my case Da Costa.  I think the truth lies in a name change somewhere.

Lizzie

[Jeuel]

Hi

Usually if you can't find someone its because they've been horribly mistranscribed, or changed their name, or the details about birthplace etc aren't the same.

But there are instances of people just not being recorded.  My gt x 3 grandfather married in Chelmsford in 1805, all his children were born there, he's on the 1851 census and dies in Chelmsford 10 years later.  But I can't find him in 1841 though I've been through every page of the 1841 Chelmsford census.

[spark]

Hi GCE,

you say you don't have them before 1871, so you have the 1871 census with him as a gunmaker?  At 139 Milton Road, Bow. with wife and 1st child ?

Spark

[spark]

How about John T Knight  B 1845 Leabridge Middlesex in 1861 , stepson

George Tween head
Mary Tween wife
John T Knight - 16 Locksmith
Mary E Knight
Rosetta L Knight
George H Tween age 1

Living Waltham Holy Cross

801
42a
11

Spark

[Redroger]

Don't forget that it was easy not to register a birth prior to 1874, the onus of registration being on the registrar and not the parent. Also there was often a problem with the vicar when baptising a child to write a note of the details, and forget to enter it in his register later. In these circumstances it is often useful to find baptisms of older and younger siblings, iof of course their existence is known.

[GCE]

Thanks have pursued that one too!

I have a theory that as his Mum ran off to America and Dad carried on with his business he was put in an orphanage. It may be his birth was not registered because his Dad did not bother as his wife had left him with this baby.

I am going to try and check the London Orphanage which is now Reed's school in Surrey - a private school but was in Hackney very close to Lea Bridge.

GCE
Thanks again all of you!

[LizzieW]

GCE - Where are the records of the London orphanage?  It might be a useful tool to try to find my g.grandfather.

Lizzie

[GCE]

Surrey Records Office has some but I am also going to try London Metropolitan Archives

GCE

[LizzieW]

Thanks GCE.

Lizzie