Which Thomas Pollard, bapt 1822, Sileby; or bapt. 29/01/1832 Arnesby

[Keith Sherwood]

Hi, Everyone,
I am on the horns of a dilemma here, as I am trying to distinguish between two Thomas POLLARD's.  One was baptised to parents John and Anne POLLARD at St Mary's Sileby in 1822; the other was baptised to parents John and Mary POLLARD on 29-01-1832 in Arnesby.
If there are any early local Censuses for either suspects that would point the finger at one rather than the other, I would be most interested to hear about it.
This Thomas POLLARD, bapt. either 1822 or 1832 was my gt-gt-grandfather, and he married Sarah Fells in 1856 at St Martin's in the Fields, London, both of New Street Square.  He gives his father as a framework knitter, and his age is simply given as "of full age"
When he moved to London I'm afraid I have no idea about, but maybe the search for him needs to start in Leicestershire, although he could just as easily have appeared in early London Censuses.
Bit of a longshot, I realise...
Keith

[Hackstaple]

There is a Thomas Pollard, wife Sarah, b. Leicestershire "Ansty" [Arnesby?] in the 1861 census. At 4 Catherine Place, Westminster, RG9, P. 40. Sons Thomas W. 1857, William 1859.
Any use?

[Hackstaple]

 1861 census.
Others

Thomas Pollard b. 1834  Mkt Harborough
 Thomas Pollard b. 1835  Austy, Leicestershire at Westminster St Margaret 
 Thomas Pollard 1833  Anstey at Leicester St Margaret 
 Thomas J Pollard 1833  Arnesby at Belgrave  Leicestershire 

[Keith Sherwood]

Hi, Hackstaple,
You've been very busy on my behalf! - and I am almost certain that the man I seek must be the one you have found in the 1861 Census as Thomas J.(ohn) Pollard, b. 1833 Arnesby.  I would very much appreciate it if you could give me full details of THAT family...
Thanks so much,
Keith
p.s. Thomas John Pollard worked as a waiter, and in 1866, at 8, Gladstone St., Battersea had a son (my gt-grandfather), Henry George Pollard - might be in 1871 Census...

[Hackstaple]

The 1861 Thomas from Arnesby is a florist employing a man and a boy.
 at 180 Leicester Road, Belgrave - RG9/2281 p. 35.
Mary A is the wife.
But in 1871 we have Thomas, Waiter, 36 b. Astey at 13 Waywell Terrace, Lambeth with Henry G, 4, Battersea
Sarah 31 Laundress Notts, Balworth
Thomas W 14 Lambeth
William 12 Westminster
Mary D 7 Westminster
so - it looks as though these 2 families are not the same. It also looks as though your ancestor was not born in Arnesby -
so the answer to your original query is - Neither of them!

[Keith Sherwood]

Thanks for that piece of brilliant sleuthing for me, Hackstaple,and yes, it does look as though the answer is neither!  This is very interesting, as my second cousins in Eastbourne who share Thomas's son Henry George Pollard as a great-grandfather with me, paid a great deal of money to a "Professional Researcher" a few years ago to only get as far as those two possible Thomas Pollard's as his father.
I've only just got back on the scent myself after an out-of-the-blue personal message from someone on this site yesterday, who is also descended from this same man; my mother last saw her when she was a baby, nearly 50 years ago.
It seems that you can only properly rely on fellow Rootschatters these days...
Very many thanks,
Keith

[Hackstaple]

Keith - it is a pleasure. As a chess player I  have sometimes a different method of analysis of problems and also the habit of rechecking everything. I tell my chess pupils "When you have found a good move, look for a  better one".

[Keith Sherwood]

I used to love teaching Chess to my primary school kids - we once had an exceptionally good team, beat everyone, until one match when a World Cup Soccer game came on and all they wanted to do was get finished and watch England play; we got absolutely drubbed in the chess match.
Back to serious matters, on reflection I'm pretty sure that the Pollard family at 4, Catherine Place, Westminster in 1861, is the same as the one at 13, Waywell Terrace, Lambeth in 1871, as the children are entirely correct.  On his 1856 marriage Thomas is employed as a "Framework Knitter", and the waiter-ing must have come later.
It's just a question now of deciding where Ansty?, is in Leics. and whether 1835 is the right date of birth...
Keith

[Hackstaple]

I am one move ahead of you Keith - here is Anstey:
http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/LEI/Anstey.html