Hi all
I'm deep into researching my wife's tree and hit a bit of a wall. Her father was a Smith, but I know that he wasn't registered that - he was registered PERKINS, along with all of his siblings. The theory is that his mother eventually shacked up with a SMITH and the children all took his name - can this be done in law? I would have doubted it.
Anyway, I have found the parents on FreeBMD -
Robert W. Perkins and
Elsie Rutter.
They married in Chester-Le-Street in the June Q of 1916 and produced a few sprogs.
I also believe that he died in Dec Q 1928 in Chester, aged only 28 and that she then shacked up with an unknown
Smith who fathered the next five children although they were all registered as Perkins but were brought up as Smiths. The first child born after the date that I believe that Robert W. Perkins died was born in the Mar Q of 1929, so I believe that he had been truly fathered by Perkins, a point further strengthened by the fact that he was registered as Robert W. Perkins (Mar Q 1919) perhaps in memory of his dead father.
Of course, this is all conjecture. There is another Robert Perkins (without the W) who dies in West Hartlepool aged 82 in Sep Q 1959, but I just have a gut feeling that the 1928 death is correct.
I cannot find a marriage for an Elsie Perkins (nee Rutter) to a Smith at all, adding fuel to my theory about them simply shacking up together. And then there is a death of an Elsie Perkins in Durham Northern in Dec Q 1952, aged 55, making her about the right age.
Obviously the easy way to solve all of this is to send off for the marriage certificate, the various death certificates and the birth certificates of the children but that might be a bit expensive given that there were eight sprogs in all!
SO ...A difficult ask on the census front!
What I would like, please, are details of the following in any census that you might be able to find, including other family members:-
Elsie Rutter born circa 1897 in maybe Lanchester, Sunderland, Durham area
Robert (W) Perkins born circa 1890 in the same areas
For information, I list all of the relevant facts (as discovered through FreeBMD) below.
- 1916 Jun Q - registered marriage of Robert W. Perkins and Elsie Rutter, Chester-le-Street
- 1916 Sep Q - registered birth of Margaret Perkins, Chester-le-Street
- 1918 Mar Q - registered birth of Sarah J. Perkins, Chester-le-Street
- 1918 Dec Q - registered death of Sarah J. Perkins, Chester-le-Street
- 1918 Dec Q - registered death of a Robert W. Perkins, aged 28, Chester-Le-Street (possible father's death)
- 1919 Mar Q - registered birth of Robert W. Perkins, Chester-le-Street
- 1926 Mar Q - registered birth of Sydney P. Perkins, Chester-le-Street
- 1927 23 July - registered birth of Lawrence P. Perkins, Chester-Le-Street*
- 1931 Sep Q - registered birth of twins Dennis and Derrick Perkins, Lanchester
- 1935 Sep Q - registered birth of Jean Perkins, Lanchester
- 1952 Dec Q - registered death of Elsie Rutter, aged 55, Durham Northern
- 1959 Sep Q - registered death of a Robert Perkins, aged 82, West Hartlepool
*This was my father-in-law and he was Lawrence Perkins Smith; no idea about the P as a middle name.
Sorry I can't be of any more help - as you can see, it's all a bit vague.
Thanks in advance for anything that anyone can turn up for me.
MT
