Yay! Found them at last! (DWAN)

[v i c k y]

Just wanted to share...

I've been baffled by the absence of my Dwan ancestors (from Bermondsey, Rotherhithe, Southwark etc.) on the census returns for a long time now and today I found a load of them on the 1881 census as "Deran" instead of "Dwan"! Weeeee, I'm so happy!

Tried all the possible spellings: Dwann, D'wan, Duan, Duann, Duanne, Dwayne...

Not being able to find them has been bugging Mum and I for about three years now, as we always knew that they were very much alive and kicking - and living in the same area their entire lives! - but we could never find them on any of the censuses!

I'd love to go back in time with a black biro and teach the enumerator how to print in capitals!

Er, now I just need to find them on all the others but still! I found them on the 1881 at long last!

Yours excitedly,
Vicky

[Tati]

C'mon Vicky, post the details! 

[Nessie]

So pleased for you Vicky, isn't it a great feeling ?
and you did it all by yourself.

[v i c k y]

Yeah, it's great. Thanks both. We found them by a possible address. Should have thought of it ages ago but we just got so fed up, we moved on to the other side of the family instead and kept branching outwards instead of upwards. We've hit a brick wall with the other side of the family now and we're waiting for some certificates from the GRO to hopefully help push us along, so thought we'd give the Dwans a try again whilst we wait. 1881 is the easy one, I know, but it still is nice to see them altogether - albeit transcribed - at long last. We were getting a bit paranoid, to be honest, wondering why they were never around on census night! Not the easiest name for a complete stranger to identify, to be fair...

Anyway, they're all here if anyone's interested in my elusive rellies: RG11/0564 (folio 21, page 36) 
Elizabeth Deran (51) is the head, living at 4 Brewers Court, Bermondsey.

Deran indeed! And the head's a "Windower".

[casalguidi]

Vicky, they were at the same address in 1871 as DWAN RG10/633 folio 14 page 22 and the preceding page if you don't have them already

Casalguidi

[Tati]

Yess, here they are: 

RG10/633
Folio 14 p. 21 & 22
London Bermondsey St James
4 Brewers Court

George Dawn, head, 47, Labourer, b. Surrey Bermondsey
Elizabeth, wife, 41, b. do.
Thomas, son,  unm, 22, Leather Jappaner (?), b. do.
George, son, 17, Labourer, b. do.
Emma, dau, 13, Servant Domestic, b. do.
James, son, 10, b. do.
Elizabeth, dau, 7, b. do.
Jane, dau, 14, b. do.
William, son, 2, b. do.

Tanja  

  

 

[Tati]

In 1861, they are 'Divans'  (in 1871 they were Dwans not Dawns)

RG9/319
Folio 13 p. 24
Bermondsey St Mary Magdalene

Same address! And the in-laws are there too!

George Divan, head, 37, Corn & coal Labourer, b. Surrey Bermondsey
Elizabeth, wife, 33, b. do.
Thomas, son,  unm, 12, scholar, b. do.
George, son, 7, scholar, b. do.
Emma, dau, 3, scholar, b. do.
James, son, month, b. do.
Robert Walker, Father in law, 69, Carpenter & (can't read) Porter, b. do.
Mary Walker, Mother in law, 65, b. Shropshire 

Tanja 

[v i c k y]

Oh wonderful, thank you all so much! That's fanastic. I had a hunch that there was an older brother called Thomas and found out a few things about him on the off-chance that he was related. "Leather Jappaner" is right. It's a Japanese way of treating leather, apparently.

Thanks so much for taking an interest. We're really glad to finally see them all listed. It makes them seem more real. We're going to try to find out something about George Senior (born 1824) now. He's the top name on our tree at the moment and we haven't been able to get back any further. We wrote to the GRO requesting a marriage certificate for George Dwan and an "Elizabeth" ages ago, but no joy. Now it seems we have a maiden name for Elizabeth, so another lead to follow at least.

Thank you all so much for this. We're both so grateful to you for all the help and support.

Talk about information (and excitement!) overload here!

[v i c k y]

In 1861, they are 'Divans' 

Hehe, wonder if they were ever Duvets!