I guess this counts as another of my "South Normanton Family Puzzles"! We touched on this issue on page 4 of our recent thread:
A niece and an orphan in South Normanton in 1881 Basically we were exploring the marriage between Doris Ball and Samuel Bernard Ball in South Normanton in 1934 and assessing whether they were related. It transpired that Doris' father was named John W D Ball. He was named as son to William Ball and Sarah Shawcroft in 1891. However the 1881 census showed him to be 9 year old boarder, John William Darrington, born in Nottingham (BASFORD 07B 129 S Quarter 1871)
I have now had sight of the actual birth record - hence the title of this thread.
John was born on July 6th 1871 in the Union Workhouse, Basford, Nottingham. His mother's name was given as Hannah (no occupation listed). No father's name was entered.
Can I be sure this to be the correct JWD who became JWD Ball? Well, no but the crumbs of evidence, taken together, do become compelling.
The birth listed above is the only one which fits with the entry by William Ball in the 1881 census.
I haven't yet found an entry in the 1871 census for Hannah (when she would have been about 6 months pregnant). But, there was a John Darrington, widower and a collier, in residence at that Workhouse in 1871.
The 1861 census for Summercotes / Riddings (RG9/2515 11 15) has three Darrington households -
all heads born in Codnor - on the same page. John Darrington (23) has a wife Hannah (also 23); Benjamin Darrington has a daughter, Hannah, aged 11 years.
Alternatively, the 1851 census lists Thomas (labourer, born South Normanton 1810) and Ruth Darrington with a 4 year old Hannah
There are no obvious references to Hannah after 1871 although a marriage is noted for Hannah Darrington to William Worthington in the Belper Registration District (7B 1069) in the 4th quarter 1872
Any thoughts or comments of illumination would be welcome
Alan