London WORKHOUSE ADMISSIONS RECORDS/East End/Brick Wall

[Littlebn20]

Good afternoon.

I have posted here before regarding my brick wall ancestor.

I have a dead cert ancestor named Henry Weaver (1826) who marries Ann Hill in 1859 and lived in Mile End New Town. On his marriage certificate his father is named as Robert Weaver (deceased). On the 1841 census, my Henry Weaver appears as a 15 year old whip making apprentice, living with a Joseph Petegree, who is his master. The only trace of any Robert Weaver I can find is on the census at St George the Martyr workhouse in Southwark. A later record shows 'passed to St. Marylebone'. I am not too sure if this is the correct Robert (he is also listed as Henry Robert on other documents). I can find no other birth or census records that match. I believe that he is the same person that married Susannah Cooper in 1810 at Christ Church Spitalfields, but Susannah also does not appear traceable. To note, Henry remains traceable on every census from 1841 until his death in 1893, but at no point to I trace him with his parents. He also appears in many trees on Ancestry and everyone reaches the same brick wall with Robert.  I suppose my questions would be as follows;

-In what circumstances would it be normal for Henry to live with is master at 15, rather than his family? (Could it be that Susan deceased and Robert in the Workhouse)?
-Why can I find barely any trace of Robert and/or Susannah - My best assumption is that there were different names used or that they were born abroad?
- Are there any traceable admissions records for either St George the Martyr/St Marylebone for the period that covers 1841 (I am guessing not)
-Any further advice. I have been working at this for almost a year and got no further.

Many thanks

[chempat]

'-In what circumstances would it be normal for Henry to live with is master at 15, rather than his family? (Could it be that Susan deceased and Robert in the Workhouse)?'
'Children' younger than 15 frequently found living in other households, particularly as apprentices.


'-Why can I find barely any trace of Robert and/or Susannah - My best assumption is that there were different names used or that they were born abroad?'
Lots of reasons why you cannot find them, including records damaged/destroyed, or births/marriages/deaths not recorded, or records not yet transcribed.
Rather a large jump to assume they were abroad.

Where was Henry, 1826, born, and have you found any potential siblings for him?

[rosie99]

Remember that a census is just a snapshot of one night in a year  . However, it is quite possible that Henry did live with his master while serving his apprenticeship.  Have you looked for any apprenticeship records for him.

He could also have invented a father for his marriage information.  Never consider that because lots of online trees have information that it is correct, many people just copy it on without checking it.

Where do the census after 1841 state that Henry was born

[rosie99]

Henry Weaver
Baptism 17 Dec 1826
Address   MEOT
Father Henry Robert occ Labourer
Mother Susan
St Dunstan, Stepney

[Littlebn20]

Yes, thats him. The census varies between, Whitechapel, Bethnal Green, M.E.O.T etc, so all the same area.

It is so frustrating. He has sibling, Susan being one of them born in 1819 I think and the father is named as Henry Robert again I think(he seems to pick and choose).

Thanks for all of your comments so far.

[carol8353]

Remember that a census is just a snapshot of one night in a year  .

One night in a whole decade actually Rosie 

[Littlebn20]

Much like many things in the Weaver line, the apprenticeship in this case seems to be unofficial. I note that Henry's 'master' is a Joseph Petegree, whose wife is Ann Cooper. I wonder if Joseph married Susannah's sister so Joseph could have been Henry's uncle through marriage, hence the informal arrangement? Need the evidence to back that up though. Its so disheartening, having this brick wall that is not even really that far back. I joined Ancestry many years ago, with the specific intention of tracing back my Weaver line (allegedly to Huguenots). I have managed to trace back every other line of my family!