Parents of Annie Harris

[ghallen]

Annie Harris;
born roughly 1860 and birthplace is Portsmouth (according to census)
Married George Richard Alldred in December 1879
She says on her marriage certificate that her dad was George Harris who is a sailor.

I'm having trouble finding her actual birthdate, and her parents.
Can anyone give me some pointers please on how to proceed?

[brigidmac]

Look at possibility that she may have made up a father and look at births or baptisms to single parents

How consistent is her age on subsequent censuses are there any lodgers or visitors or in laws listed on any of them that could be her relatives.

Have you found her in 1861 or 1867
If she was alive in 1939 the register should give her exact birthdate or her death certificate depending who signed it .

[softly softly]

As you say Annie's recorded birthplace on all census until her death in 1913 is recorded as Portsmouth. Portsmouth comes under the Portsea registration district. One birth to possibly consider is,

HARRIS, ANNE       mother's maiden name GRIFFITHS 
GRO Reference: 1861  M Quarter in PORTSEA ISLAND  Volume 02B  Page 367.

She appear on 1861 census. However her father is Thomas Harris a "Shipwright" and Mary Ann her mother. Parents married mq 1856 Portsea.

John

[brigidmac]

Have you got her marriage certificate? Witnesses were often siblings or parents

Also if any of her children were named after her husband's family then it shows they were traditional & some may have been named after her parents.

[ghallen]

Thank you for the replies! You've given me a lot to think about.

The census/age thing is interesting. In the last two censuses of the 1800's her birth year is reckoned as 1860,  but the next two censuses the year has changed to 1862.
The only visitor on the census I could find was a John E Wilson but I'm not sure how to go about figuring out if they're related.

Thank you for that tip, John. I'll follow it up!


Unfortunately both the witnesses on the marriage cert were siblings of the groom and other than the two children named after their parents they all seem to have been given the names of George's siblings.

[brigidmac]

Please give more details like her age address and profession at marriage and that of her husband. There are always clues that rootschatters can find ways of thinking outside the box

Maybe she had an obituary or grave that would mention relatives

Look at the whole page of census and the one before and after ..in those days people often stayed close to relatives

 When you have any  information include  it All for example visitors age  and profession
Who knows he may be another rootschatters relative
Or a half brother or cousin ...by looking for  him on earlier census you could find Ann & her family under a different surname ...if mother (re)married for example

[softly softly]

Whilst the marriage image of Annie Harris to George Alldred records her father as George Harris a "sailor" I personally believe she did not know who her actual birth father was. I may well be wrong but please consider the following. I will again start with the 1861 census below.

1861.

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MWM9-V8Z

births:

HARRIS, THOMAS  GEORGE     GRIFFITHS 
GRO Reference: 1856  D Quarter in PORTSEA ISLAND  Volume 02B  Page 354

HARRIS, JOHN  WILLIAM     GRIFFITHS 
GRO Reference: 1858  D Quarter in PORTSEA ISLAND  Volume 02B  Page 339

HARRIS, ANNE       GRIFFITHS 
GRO Reference: 1861  M Quarter in PORTSEA ISLAND  Volume 02B  Page 367

On this census Thomas Harris the father is aged 28. Believe he dies

HARRIS, THOMAS       33 
GRO Reference: 1865  D Quarter in PORTSEA ISLAND  Volume 02B  Page 283
-------------------
Birth of daughter after 1861 census

HARRIS, CLARA  JANE    GRIFFITHS 
GRO Reference: 1863  D Quarter in PORTSEA ISLAND  Volume 02B  Page 420

------------------

By the 1871 census mother Mary Ann has the surname Mansbridge.

Piece:   1132
Folio:   122
Page number:   29

Thos W (Whittaker) Mansbridge 37   Head
Mary Mansbridge   34   Wife
Thomas H Mansbridge 14   Son
Clara H Mansbridge 7   Daughter
Sarah Mansbridge 1   Daughter

MANSBRIDGE, SARAH  KATE    GRIFFITHS 
GRO Reference: 1869  S Quarter in PORTSEA ISLAND  Volume 02B  Page 403

Death of Thomas W Mansbridge

MANSBRIDGE, THOMAS  WHITTAKER     38    (aged 37 on 1871 census)
GRO Reference: 1872  J Quarter in PORTSEA ISLAND  Volume 02B  Page 258

Birth of a daughter after 1871 census

MANSBRIDGE, ADA  MARY ELIZABETH    GRIFFITHS 
GRO Reference: 1871  S Quarter in PORTSEA ISLAND  Volume 02B  Page 416

--------------------

1881 census Mary Ann has reverted back to surname Harris

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q274-FM3R

-----------------------------

1891 census Mary Ann has reverted back to Mansbridge

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:43FW-WN2

-------------------------

Odd birth but appears in 1891/1901 census

1901 census Mary Ann still with surname Mansbridge

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XSXZ-QJG
MANSBRIDGE, GEORGE  ALFRED BLAKE    -  No mmn
GRO Reference: 1876  J Quarter in PORTSEA ISLAND  Volume 02B  Page 40


John

ADDED: Clara Jane Harris married William John Tout in dq 1885. Wonder who she recorded her father as?

[Kay99]

Sadly there is this possible burial at Portsea Cemetery on 19 Jan 1864 of Annie Harris age 2 daughter of Thomas Harris of Lake Road Landport

Kay

[Kay99]

ADDED: Clara Jane Harris married William John Tout in dq 1885. Wonder who she recorded her father as?

Her father is listed as Thomas George Harris - Shipwright