Locating a birth record from Bradford in mid nineteenth century

[emilywilsonmcfarland]

Hi! Looking for some help or any advice.

I am looking for the birth record of someone called William Whitehead Richardson. He was born in either 1865 or 1867, or perhaps a year or two around then. I know he was born on September 24th and that in the 1921 census he stated he was born in Bradford. This is backed up by a diary entry from his daughter who states that he learnt his engineering skills on the floors of Bradford factories.

He left the UK as a young man to work abroad and thus missed a lot of records. He was definitely gone by 1901 and unhelpfully married abroad. I can find him in zero censuses or any birth records. All that I have traced seem to marry or stay in the UK which is contrary to what happened in his life - he married someone called Amy Waters in Singapore and had 2 daughters in Singapore and Malaysia.

Is there a way for me to access all the William Richardsons born in Bradford in 1860s and be able to see which one has the birthday of September 24th? Can I go to the Bradford Records Office to do this?

Many thanks for the help.

[rosie99]

How do you know that he was born on September 24th.  Could you please post details of the entry for him in 1921 census including address

[arthurk]

Previous thread gives quite a bit of background - https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=867253.0

On this particular aspect:

Is there a way for me to access all the William Richardsons born in Bradford in 1860s and be able to see which one has the birthday of September 24th? Can I go to the Bradford Records Office to do this?

The place to enquire about birth registrations would be Bradford Register Office. However, very few register offices allow members of the public to consult their indexes/records in person, and I don't know whether anything they'd allow would include exact dates of birth.

When I've been in touch with the Bradford office in the past they've been very helpful, and they do seem to take care to provide you with the certificate you're looking for. Whether they could go as far as to check every birth date I'm not sure - it might depend on how common the name is. And from reading your other thread, there seems to be a possibility that he was registered as Whitehead. All you can do, I think, is ask them.

Your other thread mentions records from the Malay Federated States; did you ever find his marriage? That might give the name of one or both parents, which would be a great help in pinning him down.

[CaroleW]

Failure to register a birth only became a fineable offence in 1874/5

A Tree on Ancestry has his death as 1939 Derbyshire & Amy’s death as 1935 London

Nothing to support those deaths apart from the ages at death match their respective birthyears

[emilywilsonmcfarland]

Thanks for the replies.

Yes pretty sure he was married in Singapore. We have a picture of his wife in what appears to be a wedding and it says 'Singapore' on the back. He worked in Singapore, Malay States and Bolivia as a Tin Min Engineer. He had several patents attributed to him. Daughter 1 was born in Singapore and daughter 2 in Federated Malay States. Daughter 2's own daughter is the one seeking her grandparents details.

I know he was born on Sept 24th as his daughter kept a diary and stated on that day 'Daddy's birthday today' or something to that effect in his 50s.

The details in the 1921 census are a family of 4 living at 4 Garraway Road, Paddington London. They are incorrectly listed under the surname Richanson.

William Whitehead Richanson - 53 b. Bradford
Amy Richanson - 49 b. Southport
Dorothy Richanson - 21 b. Singapore
Gladys Richanson - 17 b. Federated Malay States

The confusion over year of birth is that his daughter's diary says in 1921 he turned 56 on Sept 24th but some ship records, and the census record of 1921 have his birth year as 1867.

I have contacted the Singapore archives, and Malaysia Archives but nothing found.

Basically, I am wondering if I can look through all the Bradford birth certs for a specific birth date of Sept 24th, as that is the only thing I am sure of.

[emilywilsonmcfarland]

Yes I know Amy, his wife, died in 1935 he died in 1939, annoyingly 1 month before the register.

What I am trying to find is his parents names, for his own granddaughter.

[ALAMO2008]

Failure to register a birth only became a fineable offence in 1874/5

A Tree on Ancestry has his death as 1939 Derbyshire & Amy’s death as 1935 London

Nothing to support those deaths apart from the ages at death match their respective birthyears

The August 1874 Birth Act
Did not become Law until Births after from 1 January 1875

[arthurk]

Singapore is beyond my experience, but I've done a bit of exploring. It looks as though you can request a  search for a marriage in a 3 year period for 24.00 Singapore Dollars - a little under £15.00 at the time I'm writing. Details and guidance at

https://www.nas.gov.sg/erequest/marriage/guide

Other civil records are available too - see overview at FamilySearch:

https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Singapore_Civil_Registration

FamilySearch also have films of various church registers, but only at their Family History Centres:

https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Singapore_Church_Records

There might also be something in the UK overseas/consular records, but I haven't checked this.

[emilywilsonmcfarland]

Thanks for your suggestions. I've paid for the Singapore search, nothing there. For Malaysia you have to visit in person so that's out of the questions. I've put my client in touch with a Malaysia genealogist.

I've exhausted all overseas archives too. Sadly as they weren't military or civil service there isn't much hope.