James Edward Archer

[acm99]

Hi,

We've been trying to find some early history for my GF James Edward Archer b. 1884, d. 1928.

We are no longer Birmingham based, so rely upon the various genealogy services and their (sometimes) dodgy transcriptions - for example, Linnie for Lizzie and Lydney for Sydney 

None of the living family have any clues to his early life and he seems to miraculously burst on to the scene in 1908 when he married Minnie Bishop. Apart from the 1911 census where he appears with wife and son as Edward, he signs himself as James Edward on his marriage, baptism and 1921 census. In both census returns he places his birthplace as Birmingham and living on Bordesley Park Road, Small Heath.

We have obtained marriage and death certificates so we know we have the right person (Minnie is identified in both), but we were hoping the marriage certificate would lead to some information about other family members. However, his father's name is left blank and witnesses don't seem to be (directly) connected and not obviously traceable to other relatives.

Naturally we have been through the list of James and Edward Archers (including variations such as John) in the area and adjacent counties, but all of those we have looked at have strong connections with other Archer families and don't lead us to James Edward. We have tried to identify from 1891 and 1901 census returns any siblings that go missing from Archer families without a death or marriage registered and still we can't trace him.

We have looked at alternate spellings and even names (such as Fletcher) to try and catch any transcription errors from the original records. We have even looked through census records for whole streets in the 1901 census that are mentioned in marriage, census and baptism records to see if there are any clues, but again nothing.

We are at the point where we are stuck trying to trace back his line any earlier than 1908, whereas everyone else is getting close to the 17th century. We have speculated a lot, for example, that he adopted the name prior to the marriage, or he was in an institution (workhouse or orphanage) which would perhaps explain the missing father and other relatives, but again we have nothing to pin on this.

So, I am looking for any collective wisdom to offer us any suggestions of where to look next. Or do we just write this off as a mystery?

Regards,
Andy

[acm99]

Solved... we uncovered a WW1 pension record linking a different James Edward to Minnie and his first son.

We had disregarded this new surname a while ago as a rogue connection, but we discovered this pension link no more than 12 hours after asking my question on this forum. Typical 

It appears that he adopted the use of his mother's first husband's surname rather than that of his biological father from when he married Minni. Hi mother's first husband died long before he was born, or he discovered some reason to not want to continue to use his given surname. Either way, there seems to be a deliberate split from his father when he married, or even before. Perhaps when he signed on to military service.

We can't find a marriage record linking his mother to her second husband. Also, the 1881 census shows her daughter from her first husband adopting the new surname and linked to the head as daughter rather than step-daughter. We also now found that he had a half-brother b. 1880, which the GRO reports a mother's maiden name that is not even close to anything we can now find. Bit or a rogue, by the sound of it.

James Edward and his half-brother and two other brothers served meritoriously in WW1... the list of honours and battles is astounding.

I hope that anyone else who finds a block that makes little sense is as fortunate as we have been and uncovers the link to explain some, if not all, of the relationships in their history.

Regards,
Andy

[ciderdrinker]

Hello and Welcome to the forum

I think I have him
I went through all the James Edward's born in Birmingham 1883-1885 and whittled it down to a James Edward Hancox and James Edward Tooth.
The latter  born Dec qtr 1883 Birmingham 6D 135 is your man

He joins the Army 25th June 1900 so is not on the 1901 census in Birmingham
He is 17 years 9months
Sallow complexion ,grey eyes and brown hair
5ft 7/8 inches
Rose tatoo back right for arm
Royal Warwickshire Regiment 7895

He is called up again for WWI
He receives a pension Royal Warwickshire Regiment 7601
He is James Edward Tooth but his widow is Minnie Archer
Unfortunately the document is on the Fold 3 website for which I don't have a subscription.
But the index  for it etc is here on Ancestry

https://search.ancestrylibraryedition.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?dbid=61588&h=1603444&indiv=try&o_vc=Record:OtherRecord&rhSource=8912

I can spot him as Edward Tooth age 19 in Barracks at Colchester in 1901.
1891 New Summer St Birmingham
Benjamin Tooth 42 glass blower Wolverhampton
Ann 45? Birmingham
Katie 12
Benjamin 11
Edward James 7
Mary Ann 5
Richard under 1 month

Benjamin Tooth bapt at Wolverhampton St Peters 26 Dec 1846 s of John and Sarah of Stafford St labourer.
He married Emma Sandy at St Martin Birmingham 10.6.1867 but is with a wife Lucy Tooth born 1850 on 1881 census.Children Sarah 8 ,Bertha 2 and Lucy 4
And as I said he is with Ann in 1891 and 1901.(No sign of a death for Lucy)

Ann started life as Ann Cade and married Bishops Ryder 22.12.1872
Thomas Archer 25 iron fitter Emily St Joseph Archer whitesmioth
Ann Cade 24 Emily St Charles Cade well sinker
wit William and Mary Archer
In 1871 they are in Lombard st with a daughter Martha  j 11months.
1881 Cheapside
Ann Archer widow 32 burnisher
Martha 10
Emma 7
Lizzie 5
Kate 2
Harriet Cade widow mother 72 Newark Nottingham
It looks like Ann and Benjamin didn't marry so technically James Edward was either Cade,Archer or Tooth .

It might help to get that pension record but it is him and I'm confident his father was Benjamin Tooth born 1846 Wolverhampton  and mother Ann Cade born c 1847 d of Charles and Harriet Cade.

Hope that helps and good luck with getting back a bit farther.
Ciderdrinker

[acm99]

Hi Ciderdrinker,

Wow! Many thanks for that - what took us months of head scratching you fathomed out in hours!

I agree it is Tooth who is our man, as I said above, we found the link to Minnie Archer in the pension record transcription on Ancestry (we don't have a subscription either) less than half a day after I posted.

I am waiting for the birth certificate to be issued to see what is on there regarding father and mother. Clearly some serious falling out with his father occurred for him to be omitted from the marriage record - we may never know.

I spent yesterday unravelling the families from Ann Cade, which we already had since Minnie is descended from the Cade family, and the torturous path that his father Benjamin followed. We think he married Emma Tandy, not Sandy, but in 1871 he is a boarder with another lady with Surname Tooth.

We haven't yet fully accepted the 1881 Lucy Tooth connection, because his occupation is labourer rather than glass worker of some description, which he uses in all other records we have found. He also has a son Benjamin b. 1880 who is not listed with Lucy and the GRO record shows the mother's maiden name as Shelley. I plan to look through the records for the children listed in the 1881 census to look for any other clues/inconsistencies.

In 1891 Katie Tooth was from Ann's marriage to Thomas Archer who died early 1881. The following children were all registered with Ann's maiden name Cade shown on the GRO record. We believe he died 1910 - Ancestry hasn't got that record transcribed - in fact most of the page on the index register hasn't been transcribed, because of poor quality image I think. Ann continued to use the name Tooth until her death.

He was discharged from service in 1915 from injuries received and continued his life as Archer with Minnie and children. His death is recorded in Feb 2028 and on the certificate Minnie was present and registered the death.

Thank you so much for taking the time to look into this, we are truly grateful. In large, everything you have identified fits well with what we concluded during yesterday and further evaluating today.

Cheers!
Andy

[hanes teulu]

Ciderdrinker
That's a great piece of work.

Looking at the army record on FindMyPast the marriage details are
"Bride - Minnie Bishop spinster, Place of Marriage - S' Clements, Birmingham, date 5 Apr 1908, Minister - F S Craven, Curate, Witnesses - G F Allport, E Court"
The entry is endorsed "Married in the name of J E Archer (see ......... ? )**"
** can't decipher the entry

Also mentioned - Father Benjamin, elder brother Benjamin, younger brothers Richard and .... ?

Children
Edward Francis, born 24/1/09, Aston
Minnie Evelyn, born 14/4/1912, Aston
 

[acm99]

Hi hanes teulu,

You are not wrong, Ciderdrinker did a magnificent job fathoming it out so quickly.

I think the reference to the marriage is "(see #???)" meaning "see number" - then it's indecipherable.

The other younger brother is Francis. Benjamin Jnr was also in the Warks Regt and the other two in the Worcs Regt.

Really grateful for all the help here... we may be back with another mystery with my paternal great grandfather and especially my great grandmother, but I will leave it for a while before asking that question. I don't want to be (too much of) a nuisance 

Cheers!
Andy

[ciderdrinker]

Hi
Your welcome Andy
Any more questions just get in touch.

Ciderdrinker

[ciderdrinker]

Good Morning
I've had a thought about Benjamin junior ,mother Shelley.
There is a christening at St Mary's Aston Brook which is obviously them
Benjamin bapt 19 Jan 1880 born 1st Sept 1879 s of Benjamin and Sarah Ann 11 crt Aston Road ,glasscutter


Possible other children Tooth /Shelly
Lucy Tooth Sep 1873 Birmingham
Sarah Ann E Tooth June 1877 Birmingham
Which is the other way round from the 1881 census entry I found
A number of children of Benjamin and Ann seem to be baptised at St Nicholas 13 April 1891 ,including James Edward but that year is missing from Ancestry.

I'm guessing mom Sarah Ann Shelley is born c 1849 d of Jeremiah and Bridget Shelley of JohnSt  Birmingham 1851 and 1861.But there is no proof to tie that up.

It seems sister Lucy went to America
Aug 17 1912 New York marriage licence (available on Ancestry)
Sarah Bausch 38 second marriage ,first husband still living .Divorced 15 Jan 1909 Buffalo NY .15 Marshall St Housekeeper d of Benjamin Tooth and Sarah Shelley England
To marry at Rochester on 20th to
Franklyn Leon Dost .32 ,first marriage  719 Clinton Avenue brush maker.Born Germany s of August Dost and Amelia Stube.
wit Carol Dobbington and Bertha Laing.

1900 census Even St NY
Albert Busch born Sep 1876 NY teglegrah man
Lucy  born April 1874 England arrived 1880
1910 Marshall St Ny
Lucy Bausch 35 boarding House keeper arr 1893
Gladys R 11
1920 Haywood Avenue Monroe Ny
Lucy Dost 43 widow arr 1882 naturalized 1892 Prop Rooming Hose
Gladys Bausch   19  accountant railway ticket office
She died 27th July 1936 at Rochester NY.

There is a nice photo of her on one of the family trees on Ancestry.

Still can't find her arrival.
If she turned up age 8 ,she couldn't have gone on her own surely?

Just another mystery.

Ciderdrinker

[acm99]

Thanks again, a lot of detail for me to look into.

I found the 'bulk' baptism which occurred in 1891 the other day, along with the baptism for Benjamin Jnr.

I had located all the other births attributed to mother's name Shelly on the GRO, but not yet pulled their birth certificates until we've completed the investigation on James Edward.

Interesting too what you said about the US connection, a few days ago I did spot a Tooth family travel to the US in the 1880s, but the crossing details didn't have enough information to attribute to this family. Clearly if it was Sarah Ann and girls then that might make sense, but there are many possibilities to link a lot of records to these people without really having much more than circumstantial evidence.

Been thinking about the 1881 census - the ages of the girls are attributed to the other compared with what I have found in the GRO, also I'm not seeing a suitable birth in Birmingham/Aston for a Bertha (Roberta, Alberta,...) that fits. What we are speculating is that even though he is identified as a labourer from Wolverhampton that the census enumerator switched the ages and perhaps mistakenly recorded Benjamin Jnr as a girl named Bertha - not a boy named Benjie?

Maybe I'm stretching things a little too much, but the ages of the children fit... is Lucy the name used for Sarah Ann. The lack of another census return with these children's names and identifying Benjamin Snr as a glass worker makes it a tiny bit plausible... perhaps... maybe... 

Cheers!
Andy