A mysterious and confusing couple married at Lyndhurst/Colbury in the 1920's

[AncestryPete]

Catharine D Bird seems to have died 1899.

Albert (senior) had started out well from the looks of things as a licenced victualler running a Hemel Hempstead pub when they married in 1875.  They appear to have hit hard times.

[Spidermonkey]

There is a marriage in Sept qtr 1901(Tunbridge 2a 1603) between an Albert Henry Bird and Mary Martindale (using freebmd, there are two other people on the page but I have managed to marry the other couple off so I know that AHB married MM).

Question is - was this AHB father or son? It could fit either way - senior is recently widowed, junior is 21ish.

[rosie99]

Albert Bird age 28 occ Domestic Groom bn Ashurst, Kent is living with the Norgate family in Ockham, Surrey in 1911
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XW84-9TY

[AncestryPete]

That's an interesting find Rosie, thank you

Thanks Spindermonkey, I'll follow her and see if she was in an age-group for junior or senior although the 1911 census Rosie found shows AHB junior as Single.

[AncestryPete]

I kept on going as you'd expect and I believe I have eventually found him on the 1901 Census in the period where he was missing.  There is a Henry Bird, stable lad, aged 22, born at Ashurst, Kent lodging with the village bootmaker at Alfriston, Sussex along with 3 other stable lads.  It appears that the village employment revolved around Wingrove Racing stables (until it closed in 1920) and there are so many equestrian folks around to service the stables and race course.  Thanks to all.

[rosie99]

That 1901 looks good for Albert / Henry.