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Thanks Gillian, that looks very much like it is William's birth family! That's great help, thanks,
Wendy

1881 Census 8 High Street Battersea
Henry Macey 56 Army Pensioner b Witney Oxfordshire
Elizabeth 49wife Tailoress b Stroud Kent*
Henry 18 Labourer at plumbers works b Bermondsey
Mary A 13 b Westminster
William 15 b Westminster
Arthur 9 b Westminster

*Althought he census writer has written "Kent" I think the Stroud in Gloucestershire more likely -given that next door is a James Macey 28 born Blidington Gloucs -almost certainly another son of Henry

Hi Gillian,
yes I had wondered whether it was Battersea, although the "t"s haven't been crossed in the word that's been written. I will send for the cert. I've been trying to follow up the Axon's too, but that is proving more difficult to work out as there seem to have been two or three Henry Axon's living in Deal/Walmer during the 1800s. One Henry was a mariner, another puts Henry J., who I think is Elizabeth's father. This is all about solving mysteries, isn't it? [grin].
Wendy

BTW, how/where did you find them living in Battersea in 1881?

I do think that the William I found in 1871 and 1881 b 1865 Weatminster son of Henry (Army Pensioner) is the right one but by getting the marriage cert of William and Elizabeth (details given to you earlier) you could confirm the fathers name and occupation
In 1881 they lived in Battersea -it might be that this is the word scrawled by the collector? Though Battersea is not in Middlesex but Surrey
You can apply on line for the cert (£7) by going to the General Record Office and entering the details given to you as to vol and page

Hi,
William's birthplace is given as Middlesex and then the census collector has written a word that begins with Ball... . It's a bit of a scrawl, hard to read. All the others have Walmer, Kent as their birthplace. I think you were right about his father being in the forces.
Wendy

Just a further update, it seems that there were 13 children in all, only one of which died during early childhood. Two married and emigrated to Canada after WW1, one was a war veteran and emigrated to Australia! So I've got quite a bit of tracking down to do!!

If you looked at the 1911 census what does it give for Williams birthplace?

Hi Wendy,
I think "missing" is the key word here (re: the 1901 for Deal and Walmer). I'd always assumed either water or bomb damage......then again maybe they were smuggled out.....
If anyone could lay their hands upon them they'd have been transcribed quite quickly. grin

Maureen

Thanks everyone. I have bought some credits for findmypast and 1911 census and have been looking to see what I can find out. I am grateful for the looking you all did for me and it has opened up a whole new branch of my family tree. I'm so excited to find that grandma Annie was from a family of 10 children!!
Maureen, thanks for the info about Walmer/Deal 1901 not being transcribed yet. Do you know if there are plans to do that? Would be great to find out.
Thanks all,
Wendy

I think Maureen has got the answer and you may never
find them in 1901.
Walmer in Kent is home to the Royal Marines Depot North Barracks
With that in mind I found a William J Macey ( b 1866 Westminster) in 1871 and 1881 whose father henry Macey b1827 Witney Oxon was an Army Pensioner -maybe his son followed in his footsteps? It is conceivable that a scrawled "Middlesex Westr"could have been read as Virginia Water
On the other hand I did find a Margaret Macey b 1819 Virginia Water in 1871 so there were some there at that time

Just put 1911 census in your search engine -the site is run by Find My Past and they have monopoly on this census -it is not available on Ancestry where all the other censuses are -the min cost is £6 for 30 units -it costs 10 units to see transcription and 30 to see the actual page Which you need if you want place of birth and occupation and relationships

A good chunk of Deal/Walmer is missing on the 1901,so that's likely why you can't find them.

Maureen

Hi Gillian,

I'm about to go off to bed now, will look again in 20 hours or so. I'll have to get a list of things I want to look at and buy a few certs all at once.

BTW, how do you get access to the 1911 census? I don't mind paying a few dollars if it will help to throw light on Annie's whereabouts!

Thanks for all your help,

Wendy

There seem to have been two william Macey's in Kent in the late 1800s. One was about 10 years older than the other was. Still that doesn't explain why they disappeared in 1901. When the census has been transcribed, did they only do it by head's of households, or including each line of entry?

It does look like mum-in-law was with them till the end.

Just a note of caution about that 1868 Dec birth -ther is a corresponding death of a William john Macey in 1869MarQ showing his birth "about 1869"
It really looks as though you are going to have to shell out a few dollars Wendy to look at that 1911 census!!

the mother-in-law 1911:

HOUSEHOLD AXON MRS MARIA F 1836 75 Eastry Kent >

This is the same house as the Maceys!!- Perhaps they did take the Mother-in-law??

The 1901census is complete in the sense thateverything the enumerators found is on there but inevitably some people slip through the net .Even if they were in the workhouse their names and places of birth were usually accurate.
I have looked at the mother in law Susan M Axon (to see if the children might have been with her in 1901 but she is also missing! A few details on her
Henry Joseph Axon married Susan Maria Drake 1855 Dec Q Eastry and he died 1871 Jun Q Eastry -she died 1915 Dec Q Eastry so should be on the 1911 census but I dont have credits for that
She seems to have alternated between Susan, Susanna, and Maria for her first name in the censuses but in 1881 she is shown asMaria T Axon
They must all be together somewhere -even if William joined up and went abroad it is not likely he'd take mother in law too!

This looks like possible births, for the possible parents! :)

Births Dec 1868
MACEY William John Eastry 2a 875

Births Jun 1871 (>99%)
Axon Elizabeth Ann Eastry 2a 818

But not sure why William would state his place of birth as Surrey??

Thanks Helen and Gillian. I just misread Helen's scond post and thought she had found the missing 1901 census details, when I re-read it I saw it was the 1891 details. It does look hopeful that William and Elizabeth were Annie's parents, and Gillian that could well be Esther Annie's sister as I recall mum saying she had cousins in the Oxford area called Busby. I'll try to follow up Esther too now. .

Does anyone know if the 1901 census is incomplete? Is there a chance that they could have been in the workhouse at that time under assumed names? I'm grasping at straws here, i know...

Would love to hear if anyone thinks there is a reason why they wouldn't be on the 1901 census.

Many thanks,

Wendy

Elizabeth Esther Macey shown as 1mth old in 1891 is clearly still alive as she married in eastry 1912 mar Q to a Mr Busby, but cant find her 1901
Her father Wiliam J Macey is shown as born Virginia Water Surrey c 1866 but he does not figure in the BMD Index for Birth nor can I find him in earlier censuses. Elizabeth Esther and her mother Elizabeth A are both born Walmer kent. William J does not show any occupation 1891 which does not help either

this appears to be them in 1891- living in Walmer, Eastry, Kent:

Household Members: Name Age
William J Macey 25 > Surrey
Elizabeth A Macey 19 >Kent
Elizabeth E Macey 1/12
Susan M Axon 55

Still looking for them 1901 to see if Annie is with them.