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Thankyou so much for the information, I couldn't find any of this here on GR.
I have a couple of questions, I hope you don't mind me asking
I actually find some of the information a little confusing, according to the 1901 census he was known by the name of Matthews born at Cinderford, but yet on cert it says Cross born at Bilsdon Green. This bit I find confusing lol
Also what does boarder mean?
Is there anywhere that tells you the birth years of his parents, John and Clara? I have searched on GR but can find no trace in birth records or census's
Thankyou for your help, I am in your debt
kind regards
Kim

So Ann Udall/Cross/? is the grandmother of Percy John Matthews.

Now to find Alice Sumner and how Clara Matthews comes to be her cousin.

In 1911 Clara is back home with her mother and a third "illegitimate" child.

1891 England Census
about Jane Cross
Name: Jane Cross
Age: 4
Estimated birth year: abt 1887
Relation: Daughter
Father's Name: William
Mother's Name: Nancy
Gender: Female
Where born: Fleetwood, Lancashire, England

Civil parish: Thornton
Ecclesiastical parish: St Peter
Town: Fleetwood
County/Island: Lancashire
Country: England

Registration district: Fylde
Sub-registration district: Fleetwood
ED, institution, or vessel: 8
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
William Cross 42
Nancy Cross 41
Joseph Cross 12
Isabella Cross 6
Jane Cross 4
Jonathan Cross 1

Oh, and son John 14 born Cockerham arrives home from his job as Night Watchman at the Port.

Marriages Sep 1896 (>99%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cross Ann Fylde 8e 1277
Udall William Henry Fylde 8e 1277

Witnesses at the marriage of Percy John are Frederick John Sumner and Ellen Littlewood (per Ancestry Tree).

Here's Percy in 1901:

1901 England Census
about Percy J Matthews
Name: Percy J Matthews
Age: 10 months
Estimated birth year: abt 1900
Relation: Boarder
Gender: Male
Where born: Cinderford, Gloucestershire, England

Civil parish: Fleetwood
Ecclesiastical parish: Fleetwood St Peter
Town: Fleetwood
County/Island: Lancashire
Country: England
Registration district: Fylde
Sub-registration district: Fleetwood
ED, institution, or vessel: 11
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 149
Household Members: Name Age
William H Udall 57 Dock labourer
Ann Udall 51
Jane Cross 14 Step dau
Jonathan Cross 10 Step son
Percy J Matthews 10 months Boarder

Looks like Ann Udall was previously a Cross/married to a Cross.

There is a tree on Ancestry with the family. Says father John was born Cockerham, Lancashire, mother born East Dean, Gloucestershire.

Here's the 1911 census:

128 SUMNER, Thomas Head Married M 34 1877 Coal Miner Hewer Brinscall Lancashire VIEW
128 SUMNER, Alice Wife F 33 1878 Cinderford Glostershire VIEW
128 ANNIS, Thomas Sumner Son M 10 1901 School Cinderford Glostershire VIEW
128 SUMNER, Frederick John Son M 7 1904 School Cinderford Glostershire VIEW
128 MATTHEWS, Percy John M 10 1901 School Pontshill Herefordshire VIEW
128 MATTHEWS, Cyril M 9 1902 Pontshill Herefordshire VIEW
128 ANNIS, Frederick Lodger Single M 28 1883 Coal Miner Hewer Cinderford Glostershire VIEW

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RG number:
RG14 Piece:
27470 Reference:
RG14PN27470 RG78PN1573 RD505 SD3 ED10 SN128

Registration District:
Pontefract Sub District:
Pontefract Enumeration District:
10 Parish:
Tanshelf

Address:
30 Love Lane Terrace Pontefract County:
Yorkshire (West riding)

The transcription is wrong. The two Matthews boys are "Cousin's children". Percy is born Cinderford, not Pontshill.

Hi Meg

I received birth cert today, this is the info on it

Percy John Cross, born 4th June 1900
Bilson Green
East Dean
Westbury on Severn (place of registration)
Gloucester

Father: John Cross, dock labourer
Mother: Clara Cross nee Matthews

Registered 12th July 1900

I have tried to search birth, death and cencus records but have been unable to find anything so far
kind regards
Kim

You see, we make these assumptions that people know how to order a certificate, and of course "everything is easy when you know how, and a damn problem when you don't" as my dad used to say. So, Kim, always ask for help with anything new.

Let us know when you get the cert. Takes about a week normally.

Thankyou, that worked!
Certificate is ordered, I'll be in touch once I have it
Many thanks
Kim

Do not panic, it's not a brick wall. On the first page where you ask for a birth cert, move down to where it asks "Is the GRO Reference known". Click on Yes and enter the year (1900). You then get a second screen to enter his name, the Quarter (Sept), District (Westbury S), Volume (6a) and page (291), as you were given earlier in the thread.

You don't need any other information. Unless you want express delivery, it should cost you £7.

Good luck.

I tried ordering the birth certificate online and hit a snag. Required information include exact date of birth and mothers forename/s and maiden name. So another brick wall lol

That's great Meg. I will probably be back once I have the birth certificate.
Many Thanks
Kim

Re the John Cross you found on family search, wait till you get the birth cert of Percy. Let us know when you have it, cos we can then help with finding his parents on the census, if you need such help.

Rose posted this:

for ref likely

Births Sep 1900 (>99%)

Cross Percy John Westbury S. 6a 291

To get a copy of the birth cert go to:

https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/Login.asp

You will need to register.

It's ages since I ordered a cert, but you click "Birth" and lower down it asks if you have the GRO reference. Say Yes. The year is 1900. The next screen has your own personal details. The next one asks for details of the Cert you want. They are all above. Quarter is Sep, District is Westbury, Volume 6a, Page 291.

You only want a Standard certificate, cost £7, unless you want to pay extra for a faster delivery, but at the moment they are responding quite quickly to certificate requests.

DO NOT order certificates from Ancestry or any other commercial site, they will cost far more.

You can order certificates from the local register office if you can find it, they are also £7 and sometimes have more flexibility, e.g. if you need to check out a person's occupation before deciding it is the right person.

But the GRO is fine in most instances.

Hope this helps you.

Thanks Meg, I will find out the names of the witnesses for you.
I have no idea about obtaining the birth certificate, so any advice would be welcome, thankyou
I have also found a possible on familysearch.org of a John Cross born in Warminster Wilts in 1856. It lists his father as William Cross and Mother as Emma Walter, but no other information.

We might still be able to help if you tell us the witnesses on the marriage of Percy and Sarah Roberts.

Do you know how to go about getting the birth certificate of Percy?

Ask if you don't know, I'd be glad to advise.

Thankyou so much for trying to help me, it's appreciated.
I will look into obtaining Percy's birth certificate
kind regards

Hello again Kim.

It's a pity the marriage cert for Percy is not more informative. Who were the witnesses on it?

You probably need to get his birth certificate in Westbury to get any further.

There will be no mother's name on online records for the birth of John in 1863 unless you get that birth certificate, but at the moment it is far from certain that would be the right father.

Get the birth cert of Percy and give us his parent's names and father's occupation when you have got it.

We found a marriage certificate for Percy, date of marriage to Sarah Roberts was 24th Dec 1921. It list fathers occupation as deceased. If his father died, maybe this was why he was sent to Yorkshire?
There is no birth certificate, I can only guess his mother kept it or it was lost.
I have found an entry in birth records for a John Cross born in Tisbury Wilts in 1863 but there is no mothers maiden name, so that looks like a dead end too.