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Sappho, if you mean BMDs for Brighton for that period, even if the local records had been destroyed, a copy would still be held by the GRO and could be found on freebmd (for example)

Doing a search on freebmd for births in Brighton 1858/1859 this is what comes up:

Sorry, that search found 4939 matches and the maximum number that can be displayed is 3000.

Have you tried looking on there for your grandfather's birth?

Hello Bob,

This may be a long shot regarding your relative, but in trying to locate the birth of my grandfather in Brighton Sussex in 1858/9 and much time and help searching, it was pointed out to me that records for a period covering the 1800's the records for Brighton had been destroyed/lost and therefore the baptism was the only avenue left for the birth dates, etc.

You may wish to contact the local area historical records regarding this information as I cannot now locate how I came by it. Please correct me if I am wrong anyone!

Sappho

This looks like it could be the Sarah Knight in the 1871 census that is listed as a 'Visitor' to Thomas in the 1861 census

Name: Sarah Knight
Age: 75
Estimated birth year: abt 1796
Relation: Head
Gender: Female
Where born: Eastbourne, Sussex, England
Civil Parish: St Dunstan in the West
Ecclesiastical parish: St Dunstan in the West
County/Island: London
Country: England
Registration district: London City
Sub-registration district: St Bride
ED, institution, or vessel: 6
Household schedule number: 376
Piece: 425
Folio: 32
Page Number: 60
Household Members:
Name Age
Sarah Knight 75 Widow occ Laundress
Sarah Furguson 42 Dau b Paddington Middx occ Laundress

Address: 1 Crown Ct

Thanks for all the help, it gives me some more avenues. Away now for a week at Corfe Castle. Fingers crossed for the weather, I am camping. Bob

Wild guess at death of James senior:


England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index, 1837-1915 about James Fergusson
Name: James Fergusson
Date of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar 1840
Registration district: Maidstone
Inferred County: Kent
Volume: 5
Page: 240

But . . . . . was he still alive when Thomas was christened?

Have deleted, as I now realise that...................but being specific is always helpful, and he wasn't.

To be fair, Bob didn't specify that Sarah Knight was Thomas's M-I-L

This looks like the brother



1841 England Census

Name:James Ferguson

Age:15

Estimated birth year:abt 1826

Gender:Male


Civil Parish:Maidstone

Hundred:Maidstone Borough

County/Island:Kent

Registration district:Maidstone

Sub-registration district:East Maidstone

Piece:490

Book:10

Folio:34

Page Number:14

Household Members:


Name

Age

George Brisley 60
Elizabeth Brisley 65
George Brisley 15
Sarah Brisley 12
James Ferguson 15 <<<<<Painter
Richard Large 25
Sarah Large 30
Sarah Large 7
Richard Large 5
William Large 4




England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975

Name:James Alexander Ferguson

Gender:Male

Baptism Date:16 Jan 1824

Baptism Place:Tunbridge, Kent, England

Father:
James Ferguson

Mother:
Sarah

FHL Film Number:1469567

Reference ID:item 5 p 169

The M-in-Law was Rebecca Aggus. You need to see the original, not the transcript, she is two lines above Thomas.Bob

Not that it helps but neither the grooms father or the brides father are noted as deceased on the marriage certificate but Reggie has shown that Susanna's mother was a widow in 1851. Also both witnesses from the bride's family.

If Thomas's parents were both deceased perhaps he just didn't know if he had been baptised.

A brother for Thomas


London, England, Marriages and Banns, 1754-1921


Name:James Fergusson <<Painter & Glazer

Spouse Name:Harriett Lambert

Record Type:Marriage

Event Date:6 Jul 1856

Parish:St Giles without Cripplegate

Borough:City of London

Father Name:
James Fergusson <<Painter & Glazer

Spouse Father:
Henry Lambert

Register Type:Parish Register


Wit: Thomas Alexander Fergusson & R Aggus

London, England, Marriages and Banns, 1754-1921



Name:Thomas Alexander Fergusson <<Cabinet maker

Spouse Name:
Susanna Aggus

Record Type:
Marriage

Event Date:21 Nov 1853

Parish:Finsbury St Luke

Borough:Islington

Father Name:
James Fergusson <<Painter

Spouse Father:
John Aggus <<Carman

Register Type:Parish Register

Wit: Joseph & B Aggus

I don't know what his mother's maiden name was, only the Sarah from the baptism. Bob

I wasn't disputing your thinking LB.................merely rebutting Bob's idea, which is clearly erroneous

John Aggus
England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975
birth: 22 February 1824
christening: 21 March 1824 SAINT MATTHEW,BETHNAL GREEN,LONDON,ENGLAND
father: John Aggus
mother: Rebecca

Susannah Aggus
England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975
birth: 16 December 1833
christening: 23 March 1834 SAINT MATTHEW,BETHNAL GREEN,LONDON,ENGLAND
father: John Aggus
mother: Rebecca

Joseph Aggus
England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975
birth: 23 September 1831
christening: 16 October 1831 SAINT MATTHEW,BETHNAL GREEN,LONDON,ENGLAND
father: John Aggus
mother: Rebecca

Charles Frederick Aggus
England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975
birth: 7 November 1825
christening: 11 December 1825 SAINT MATTHEW,BETHNAL GREEN,LONDON,ENGLAND
father: John Aggus
mother: Rebecca

Elizabeth Aggus
England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975
birth: 23 September 1827
christening: 14 October 1827 SAINT MATTHEW,BETHNAL GREEN,LONDON,ENGLAND
father: John Aggus
mother: Rebecca

Sarah Ann Aggus
England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975
birth: 19 June 1822
christening: 22 September 1822 SAINT MATTHEW,BETHNAL GREEN,LONDON,ENGLAND
father: John Aggus
mother: Rebecca

Rebecca Aggus
England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975
birth: 12 May 1829
christening: 31 May 1829 SAINT MATTHEW,BETHNAL GREEN,LONDON,ENGLAND
father: John Aggus
mother: Rebecca

The reasons why I gave a possibility of Sarah Knight being Thomas' mother are

a) I've had a number of relatives that have just been listed as 'visitor' on cenuses.

b) Could Thomas' mother have remarried and Thomas assumed the married surname of his mother in 1841 & 1851 census hence the reason he can't be found under the surname 'Fergusson'.

c) Sarah Knight was born in Sussex the same County as Thomas.

d) According to the 1851 census his MIL was Rebecca.

As I say it is just a thought and may not be anything at all but in the absence of anything else thought it was worth throwing into the pot!

The 1851 census found by Reggie is at 3 Bridgewater Gardens the address given on Thomas' Baptism but unfortunately no Thomas

It pays to check.........................

1851 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription

First name(s) Last name Relationship to household head Marital condition Gender Age Birth year Occupation Birth place
Rebecca Aggus Head Widow Female 62 1789 Laundress Wendover, Buckinghamshire Image Transcription
Elizabeth Aggus Daughter Unmarried Female 23 1828 - Bethnal Green Image Transcription
Josep Aggus Son Unmarried Male 19 1832 Fancy Carver Bethnal Green Image Transcription
Susannah Aggus Daughter Unmarried Female 17 1834 - Bethnal Green Image Transcription
Edwin Lomas Grand Son Unmarried Male 9 1842 Scholar St Giles Cripplegate Image Transcription
Ellin Robinson Daughter Unmarried Female 1 1850 Nurse Child Newtown, Hoxton Image Transcription
Alexander Manis Lodger Married Male 33 1818 Brass Liner Scotland Image Transcription
Ann Manis Wife Married Female 32 1819 - Southampton Image Transcription
William Baber Visitor Unmarried Male 17 1834 Coach Wacher Crediton, Kent Image Transcription
William Clind Visitor Unmarried Male 19 1832 Lozenge Maker Bow, Middlesex Image Transcription

Sarah Knight is described as a visitor..........not as ANY kind of relation

Have you got Thomas's marriage cert ?
What was his occupation ?

Reason for asking is the delayed baptism posted above may have been in order to marry and this Thomas married in 1853 to Susannah AGGUS .
The marriage cert online shows his name as Thomas Alexander Fergusson


1881

Thomas Furguson
[Thomas Furgusson]
Age:50
Estimated birth year:abt 1831

Spouse:Susanah Furguson

Where born:Brighton, Sussex, England

Civil Parish:St Leonard Shoreditch

County/Island:London
Street address:7 Church St

Marital Status:Married
Occupation:Cabinet Maker

Thomas Furguson 50
Susanah Furguson 48
Arthur Furguson 16
Frederick Furguson 9
Rebecca Furguson 7
Walter Furguson 3