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I am trying to trace my Great Grandfather, George Frederick Bridgman. I know that he married Margaret Macaulay on 26th February 1921 in Wandsworth. In the 1939 census he gives his date of birth as 28th June 1886. This date of birth also then appears on his death record in 1980 in Dacorum. On his marriage certificate his age is given as 35 which is also consistent with an 1886 year of birth.
The problem is I can find no record of a George Frederick Bridgman born in 1886, whereas there is a George Frederic Bridgman born on 28th June 1888, same day and month but wrong year. Is this 1888 George Frederic Bridgman the same George Frederick Bridgman that married Margaret Macaulay in 1921 and maybe lied about his year of birth one the 1939 census?
Another inconsistency between the two George's is that the 1888 George has a father named Edward and the 1921 George has a name of Edwin as his father on the marriage certificate.
Third inconsistency is that the 1888 George Frederic Bridgman has no 'k' on the end of his middle name.
But so much else seems to fall perfectly into place - place, profession, absence from the 1901 census etc.
Any help anyone can give would be much appreciated.
Regards
Paul Bridgman

Have you found George on any census from 1911 backwards

There’s no 1886 birth registration ,but there is this one

BRIDGMAN, GEORGE FREDERICK TAYLOR
GRO Reference: 1888 S Quarter in WEST HAM Volume 04A Page 124

And marrying Wandsworth would be in the same area

Again all in the same, area

Marriages Dec 1883 (>99%)
BRIDGMAN Edward Poplar 1c 1178
TAYLOR Amelia Sarah Poplar 1c 1178

Depends how people wanted to spell it !


George Frederic Bridgman
Gender: Male
Record Type: Baptism
Baptism Date: 24 Sep 1889
Baptism Place: London Docks St Peter, Tower Hamlets, England
Father: Edward Bridgman
Mother: Amelia Sarah Bridgman
Register Type: Parish Registers

Born 28.6.1888

Mistranscriptions all round
1891 census
George Medth Bridgeman
Gender: Male
Age: 2
Relationship: Son
Birth Year: 1889
Father: Edward Bridgeman
Mother: Amelia Bridgeman
Birth Place: Canning Town, London, England
Civil Parish: West Ham
Ecclesiastical parish: Holy Trinity
Residence Place: West Ham, West Ham, Essex, England
Registration District: West Ham
Sub registration district: West Ham
ED, Institution or Vessel: 24
Neighbors: View others on page
Piece: 1322
Folio: 30
Household Members:
Name Age
Edward Bridgeman 26. Occ plasterer
Amelia Bridgeman 24
George Medth Bridgeman 2
Anelia Louisa Bridgeman 7/12


It’s George Fred ,k on the census page

Welcome to the boards, Paul.

At first glance, without having done any research so far, I don't think the three inconsistencies you mention are necessarily deal-breakers.

YOB is frequently out by a year or two on the 1939 Register, but day and month are more often correct.

George 1888 does have a "k" if you look at the image of the Index, and is transcribed as such on FreeBMD and GRO sites.

Births Sep 1888 (>99%)
Bridgman George Frederick W. Ham 4a 124

The fathers' names of Edward or Edwin could easily be down to human error one way or the other - what the registrar wrote, or thought he heard.
I've come across several instances of someone being called Edward in some records and Edwin in others.

The sisters death
Amelia Louisa Bridgman
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1891
Registration Year: 1893
Registration Quarter: Jan-Feb-Mar
Age at Death: 2
Registration District: Wandsworth
Parishes for this Registration District: View Ecclesiastical Parishes associated with this Registration District
Inferred County: London
Volume: 1d
Page: 40

George is with an uncle in 1901


View 1901 England Census
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Name: George Bridgeman
Age: 12
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1889
Relation to Head: Nephew
Gender: Male
Birth Place: London, England
Civil Parish: Hammersmith
Search Photos: Search for 'Hammersmith' in the UK City, Town and Village Photos collection
Ecclesiastical parish: St Mary Stamford Brook
County/Island: London
Country: England
Street Address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Education:

Employment status:

View image
Registration District: Fulham
Sub-registration District: North Hammersmith (including Starch Green)
ED, institution, or vessel: 02
Neighbors: View others on page
Piece: 39
Folio: 51
Page Number: 25
Household Schedule Number: 165
Household Members:
Name Age
Henry Bridgeman 45
Margaret Bridgeman 45
George Bridgeman 12



So maybe something happened to his parents so he may not have known the correct name for his father


Was the father given as deceased on the marriage cert ?

That 1888 George is the one that I think is the same as the 1921/1939 George. I have been able to trace quite a bit of information about the 1888 George, but feel I am lacking a smoking gun to say it is the say George as the 1921/1939 George.

The 1888 George was baptised in 1889 on which you can see his actual day of birth as 28/06/1888, exactly two years to the day different from 1921/1939 George.

The 1888 George is on the 1891 census with his parents, Edward and Amelia, living in West Ham (surname spelt Bridgeman on that one - common mistake).

By 1893 George is attending Garratt Lane School in Wandsworth. (Date of birth shows 28/06/1888 and father Edward).

Parents, Edward and Amelia had a daughter in 1891 Amelia Louise Bridgman who died aged 2 in 1893 in Wandsworth.

Then no sign of this 1888 George or his parents Edward and Amelia on he 1901 census. In fact I find no sign of Amelia or Edward again after that.

On the 1911 census there is a George Bridgman living in Carshalton on a farm with his uncles Charles and Thomas which are the correct ages and names of 1888 George's father Edward's brothers as evidenced by earlier census' when Edward was a child.

So far so good - I am pretty confident that all of the above up to 1911 is the 1888 George.

The link I have been uncomfortable declaring is that this 1888 George (and therefore the 1911 George) is my 1921/1939 Great Grandfather George.

The information I have on the 1921/1939 George is his wife, profession, date of birth, place of birth, children, date of death, name of father, place he was living in 1921 onwards...

Everything "fits" with the 1888 George but mostly circumstantially. Two key obstacles are the name of his father one his marriage certificate as "Edwin" not "Edward" and his date of birth as 28/06/1886 instead of 28/06/1888.

There was another brother

View London, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1917

Name: Charles Edward Bridgeman
Gender: Male
Record Type: Baptism
Baptism Date: 29 Dec 1892
Baptism Place: Earlsfield St Andrew, Wandsworth, England
Father: Edward Bridgeman occ plasterer
Mother: Amelia Sarah Bridgeman
Register Type: Parish Registers

Born 13.2.1892


BRIDGMAN, CHARLES EDWARD TAYLOR
GRO Reference: 1892 M Quarter in WEST HAM Volume 04A Page 152

As George isn’t with his parents from 1891 then it’s very likely he only had little information about them from his memory

The differences you see are in fact quite usual in genealogy terms

Information is only as good as what people think they know

Thank you for all this research guys :-D

Marriage certificate does not show the father as deceased, no. But both witnesses are not family members as far as I can see.

The birth of another child to Edward and Amelia in 1892 - thank you - I had not spotted that. That could give some more clues to link to the 1921/1939 George.

The 1901 uncle - I'm not so sure about this. I spotted this but was not so convinced because I cannot find a Henry as a brother of Edward.

With the 1911 uncles Charles and Thomas it made me think that even if he did not know his father well he would still have known his name. But maybe Edwin was what his brother's referred to him as, I guess.

Also consistent with the theory that the 1921 George did not know his father was that the father's profession was "labourer" which seems pretty generic. The Edward, father of the 1888 George was a plasterer.

What do you make of the fact that George attended an infant school aged 4? Isn't that a bit early? Does it suggest anything about mother Amelia at the time? Considering sister Amelia had just died.

Differences in YOB and father's name already explained above - human error.


Another child ?
BRIDGMAN, ROSE mmn TAYLOR
GRO Reference: 1893 S Quarter in WANDSWORTH Volume 01D Page 751


Rose Bridgman
in the London, England, School Admissions and Discharges, 1840-1911
Name: Rose Bridgman
Age: 6
Birth Date: 23 Jul 1893
Admission Date: 23 Apr 1900
School: Garratt Lane School
Father: Edward Bridgman <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Notes: Garratt Lane School (0339) opened in 1876. Became Gertrude Sanson Primary School in 1951. Closed or reorganised in 196-

Same schoool as George.


Rose Bridgman
in the 1901 England Census
Name: Rose Bridgman
Age: 8
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1893
Relation to Head: Visitor
Gender: Female
Birth Place: Wandsworth, London, England
Civil Parish: Streatham
Ecclesiastical parish: St Mary Summerstown
County/Island: London
Country: England
Street Address:
Occupation:
Registration District: Wandsworth
Sub-registration District: Streatham
ED, institution, or vessel: 12
Neighbors:
Piece: 471
Folio: 23
Page Number: 38
Household Schedule Number: 247
Household Members:
Name Age
Frederick Darvill 42
Caroline Darvill 35
Fanny E Darvill 18
Frederick T Darvill 16
Caroline H Darvill 15
Priscilla Darvill 13
Annie M Darvill 10
Francis Darvill 8
William A Darvill 5
Mary V Darvill 3
James J Darvill 1
Rose Bridgman 8


??
Rose Bridgeman
in the London, England, Poor Law School District Registers, 1852-1918
Name: Rose Bridgeman
Admission Age: 12
Record Type: Admission
Birth Date: 23 Jul 1893
Admission Date: 26 Feb 1906
Admission Place: Wandsworth, London, London, England
Admission Poor Law Union: Wandsworth
School: Intermediate School Swaffield Road
School District: Wandsworth

That reocrd gives mother's name as Rose Bridgeman - but that could be a mistake.

He was in the same trade as his dad

21 Jews Row, Wandsworth, Wandsworth, London, England

George F Bridgman 28 Jun 1886 Male Plasterer Bldg Trade H Married 18 1
Margaret A Bridgman 31 Dec 1888 Female Domestic Duties Unp Married 18 2
The record for this person is officially closed.
For individual people, records remain closed for a century after their birth (the 100-year rule), unless it can be proven that they passed away before this milestone. Use the ‘Open This Record’ button if you believe that this person is now deceased
The record for this person is officially closed.
For individual people, records remain closed for a century after their birth (the 100-year rule), unless it can be proven that they passed away before this milestone. Use the ‘Open This Record’ button if you believe that this person is now deceased
Margaret A McCarthy (Bridgman) 30 Mar 1925 Female Stitching-Upholstery W Single 18 5
Charles E Bridgman 24 Nov 1926 Male At School Single 18 6
Daisy R Berry 11 Oct 1916 Female Rag Sorter Single 18 7
View first 5 occupants
Ref: RG101/0609C/003/12 Letter Code: AXVU

Note he has a son the same name as the brother born 1892 !

Going to school at 4 - and even 3 - was commonplace

Two more children

BRIDGMAN, HENRY ROBERT TAYLOR
GRO Reference: 1898 J Quarter in WANDSWORTH Volume 01D Page 759
BRIDGMAN, JAMES TAYLOR
GRO Reference: 1896 D Quarter in WANDSWORTH Volume 01D Page 787


Sadly

James Bridgman
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1896
Registration Year: 1896
Registration Quarter: Oct-Nov-Dec
Age at Death: 0
Registration District: Wandsworth
Inferred County: London
Volume: 1d
Page: 419


And possibly

Harry Robert Bridgman
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1899
Registration Year: 1900
Registration Quarter: Jan-Feb-Mar
Age at Death: 1
Registration District: Kingston
Parishes for this Registration District: View Ecclesiastical Parishes associated with this Registration District
Inferred County: Surrey
Volume: 2a
Page: 289

???

First name(s) Harry Robert
Last name Bridgman
Gender Male
Marital status -
Occupation -
Event year 1900
Birth year 1899
Age at death 22m
Burial year 1900
Burial date 09 Jan 1900
Burial place Morden, Surrey
Street address 5 Cowper Road
Place Morden
County Surrey

??? More chhildren ??

BRIDGMAN, HENRY ROBERT TAYLOR
GRO Reference: 1898 J Quarter in WANDSWORTH Volume 01D Page 759

BRIDGMAN, JAMES TAYLOR
GRO Reference: 1896 D Quarter in WANDSWORTH Volume 01D Page 787

BRIDGMAN, THOMAS WILLIAM TAYLOR
GRO Reference: 1895 S Quarter in WANDSWORTH Volume 01D Page 749



Thomas Bridgman
in the 1911 England Census
Name: Thomas Bridgman
Age in 1911: 15
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1896
Relation to Head: Nephew
Gender: Male
Birth Place: Wandsworth, Surrey, England
Civil Parish: Carshalton
County/Island: Surrey
Country: England
Street Address: Batts Farm, Rose Hill Mitcham, Surrey
Marital status: Single
Occupation: Farmer Assistant
Registration District: Epsom
Registration District Number: 31
Sub-registration District: Carshalton
ED, institution, or vessel: 06
Piece: 2928
Household Members:
Name Age
Charles Bridgman 40
Thomas Bridgman 35 - brother, Poplar
George Bridgman 24 - nephew, Poplar
Thomas Bridgman 15 - nephew, Wandsworth


Thomas Bridgman
in the London, England, School Admissions and Discharges, 1840-1911
Name: Thomas Bridgman
Gender: Male
Age: 5
Birth Date: 24 May 1895
Admission Date: 27 Aug 1900
School: Garratt Lane School <<<<<<<<<<<
Father: Edward Bridgman <<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Notes: Garratt Lane School (0339) opened in 1876. Became Gertrude Sanson Primary School in 1951. Closed or reorganised in 196-