Find Ancestors

I have found my 'direct' line of ancestors but am puzzled by the brother, Stephen, the brother of my g.g. grandfather -Alfred Burton Wood . Stephen was born in Geddington/Kettering in 1839.

Information that I have found on his brother Alfred say that he succeeded his brother Stephen [in business?] in 1866. Stephen was his eldest brother.

I have found Stephen in the 1841 and 1851 census returns - but can find no record of him after this date. The 'business' was in Ilkeston [then in] Nottinghamshire. can anyone else find a trace of him or do you think he died? His mother was Rachel Wood [nee Richardson] and his father Isaiah Wood a tailor in Kettering.

If he was indeed the founder of a business then he would have died in either Ilkeston Nottingham or gone home to his family in Kettering, Northants [I assume]

It may be that the book I obtained the information from at the local library is wrong - they have taken some information from [somewhere!! regarding his father] and I believe that this is also wrong!!]

I have looked throught FreeBMD and they have records of deaths of Stephen Wood's but none of them in Nottingham, Basford or Ilkeston.

If anyone can help me with this annoying niggle to my family history - then i would appreciated it VERY much as it is doing my head in!!!

Elaine

hi elaine
probably no good to you but found one burial of a stephen wood 5 6 1885 age 63 at carrington st john sherwood the age is wrong
regards sharon

Hi Sharon,

that seems to be the problem - i cannot find a death that matches with his date of birth!!

he just seems to have disappeared!!

Elaine

hi elaine
1881 there is a stephen wood living at 102 caroline st with wife harriet
timber merchant employing 14 men born geddington
sharon

hi elaine
possible marriage stephen to hariett rouse 19 1 1862 notts st paul
sharon

have you tried looking for a will, or at least the probate. If I remember rightly the earlier probate records state the occupation of the deseased as well as the other details.

Ages on death records are only as good as the person registering the death knows and were often a bit out.

hi,

sorry should have put occupation on the posting. i believe that he was a provision merchant the same as his brother - the business in ilkeston was a shop - i think selling alsorts of stuff [as they would in those days] but the impression i get is that it was more food stuffs!!

my apologies for not giving this info

Elaine

Hi Sharon,
sorry not replied earlier - I will check out the marriage you have found. I am in Nottm so can nip to the archive and have a look [esp seeing though you have found the parish/church for me!! Thank you.


Hi Ann,
I dont know alot about probate records - any further information you can give me would be most useful. Does everyone have a record? or just those with enough monies to leave behind?

Where do i access probate records? - the archives?

Many thanks.

Elaine

only people who have left a will or for whom there are letters of administration (admons) will have a probate index listing..

County record offices or archives often have the national fiches of the indices which are indexed by year & name so easy to look at. You may have to search for a few years after a death as probate was not always applied for immediately. If the death was before 1858 the indices are only held at the relevany county office, but if found wills are often available to read there. I'm sure the staff will give guidance.

If you look at the national archives site there is quite a bit about searching for & obtaining copies of wills.

I did find this death but it is a verified entry so either it was written wrongly as Woods in the first place or it is the wrong one!

Deaths Dec 1856 (>99%)
WOODS Stephen Basford 7b 57

hi Ann,

1856 would fit in though - it certainly looks like Wood to me!!! I have just searched on FreeBMD and it doesnt come up in the name search - but searching the volume and page i can view the original.

thank you - i think you may have found him. i will order death cert and let you know if this confirms it for me.

Elaine

no - looking again at the images - going back in the volume - there is clearly a section for Wood - and this looks like Woods - but i think i will still order the certificate - stranger things have been noted before - in one census the family were transcribed a Weeds!!! but i think that was just the script type writing at the time that is difficult to read!? lol

it is the nearest i have got to answering the puzzle so it HAS to be worth the try

Elaine

I looked too and I agree it's Woods but stranger things have happened. Worth a go as you say.

Hi Ann,

I have ordered the cert - will let you know if it gives me the confirmation that i need.

Thanks

Elaine

Hi Elaine

I think this is one of yours

1871 Address: Wood Street, Geddington

HOWE, William John Head M 34 1837 Northamptonshire VIEW
HOWE, Rebecca Wife F 32 1839 Northamptonshire VIEW
WATERS, William John Son-In-Law M 9 1862 Northamptonshire VIEW
WATERS, Albert Son-In-Law M 6 1865 Northamptonshire VIEW
WOOD, Harriett A Daughter F 3 1868 Northamptonshire VIEW
HOWE, John Thomas Son M 2 1869 Northamptonshire VIEW
HOWE, Elizabeth Daughter F 0 1871 Northamptonshire

from my reading of this i think rebecca has remarried
cant remember where she fitted in
i will leave that with you

Hi Christine,

When I first read this, I thought it was the answer to my problem.

However, I cannot find a Harriett Wood recorded as a child of Rachel and Isaiah in the census' before they 'seperated'

The family 'disappears' between the 1851 and 1861 census'. If this is correct and Harriett were the child of Rachel and Isaiah - then she would have been conceived BEFORE 1861 and from the dates given she was born in 1868!!

AND this Rachel had children after 1868 with William Howe.

AND I have just noticed as I am typing this reply - that this is a Rebecca not a Rachel!!!

Thank you for thinking of me, however. How are you? Have not heard from you for a while!

Elaine

I am fine. Been working hard.
Hope you are well too.

You are really getting stuck in now arn't you?

I know this is not Rachael.
I found it and I am sure it fits in somewhere with your lot so I thought I would send it to you.
A tiny village like that it is unlikely that the woods are not related in some way.

Stephen Wood Pedigree
Male


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Event(s):
Birth:
Christening: 18 SEP 1839 Geddington, Northampton, England

Death:
Burial:


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Parents:
Father: Isaiah Wood Family
Mother: Rachel Wood


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Source Information:
Batch No.: Dates: Source Call No.: Type: Printout Call No.: Type:

I007046

Hi Christine,

There was a Rebecca married to an 'Enos' [I think] in Geddington and I was going to try and find out if he was Isaiah's brother - but I have not got around to it yet!!!

It could be Enos's wife.

I have had contact from someone who thinks his wife is a relative of mine. He has sent me a marriage cert and she is related to Alfred's son and Stephen's nephew!!!

Hi Christine,

I am now in receipt of the marriage cert of Isaiah and Rachel - Enos is a witness - I am taking this as Enos being a relative - prob his brother.

Isaiah's father is John Wood - so either Alfred Burton was telling porkies or the Ilkeston History Society has got it wrong. I think the history society took their information from the book written on prominent people in Ilkeston - before computers and geneology - so I think that Alfred may have given the wrong information on purpose!!!!

Elaine

Hi All,

The death cert I ordered wasnt the correct one - it was just a stab in the dark!! So I have put the cert details on the BMD share website.

Elaine