Genealogy Chat

I am trying to trace my husbands family and I am already stuck on his Grandad. William Smith

I have his death certificate 1956 age 75 died Hemsworth.
I have his marriage certificate 1903 age 29 Hemsworth to Esther Allott.

So the ages on these two documents dont agree. Family think he was born in Leicestershire - where do I go from here?

Any ideas please?

Donna.

The age on a death cert is based on info given by the informant, it might not be 100% accurate as the informant may not know the exact details.

The age on a marriage cert is the age that William would have given to the registrar, he may have given the wrong age at the time, (sometimes the couple changed their ages and it can be one of several reasons).



Is his father named on the marriage cert? Also is there an occupation for his father shown? Who are the witnesses?

Those bits of info might help locate him or other family in the census returns, especially with a surname as common as Smith you sometimes need other names to help find the family and then to the births etc.

Glen

The marriage certificate is more likely to be correct, he would have given his age. The death cert info is only as good as the information the informant gives. Was it his widow that was the informant?

As Glen said, who is the father? What occupation was he?

Father is on marriage certificate also William Smith decd. Witnesses are Benjamin Bradshaw and Alice White.

Father was a miner. Death informant was one of his sons.

Are you aware of any siblings that you could order the birth cert for to obtain parents names?

No

I'm not saying this is him but from the 1901 census in Hemsworth there is a possible, the age would be about right.

The three Smith names are recorded as boarders and although they may not be related they all come from Lincolnshire. I can't quite make out the occupation on the return though, there is a pencil line through it.

1901 England Census
about William Smith
Name: William Smith
Age: 27
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1874
Relation: Boarder
Gender: Male
Where born: Claxby, Lincolnshire, England

Civil Parish: Hemsworth
Ecclesiastical parish: Hemsworth St Helen
Town: Hemsworth
County/Island: Yorkshire
Country: England

Street address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Education:

Employment status: View Image

Registration district: Hemsworth
Sub registration district: Hemsworth
ED, institution, or vessel: 13
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 303
Household Members: Name Age
Ann E Cocker 14
Elizabeth Lee 48
George Lee 47
John A Smith 36
Samuel M Smith 30
William Smith 27


Source Citation: Class: RG13; Piece: 4307; Folio: 117; Page: 55.

Thanks for that - i will have a look at it. I have several possible ones but just dont know how to prove it!!

The same three Smith boys in 1891.

Looks like they are brothers, though obviously it might not be the William we want.

1891 England Census
about William Smith
Name: William Smith
Age: 17
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1874
Relation: Son
Father's Name: John
Mother's Name: Elizabeth J
Gender: Male
Where born: Claxby, Lincolnshire, England

Civil Parish: Bigby
Ecclesiastical parish: Grasby
Town: Grasby
County/Island: Lincolnshire
Country: England

Street address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Education:

Employment status: View Image

Registration district: Caistor
Sub registration district: Caistor
ED, institution, or vessel: 9
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Elizabeth J Smith 50
John Smith 60
John A Smith 26
Mary E Smith 28
Samuel M Smith 20
William Smith 17


Source Citation: Class: RG12; Piece: 2621; Folio 96; Page 8; GSU roll: 6097731

Hi Donna

A stab in the dark here, what address does William give on the marriage certificate and what is his occupation?

Looking at the '91 gives the occupation as bricklayers labourer, the 1901 shows bricklayer??

He is also a miner residence is just given as Hemsworth.

Wasn't very considerate was he? He's not helping much at all!!!


John A Smith in the 1901 works as a colliery yard labourer. The household is on West Street.

We can't really say one way or the other as to whether it might be your William or not, the age looks somewhere near details for dad from the 1891 don't match the wedding cert.

He might not have been in Hemsworth in 1901 of course and a quick look around for the witnesses isn't helping either.

Sometimes you have to tie the info freom occupations, witnesses etc together to try and either prove or disprove things.

Do you have any certs for the children at all? Perhaps it might throw up something on an address that way. You could always try and check the electoral rolls for any address you get, failing that it's a case of scouring the possibles and waiting for the 1911 census, it might reveal his place of birth and unlock some answers.

Sorry that doesn't help much, he isn't giving us much to go on!!

Glen

Thanks for your help Glen, I think im going to be waiting on that 1911 census!

Have you looked for Esther on the census to see how near she lived to the lot above. Not conclusive but they never seemed to go far for the spouse.

esther was from Hemsworth