Genealogy Chat

I've been researching my great-grandfather in the 1901 and 1911 censuses. In 1901 he is listed as being born in Bradford, but in 1911 he is listed as being a German resident. Given that the 1911 census was the first time householders wrote the entry for themselves, does anyone have any idea on whether I should believe this? Three years later WWI began and if he really was German he would probably have been interned as an enemy alien. I'm confused, why would he have said he was from Bradford in 1901?

Someone else could have given the birth details to the numerator thinking that perhaps that was where he was born. Have you checked to see if he had a naturalisation certificate as that would give his birth details on it. Good luck Irene

I wonder if we are related !!!

My Grandfather and his elder brother lied and said they were born Bradford and joined the British Army in the mid 1890,s .The family were German and came over to the UK between 1880 and 1889, the youngest boy was born Bradford in 1889, but by 1891 the family had moved down to Limehouse London. My Grandfather and his elder brother anglicized the surname to disguise the fact they were German so strictly speaking we were registered in the wrong surname.
The family never took naturalisation.

I finally worked it out. He must have come over from Germany in the early 1890s and stayed in Bradford - there was a large German community there. Then he moved to Lancaster, where he married my great-grandmother under his real name of Julius Braun. He had changed his name to John Brown by the 1901 census, and they must have told the enumerator the places where they'd been before they married, not their birthplaces. In the 1911 census, they recorded their real birthplaces.
I'm planning on visiting Bradford in the summer to see if I can find any further info.

Hello Margaret
Interested in your posting, my Great Great Grandpa was listed as born 'At Sea' and born in Denmark on various census - equally, he could have been German because the borders changed so much at that time (he was born 1834).
Do you know anyone who has tried to find a Naturalisation Certificate, the only way online seems expensive unless you are fairly sure of a result!

Also, what info did you put into the 1911 census please - everything I try just comes up with 'No records found! !!

These same things could apply to my Great Grandpa who was born in Latvia, but the 1901 census says Lancashire .
In both cases, the names are anglicised.

Hope you don't mind me asking
Thanks

Lynda

I think POBs on the census must depend on how the question was asked.

My grandfather was born in London; on some censuses it says Pimlico on others Chelsea, but always somewhere in London.

I could not find him 1901. The only one with the same name and YOB was an Imperial Yeomanry private in Aldershot and POB was given as Devon, Plymouth. Then my cousin sent me his navy and Boer War papers. He was discharged from the Navy in January 1901 and joined the Imperial Yeomanry in February.

So, I guess, he was asked by his landlord "Where d'you come from" and not "Where were you born". Well, he had come from Plymouth!

Hi
Just to confirm that there is a part of Bradford actually called Little Germany-JLe

That's very interesting re Bradford German community .I have often wondered why my German Grt Grandparents and family ended up in Bradford from Germany, but then went down to Limehouse London where I know there was a very big German community mostly Sugar workers.
My grt Grandad August Fahse (two umlauts over the a) was a carpenter/joiner /journeyman
Shirley

Lynda, sorry I didn't reply! I searched using his wife's name, Susannah, as there were way too many John Browns! I knew they were in St Helens by 1911 as that's where my grandmother and her younger sisters were born. If you know an address, you can search 1911 census by that as well as names.
I think naturalisation info can be found at the national archives? worth looking on their website. Hope you find your family soon!

i got german ancesters i wonder how you would anglicise rohwetter as i loose them about 1901
karen

Karen, I've joined the Anglo-german family history society, google their webpage, they have a list of names members are researching, you may be able to find your name there.
Good luck,
Margaret