Genealogy Chat

Hi, I live in N.East and am looking for Gt. Gt. Grandfather born in Somerset. Been looking at 1841 Census but although I had specified "Somerset" it showed several placenames...with which I am unfamiliar; I have only Somerset but unusual name, Job Staple ,or Staples born 1837 +/- a year or so...Anyone able to help please or do a look-up for me ?I just joined and can`t get very far with this search system ! Is it me ?!!

I'm not sure where you've been looking but Ancestry only has one Job Staple born in Somerset at about that time. This one.

1841 England Census
Name: Job Staple
Age: 3
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1838
Gender: Male
Where born: Somerset, England
Civil Parish: Bickenhall
Hundred: Abdick and Bulstone
County/Island: Somerset
Country: England
Street address: [Looks like] Coles

Occupation:

Registration district: Taunton <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Sub-registration district: Pitminster
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members:
Name Age
John Staple 25 - J. Tanner
Maria Staple 30
George Staple 8
Harriet Staple 4
Job Staple 3
Charlotte Trump 11

They're living next door to the Tan Yard.

Bickenhall is a village and parish in Somerset, situated 5 miles (8.0 km) south east of Taunton.

Dear Margaret

You are doing just fine!

Don't worry we all have problems searching for our ancestors!

If you want to see if other Genes Reunited members have any of your ancestors in their family trees, then go to search trees, put in the details and allow about 5 years either way for date of birth.

Sometimes, it works better if you do not specify a place name as people can put in different names for the same place because of boundary changes.

I had problems when I was tracing my great-grandmother's two brothers who went to Yorkshire. I could not find the village names.

So I contacted the descendants of the neighbours listed in the census at the time.

Thanks to their generous help and advice, I located my ancestors.

If you need help with place names, then go the GENUKI search engine.

Put in the area name and then the details will gradually follow.

That is how I found the church parishes for my ancestors, which was very helpful.

Good luck with your search.

Best wishes
xx

1851 England Census
Name: Job Staple
Age: 13
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1838
Relation: Son
Father's Name: John
Mother's Name: Maria
Gender: Male
Where born: Somerset, England
Civil Parish: Walsall Foreign
Town: Walsall
County/Island: Staffordshire
Country: England
Street address: Walhouse St

Occupation:

Registration district: Walsall
Sub-registration district: Walsall
ED, institution, or vessel: 2c
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 194
Household Members:
Name Age
John Staple 42 - Tanner
Maria Staple 46
Geo Staple 17 - Carrier
Mary A Staple 22
Charlotte Staple 19
Harriot Staple 25
Job Staple 13
Susan Staple 7
Dennial Staple 5
Frank Staple 4

All born Somerset, so could only have been in Staffordshire a couple of years.

Aha! This might give you a clue.

1861 England Census
Name: John Staples
Age: 50
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1811
Relation: Head
Spouse's name: Maria
Gender: Male
Where born: Street, Somerset, England
Civil Parish: Rushall
County/Island: Staffordshire
Country: England
Street address: 51 Teddsley St

Occupation: Tanner

Registration district: Walsall
Sub-registration district: Aldridge
ED, institution, or vessel: 7
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 4
Household Members:
Name Age
John Staples 50
Maria Staples 53 - Milliner & dressmaker
Daniel Staples 17 - brass founder
Frank Staples 14 - currier [which fits in with the tanning business]

All born Street which is not far from Glastonbury. Kind of half way between Taunton & Bristol.

Lewis's gazetteer is a useful tool for looking up places, and seeing which parish and poor-law union they're in, especially as poor-law unions often coincide with rego districts.

E.g., BICKENHALL, a parish, in the union of Taunton, hundred of Abdick and Bulstone, W. division of Somerset, 5½ miles (S. E. by E.) from Taunton; containing 264 inhabitants....

http://www.british-history.ac.uk/source.aspx?pubid=445