Genealogy Chat

Would anyone be able to help ........any ideas to why there would be a name change of only 2 of the children in this family from Vowles to Cole (the youngest Cole is a grandchild age 5)

Thomas Cole is the one i am researching

many thanks :)
1871 England Census
about Thomas Vowles
Name: Thomas Vowles
Age: 11
Estimated birth year: abt 1860
Relation: Son
Father's Name: George
Mother's Name: Mary A
Gender: Male
Where born: Bedminster
Civil parish: Bedminster
County/Island: Somerset
Country: England
Registration district: Bedminster
Sub-registration district: Bedminster
ED, institution, or vessel: 19
Household schedule number: 89
Household Members: Name Age
George Vowles 32
Mary A Vowles 34
Richard Vowles 15
William Vowles 13
Thomas Vowles 11
Catherine Vowles 9
George Vowles 7
Sarah A Vowles 4

1881 England Census
about Thomas Cole
Name: Thomas Cole
Age: 20
Estimated birth year: abt 1861
Relation: Son
Father's Name: George
Mother's Name: Mary Ann
Gender: Male
Where born: Bedminster Bristol

Civil parish: Bedminster
County/Island: Somerset
Country: England

Street Address: Mill Street 6
Education:

Employment status: View image
Occupation: Potatoe Salesman

Registration district: Bedminster
Sub-registration district: Bedminster
ED, institution, or vessel: 23
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
George Vowles 39
Mary Ann Vowles 49
Thomas Cole 20
Kate Cole 18
George Vowles 16
Sarah Vowles 14
George Cole 5
Richard Pike 31
John Sheppard 72

I would suspect that they're children of a first marriage of Mary Ann but used their stepfather's surname when they were younger.

Possible birth of Thomas?

Births Jun 1861 (>99%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

COLE Thomas Bristol 6a 13

thanks thats what i thought but cant seem to find either marriage :(

found 2 births

COLE THOMAS 6a 13 JUNE 1861 BRISTOL

COLE THOMAS 5c 70 SEPT 1860 BEDMINSTER

1861 census
North Street, Bedminster, Bristol
Richard Cole, head, 39, plasterer journeyman
Mary Ann, wife, 29
Richard, son, 8
William, son, 7
***Thomas, son, under 8 months
All born Bedminster Bristol.

A possible first marriage?

Marriages Sep 1849 (>99%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cole Richard Bedminster 11 87
Smith Mary Ann Bedminster 11 87

oooo thank you so much .................thats the one i've been looking for :)

Now i am confused :-s

Has Mary been telling fibs about her age...............was she born in 1832 or 1837?

first marriage she would hae been either 12 or 17 hmmmm

She's 19 here:
1851 census
Wakefield's Cottages, Bedminster, Bristol
Richard Cole, head, 28, tiler & plasterer
Mary Ann, wife, 19
Both born Bedminster, Bristol.

I wonder if this might be her?
1841 census
West St., Bedminster
Ann Smith, 60, washerwoman
Mary, 30, washerwoman
Henry, 12
**Mary Ann, 10
Betsey, 7
William, 3
All born in county except 30 year old Mary.

yes could well be thanks margaret

looks like it is just 1871 that had her dob wrong so prob just an error :)

i found a poss second marriage but it is 1876....first husband died 1863

yet all children on 1871 have the name vowles.....................am i missing something?
or i'm just not very good at this :(

I would guess

a) they were still young enough not to question the fact that they are using their step father's name, but by 1881 they are beginning to exercise their individuality, and wanting to use their real father's name

or b) whoever gave the enumerator the information did not know that they were not the children of Mr Vowles, just assumed they all had the same surname.


Don't forget most of our ancestors were illiterate, so wouldn't be able to check entries


and also don't forget that wives and children were basically just chattels at that time, and not expected to question anything.


I would bet though that it was simply a case of assuming they all had the same name.




sylvia

Yes Sylvia i think you are prob right and it's just one of those things i'll never know for sure :)

hello again
sorry to be a pain :-)

just to make sure i am on the right track before i add any of this to my tree i am about to order a birth cert for William Cole (son of Thomas 1860)

i can only seem to find one, i already have his marriage which is 29 June 1907 and gives his age as 20 ......so could this be his birth?

Name: William Edward Cole
Year of Registration: 1886
Quarter of Registration: Apr-May-Jun
District: Bedminster
County: Gloucestershire, Somerset
Volume: 5c
Page: 698 (click to see others on page)

many thanks :-)