Genealogy Chat

Sorry its taken me a while to get back to you but had a bad night. There is no occupation for George on 1881 census and when he married he was in South Staffordshire Regt. Witnesses on the certificate were Charles Shovel who was Father of the bride and Susan Williams, He married in Plymouth Devon where he was stationed.

William seemed to change his occupation a lot in 1871 he was a labourer and 1861, 1851 a shoe jack maker according to those I have just found. The Iron Brazier bit could also have been a fib as Alice Shovel's (George's bride) father was a carpenter and was also one of the founders of Plymouth Co operative society.

That marriage does look very possible. Sorry I did not say about the Wolverhampton bit.

Christine

This is almost certainly the marriage of William and Harriet - found on freebmd

Marriages Mar 1849 (>99%)
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Arrowsmith William Walsall 17 277
Beech Joseph Walsall 17 277
Boulton Fanny Walsall 17 277
Powell Mary Walsall 17 277
Somerfield William Walsall 17 277
Stokes Charles Walsall 17 277
TAYLOR Harriet Walsall 17 277
Worley Hannah Walsall 17 277

The family you refer to as having found in 1881 has a head William whose occupation is BREWER. A long way from Iron Brazer, I'm afraid

Name: George Summerfield
Age: 17
Estimated birth year: abt 1864
Relation: Son
Father's Name: William
Mother's Name: Harriett
Gender: Male
Where born: Bloxwich, Staffordshire, England

Civil parish: Walsall Foreign
County/Island: Staffordshire
Country: England

Street Address: 42 Wolverhampton St
Education:

Employment status: View image

Registration district: Walsall
Sub-registration district: Bloxwich
ED, institution, or vessel: 11
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
William Summerfield 58
Harriett Summerfield 57
Margaret Summerfield 19
George Summerfield 17
Stephen Summerfield 12
Elizabeth Summerfield 5

The submitted 'birth' records on the IGI appear to be a direct 'crib' from the 1881 census on the site. They are not baptism records.

OK - found the 1901 census, which gives his birthplace as Wolverhampton - you didn't include that piece of info to help us

I think your first step should be to find George in1881 - when he would probably have had the same occupation as in 1891.

1891 gives his birthplace only as Staffordshire - not precise enough to be able to pinpoint him in earlier years.

A 'deceased' father on a marriage cert is always a bit of a concern..............

Who witnessed his marriage?

1871 Either or neither
George Somerfield William,
Emma abt 1861 Whampton, Staffordshire, England Son Wolverhampton, Staffordshire
View Record
George Somerfield William,
Harriet abt 1862 Bloxwich, Staffordshire, England Son Walsall, Staffordshire
Edit
Wrong occupations for William

The fathers occupation on George's marriage certificate was Iron Brazier and he was deceased. The marriage was August 1887

Christine

The 1871 I found was

William Somerfield Head 46 Bloxwich
Harriet Somerfield Wife 45 Bloxwich
Henry Somerfield Son 21 Bloxwich
Joseph Somerfield Son 13 Bloxwich
Margaret Somerfield Dau 11 Bloxwich
George Somerfield Son 9 Bloxwich
Stephen Somerfield Son 2 Bloxwich

I also have this family on 1881 where William, Harriet, Margaret and Stephen are on plus another child that is a Grandchild but the Surname is Summerfield.

I also have the family on 1861 and 1851 with the Surname Somerfield.

I have found birth registration for all the children but cannot find registration for the marriage.

Christine

That's how names have evolved over the years - people who couldn't read or write didn't know how to spell them, so the officials who recorded events wrote down what they 'heard'

If the marriage was after mid-1837, it will be on freebmd - use phonetic surname search.

You may be able to prove the father's identity through his occupation - it will have been recorded on the son's marriage cert

My Great Grandfather was George Summerfield c1861 Staffordshire, I found him after he married on 1891 census (name transcribed as Summerford) and on 1901 census both these census were in Plymouth Devon where he had married and settled, but could not find him on census with his Father William or find his birth, though I had sent for a couple of likely certificates.

Last night I decided to have another go and I think I have him but am not sure as on 1871 census then tracing the rest of the family back, the surname is Somerfield. Not only that but I decided to have a look on Familysearch for his fathers? marriage (taken from the census I found) and think I have found it but for one thing it is in name Somerfield and for another it is a record I would normally ignore because it was submitted by a member.

On this marriage it also gives the baptims of the children and by going and looking for registrations I have found them but again the name is Somerfield.

Be interested in what people thought on this and how you prove it.

Christine