Genealogy Chat

On the 1841 census I have found that Thomas and Ann French had James and Joseph, both aged 15, and Ann, Sarah and Stephen all aged 10. Can I "assume" that the three aged 10 were triplets.?????

Kathlyn

not necessarily they could be twins and a separate birth when on was under 1 year old. the enumeraor too could have rounded the ages off to the nearest five years. this was done for adults but he could have applied it acroos the board. I would look for later census.'s

1841 just for info

Name: Thomas French
Age: 40
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1801
Gender: Male
Where born: Essex, England

Civil parish: Haverill
Hundred: Hinckford
County/Island: Essex
Country: England

Street Address:

Occupation: View image

Registration district: Risbridge
Sub-registration district: Haverhill
Neighbors: View others on page
Piece: 332
Book: 6
Folio: 3
Page Number: 25
Household Members: Name Age
Thomas French 40
Ann French 40
Thomas French 20
James French 15
Joseph French 15
Ann French 10
Sarah French 10
Stephen French 10
Allis French 8
Hannah French 6
Gardner French 4
Harriot French 3
Anthony French 2

A thing to remember is that in the 1841 census enumerators were instructed to adjust peoples age down to the nearest 5 or 10. E,G. someone who is shown as 15 years old may in fact have been really anywhere between 15 and 19 years old. The instruction was only meant to apply to those aged 15 years or over but maybe that particular enumerator applied it to those aged 10 or over.

Before concluding that the older 2 were twins and the younger 3 were triplets may I suggest that you check the baptism records of the people concerned. It might also be worth checking the census records of their neighbours to see if other families children were accurately recorded.

Another fact to bear in mind is that no family relationships were recorded in the 1841 census so although seemingly the younger members may appear to be the natural children of the older members they may not be. It will be worth looking for the individuals in the 1851 census to check their true ages and possible relationship.

Jonesey is right - all ages for other households have been rounded down for people over 10 years old.
The chance of triplets surviving back then must have been close to zero really, as it's still pretty risky even now.
Jan

Unfortunately Ann, Sarah and Stephen had either left home or died before 1851, which makes it harder to check.

Name: Thomas French
Age: 54
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1797
Relation: Head
Gender: M (Male)
Where born: Sturmer, Essex, England

Civil parish: Haverhill
Ecclesiastical parish: Ely
Town: Haverhill
County/Island: Essex
Country: England

Registration district: Risbridge
Sub-registration district: Haverhill
ED, institution, or vessel: 4c
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 27a
Piece: 1787
Folio: 155
Page Number: 14

Household Members: Name Age
Thomas French 54
Alice French 18
Gardner French 14
William French 10
Charles French 6
Samuel Bush 40

Here's Stephen French in 1851. It says he was born in Woodhill but if you look at the image it says Haverhill, Suffolk.

1851 England Census
Name: Stephen French
Age: 19
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1832
Relation: Servant
Gender: M (Male)
Where born: Woodhill, Suffolk, England

Civil parish: West Wickham
County/Island: Cambridgeshire
Country: England

Street Address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Disability: View image

Registration district: Linton
Sub-registration district: Duxford
ED, institution, or vessel: 2
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 101
Piece: 1761
Folio: 371
Page Number: 25
Household Members: Name Age
Charles W Lamprill 38
K F Lamprill 53
Sarah Mortlock About 20
Lockinss About 20
Mary Howard 19
Ann Osborn 17
Stephen French 19

Source Citation: Class: HO107; Piece: 1761; Folio: 371; Page: 25; GSU roll: 193653.

This could be Ann from the 1841 census. She's 24 in 1851 although seems strange to round her age downward 4 years in 1841. But she is probably the eldest of the three as her name appears first on 1841.

1851 England Census 1851 England Census
Name: Ann French
Age: 24
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1827
Relation: Servant
Where born: Staverill, Suffolk, England

Civil parish: Brinkley
County/Island: Cambridgeshire
Country: England

Street Address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Disability: View image

Registration district: Newmarket
Sub-registration district: Cheveley
ED, institution, or vessel: 1
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 64
Piece: 1762
Folio: 12
Page Number: 17
Household Members: Name Age
Robert Maulkin 59
Rebecca Maulkin 49
Emily Maria Maulkin 24
Ann French 24
Elizabeth Freestone 24
George Plumb

It looks like Sarah may have died prior to the 1851 census. Cannot find any likely ones on that census.

Deaths Mar 1847 (>99%)
French Sarah Risbridge 12 356 Scan available - click to view

Deaths Sep 1850 (>99%)
FRENCH Sarah Risbridge 12 243 Scan available - click to view

The thing to watch with baptisms on the IGI is that some families had 'block bookings' of children of differing ages baptised at the same time which doesn't help any!!

I agree with Cythia. My gt grandfather John was baptised within a few weeks of his birth in 1837. He was the first child. The 5th child was the next to be baptised within a few weeks of birth and several months later the 3 middle children were baptised on the same day, with John named as the father instead of the correct father, William! No way could John have been the father of the 3, he would have been too young. At least the bapt. records also showed the date of birth of all 5 in the margin - 5 certs I dont need to buy!

Huia.

On the 1851 census there is another Ann FRENCH, servant, aged 23, b 1828 in Linton, Cambs. Linton is not too far from Haverhill. She is in Rectory House, London Lane, Fulbourn, House servant to the Rector of Fulbourn Parish.

I must check the 1841 census to see if there is another Ann French, b in Linton, but I am going out soon (here in NZ) so wont be able to check for a few hours.

Huia.

We can eliminate the one I found b in Linton. She is in Linton in 1841.

Huia.

The one found by Moonbeam is probably her. The transcript from FMP gives her surname as Frenelo, but looking at the image I would say it is French. It gives the p.o.b. as Haverill.

Huia.