Genealogy Chat

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Can anyone help me find my wife’s 2GGF and his father in census returns before 1871. I have the family in 1871: RG10/3020/100/15. William Lashford is living in Halesowen, Worcestershire, aged 36, a blind hawker (formerly a coal miner). He was born in Clent, Worcesterhire. He had only married in 1870, and the PR marriage entry says that he was then a 35 year old lodging house keeper and a bachelor. His father was also William Lashford, a bricklayer. I initially confused this William with another (William Davis Lashford, born Kinver), son of William Henry Lashford, b1802 Dudley), but that was a mistake. I have my William in every census up to 1901, and he is consistent about his age and place of birth. I can’t find any match for him as a younger man or a child, and I can’t find a bricklaying father (who was probably still alive in 1871) either. I am using Ancestry to find him in the earlier census material, and wonder whether his name may have been mistranscribed. Mind you, it would be odd if that were true for 1841, 1851 & 1861! Perhaps I have been looking for too long, and can’t see the obvious. Can anyone help?

Hello clive do you have his marriage cert to double check his fathers details lorraine

Im not having much luck Clive

I don't have the marriage certificate, but I have seen (and transcribed) the original marriage register. The father was not one of the witnesses, so the only reference to him was his name and occupation: William Lashford, bricklayer.

This from 1841, Union Workhouse - don't know how close Clent is to Bromsgrove: William Lashford Age: 8 Estimated Birth Year: abt 1833 Household: View other family members Gender: Male Where born: Worcestershire, England Civil Parish: Bromsgrove Hundred: Halfshire (Upper Division) County/Island: Worcestershire Country: England Street address: Occupation: View Image Source information: HO107/1195/7 Registration district: Bromsgrove Sub-registration district: Bromsgrove ED, institution, or vessel: Bromsgrove Union Workhouse

I was looking at that one Pamela. Clive I have a few marriage certs that give the wrong fathers name, in one case they give their grandfathers name instead.

Yes, I had come across the workhouse entry. Bromsgrove is not very far away, and it is quite possible that that is him as a boy. I could try the Record Office for further information about the Workhouse, but as he's there alone (if it's him at all), I'm no nearer to finding his parents, or indeed, finding him in the other two census returns.

Clent isn't too far from Bromsgrove. Kath. x

Thanks to those who have replied. I have had no luck with this one. I will spend some time next week at the Record Office looking for evidence of a baptism (and the parents' marriage) at Clent & the surrounding parishes, but it is odd that he appears to be missing from the early census returns. A brick wall, perhaps?