Genealogy Chat

Would some kind soul have a look at this for me please and tell me if (1) I've got the 'right' Wiliam H Godfrey in 1881 and (2) If I've got him right - are there 2 different Mary J's? The more I look, the more I'm getting confused! Full details below in a mo. Thank you in advance for any help offered. Barbara

1871 England Census Name: William Godfrey Age: 13 Estimated Birth Year: abt 1858 Relation: Grandson Gender: Male Where born: Brimington, Derbyshire, England Civil Parish: Gedling Ecclesiastical parish: Lincoln Town: Gedling County/Island: Nottinghamshire Country: England Street address: Occupation: Condition as to marriage: Disability: View image Registration district: Basford Sub-registration district: Carlton ED, institution, or vessel: 2 Neighbors: View others on page Household schedule number: 74 Household Members: Name Age Mary Godfrey 44 Robert Godfrey 11 Sam Godfrey 3 Sarah Godfrey 8 William Godfrey 45 William Godfrey 13 Source Citation: Class: RG10; Piece: 3495; Folio: 28; Page: 14; GSU roll: 839741. 1881 England Census Record about Willm.H. Godfrey Name: Willm.H. Godfrey Age: 23 Estimated Birth Year: abt 1858 Relation: Head Spouses's Name: Mary J. Gender: Male Where Born: Staveley, Derbyshire, England Civil parish: Gedling County/Island: Nottinghamshire Country: England Street address: Gedling Condition as to marriage: Married Education: Employment status: View image Occupation: Railway Porter Registration district: Basford Sub registration district: Carlton ED, institution, or vessel: 6 Neighbors: View others on page Household Members: Name Age Mary J. Godfrey 22 northamptonshire Sam Godfrey 14 Willm.H. Godfrey 23 Source Citation: Class: RG11; Piece: 3338; Folio: 137; Page: 16; Line: ; GSU roll: 1341796. 1891 England Census Record about William H Godfrey Name: William H Godfrey Age: 33 Estimated Birth Year: abt 1858 Relation: Head Spouses's Name: Mary J Gender: Male Where Born: Brimington, Derbyshire, England Civil parish: Carlton Ecclesiastical parish: Netherfield St George Town: Carlton County/Island: Nottinghamshire Country: England Street address: Occupation: Condition as to marriage: Education: Employment status: View image Registration district: Basford Sub registration district: Carlton ED, institution, or vessel: 5b Neighbors: View others on page Household Members: Name Age Ada Godfrey 4 Alice J Godfrey 9 Mary J Godfrey 30 Brighton, Sussex Samuel Godfrey 23 William H Godfrey 33 Clara Knaster 39 Source Citation: Class: RG12; Piece: 2679; Folio 9; Page 12; GSU roll: 6097789. Other clues - on Sam Godfrey's marriage certificate the father was given as William Godfrey (dec'd), tailor, and William H Godfrey was a witness. Thanks again Barbara

Barbara I've taken the liberty of reorganising this so I can compare censuses more easily: 1871 Gedling: Nottinghamshire William Godfrey 13: abt 1858 Grandson born: Brimington, Derbys William Godfrey 45 Mary Godfrey 44 Robert Godfrey 11 Sarah Godfrey 8 Sam Godfrey 3 1881 Gedling Willm.H. Godfrey: 23: abt 1858 Head Staveley, Derbyshire Spouses's Name: Mary J. Occupation: Railway Porter Mary J. Godfrey 22 northamptonshire Sam Godfrey 14 1891 Carlton William H Godfrey Age: 33: abt 1858 Head Brimington, Derbyshire Mary J Godfrey 30 Brighton, Sussex Samuel Godfrey 23 Alice J Godfrey 9 Ada Godfrey 4 Clara Knaster 39 The two Mary J.s have different birthplaces and years, which implies they are different people, but the only way to be sure is to see if they have different surnames on the eldest and youngest child's birth certs, I guess.

Helen Thank you for taking the time to look - sorry the original was so jumbled! Barbara

As to if they are all the right lot- do all the occupations match up and are there any other likely Godfreys born same area and times? My guess is that this lot look the same. I know folk often get confused about where they are born - I've got a William Williams (as if that isn't bad enough to start with) who has 4 different birthplaces on 4 different censuses! nell

in 1881 Willliam H is listed as a railway porter and in 1891 is listed as a railway goods guard - which I think is a close enough match. He's a farm servant in 1871 - but then he was only 13! Thanks for taking the time to look. Barbara

You're welcome. I've just been rechecking some of my lot and found quite a few errors either on census form itself or in the transcriptions, which I didn't notice first time round. nell