Genealogy Chat

The name is George Head b:1818 Hawley ref RG10/474. His relationship is down as assistant and occupation as watchman (I can read that much) but cant quite make out addy. On 51 and 61 cencus he is a police constable in Homerton. I have enquired at the Met but no record of him so I am now wondering if it was Railway Police as there is a railway office just under his name on the census. Any opinions please. Many thanks Marie

Oh gosh! It's Bells [something illegible] Yard. The something illegible is repeated several times on the page but I can't make out whether its G- or S- something. It's always possible your chap wasn't a Metropolitan policeman, but a City of London policeman. Their records are at the Guildhall, whereas the Met stuff is at Kew. nell

Marie, sorry I haven't got time to look at it now as I must go to bed, but if you look at the page at the beginning of the enumeration district, it will be 'description of enumeration district' on ancestry and you get to it by browsing the census on there, it should list all the streets in that district and hopefully the writing will be neater on that page! Kate

Couldn't find likely Bell's whatsit on Gendocs list of Victorian Streets. If you chap was a railway policeman, then like the Met records, I think you need Kew. www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/RdLeaflet.asp?sLeafletID=114&j=1

You dont think its sewage do you

Passage, not Sewage!!!! OC

Further down the page it looks more like Bells Sewage Yard, but on your entry the first letter looks more like a J, so I'm not sure. Kath. x

Hmn. On description of enumeration area, which is written in equally ghastly writing, it looks like 'Belle Sauvage Yard'. I've googled and there was a Bell Sauvage Yard near Fleet Street, which is the right area for you. Do google, there seem to be a lot of historical sites about it. nell

hiya, the nearest i can get is bells 'sawage' yd, is defintatly S***age, have compared letters with others on same page, think nell on right tracks, just hope this helps Julie

Thank you everyone I will google tomorrow as its getting late now. Thank you so much for your replies. Thank you Nell I will look into the Railway Police. Regards Marie

After looking at the description of the enumeration district it looks to me more like Bells Sausage Yard. Kath. x

But no useful results from google with sausage whereas Bell Sauvage Yard definitely DID exist. Apparently there was an old inn near Ludgate Hill called Bell Sauvage, also recorded as La Belle Sauvage. nell