Genealogy Chat

To be serious for a moment, could this be his birthplace? TOSELAND, a parish in the hundred of TOSELAND, county of HUNTINGDON, 4¾ miles (E.N.E.) from St. Neots, containing 144 inhabitants.

Maybe 'Railway Labourer' means his mother went into labour on the railway, and she passed through Huntingdon, Colchester and March on the journey. Now that's lateral thinking isn't it?

Have you looked for a birth 1st quarter 1851? He may have been registered late. Or he may not have been registered at all, it wasn't compulsory until 1875. Liz

I cant cope with ancestry bdms they drive me mad. I get all my bdms from 1837. Although this costs more and I am a paid ancestry member, I find 1837 easier to read. This family were itinerant railway workers and went where ever the work was. I dont suppose they could remember where they had been from one year to the next. Hence the confusion. I will check death reg for 50/51 and order cert. Many thanks Sylvia.

There's no other obvious Thomas Pope on the 1851 census to fit......Just ensure there isn't a death reg between Q4 1850 and Q2 1851. Merry

They refund you £3 if its wrong. But Im betting its the guy.In 1851 they are living in Bourne, Lincs district arent they, also close to Peterborough Notice how pedantic the parents are in that 1851 census 'railway labourer' 'railway labourers wife'. These seem to me to be people who would register him. Im just a bit concerned about the wild swing from Peterborough to Colchester. You have treble checked there isnt another bloke same year of birth. I take it you have scoured ancestry beta, not just freebmd.

Heather thanks for the reply. If parents dont match this one will I still have to pay for the cert do you know? Its possible he wasnt registered at all as it wasnt yet compulsory. Sylvia.

Well Peterborough sounds pretty good - very close to Huntingdon and March is in Cambridgeshire perhaps 10 miles or so from Peterborough? If there are no other matches in any of the census for a chap with same name in Peterborough then seems likely the right one - you can always give his dad/mums names as check points. As he is shown as 4 months old in 1851 - we are talking what Nov/December 1850 for his birthday, so right quarter for him. The 1851 certainly looks like Huntinghdon Tussal doesnt it?! It sounds like they are living in railway cottages - wonder if the cottages are still there.

Thomas Pope appears on census as follows. 1851:age 4 months stated birthplace Tissal(Tussal) Huntingdon neither of these places exist. 1861: age 9 birthplace UK Cambridgeshire. 1871 age 21 birthplace Colchester Essex 1881 age 30 birthplace March Cambridgeshire. Died 1886 so no more census.(age 34) Assuming he was born in 1850 the only birth I can find anywhere near any of these places is. Peterborough 4thQ xv 362. Anyone come up with any better ideas please. Thank you Sylvia.

I am looking for birth of Thomas Pope. See below (in 10mins) Sylvia.