Genealogy Chat

I'm trying to trace the parents of George Waddington (born c 1855). He is shown on both the 1861 & 1871 census living in Almondbury with his grandfather and aunts/uncles but there doesn't appear to be any of the other people old enough to be his parents. When I go back to 1851 census there are two girls (Mary and Martha) who do not show on the 1861 census but could have been George's mother (although would have only been 17 at the most when he was born). I suppose the other option is that there was another child but 1841 census doesn't show any more Can't find anything on the birth index on Ancestry.com. Does anyone have any idea how I might find out who is parents are or is it a lost cause?

You could order his marriage cert (if he married) and that would say who is Father was (or wasn't!) and that may help you to find out if he was an illigitimate. Also - can you find either of the missing daughters in 1861 (they may have been put into an asylum for 'naughty behavoiur'

Can you get to a relevant Records Office (or big library with copies) to see the copy parish registers? The online IGI batches don't (according to the Hugh Wallis pages) go as late as you need. Christine

Thanks for that. Yes he was married (is my ggg grandfather) so I'll try that. Two daughters both died in 1855 (- maybe in childbirth?! - I did think about getting their death certs to see)

Hi Helen, Sorry to hijack your thread but I have a similar problem. I have sent for the birth cert and no fathers name is given, but I can`t find the mother on any other census. Can someone tell me how to search for an entry in an asylum please. Frances

Frances What do you mean, search for an entry in an asylum? Most folk are just indexed on the census like everyone else. Sometimes people in an asylum (or prison, or workhouse) are listed by initials and birthplace, so unless they were born in a tiny village it can be difficult to ensure you have the right person. If you want asylum records, you could try looking on a2a - they might be in the county records office or the local health authority. nell

If she is in a Workhouse, Asylum or other Institution, she should still be on the census - but maybe only initials given? Helen Have you looked for a baptism? Olde Crone

Nell, I was replying to Tom`s post, I thought he meant that if someone was in an asylum you would need to do a particular search. I will look for my missing person using an initial and see if that works. Thanks for your reply. Frances

Thanks OC.

OC Yes - have looked for baptism on Ancestry.co.uk and also on Family Search - nothing came up. I'm going to try and get to the library in Huddersfield to look up marriage etc at some point. Any other tips would be much appreciated.

Have now got a copy of his marriage cert and father is not listed. Therefore can I assume he was illegitimate? Have now though discovered that the person I thought was his mother (she would have been 17 when he was born) was married 4 years later. Did mother's desert their children in those days?

They often didn't own up to them. I have seen several cases where an illegitimate child remained with grandparents & was brought up by them and the mother got married & had children of her own. Not all men would bring up another man's child as if it were their own.

Helen His baptism, if you can find it, will show who his mother is, and just maybe, his father. OC

I have few like this on my tree, quite often teenage mums were sent away before they became noticably pregnant they would then stay with a relative in another village until the child was born. It is likely that the child may be brought up by an aunt or grandparents and may even be brought up to think that its mother is an elder sister or cousin. I have one like this in my family and the interesting thing is that although her mother left her with a spinster aunt her father kept in contact with her. Also many young mothers died in child birth. Caroline

There is a George Waddington registered Huddersfield 1854 2Q 9a 308 Almondbury comes under Huddersfield district. Sylvia. There is also a George Waddington registered 1855 2Q 9a 93 I cant make out the registration district but 9a fits with your area.