Genealogy Chat

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I am trying to find my great grandmother on the 1881 census. She is Selina Jane Shackleton b.1856 in Southampton. At the time of the 1871 she was living in Greenwich with her father James Shackleton (b.1835 France Iron Moulder), mother Elizabeth nee Broughton (b.1836 Preston Lancs), her brother James (b.1869 Greenwich Kent), her grandfather John Shackleton (b.1798 Scotland retired) and finally her grandmother Elizabeth Broughton (b.1809 Anglesey Wales) I have her grandmother in Shoreditch in 1881 and I have found Selina in 1891 in Shoreditch living with her “husband” Elphege Auguste Tocqueville (helpfully transcribed as Longueville) and children near to her grandmother but I can find no trace of any of the others in 1881. I have tried every permutation I can think of but with no luck. I have even tried working my way around Shoreditch street by street (which I haven’t finished yet) The biggest problem is not knowing if she is living as a wife to someone or if she is with her parents. (I only have the parents, grandfather and brother on the 1871 then they disappear without death certificates) Does anyone have any suggestions before I pull my hair out? Thanks Janet

Janet, I cant be much help to you but I am eagerly awaiting any replies you may get as I have had a number of problems finding family in 1881, although I have located them in 1871 and 1891. In my case it has been male relatives, so its not as though they married and changed their name. Fingers crossed that someone out there has some answers. Wendy

Have tried searching on Ancestry 1881 for a Selina, born Southampton 1856 and the only one that seems to fit the name, place and year is a Selina Holdaway, wife married to Charles, general greengrocer. Have no way of checking if this is your Selina, but I've saved the image in case you want to see it. Kath. x

Just to let you know - I've tried and found nothing. All I could find is what you already know except I couldn't find them in 1871 !! They must be somewhere !! Esta :)

Thank you all for your replies.Honestly I pop into the bath and come back to find you've all been looking for me. Kath, I havde come across Selina Holdaway before but I can't see any reason for Selina to have returned to Southampton. Also the Holdaways have a servant whereas my Selina is more likely to be a servant. By 1884 she is in Shoreditch giving birth to my grandfather's sister.In 1891 and 1901 she is working as a sewing machinist. I forgot to say that in 1901 she is going by the name of Mitchell and has now been "widowed" twice. Thank you for your help, Janet P.S. Wendy if you give me the details I'll have a go at your ones, if I can't find my own maybe I'll have more luck with yours!

I have spent the whole night & morning (it's 3.30am) looking for my family in 1881. They just aren't there ! They do pop up again in 1891, so they aren't dead. Must have been a big spaceship they were all on !!

Jacqueline, sorry for not including you in that previous reply. I'm a one finger one thumb typist! The first child I have for Selina and Elphege is Elizabeth Mary born in 1884 in Shoreditch. I've looked in the area but I can't find them in 1881. Problem is they appear to have had each of their children in a different street (though all in the same small area) I guess the only two births that happened in the same location were her twins :-)

Karen, I've already checked out the UFO theory but I've been assured by SETI that there were NO alien abductions that year!

No sorry, Bumstead is well out of the area. Thanks for trying though.

Janet, thanks very much for your offer of help in locating my "lost" family but as I have checked for them on both the Ancestry and on the 1881 British Census from The Church of the Latterday Saints, I think it would be a waste of good time. As it is more than one person in the same branch of the family, I think they must have gone into hiding (or else the person taking the info didnt like them). I really do appreciate the offer though. Good luck with your research. Wendy

You have to be a bit wary of place-of-birth on a census. My g-grandfather was born in Maidenhead (1881, 1891) or Ilford (1891) - with the whole of the area of Greater London in between! The only likely candidate on the GRO list (name & date) was registered in the Romford area. I thought that if one is right and one wrong, you'd be more likely to claim to be born in Maidenhead incorrectly than Ilford. I got the birth cert, which had very compatible info on it (and works with further research) and he was born in "Barking Side". Christine

Hi Christine, in your case Barkingside would be classed as Ilford. I have thought of different place of birth but Selina consistantly says Southampton on each census. I have also checked all the Selina's living in the London area but none seem to fit. Her age remains consistant too. She is a real mystery but then again so are her whole family. Father, Mother and grandfather missing from death indexes, brother disappears, no marriage certs,husband No 1 turns up, never becomes naturalised so no idea which part of France he comes from and to crown it all of her 7 children three die and three disappear leaving just my grandfather.