Genealogy Chat

Julie-thanks for your thoughts I have tried Herrman[n] Woods and Herman[n]Archer nationwide-although i think it unlikely to have been anywhere other than Brixton-the census for 1881 1891 1901 and the 1880 marriage are all very consistant in this respect-also Evalina Woods family home was in Godalming-i have not traced any relatives for her other than in Godalming-she became a servant in Lambeth around 1870-it is unlikely in that day and age she would return home to have a child out of wed lock-although she did return for the marriage in 1880 [registry office-Guildford-4 miles from Godalming]-i understand the child only took the Archer name after marriage-would there have been any formal adoption or change of name procedures that could be checked? Stanley

She may well have gone away to have the baby and returned to London afterwards. Brighton perhaps? I would widen my search and look for any Herman's born in England/Germany even. You'd be amazed at how far some people moved.

Thanks Irene-yes they are all on the 1881 census i have tried checking the various Herman[n] chrsitian name births in Lambeth-which covered the Brixton area-also looked through some 8000 lambeth births during that period[i have obtained some of what looked like potential birth certs to no avail--i know the mother was Evalina A Woods and there is no reason to doubt he was born in Brixton -almost certainly in 1876-the birth cert probably was probably registered in the real fathers name-but how does one identify him-he was quite likely a German immigrant judging by the first name-also some of the children were of German {Saxony ?]appearance. Stanley

Hi well there are a few possiblities, either he is the son of a 1st wife, do you know if he was married before?, or the mother could have married the father some time after Zulu war was 1879 so was he in the Army. Did you manage to find them on the 1881 census. Have you looked under the mother maiden name Wood's. Irene

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1881 Census Hermann Archer Born 1876 BRIXTON Parents shown as John Archer[32] and Evalina A Archer[26] all living in Godalming Surrey 1891 Census Shown as Herman WOODS [age 15-Brixton]a servant in Godalming-John Archer[43] and Evaline Archer[36] also still in Godalming 1901 Census-Back to Herman ARCHER{age 25-Brixton] back living with John Archer[53] and Evalina A archer[45] I have the marriage certificate for John Archer[30] marrying Evalina Annie WOODS[24]-the marriage tookplace at Guildford on25/09/1880-4 years after the birth of Hermann Although i also have Hermann's marriage cert which shows his father as John Archer i dont think he was the blood father.On his marriage cert he was shown as Hermann Woods Archer. I just cant find any record of the birth in Brixton-1875-1877-am i missing something-The Mother we can be sure was Evalina A Woods-she was a single servant living in Denmark Hill Lambeth on the 1871 census and a spinster at her marriage-in 1880 Can any one help me trace the birth please as i would like to get hold of the relevant birth certificate for Hermann Woods[Archer]--Thank you-Stanley