Genealogy Chat

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Today I finally received the birth certificate of my gr-gr-grandfather, Sydney Frank Barnard. On it the Barnard is mis-transcribed as Barnet. (Although, it’s definitely the correct one, as my mother can remember a cousin who shared his birthday, and the chances of two Sydney Franks being born on the same day in a tiny village like Barney, Norfolk is incredibly slim). The parents are William James and Jemima (formerly Knowles). On the 1891 census they have been mis-transcribed as Barnet again (I’ve checked the original and, although an easy mistake, I think it is Barnard). I’m pretty sure this is the correct couple as, although Sidney Frank hasn’t been born yet, two of the children share the exact names of the grand-children I know they subsequently had – George William and Bertie. Now comes the first conundrum : On freeBMD there is a marriage in Dec Qrtr 1885, in Erpingham (the appropriate district for where they lived) 4b/201 – Jemima Knowles is one of the brides, and amongst the grooms are two slightly different transcriptions of the same person : BARNARD-PAGE, James William and PAGE, James William B. Now, I can accept the two Christian names being swapped round, but this was the first I’d heard of Page. The surprising thing is that, on the 1901 census, the whole family is listed as Page – all the dates match up (sort of) and the places of birth, so I’m pretty sure these are the same people – but why are they suddenly going by the surname Page. Why had they registered Sydney under the surname Barnard, and appeared as Barnard ten years earlier on the 1891 census ? Were either they, or the transcriber/enumerator just getting confused by a double barrelled name do you think ? I think I have seen a site on the internet about some Barnard-Pages – I’ll have to try and find it again and see if there’s a connection. The second problems is a tiny bit easier (?!) for anyone out there with access to more records than I’ve got (such as 1837 online or earlier censuses). Jemima Knowles has a child (Joseph – b 1879) pre-dating her marriage to William. In 1881 Joseph is with his grandfather (and Jemima is working away from home) as Jemima is listed as unmarried, Joseph may well have been illegitimate, or her Marital Status could have been wrong and the Knowles’ were actually her in-laws and her maiden name different. Jemima’s date of birth tends to vary a bit and there is a chance that she was born before the 1861 census – can anyone check whether there is a Jemima Knowles living as a child with Charles & Celia Knowles ? I’d be very grateful. I’d appreciate anybody’s thoughts on all this ! Cheers Simon

Simon, I'd check for any Barnets in surrounding villages, as the registration district usually encompassed a cluster of villages. and check for the death of your Gr Gr Grandfather's father. His mother may have re-married to a Page, and the children may have taken his name. - Lots of 'mays' aren't there! Oh the joys of genealogy! Maggie