Genealogy Chat

Thanks Jacky Jan

If you go to LINKS at the side of the genesconnected page, it is the first one listed - The Public Records Office. Jacky

Thanks for your continuing help - is Kew contactable by email, post or telephone, as I am unable to get there in person? Jan

Would Slough have been part of GWR- Great Western Railway? Would they have any records of workers perhaps? you can see all the 1871 censuses at Family Records in London as well as at the relevant archive library/history centre

Thanks Janet, thats another complication - I remember that as a boy my father stayed with an aunt in March. Must have been in the 1910s I should think. But I only know her name as Aunt Naomi, or Aunt Nai, and have no way of tracing her surname. The trouble is, the railway driver Isaac was born in Slough, and in 1881 was living in Isleworth. I think I'll take up macrame instead. Jan.

Jan, this is a total long shot BUT ... About ten miles from Chatteris is a town called March. This was once home to a very large railway marshalling yard. It just rang a bell with me as you just mentioned three railway connections. Janet

I know, Helen, I think I've looked at every Isaac How/Howe in the UK. On the Chatteris Charles Howe's birth cert Isaac How is shown as Publican, on his own wedding cert a couple of years previously he's shown as Labourer, and on my Charles Howe's marriage cert Isaac Howe is Labourer. There are also very strange events where Isaac is 10 years older than his wife on two records and 20 years older on two others, and no trace that he was ever born. I did look at the Engine Driver one with great interest, because my Charles Howe was a railway worker (killed in a shunting accident aged 23), and his son my grandfather was an engine driver too, but I can't find any trace of him having children. So I am well and truly stuck. Thanks for all your help, Jan.

Just been looking at the 1881 for Isaac Howe. Put in 1827 +/-10 for Isaac's birth year and there are only 4. Do you have Isaac's occupation from his son's marriage certificate? Each of the four are living in the areas they were born in, the Middlesex Isaac is an engine driver if that's any help. If one of these is your Isaac I would think the son must have been born in the same area.

Rosemary, I am going by Charles' marriage certificate, which just shows his father's name as Isaac Howe. I did send for both the birth certificate of the Chatteris Charles Howe, and the marriage certificate of Isaac How and Sarah Oldfield, but I am not totally convinced that I've found the right ones. More that they were the only ones I could find so they must be right. But it doesn't FEEL right any more. I wondered whether any more information would have been put on the Banns, and if so if there is any way of finding them. That is why I was hoping that someone with access to the 1871 census would be able to have a look and see if they can find a Charles/Isaac Howe combination other than the Chatteris one. Such a worry! Jan.

Thanks for your trouble, Tracey - that is the only one that I've been able to find too, but I am just not quite convinced that this is the right one. That's why I was hoping someone might be able to find him in 1871 and give me a place a birth other than Chatteris. Going round in circles always leads me there, and I don't like it, but don't know what to do. Jan.

Hi Jan, I've found one Charles Howe on IGI born 26 April 1855, christened 3 June 1855 at Chatteris, Cambridge. His father was Isaac Howe and mother Sarah. Hope it's of some use to you. Tracey, Bolton

I'd like to add that I've searched through the GRO for all possible years, and not found any that look really likely, so I just don't know what else I can do. Jan.

Is there a full 1871 Census, or is it only available regionally? I am desperate to find where my great grandfather, Charles Howe, father Isaac Howe, was born. He died in 1880 aged 23(though on his marriage certificate dated 1877 he was aged 22), so before the 1881 Census. I have his marriage and death certificates, but they don't give place of birth. He married at St. Matthews Church, Bethnal Green, but someone has very kindly searched the London one for me, and he wasn't there. Would his place of birth be likely to be on any records at that church? If so, how do I find out? I am not able to get to London unfortunately, have to do all my searches on line. Any help would be very much appreciated as I am getting VERY frustrated by this. Jan.