Hi- new one here reseraching hancocks/Carmarthenshire, lots of queries!!!

[darcilou]

Hi to all, I'm Louise and from Liverpool and am attempting to trace my family tree, I haven't an awful lot of time to spare as I have 2 small children but I've reached a point where I'm a little stuck and need some help please :)
My interest was started when my mum told me my gg grandfather had died in the Zulu war, his name being Charles Hancock, I appeared to draw a blank there so I ordered his sons wedding certificate from 1901 he also being a Charles Edward Hancock and discovered his father was detailed on it as also Charles Edward Hancock Soldier (deceased). His mother had this point remarried and witnessed the ceremony.
I then ordered my g grandfathers birth certificate (dated March 1880 b Dover) and found that his fathers name wasn't charles edward but Henry Hancock occupation listed as 77th foot soldier, his mother is listed as Elizabeth Hancock nee Lees (b Carmathen), so by this point I'm totally confused as to who his father is.
I looked at the 1881 census and Charles Hancock is aged 1 and iving in Charlton Kent as a nurse child, his mother - Elizabeth Hancock is working as a servant in a pub/hotel in Dover.
His mother then remarries in 1886 to a peter Rigby in Liverpool so I ordered her marriage certificate and she is listed as a spinster and her fathers name is Joseph Hancock (mariner), so do I deduce from this that she never married and that Charles is illegitimate, the guy supposedly the father called Henry Hancock registered the birth, but I'm not even sure if that is his name, am at a dead end as to who his father was, can anyone give me any clues or places to look next, it would be much appreciated.
Also forgot to mention in 1891 Charles Edward Hancock is living in Merthry Tydfil as a "nephew" to a George and Margaret lee but I can't find any connection.
Sorry for the long post!!

[janbooth]

Given that in the 1901 census Elizabeth RIGBY's place of birth is shown as Camarthen and in the 1891 census Margaret LEE's place of birth is shown as Camarthen and Charles HANCOCK is shown as a nephew, the obvious starting point is that Elizabeth and Margaret are sisters. Looking on the IGI, there is an extracted baptism on 23 May 1838 of a Margaret HANCOCK at St Peter Camarthen, father Joseph mother Ann - again another link as Elizabeth RIGBY's father is shown as Joseph in her marriage certificate.

Looking for Elizabeth HANCOCK on the 1861 census, I have found the following:

RG9/4140, folio 56, page 33
Dame Street

Joseph HANCOCK Head Mar 49 Mariner (Merchant Service) Camarthenshire Langhorne
Ann do Wife Mar 48 Camarthen
Mary Ann do Daur Un 18 Home serv do
Richard do Daur(?) Un 10 Scholar do
Charlotte do Daur Un 8 do do
Elizabeth do Daur Un 6 do do
Edward do Son 3 do

George & Margaret LEE are living in St Peter, Camarthen in the 1861 census too and perhaps it is no coincidence that on Charles' birth certificate Elizabeth gave her name as HANCOCK nee LEES (near enough her sister's married name).

When I first started researching my family history (whilst I was still very naive!!) I believed what was entered on birth and marriage certificates but now take everything with a pinch of salt until I have other corroborative proof after spending many fruitless hours searching for non existent fathers!!

Really your best bet would be to look through the parish registers of Dover (quite a few churches unfortunately) to look for the baptismal record of Charles Edward and see what that has to say but how practicable that is in your situation I really don't know.

Hope this helps anyway.

Janet

[darcilou]

Many thanks for that useful information, really greatful!!!|cheers|