Need a lookup for 1841 - 1861 Runcorn

[sallyedwards]

Hi all,

I posted this on the Cheshirewide forum, but have had no response. I am trying my luck here now!

I am trying to get some info for a Fletcher Fletcher (great name....) who was born in ~1803 in Runcorn. I have him living with his son John Fletcher in Malpas, Cheshire. I also have an IGI that has him marrying a Betty Crawford in Runcorn.

Is there anybody out there who could see if they could find him and his family pre 1871?

TIA,
Sally

[Wirral]

Hi Sally

FF is in Waverton in 1861, just outside Chester on the A41 on the road to Birmingham (travelled many a time on visits to daughter when she was at university - could do that route blindfold!)

RG9/2624 page 33 folio 159 district 7, Waverton, Cheshire
Fletcher Fletcher, head, M, 58, Farmer of 20 acres, Cheshire Halton [covers Runcorn]
Elizabeth Fletcher, wife, M, 54, Cheshire Trafford [ probably Betty Crawford]
Mary Fletcher, dau, U, 20, Milliner, Cheshire Tarporley
Alice Fletcher, dau, U, 18, Cheshire Tarporley
Peter Fletcher, son, 13, scholar, Cheshire Tarporley
William Fletcher, son, 10, scholar, Cheshire Tarporley
Charles Smith, lodger, U, 54, Coal dealer, Cheshire Duckinfield

As FF was a famer, there may be other records relating to him, whether he owned the land or was a tenant farmer. These would be held at the Cheshire Archives at Chester.

[sallyedwards]

This is fantastic! Thank you so much I had almost given up on the elusive Fletcher Fletcher.

New leads to follow - how wonderful!

Thanks again,
Sally

[Wirral]

Hi Sally
According to cheshireBMD, Fletcher Fletcher died at Malpas in 1871. It also list the births of Mary, alice, Peter & William at Bunbury sub-district. If you haven't already got a birth certificate for one of the children, that would confirm the mother's maiden name.

[sallyedwards]

I'm very impressed, and very grateful. I was giving the whole thing a rest as I didn't think I could find any more leads till I get back to the UK in the summer. You have definitely started me looking again. I have ordered the certificate for Peter Fletcher, as you suggested (I picked him as his is the least common name).

Do you have access to 1841/51 census returns? I'd love to find the names of the children between my gt gt gt grandfather (1831) and the oldest child on the 1861 census you provided (1841).

Thanks so much,
Sally

[Wirral]

Hi sally
I do not have the 1851 & 1841 censuses for Cheshire, but the 1851 is available on cd from The Family History Society of Cheshire and the 1841 census is being prepared by Archive CD books.

The IGI lists 7 children born to Fletcher & Elizabeth, Also the christening of Fletcher Fletcher & 10 other children born to Thomas Fletcher & Elizabeth at Halton/Runcorn (some of the later ones may be nephews & nieces born to FF's brother Thomas, rather than all being siblings).

Bye
Alison

[sallyedwards]

Hi Alison,

I am literally sitting here with my mouth open! I have none of that information about Thomas / Elizabeth, nieces, nephews etc. How am I missing this stuff. Am I searching the LDS site incorrectly? Would you mind sending me a link to the information, or telling me how to access it? You are obviously VERY good at this.

I'm both shocked and delighted to know that there is so much more out there that I haven't hit yet.

Cheers,
Sally

[Wirral]

Hi Sally
To find children of a couple on the IGI, you need at least the father's first name & Surname + the mother's first name. Don't enter anything in the first name or surname of the child, just put in the parents' names , the country & county & a time window ( the last is not essential, but will narrow things down if you have a common name). If looking in Scotland, the mother's surname is usually included in the record, so you can use that as well. NB, if the mother's surname is not on the original record, then putting in any surname for her will not bring up any entries at all.
You can also search for all the entries for a particular surname by putting in the batch number that you find at the bottom of an entry. A christening will be something like C123001 & a marriage M123001. There are also some P123001. Again, use a time window to narrow things down.
If you know the batch number, then you can search for all the children of a particular father, without knowing the mother's name, or for a mother without knowing the father's name (can pick up illegitimate births this way).
Bye
Alison

[sallyedwards]

Brilliant. I never thought of just putting in the names of the parents - I always searched for the individual. I now have loads to do to double check siblings etc.

You are a star - many thanks,
Sally

[Sharron]

Hi Sally,

Did you ever manage to find Fletcher Fletcher on the 1851 census? Ancestry now has the 1851 online, and I have found Fletcher, though he and his wife have strange ages when I compare what I have found to Alison's info from the 1861.

Sharron

[sallyedwards]

Hi Sharron,

Thanks for your message. Yes I did find Fletcher Fletcher on the 1851 - very weird ages, I must agree! I have also signed up on stepping-stones for the 1841 census and just last week found the family living in Tarporley in 1841. I now have a grand total of 9 children for this couple with age gaps suggesting there were more that didn't survive.

Searching the 1841 is much more work than the stuff on ancestry.co.uk. VERY time consuming!

Good luck with your research and thanks again for the help.
Sally