Weird address on birth certificate?

[British Viking]

My English great-grandmother: her birth certificate was difficult to locate as she was born right on the Dorset/Somerset border thus some other documentation listed her as born in Dorset whilst others said Somerset!

Anyway, I think I have found it now. Named Helen Brown, born 1851. What really puzzles me is in the "where born" and "resident of informant" columns there's just the one same word in each (instead of number and name of road/street) and it's "Loders".

Not sure what this could be? Maybe the locals knew themselves - perhaps there were very few streets in the place at the time so everybody knew?

Sorry, forgot to add, it's at Bridport, sub-district of Burton Bradstock in county of Dorset.

[Lizzy9]

Loders is a small village outside Bridport, Dorset. You can find it on Google Maps.

[British Viking]

Really? That's interesting but a bit odd to use an entire village as an address, no?

[Ladkyis]

The qualifying word is "small" There are places called villages that really are two houses, a pub, a man and his dog. While others are as large as small towns. I think Loders is probably so small that the road to it was a track and everyone knew everyone so none of the houses had a number or a name. Be interesting to look at a directory for that era and see what it says.

[Mutley]

What was the actual date of birth?
The census was taken on the 31st March but if that was prior to her birth her family would (presumably) be living in the village which may give you an exact address.

[Lizzy9]

There's an Ellen Elizabeth Brown age 9 on the 1861 census in Loders, she's with parents Thomas and Elizabeth. Their address is 'Street, Loders'

The Francis Frith site has some lovely photographs of Loders 1903 - 1960.

[Lizzy9]

Were Helen's parents Thomas and Elizabeth? If so, the Dorset OPC site has her baptism and baptisms of her siblings, (there may be more I didn't look through them all)

Here's Ellen's (not sure if it's your Helen) 03-Mar, 1852, Ellen Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas & Elizabeth BROWN, Labourer, Uploders

By 1856 when son Frederick was baptised Thomas was a mason

[British Viking]

Lizzy: Yes! That's them! Many thanks!

Muttley: She was born on 20th December 1851 so that makes it after the census - too late! (but thanks anyway).

[Lizzy9]

Ok, now we know it's the right family here's all of them from the 1861 census. All the family born Loders

Thomas Brown 36
Elizabeth Brown 35
Susan Clark Brown 14
Alfred Brown 12
Ellen Elizth Brown 9
Frederick Josiah Brown 3
James Clock 81 (boarder)

RG9; Piece: 1366; Folio: 52; Page: 10 (Crown copyright, in care of TNA)

[Lizzy9]

1851.

Thomas Brown 26 Stone Mason
Elizabeth Brown 25
Suren [sic] (looks like Susan on original) Brown 4
Alfred Brown 2
James Clark 70 father in law. Ag. Lab born Kerswell, Dorset

HO107; Piece: 1861; Folio: 12; Page: 17 (Crown copyright, in care of TNA)

[British Viking]

Many thanks Lizzy!
Interesting info there. Yes, Ellen's birth certificate does show her Dad, Thomas as being a mason so it all clicks in. The only "clickability" I'm not sure about is this James Clark fella. In 1851 he's aged 70, father in law. Then in 1861 he's 81 and a boarder. Do in laws get demoted as it does seem to be the same person?

[Lizzy9]

The only "clickability" I'm not sure about is this James Clark fella. In 1851 he's aged 70, father in law. Then in 1861 he's 81 and a boarder.

Who is named as Ellen's mother on the certificate, is she Elizabeth Clark?

[Lizzy9]

There is a marriage Jun qrt 1846 in Bridport for Thomas Brown and indexed on the same page is an Elizabeth Clarke, vol 8, page 67.

I would be inclined to believe James Clark is Elizabeth's father. It wasn't uncommon for inlaws to be enumerated as boarders.

[Lizzy9]

1841, census. All born in county, living Uploders. HO107; Piece 281; Book: 14 Folio: 9; Page: 12 (Crown copyright, in care of TNA)

James Clarke 60 Ag. Lab
Adelaide Clarke 60
John 20
Elizabeth 15

[Lizzy9]

It appears Elizabeth died between 1861 - 71. In 1871 Thomas has a new wife, Jane. Living Uploders Street, Loders.
RG10; Piece: 2027; Folio: 55; Page: 11 (Crown copyright, in care of TNA)

Thomas Brown 46, Mason, born Loders
Jane wife 42, born Norfolk
Frederick Josephas [sic], son, 12, Loders
Thos Baruch Josephas, son, 1, Loders

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Marriages Dec qrt 1868.
Thomas Brown and Jane Down, Bridport, vol 5a, page 802.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~

There's two possible deaths for Elizabeth using a time frame 1861 - 1868.

1) Elizabeth Brown, Dec qrt 1861, Bridport
2) Elizabeth Brown, Sept qrt, 1868, age at death 42, Bridport.