Just Getting Started

[Georgia Beach]

Hi, I'm just getting started at this and i'm already bemused.

I'm looking into the surnames woodcroft and swain in the biggleswade area.

I've only got to my grandparents and great grandparents and am already confused by what i've found.

My greatgrandfather was Ernest Charles Woodcroft (1881), according to my mother (Andrea Swain) he was married to Elizabeth Walker. This appeard to be true until i looked into the births of my grandmother and her siblings. I found another surname (Skilleter) associated with all (Jack Bertie 1903, Charles F 1905, Sidney R 1910, Gladys A my grandmother 1912, Phyllis E 1917, Ronald F 1924) except the final child Norma E which was the only one to be listed with Walker.

I'm very confused by this and can't shed any light by looking into the marriage stuff.

Please can you help or point me in the right direction of where to turn to next?

Many Thanks, Georgia.

[AdeleE]

There is a marriage in 1902:

Skilleter Elizabeth Biggleswade 3b 763
Woodcroft Ernest Charles Biggleswade 3b 763

I wonder if there was a marriage to an Elizabeth Walker, just prior to the birth of the last child.

Adele

[Jan1954]

Hi there Georgia - welcome to Brit-Gen

Now, just to put a cat amongst the pigeons, I had a look on FreeBMD for any SKILLETER/WALKER marriages - just in case Elizabeth's maiden name was Walker and she had married a Mr Skilleter prior to becoming Mrs Woodcroft.

That does not seem to be the case..... BUT..... I did find the following:

Marriages December quarter 1885
Biggleswade district
Volume 3b
Page 727

There is an Emma SKILLETER and a Robert WALKER on the same page. It does not say if they were married to each other as there were a couple of other names on the page as well.

So.... then I got to thinking.....

What if Emma was Elizabeth's mum but Elizabeth was born before Emma married Mr Walker? Her "official" surname would have been Skilleter but she could have been known as Elizabeth Walker. That way, the confusion over the different surnames on the birth certificates could be explained.

Oh yes - I also found this:

Births December quarter 1884
Biggleswade district
Volume 3b
Page 372

Elizabeth SKILLETER

See if you can track the families down in the censuses.

I leave these random jottings with you and hope that I have not confused you too much.

[annabel]

I looked for Elizabeth Skilleter in the 1891 and 1901 censuses but nothing
However in 1891 RG12, piece 1256, folio 83, page 27
James Skilleter age 38
EMMA age 34
Alfred age 15
Albert age12
Maud age 9
Florence age 4
Ethel age 1
BERTIE age 5
all living in Biggleswade

Bertie was the middle name of Jack
There is a nice gap where a 7 year old Elizabeth could be. Did she name her son after her brother?
Unfortunately the 1901 census has the same family minus a few kids and no Elizabeth.

However in 1901 RG13, piece 1499, folio 33, page 23
Benjamin Walker age 50
EMMA Walker age 47
Charlie age 21
ELIZABETH age 17
Emma age 14
Maud age 12
all living in Biggleswade

This could be your Elizabeth Walker

May I suggest that you get the marriage certificate mentioned by Adele, if you have not already. It could tell you if Elizabeth had a previous name, or if Ernest was married before
Annabel

[Georgia Beach]

Thankyou all for your generous help. It has cleared it up as now having spoken to my mum she thinks she remembers something about a child being born out of wedlock.

Thankyou so much again,
Georgia.