Juniper Hill Derbyshire

[EL1570]

I have found references in both the 1891 and 1901 census to a place of birth as being 'Juniper Hill', Derbyshire. I cannot seem to find any reference to this as a parish or village -- my 'anticipation' is that it is in the south of the county, around Aston on Trent / Shardlow. Can anyone, please, suggest a parish or village where this might be ? Otherwise am somewhat 'stuck' to progress this line ! Peter

[Kerrywood]

Can you give us the census references please?

Is there any chance it could be Juniper Hill, Oxfordshire (near Brackley)?

[EL1570]

Thank you for the suggestion - I was aware of the Juniper Hill near Brackley - and another near Flackwell Heath (Bucks) - but this is clearly Derbyshire on the 1891 census entry RG12/2719 folio 113 page15 (7th entry on the page) - not quite so clear on the 1901, RG13/3204 folio 136 page 10 - (7th entry from the bottom of page). I cannot spot any other place in Derbyshire that 'Juniper' could be read as - maybe someone with local knowledge' might be better able to ! Peter

(references to records held by TNA)

[Kerrywood]

clearly Derbyshire on the 1891 census entry RG12/2719 folio 113 page15 (7th entry on the page) - not quite so clear on the 1901, RG13/3204 folio 136 page 10 - (7th entry from the bottom of page).

I don't think Derbyshire is stated in 1901. Leic appears to have been written as an afterthought, in another hand.

As the census was taken in Kegworth, it's close to the boundary of three counties. No doubt a local expert will come along soon.

[exiled brummie]

I'm local, but by no means an expert. Juniper Hill appears to be the correct reading from the census returns but I have no idea of its precise location. The probable reason for Derbyshire being omitted on the 1901 census is that a fair bit of land swapping between Warwickshire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire took place in the 1880's and 90's, so Juniper Hill could be a hamlet (possibly no longer extant) transferred to Leicestershire from Derbyshire as part of the county boundaries "clean up".

It could be worth contacting either Shardlow or Kegworth Councils in the hope they can advise.

[Coromandel]

EL1570, have you found the marriage of the couple in question? If the wife's maiden name is unusual enough, perhaps you will be able to find her on census returns before her marriage, and so get another version of her birthplace.

I found a possible marriage in the Basford district in 1888, which would tie in with the age of the couple's eldest child on the 1891 census.

[kandi]

I am Derby born & bred and I can't recall hearing of such a place. My other half is also Derby born & bred and also spent many years as a driver all around the Midlands including all these little village & he has no idea where it might be.

My guess is that it may be just a name used by locals. Maybe if someone has an old street map of Derbyshire they could see if there was a lane by that name in the area you think they may have come from.

Sorry not to be able to help more.
Kandi

[Neil Wilson]

Being born in the north of the county I haven't heard of a place called Juniper Hill. I have checked the 1857 trade directory and there is no reference to it, or to a Juniper anything.

[EL1570]

Thank you all for the suggestions - yes, I deal with queries for my own parish, and know that there are 'local names' for parts of the parish that do not appear on maps etc ! To a 'local' it is 'obvious', and the 'town or village' did not need to be quoted - so I suspect it is close to the Kegworth or Aston area -- ther word Derbyshire is clear in 1891, so my anticipation is that it is / was close to the countyy border at the time. (I cannot see a Juniper anything in Leicestershire either!)

As to finding the marriage -- that is the problem that I was hoping identifying Fanny's place of birth may help ! In 1911, her husband says that they have been married 24 years (and that corresponds with the ages of their children shown in the census). Fanny herself is in the Leicestershire Lunatic Asylum. There is one marriage for a George Chamberlain to a Fanny - Millership - showing in the indexes, but the certificate for that shows it to be Feb 4th 1888 at Hucknall Torkard in Notts -- and that couple seem to be those shown on RG12 / 2673 page 32 --- who cannot also be those shown on RG12 / 2719 page 15. !!
Hence my hope that someone with very local knowledge may just recognise the 'popular' name for a district in the 1890s !!! One 'possibility', I think, is that maybe Fanny is not her birth name, but a 'term of endearment' by which she was commonly known

Thanks again to all for their input - it helps to know that I did not 'miss something obvious'. As and when I 'solve' this one ( and any further suggestions would be welcomed) - I will put so we will all know 'next time'.

Peter

[kandi]

Peter

I have asked around locally but nobody has heard of a Juniper Hill

A couple of 'hills' in the area which spring to mind are
Breedon on the Hill (Shardlow registration district) and Stapenhill, Derbyshire (Burton registration district). Although Stapenhill is near Burton it isn't that far from Aston (about 10 miles)

Maybe sending you off track, but could be worth a quick check to see if any of your names pop up there

Kandi