George Hill absconded from army

[smot]

I'm not sure if this is a brickwall or a black sheep!
George Hill born 1860 in Helpston, Northamptonshire, living in Cudworth, Yorkshire in 1871. I can't find him in the 1881 census.
The family story is that he absconded from the army and took his mother's maiden name.
He married in 1882 in Northshields and I've found him on the 1891; 1901 and 1911 censuses as Beens, Benn and Been. He (or his children) later went back to using Hill as their surname.
Does anyone have any idea where I might look for him between 1871 and 1882?
Thanks

Fran

[georgiep]

Hi Fran and for the peeps.
1861 census George is 6 months old in Helpstone N.
parents Richard Hill 25 agr labr, Mary 21, wife's son John Bean 3yrs all bn N.
There are also lots of Bean family next door.

georgiep

[georgiep]

Hi Fran, I was hoping someone may have found your post and found more than I can.
There is a tree in Anx but no info on George apart from above.
georgiep

[Peter Goodey]

Don't allow yourself to be misled by family hearsay. Sometimes it's right sometimes it isn't. You need to look for proof.

1. Have you checked service records on FMP? If he was abroad in the army you won't find him in the census.

2. Do you have proof of birth? That sometimes explains apparent changes of name.

[janbooth]

Fran,

Interesting that he used the surname BEAN in 1891 and subsequent census records as the marriage of his parents took place in 1859 (source Northamptonshire Marriage Index 1837-60):

22 December 1859 at Helpstone Richard HILL, of Ufford, bachelor, full age, Labourer, father William HILL, Labourer & Mary BEAN, of the parish, spinster, aged 20, father Francis BEAN, Labourer.

So, if he was aged 6 months in the 1861 census, that means he was born after Richard & Mary's marriage.

Not that this helps you finding George in the 1881 census. His birth does appear to have been registered as George HILL in the Dec qtr 1860 at Peterborough reg district.

Janet

[Peter Goodey]

22 December 1859 at Helpstone Richard HILL, of Ufford, bachelor, full age, Labourer, father William HILL, Labourer & Mary BEAN, of the parish, spinster, aged 20, father Francis BEAN, Labourer.

Ahah! Just what I was getting at!

[G.V.Ford]

If your man had done a runner he would likely have lain low when the 1881 enumerator called, albeit that he was living under his mother's maiden name. My grandfather did exactly the same thing for 1901.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if the same thing hadn't happened in 2011.

Geoff

[smot]

Thank you all perhaps we will never find out what happened to him in those years. His g.granddaughter and I will keep trying and perhaps something will turn up!!

Fran