People's comments please

[v.wells]

So I was ? right in thinking that the Lucy in the 1871 census is Joe's somehow related? In that case you need to find a Joe/Lucy marriage. Odering Minnie's birth cert may be a good idea as people were often called by names other than their "true" one. People tended to use their true names on legal docs only (not always the case but more often than not).

[Geoffers]

I may order Minnie's birth ceritificate but I am not convinced that would move me on much further.

It may only confirm what you think you know from other sources, parents' anmes, father's occupation, mother's maiden name, address, precise date of birth - BUT - a birth certificate would provide confirmation; it is primary evidence and in my view is essential.

Apart from ordering Minnie's birth certificate - what would be the best next step please?

I would be patient and wait for the birth certificate to arrive, after that look for her parents' marriage certificate, and so on.

An idea has been presented that your Joe may appear in the 1861 census living with an uncle George. I would want to look at other census returns and the GRO index,to see if I could work out what may have happened. Did Joe's dad die young? Did he do a runner? What precisely was the relationship between Joe and Sam? Was Joe's future wife living nearby?

George HODGSON was an Engine Tenter and Joe an apprentice. Was Joe apprenticed to George (Difficult to prove). Do the HODGSONs appear in any directories? When did George die and did he leave a will? Did Charles HODGSON leave a will?

There are lots of things you could do, it depends on how curious you are, and how serious you are about reseaching this family. What do you want to find out?

[melsibob]

Thanks Geoffers -at this stage I simply would like to trace this line (Joe's) further back. I have just looked again at Joe's marriage certificate - one of his witnesses was called Charles - but his surname appears to have been Sykes - for a split second there I became excited! To be honest I am slightly distracted at the moment as I have made contact with someone (via this site) who is distantly related to me who has given me lots of information. Also via another site I have today made a connection with someone from my husbands side of the tree - I think I am going into information overload!

[Geoffers]

Thanks Geoffers - at this stage I simply would like to trace this line (Joe's) further back................I think I am going into information overload!

That being the case, have a cuppa and get things sorted out in your mind. Cuppas are the cure for many a problem.

When you're ready, there seem to be some possibilities in census returns. They won't provide you with final proof but you may be able to spot some links from which you can work out a strategy for further research in order to prove/disprove what you have found.

[melsibob]

The fog is clearing but I still don't have a firm answer. I have plotted all the information I can gleam on this family. I have discovered that Samuel is the brother of Joe. Their mother appears to be Mary - having tracked back the census returns. She appears to have left the family home some point after 1853 (Samuel's birth). Mary appears in 1861 as a "housekeeper" to William Cook. In 1871 she remains with Wm Cook and three of the children in the household have the surname "Hodgson Cook". Samuel and his sister Sarah appear to have lived with both parents at different points of their lives and live together in 1901.

Joe appears to have lived with his father Joseph throughout out his life until he married Lucy Bower. In 1861 Joseph, Joe, Samuel are living with Joseph senior's brother George. I have not been able to find George (1804) or Joseph (1817) or Charles in 1841 census from Hoyland.

The birth certificate I have for Joe Hodgson has his mother as being Mary so I am slightly closer to proving I have the correct certificate. Mary is noted as being called Moore prior to her marriage - I will now look to see if I can find anything from this.

What is it again that is so fascinating about genealogy?