Gilbert George Rawlings - not in 1901 census?

[bea10_20]

I have been trying to find the 1901 census record for my g-grandfather Gilbert George Rawlings born 25 Jan 1877 Bristol (parents Emanual Henry Rawlings and Elizabeth Rawlings. His occupation throughout his life was a general labourer (including tram labourer). Am I being thick in not finding him? Thank you very much.

[Geoffers]

If this is the same chap on your other thread, then you may not want to read the following, but here goes............

You have mentioned him as being Gilbert George RAWLINGS.

I can find no trace under Gilbert - BUT - his first period of service in the army gives his occupation as 'boot maker', was he recorded as George RAWLIN(G)(S) in the 1901 census?

So look through the 1901 census for George RAWLINGS bn about 1879 +/-2 years who was a shoemaker and you'll come up with
RG13/2396 f83 p13 - can that entry be discounted? I note that there is a sister in the same household, will this help to eliminate this as a possible entry?

An alternative possibility - he was discharged from the army in Dec 1900 in Devonport. Was he working as an itinerant labourer, slowly moving back towards Bristol and perhaps missed off the census as were many such mobile labourers?

[bea10_20]

Yes it's the same chap - they're not a straightforward bunch!!

I haven't seen any docs with him using George as his name - they mostly don't use his middle name to be honest.

I have searched but cannnot find him on 1901 census under George - I'm registered with Ancestry rather than findmypast at the moment. Yes a sister would help discount him (Harriet Ann was his only sister). I didn't realise he was in the Army in Devonport in 1900 but that might explain how he met Alice Hutchings as she was from Devon - maybe met her down there, she came up to Bristol to work as servant and then married, got pregnant and like you say, got lost in the travel up. Where can I find these Army records please?

[Geoffers]

I have searched but cannnot find him on 1901 census under George

The census reference given RG13/2396 f83 p13 is to an entry in the 1901 census.

I didn't realise he was in the Army in Devonport in 1900

It is mentioned on one of your other threads as well.

Where can I find these Army records please?

Original service records in document class WO97 are held at The National Archives (TNA), Kew - they have been electronically scanned and made available online; as per my reply on message no.4 of your thread here

"His service record for WW1 (if it has survived) will be available to download on the pay-per-view site 'ancestry'................

Service records pre-1914 are on a different site, also pay-per-view, 'Findmypast' - Again you can download the record (5 pages of it) from there.