Brick wall - Henry Edward HARRIS

[Patrisia]

Can anyone suggest how I might dent this brick wall? :(

I have not been able to find a birth registration or baptism for my grandfather Henry Edward HARRIS.
He was referred to by the family as a Yorkshire man born in 1876. However his Army Service Record, although confirming his age and and giving his parents names and address in Rotherham, gives his birthplace as West Hartlepool.
The 1891 census records the family in Masborough, Rotherham (right place) - Henry Snr. born Leicester abt.1840; wife Emma born Boston, Lincs. abt.1836 and Henry Jnr. born West Hartlepool abt 1876.
The 1881 census has what seems to be the same family - names, birth places and ages correct - living in Eccleshall Bierlow but with the name ATKIN. I have checked the original film and it is not a transcription error!
I have searched through the IGI for possible baptisms for Henry Ed; also for possible marriages for Henry Snr and Emma, both on the IGI and in the FRC. Since then, I have spent a small fortune with 1837Online!
The 1871 census should at least give me Henry snr but where do I start looking!
The only other red herring seems to be this - the place of birth on Henry Edward's first attestation paper is given as Knottingley then crossed through and replaced with West Hartlepool. No joy there as yet.
I would be very grateful for any ideas, no matter what.

Patrisia

PS pasting long text from wordpad works - no repeats!:D

[Geoffers]

[I have not been able to find a birth registration or baptism for my grandfather Henry Edward HARRIS. He was referred to by the family as a Yorkshire man born in 1876. However his Army Service Record, although confirming his age and and giving his parents names and address in Rotherham, gives his birthplace as West Hartlepool.]

You say the family refer to him as a Yorkshirman, does this mean the family think he lived in Yorkshire, or was born there? Family tradition often holds some truth, but not all of the truth. Use it as a guide but accept possible inaccuracies having been handed down over time.

[The 1891 census records the family in Masborough, Rotherham. Henry Snr. born Leicester abt.1840; wife Emma born Boston, Lincs. abt.1836 and Henry Jnr. born West Hartlepool abt 1876.]

Good, have you also found them in the 1901 census? Does this confirm the detail?

[The 1881 census has what seems to be the same family - names, birth places and ages correct - living in Eccleshall Bierlow but with the name ATKIN. I have checked the original film and it is not a transcription error!]

Change of surname surggests to me that somewhere along the line there has been an illegitimate birth - or someone remarried and a child assumed the surname of the stepfather. It isn't always the answer, but it happens quite a lot.

If you are sure this is the correct family, then freebmd has a birth which would appear to match:

Mary 1877 ATKIN, Henry, Ecclesall B. 9c 421

Don't be put off by him not being registered with the name Henry Edward, names are often gained and lost (e.g. I have a family member who was always known as Robert, but was born George Robert; another one born William was later known as William James, the James appears after a grandfather died).

[I have searched through the IGI fo names, birth places and ages correct - living in Eccleshall Bierlow but with the name ATKIN. I have checked the original film and it is not a transcription error!]

Change of surname surggests to me that somewhere along the line there has been an illegitimate birth - or someone remarried and a child assumed the surname of the stepfather. It isn't always the answer, but it happens quite a lot.

If you are sure this is the correct family, then freebmd has a birth which would appear to match:

Mary 1877 ATKIN, Henry, Ecclesall B. 9c 421

Don't be put off by him not being registered with the name Henry Edward, names are often gained and lost (e.g. I have a family member who was always known as Robert, but was born George Robert; another one born William was later known as William James, the James appears after a grandfather died).

[I have searched through the IGI for possible baptisms for Henry Ed;]

Don't rely on the IGI, it is a useful tool but is incomplete and contains lots of errors and omissions. Check the original parish register where at all possible.

[also for possible marriages for Henry Snr and Emma, both on the IGI and in the FRC. Since then, I have spent a small fortune with 1837Online!]

Their only having one child at home in 1881, bearing in mind their ages, suggests to me that they may have married later in life. Have you looked for Henry ATKIN marrying Emma HARRIS sometime around 1876-7? Possibly just after the birth of their son? Maybe they never married but just lived together - it happened even in Victorian England.

What is Henry's birthdate according to his service record? Does it fit in with the birth having been registered in the March Quarter of 1877 (remember that births could be legally registered up to 6 weeks later and in practice were often a rgistered later still).
r possible baptisms for Henry Ed;]</P>
Don't rely on the IGI, it is a useful tool but is incomplete and contains lots of errors and omissions. Check the original parish register where at all possible.

[also for possible marriages for Henry Snr and Emma, both on the IGI and in the FRC. Since then, I have spent a small fortune with 1837Online!]

Their only having one child at home in 1881, bearing in mind their ages, suggests to me that they may have married later in life. Have you looked for Henry ATKIN marrying Emma HARRIS sometime around 1876-7? Possibly just after the birth of their son? Maybe they never married but just lived together - it happened even in Victorian England.

What is Henry's birthdate according to his service record? Does it fit in with the birth having been registered in the March Quarter of 1877 (remember that births could be legally registered up to 6 weeks later and in practice were often a rgistered later still).

Henry ATKIN senior may, for as yet unknown reasons may have used an alias. it may be that his was the illegitimate birth to a woman called Harris?

Interestingly, around the time that Henry Harris/Atkin (snr) was supposed to have been born in Leicestershire, freebmd has a birth registered as follows:

Sep 1842 ATKIN, Henry, Ecclesall Brierlow 22 114

In your shoes I'd be inclined to go for the birth certificate of Henry Atkin (1877) and then try to trace the family back through earlier census. Probably starting with 1851 for Ecclesall Brierlow and looking for any Harris or Atkin(s).

Geoffers
Charlbury, Oxfordshire

[Patrisia]

Hi Geoffers,

Given up trying to do a cut & paste/edit reply - it is going into thousands of repeated words!
Enough to say, thank you and I will contact you by email ;)

Patrisia