Saint Dunstan Stepney, London Birth Register

[di2315]

Hello

I am hoping that someone will be able to help me find where to go on-line to see the original register for Saint Dunstan, Stepney, London.

I wish to see the original entry for my great-grandfather who was born in 1860 and baptised there. There is some question to his actual surname, so to see this record might help to set things straight.

Has this register been posted on line somewhere? I've tried Ancestry and Family Search with no success so far.

Thanks for reading my post, Di

[Pam Downes]

The register is available online at Ancestry.
If you can't find his name using a normal search then you can browse the register.
Go to the set labelled London, England, Church of England births and baptisms 1813-1906.
On the right-hand side of the page you'll see 'browse this collection'.
From the drop-down menus, select Tower Hamlets as the borough.
St Dunstan and All Saints, Stepney as the parish.
And 1860 as the year - though bear in mind he might not have been baptised soon after birth. If he had siblings, they could have been done as a 'job lot' when your great-grandfather was ten years old.

Alternatively, post a name and we'll see what we can find.

Pam

[di2315]

Thanks for your prompt reply, Pam - your explanation is very detailed. My lack of knowledge of the London boroughs was a major missing link in this process. I also sometimes find navigating around Ancestry a bit of a challenge!

Unfortunately I can only see dates up to 1848 - does this mean that nothing past this date is on line yet? Or am I still missing something?

Here are his details, in case you can find anything more:

Robert William Whitehead born 3 October 1860, christened 21 October 1860 at Saint Dunstan, Stepney, London.

Thanks again, Di

[Pam Downes]

'Tis online. Though there's a bug in Ancestry's system (well there is on my computer!) so although I get get the first page of the register for 1860 to show it won't go forward.
So I had to resort to old-fashioned ways.

Entered Robert (no surname), born/event 1860, scrolled down and entered Stepney in the parish box, and selected Tower Hamlets from the drop-down menu in 'borough', making sure I ticked 'exact'.

Got 61 results because I failed to tick 'exact' against Robert but he was the last Robert. Transcribed on Ancestry as Whitchead. Can understand why, because it could be a C, could be an E. If he's Whitehead everywhere else then assume that the vicar wrote Whitehead.
Looking at the entry in the next line where the vicar wrote 'officer' I would say the vicar wrote an E.

Pam

[di2315]

Thanks for sorting that so quickly, Pam - Ancestry does certainly put us through some hoops at times!

It wasn't so much the spelling of his name, as whether it was entered as Whitehead, or Benson. Robert grew up only knowing his surname as Benson; it wasn't until he needed a copy of his birth certificate much later in life that he discovered the discrepancy.

I have a letter written by his mother, suggesting that he contact St Dunstan Church from here in Australia to verify his true name as being Whitehead. I didn't (until today) have a record of that entry, but now that little piece of the family history puzzle has slid into place - thanks to you

Di