Results 1 to 9 of 9
  1. #1
    Starting to feel at home
    Join Date
    Dec 2018
    Location
    Uk
    Posts
    54

    Default Mystery Granddaughter

    Hi,

    Can anyone help me solve a little mystery before I go square eyed?

    In 1881, my ancestor James Key was living at Marsh House, Freethorpe, Norfolk with his wife Sarah. Also listed is Alice waless/Wales or possibly Wallace born 1869 in London, Norfolk.
    This could either be Loddon or Little London both in Norfolk or London itself as the ennumorator could have got mixed up.
    The problem I have is that I can't find her parents as I thought I had accounted for all James and Sarah's daughters who survived to adulthood. Who were:
    Sarah b 1830, married James Laing in London 1860 2x children (both died 1873)
    Elizabeth b 1832 married James A Wilshire 1864, Hendon Middlesex, no Children
    Susanna b 1833, (my direct ancestor) 2x illegitimate children (James 1854, Alice 1861) both christened Key. She married John High Goffin in 1863 and Charles Lusher in 1879. Her daughter Alice took the name Alice Key Goffin.
    Emily b 1849 Her early life is a bit sketchy. She had an illegitimate son called James in 1869 and married George Dawes in 1898 after having lived with him for several years.
    Jane b 1852, married Robert Waters Sharman 1871 and had children all called Sharman and no Alice.
    There is more to find out about Emily but her son b 1869 makes it less likely that she was Alice's mother.I found an Alice Wallace born 1869 Islington mother's maiden name Key but cannot trace her on 1871 census to check.

    Perhaps she was an illegitimate child of one of their sons whom James and Sarah were caring for or perhaps she was some other more obscure relation but I would think they'd just list her as a visitor in that case.
    If anyone can help I'd be grateful.

    Many Thanks
    B

  2. #2

    Default

    A couple of thoughts from experience with my (Scottish) OPS.
    If a mother died, leaving young children, they were sometimes “fostered” by parishioners of that or nearby parishes.
    The same if both parents died.
    If a child was not accepted by a new husband, it was often sent to relatives. On one occasion, the “fosterers” were siblings of the child’s grandparents.
    As Alice was born after 1837, she should have a birth certificate. What does it say?

    PS Don’t forget that census ages are not accurate. For children +/- 1 year is safe. If the child was 10 on the day before the census was taken, it will be shown as 10. If the birthday was the day after the census, it’ll be shown as 9.

  3. #3
    Super Moderator
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    cambridge
    Posts
    1,079

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Bunbury125 View Post
    Hi,

    Can anyone help me solve a little mystery before I go square eyed?

    In 1881, my ancestor James Key was living at Marsh House, Freethorpe, Norfolk with his wife Sarah. Also listed is Alice waless/Wales or possibly Wallace born 1869 in London, Norfolk.
    This could either be Loddon or Little London both in Norfolk or London itself as the ennumorator could have got mixed up.
    The problem I have is that I can't find her parents as I thought I had accounted for all James and Sarah's daughters who survived to adulthood. Who were:
    Sarah b 1830, married James Laing in London 1860 2x children (both died 1873)
    Elizabeth b 1832 married James A Wilshire 1864, Hendon Middlesex, no Children
    Susanna b 1833, (my direct ancestor) 2x illegitimate children (James 1854, Alice 1861) both christened Key. She married John High Goffin in 1863 and Charles Lusher in 1879. Her daughter Alice took the name Alice Key Goffin.
    Emily b 1849 Her early life is a bit sketchy. She had an illegitimate son called James in 1869 and married George Dawes in 1898 after having lived with him for several years.
    Jane b 1852, married Robert Waters Sharman 1871 and had children all called Sharman and no Alice.
    There is more to find out about Emily but her son b 1869 makes it less likely that she was Alice's mother.I found an Alice Wallace born 1869 Islington mother's maiden name Key but cannot trace her on 1871 census to check.

    Perhaps she was an illegitimate child of one of their sons whom James and Sarah were caring for or perhaps she was some other more obscure relation but I would think they'd just list her as a visitor in that case.
    If anyone can help I'd be grateful.

    Many Thanks
    B

    Alice Walters age 12 is listed as being the Grand daughter of James Key on the 1881 census.
    On the 1871 census James R Key is living with James and Sarah, he is listed as being a Grand son.

    There is an Alice Waters, born 1869 in Watton, Norfolk, a servant, on the 1891 census

  4. #4
    Starting to feel at home
    Join Date
    Dec 2018
    Location
    Uk
    Posts
    54

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by suemalings View Post
    Alice Walters age 12 is listed as being the Grand daughter of James Key on the 1881 census.
    On the 1871 census James R Key is living with James and Sarah, he is listed as being a Grand son.

    There is an Alice Waters, born 1869 in Watton, Norfolk, a servant, on the 1891 census
    I see your thinking.James R was my 2x Great Grandfather b 1854 to Susan Key. He left Norfolk and was in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1874 when he married. Did he maybe father a child before he left.?

  5. #5
    Super Moderator
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    cambridge
    Posts
    1,079

    Default

    There is a birth registration for an Alice Sharman in Yarmouth 1869. Not sure but Yarmouth may have been the registration district for Loddon. MMN of Alice is Parker though.

    By the way there was a daughter called Mary Ann born in 1843. I can't see her on your list

  6. #6
    Starting to feel at home
    Join Date
    Dec 2018
    Location
    Uk
    Posts
    54

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Lesley Robertson View Post
    A couple of thoughts from experience wi5 my (Scott
    If a child was not accepted by a new husband, it was often sent to relatives. On one occasion, the “fosterers” were siblings of the child’s grandparents.
    As Alice was born after 1837, she should have a birth certificate. What does it say?
    .
    Thank you I will look at James's siblings.(Sarah's sisters died young). Unfortunately I don't yet have enough information about Alice to find a birth certificate. I'm not sure of her birthplace or surname(it could be Waless, Wales, Wallace or Walter's) as the writing on the original census is very bad and the transcription is probably inaccurate as gives the birthplace as Plowden, Norfolk when it looks more like London or Lodden.
    I think that you're right and she was some other relation.

    Regards
    B

  7. #7
    Super Moderator
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    cambridge
    Posts
    1,079

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by suemalings View Post
    There is a birth registration for an Alice Sharman in Yarmouth 1869. Not sure but Yarmouth may have been the registration district for Loddon. MMN of Alice is Parker though.
    l just found a marriage registration James Key married a Sarah Parker on 27 May 1798 at St. Nicholas, Great Yarmouth. Too early for your James and Sarah as she was about abt. 1811. So it looks like your James Key married a Sarah Lake on 31 Jan 1829 by banns in Wickhampton. Does that sound right?

  8. #8
    Starting to feel at home
    Join Date
    Dec 2018
    Location
    Uk
    Posts
    54

    Default

    That's right James Briggs Key& Sarah Lake. James's father was William b 1778.

  9. #9
    Starting to feel at home
    Join Date
    Dec 2018
    Location
    Uk
    Posts
    54

    Default

    There was Mary b 1838 d 1840 and Mary Ann b 1842 died 1863.

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Select a file: