George Walker missing from Census 1841-1861

[qazwsx]

I’m a little puzzled by this one; I think either there are a lot of records missing, or he lied about his age, birthplace or father’s name.

‘George Edward Walker’, first appears in his daughter (Alice Anne)’s birth cert in 1869 where he’s listed as a Bookeeper. The mother is Anne Walker, formerly Hunter.

In the 1871 Census he’s ‘George Walker’, 37 years old, born Leeds, Yorkshire around 1833-1834. He’s a commercial clerk, living in the parish of ‘West Derby (Liverpool)/St Stephen the Martyr/Lancaster’, with his wife, 26 year old Ann (born Coniston, Lancashire), 4 year old son George B, age 4, born Pontefract and daughter Alice A, age 2, born Liverpool

Fast forward to the 1881 census and he is ‘George Walker’ 47, (born Leeds) living at 96 Newcastle St, Staffordshire in the parish of Burslem as a ‘collector for a bookseller’. He’s married to 40 year old Scotswoman Janet Walker. Also still living at home are George B, age 14 (Pontefract) and Alice Anne age 12 listed as a ‘scholar’ (Liverpool).

There are records for the new marriage but NOT any that I can find for Janet’s death.

The marriage cert for this marriage - 24th Oct 1878 at St Paul’s Burlem. The bride is Janet Keir, spinster (daughter of Andrew Keir, Builder) and the groom George Edward Walker, 45, Widower, -I can’t make out his profession. It looks like potter, but surely must actually be porter? His father is James B. Walker (Cloth Drawer)

1891 census has ‘George E Walker’ 57 (born Leeds), living in Cheetham, Lancs (now Manchester), with a profession that looks all the world like ‘Piano Porter’. He’s still married to Janet Walker, age 50 (Scotland) and Alice Anne, age 22 (Liverpool) still lives with him. Plus a “son” called ‘Charles H Suby’ NOT ‘Charles H Suby Walker”(born Manchester) age 1

There is no other record of the Charles H Suby. No birth, death, baptism, nothing. I’m a little suspicious of it. I guess it’s not unheard of for Janet to have a child at 50, or George could have had a flng? My guess is it’s actually Alice’s son and he dies in infantcy

I’ve not been able to find a death record for George unless it’s find a grave; George Edward Walker, 13 June 1894 (61) in Manchester Southern Cemetery, Born about 1832, occupation clerk.

George Edward Walker’s son is listed on the 1891 census as “Geo. Bradshaw Walker”(Pontefract) a visitor at his future father-in-law’s house and a 24 year old insurance superintendant.

George Bradshaw Walker’s marriage cert in late 1891 lists his father as ‘George Edward Walker’ as “Gentleman’ (maybe a bit of rank inflation there!)

The 1901 census has Alice A. (Liverpool) as a single sister living with ‘George B. Walker’ (Pontefract) and his family.

So for George Edward Walker, Leeds, born 1833-34 I’ve got:
- Census records 1871 (37), 1881 (47) and 1891 (57)
- 1869 Daughters birth cert
- a marriage cert for his marriage on the last two census’
- A reference on his son’s wedding cert
And that’s it!

The only other solid clue is his son’s birth cert; although he is named “George Bradshawe Walker”, it’s filed in the GRO unter “Hunter” (the mother’s maiden name) with no father listed in 1866. The birth is at “North Gate” which I think is a Poor House.

So I think it’s pretty likely that George Edward Walker (age about 30-31) gets an unmarried, 20-21 year old, from Coniston (now in Furness, Cumbria) Anne Hunter pregnant in Leeds/Pontefract and she gives birth in the Poor House in 1866.

They move at some point to Liverpool, have another child in early 1869, but between those dates they either marry or act as if they are married and tell people they are.

I find NO baptism records for George Bradshaw(e) Walker (GBW) or his sister Alice Anne. GBW baptises his kids in the Church of England though.

And nothing before that.

Any ideas?

Or whether one of the following is likely:

1) George Edward Walker (GEW) was in the 1841, 51 and 61 census’ but:

a) They all got lost/destroyed

b) His 1841 record got lost (it was Leeds and I think some did get destroyed), but he’s not in the country for the other two because of the army maybe? Or all 3 because his father went abroad with the army?
… But then why list his father as a cloth drawer rather than solider?

c) He’s there but he’s not told the truth about his birthplace:
- Leading contender here would be a George Walker born Barnsley, Yorks around 1834
- His father is a James born in Ireland. A male descendent of GBW had their YDNA tested and it shows up that GBW was definitely genetically a Walker, but that most of their “just pre-surname” non-Walker relatives are from Ireland or Scotland
- But he comes up as 18 rather than the 17 I’d expect in the 1851 census (listed as a linen weaver like his father James), 28 rather than 27 in the 1861 census (a Brickmitte?)… and 9 in the 1841 census…
- And then he disappears. No death notice. Not in the 1871 census.
- But surely neither the dates nor the birthplace match up so it can’t be him?


d) His father’s name isn’t James?
- Goodness knows why THAT would be the lie made up!
- There are a number of George Walker’s born in Leeds, Yorkshire in 1833-34 though
- Including a Catholic and non-conformist ones (like the George above I think), which could explain why no marriage certs for GEW’s marriage to Anne or baptism certs for his kids?

e) He lied about his age
- Best bet is a George Edward Walker born Chapel Allerton Leeds 1827 (so 6 or 7 years earlier than thought), to a James (sometimes known as John or J.) Bradshaw Walker (JBW) a cloth drawer, amateur poet, schoolmaster and then journalist
- A proved female line descended of GBW and an alleged/ancestry female descendent of JBW match distantly at around the same kind you would expect if they were both descended from JBW … but the ancestry match has very little other lines that they know of that go back to 1830s so it could be another, unknown common ancestor
- This would have him as an apprentice grocer in 1841 living out of the family home,
- Marrying in a “minor marriage” in 1846 a Mary Midgley,
- Imprisoned in 1848 for a year for fraud,
- Still married to Mary Midgley and a grocers assistant in the 1851 census (no kids),
- 1861 cenus a police officer, married to Mary and still no kids
- No sign of him in the 1871 census, just like George from Barnsely… at least I cant find him
- No sign of divorce or death of Mary between 1861 and 1869 with the birth of Alice… or of losing the 7 years off his age

Sorry that’s so long!

If anyone had any ideas, or how likely they think different options I’d love to hear…

Thanks

[christanel]

Hi
Findmypast has the records of the missing census pieces for all years.
https://www.
findmypast.co.uk/articles/census-for-england-wales-and-scotland-missing-pieces
Chris

[almach]

Best bet is a George Edward Walker born Chapel Allerton Leeds 1827 (so 6 or 7 years earlier than thought), to a James (sometimes known as John or J.) Bradshaw Walker (JBW) a cloth drawer, amateur poet, schoolmaster and then journalist

I have found JBW, his wife Ann, and their children in 1841, but there's no George with them. In 1851 Ann is on a census return with children.

1841,buslingthorpe, Leeds HO107; Piece: 1348; Book: 3; Folio: 42; Page: 9
James Walker 35, school master
Anne Walker 35, school mistress
Thomas Walker 13, errand boy.
William Walker 11
Amelia Walker 8
James Walker 1

1851.24, Meanwood Rd, Leeds, Piece 2321; Folio 458; Page number 21
Thos Arey (Percy) Walker 22, head, shopman
Ann Walker, 46, mother
Amelia Jane Walker 19, sister
James Sands Walker 11, brother

[almach]

Baptisms at St Peter's Leeds
Parents:' names James Bradshaw Walker
William Kirby Walker, born 28 Nov 1830, bap. 16 Nov 1831
Louisa Ann Walker, born 15 Jun 1837, bap. 22 Jul 1837
Amelia Jane Walker, born 10 Oct 1833, bap. 28 Oct 1833

Thomas Percy Walker, parent's James and Ann
born 25 Aug 1828; bap. 26 Oct 1829

[almach]

Best bet is a George Edward Walker born Chapel Allerton Leeds 1827 (so 6 or 7 years earlier than thought), to a James (sometimes known as John or J.) Bradshaw Walker (JBW) a cloth drawer, amateur poet, schoolmaster and then journalist

I think either that is him, or that one died when very young and JBW and Ann named a later child after him (your GEW), Or, perhaps James B Walker had a brother named John Bradshaw Walker?

Chapel Allerton, St Matthew

George Edward Walker, son of John Bradshaw Walker and Ann
Born 26 Sep 1826, bap. 3 Dec 1826, Chapel Allerton, St Matthew,

[almach]

I agree he married Mary Midgley.

Leeds, St Peter, 24 May 1846.
George Edward Walker, minor, bachelor, Call Lane, father James Bradshaw Walker, cloth drawer
Mary Midgley, minor, spinster, Vicar Lane, father Joseph Midgley, tailor.
Witnesses: Elizabeth Midgley and Edwin ??????

Still married to Mary Midgley and a grocers assistant in the 1851 census

That also seems to be him, it says born Chapeltown which is very close to Chapel Allerton, where he was baptised.

[almach]

He lied about his age
- Best bet is a George Edward Walker born Chapel Allerton Leeds 1827 (so 6 or 7 years earlier than thought)

I think that a reasonable assumption.

If he was in trouble, or, deserted Mary, he could have started using a different birth year in an attempt to stay below the radar.

- Imprisoned in 1848 for a year for fraud,

I've seen the newspaper reports covering his fraud trial.

[almach]

He lied about his age
- Best bet is a George Edward Walker born Chapel Allerton Leeds 1827 (so 6 or 7 years earlier than thought), to a James (sometimes known as John or J.) Bradshaw Walker (JBW) a cloth drawer, amateur poet, schoolmaster and then journalist
- A proved female line descended of GBW and an alleged/ancestry female descendent of JBW match distantly at around the same kind you would expect if they were both descended from JBW … but the ancestry match has very little other lines that they know of that go back to 1830s so it could be another, unknown common ancestor
- This would have him as an apprentice grocer in 1841 living out of the family home,
- Marrying in a “minor marriage” in 1846 a Mary Midgley,
- Imprisoned in 1848 for a year for fraud,
- Still married to Mary Midgley and a grocers assistant in the 1851 census (no kids),
- 1861 cenus a police officer, married to Mary and still no kids

To sum up, after considering and seeing the various records I agree with your option above.

No sign of divorce or death of Mary between 1861 and 1869

If we can find what happened to Mary, and Ann, it will tie things up nicely.

I don't think he married Ann Hunter, so maybe Mary was still alive when he started living with Ann. As, he has the two children with him in 1881 I wonder if Ann Hunter had died!