Ann Syer, Anthony 1847

[Pam Downes]

Ooh, I got all excited for about thirty seconds, and then went, er, no, that doesn't add up.

From Ann's original post.

Ann Syer had a son Anthony in 1847.

From Christina's post #2

Just as place from which to start this is Anthony's birth reg on the GRO index? Registered in the March 1/4 1848 which indicates a birth in late 1847 or the first 3 months of 1848.
Anthony Syer March 1/4 1848 registration district St James Clerkenwell vol 3 page 121. No mother's maiden name listed (indicates illegitimacy)

From Lesley's post #10

but I was interested to note the Anthony reg in the March quarter of 1847 in Clerkenwell in message 2 because FreeBMD shows the death of an Ann Syer in the same quarter

.
Wrong year Lesley, for Anthony's birth registration, BUT it has reminded me that Ann hasn't yet said anything along the lines of 'Anthony's birth certificate says ....'.
So the question to Ann is - what proof do you have that Ann Syer is Anthony's mother? What, if any, addresses, do you have for a birth or baptism?
And you still haven't actually said which Ann in the 1851 census is Anthony's mother.

For information only, the Ann Syer whose death is registered in March quarter 1847 was said to be 23 when she died. (GRO Historical Deaths Index.)

Pam

[Lesley Robertson]

Rats... It did seem too easy.

[Jomot1]

An Ann Maria Syer married William Kemp in 1849 in Suffolk.

I noticed that Elizabeth Coote from the 1851 census was also from Suffolk, so possibly a connection through her?

[grisel]

Googling, it seems the London Post Office directory of 1846 has a John Syer, baker of 3 Hamilton Row , Bagnigge Wells Rd, which is King's Cross area - possibly a relative of Ann Syer (Anthony being born in Hamilton Row).

[grisel]

1843 directory has a John Vey, baker of same address.

[AnnSyer]

Hi Lesley Thanks for your thoughts. My Anthony Syer was born in November 1947 so the death you found wouldn't be the one. However your input has made me check the death records again and there are two in 1849 for an Ann Syer which are worth pursuing. I might have to pay to get the Death certificates to prove the link. Grateful for any ideas!

[AnnSyer]

Sorry I've only just read some of the above messages (I am new to posting threads and the replies!)
Anthony Syer's Birth Certificate gives his birth as November 1847 at 27 Hamilton Row to Ann Syer - no father's name given. So I presumed that Ann Syer was unmarried except that on Anthony Syer's Marriage certificate in 1870 it gives his father's name as William Syer, a Clerk.

[AnnSyer]

Grisel - where did you find the record for John Syer, a Baker, in Hamilton Row? I would be interested in that. Thanks

[Lesley Robertson]

It was common, in the early days of BMD certificates, for people to make up names for parents if they didn't know. One of my GUncles made up a name for his mother on his father's death cert - she had died when he was small and I assume that he only knew her by one of the variations of "Mother". People were shamed or afraid to admit that they didn't know.
If a father was not married to the mother, he could only be listed on a birth cert if he personally went along to the registration - presumably to prevent uninvolved men being listed. Your guy was born to unmarried parents. OTOH, they sometimes knew the name of their father and gave it on certificates, so you can't completely discard the father's name on the marriage cert. However, fiction is more likely so you need other evidence.
Given that she was an unwed mother, Ann might not have been born and bred where she birthed Anthony. Her family might have sent her to stay with someone else to try and keep it quiet.

If it was my search, I'd be checking the Anns in the 1841 for any sort of clue (not easy considering the 1841's inaccuracies), deaths, passenger lists and marriages after the birth. It's always possible that she met someone and he either wouldn't accept Anthony or she didn't even mention him. Anthony would have been sent to family, friends or even placed by the parish of his birth. Investigating the Cootes might be useful.

[grisel]

Grisel - where did you find the record for John Syer, a Baker, in Hamilton Row? I would be interested in that. Thanks

Hello, I googled 'Syer Hamilton Row' and this information came up in a couple of ancestry message boards about Syers. - 'More Syers than you know ' and 'Syer info'
I don't have access to the 1846 London Post Office directory to check it out. However I did find reference to a John Vey , baker of the same address in the 1843 directory so the John Syer in 1846 could possibly be an error.
John Vey is in Hamilton row in 1841 census but at a different address in 1851.