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I'm trying to find birth details of my grandmother. Born abt 1877 London. Lived with Smith family in derbyshire. Father listed as Harry James Board Wills. Thanks

Name: Harry James Board Wills
Date of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec 1856
Registration district: Cheltenham
Inferred County: Gloucestershire
Volume: 6a
Page: 324



Name: Harry James Board Wills
Probate Date: 16 Aug 1919
Death Date: 13 Jan 1919
Death Place: Swansea, Glamorgan, Wales
Registry: Carmarthen

Which census have you found her on ?

Have you got the name of father from a marriage cert ?

Possible birth:

England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915
Name: Sophia Wills
Date of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec 1877
Registration district: Holbron
Inferred County: London
Volume: 1b
Page: 815

Have you figured out who Jessie Clara Wills is who is mentioned on the probate record

According to the probate record for her father that you have on your Ancestry tree it looks like she had a sister Jessie Clara?

1901

William Smith 68 - widower
Annie S Smith 36 - dau
Sophia J Wills 23 - adopted daughter
Bertha H Hunt 13 - servant

Name: Jessie Clara Wills
Gender: Female
Christening Date: 7 Mar 1883
Christening Place: Derby, Derbyshire, England
Father's Name: Harry James Board Wills
Mother's Name: Mary Jane

Sister's baptism:

England & Wales Christening Records, 1530-1906

Name: Jessie Clara Wills
Gender: Female
Christening Date: 7 Mar 1883
Christening Place: Derby, Derbyshire, England
Father's Name: Harry James Board Wills
Mother's Name: Mary Jane

Different Sophia I think
baptism shows different father


Name: Sophia Wills
Record Type: Baptism
Baptism Date: 4 Nov 1877
Father's Name: Edward Wills
Mother's Name: Mary Anne Wills
Parish or Poor Law Union: St Clement, City Road
Borough: Islington
Register Type: Parish Registers

Marriages Jun 1882 (>99%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gordon Mary Jane Derby 7b 847
Robinson Samuel Derby 7b 847
WARNER Frances Ann Derby 7b 847
WILLS Harry James B Derby 7b 847

On the original of this 1911 it has Jessie Clara Wills listed as niece born Derby then crossed out:

GORDON, Henrietta Head Single F 60 1851 Private Means Leicester

RG number: RG14 Piece: 19241
Reference: RG14PN19241 RG78PN1151 RD407 SD2 ED24 SN19
Registration District: Leicester
Sub District: North East Leicester
Enumeration District: 24
Parish: Leicester

Address: 86 Mere Road Leicester County: Leicestershire

Was Henrietta her mother's sister?

Back to the question about the marriage cert then

Does it give any occupation for the father ?

1911
( original says Harry J B )

Harry L B Wills 55 - fine art dealer -Cheltenham, Derby
Mary Wills 53
Jessie Wills 29 - dau
Mabel Wills 28 - dau
John Wills 26 - son
Arthur Wills 21 - son
Daisy Wills 16 - dau
Albert Wills 9 - son


states married 30 years ... 6 children born, all living

As there are 6 listed, looks like Sophia was born before the marriage so possibly not born Wills

1891 just for info

Name: Harry Wills
Age: 34
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1857
Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Mary Wills
Gender: Male
Where born: Cheltenham

Civil parish: Kings Norton
Ecclesiastical parish: St Pauls Balsall Heath
Town: Balsall Heath
County/Island: Worcestershire
Country: England

Street Address:

Occupation: photograhic artist

Condition as to marriage:

Education:

Employment status: View image

Registration district: Kings Norton
Sub-registration district: Kings Norton
ED, institution, or vessel: 26
Neighbors: View others on page
Piece: 2353
Folio: 9
Page Number: 12
Household Members: Name Age
Harry Wills 34
Mary Wills 32
Mabel Wills 6
John Wills 4
Arthur Wills 1

Wonder where he is in 1881

According to Valda's tree Sophia Jane went to Australia, was married to William Parrott with whom she had Annie Elizabeth May in 1918.

She had Henry Inness Wills in 1904 in Dalby Magna.

Different wife listed in 1901

Harry Wills
Age in 1901: 45
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1856
Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Jennie Wills
Gender: Male
Where born: Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England

Civil parish: Roath
Ecclesiastical parish: Roath St Margaret
County/Island: Glamorgan
Country: Wales


Harry Wills 45
Jennie Wills 42
Mabel Wills 16
John Wills 14
Willie Wills 11
Daisy Wills 6

So that matches to this marriage

Marriages Sep 1910 (>99%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Allright Albert V Oxford 3a 2326
Gardner Gertrude M Oxford 3a 2326
Parrott William Oxford 3a 2326
Wills Sophia J Oxford 3a 2326

Australia Death Index, 1787-1985

Name: Sophia Jane Parrott
Death Date: 25 Jun 1931
Death Place: Queensland
Father's Name: Harry James Board Wills
Registration Year: 1931
Registration Place: Queensland
Registration number: B014437
Page Number: 1279

Bet she was not born in London