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Hi Kathryn,

I am glad to hear that it is not just me.

Harriet is in the 1881 census living 2 Rowley Buildings, Russell Road, Chigwell where she is a housekeeper to her family.
In 1871 she is living at Oak Hall, Epping.

Her father is James Foster, a coachman born Bedfodshire 1839

In particular, searching for Harriet in 1881. Do you have her in that year?

What's her father's name, from the marriage cert?

Btw, the theory that he was illegitimate and made up the father's name is a pretty good one. It happened all the time.

I even have a gr-grfather who doesn't seem to have been illegitimate (although I've never found the parents' marriage) who made up a father's name when he got married anyway.

I have a similar woe -- my grx2 grparents Reuben Cooper and Mary Ann Fallowell married in 1872 at the age of 45, 7 years after the birth of their youngest child, my gr-grmother. Both stated they were unmarried, and the fathers' names matched their surnames.

I've assumed a pre-existing marriage. Thinking it through, it would have to have been on the part of the husband, since otherwise the wife would have had a different surname. Unless everybody was just lying. But why bother lying about your status, if you're going to be shacking up for 25 years before marrying, in the first place?

So my theory would be similar in your case: if the marriage certificate doesn't indicate that the wife had a different name, then the husband had a pre-existing marriage.

Mine were together in 1851, and I can find the wife in 1841, but cannot find hide nor hair of the husband in 1841. And hey, mine are Coopers -- probably even more common than Andersons? Shall we form a club and charge dues?

I've tried to find the birth (EDIT - that's supposed to say death) of a female Cooper in the vicinity shortly before my Coopers married, who would be of an age to be the abandoned (or absconding) wife. No luck finding one who can't be otherwise accounted for. People were more sedentary in my part of the country, Basford district in Nottinghamshire. If you have an estranged wife in the picture, she might be even harder to find.

As I babble, I'm searching for this and that ...

I have found a marriage for Sarah Anderson to Nicholas T Boyens in Epping 1917. I have found no Boyen/Anderson births 1917-25 and there are no records for Nicholas Boyens apart from 3 marriage records, one of which is not him.

2 more births for Austin/Anderson:
Phyliss D H Austin b Epping 1927
John W Austin b Epping 1934

Someone must recognise these families.

In an attempt to find Charles Anderson senior before 1891 I have received Charles Anderson Juniors birth cert.

Charles was born 03/10/1886 in Smarts Lane, Loughton, father Charles George Anderson, a bricklayers labourer.

The same fathers details are given on my great grandfathers birth cert on 24/01/1903.

Charles and Harrietts wedding cert 06/01/1903 also shows Charles to be a labourer.

Still, the earliest record I have is now Charles birth cert as still no sign of Charles George in the 1881.

Yes, it lists him as Prittlewell, Essex but he is not there.

The earliest census I can find for him is 1891 where he is listed as born 1864 nr Chenford. By 1901 he was born 1862 Prittle but there is nothing else. No earlier census, no birth record.

His marriage to Harriett lists his father as Charles Anderson, travelling hawker, Deceased.

The whole thing is strange as Charles and Harriett were living together for at least 12 years before they married. Their marriage took place 1 month before my Great Grandfather was born.

It has been suggested that Charles was illegitemate and made up a father for his marriage and also that his name may not have been Charles Anderson.

Any help would be gratefully received as I just keep drawing blanks.

Does the census not give the place of birth for Charles?

Sam x

I am trying to find anyone who may know what happened to the Anderson family who were living in Buckhurst Hill, Essex in the late 1800s. Also anyone who may know where the father, Charles, came from. The children were:

Charles Anderson b 1886 Loughton, Essex

Helen/Helena Anderson b 1889 Loughton

John Anderson b 1890 Loughton

Sarah Anderson b 1892 Epping, Essex

James Anderson b 1896 Buckhurst Hill, Essex (possibly married Dorothy M Flack in 1922)

Phylis Anderson b 1897 Loughton (possibly married John Austin in 1918)
edit- 2 Austin/Anderson children found, Albert b Epping 1918, Nellie b Epping 1922

Beathona Anderson b 1899 Buckhurst Hill, Essex

Edward George Anderson aka George Edward b 1903 Buckhurst Hill (married Martha Tozer 25/12/1925 at St Thomas, West Ham, Essex)

Parents were Charles Anderson c1861 and Harriett Foster c1866 married Epping 06 January 1903.

The family were living in Loughton in 1891 and by 1901 had moved to 2 Albert Road North, Buckhurst Hill.

Jane