Genealogy Chat

Marriages Dec 1896 (>99%)
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DUNSTON Sydney Williams Stoke D. 5b 627
Spraggs Margaret Marion Stoke D. 5b 627


1901 England Census
Name: Sydney W Dunslaw
Age: 28
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1873
Relation: Head
Spouse's name: Margaret M
Gender: Male
Where born: Devonport, Devon, England

Civil Parish: Devonport
Ecclesiastical parish: St Aubyn
County/Island: Devon
Country: England

Street address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Education:

Employment status: View Image

Registration district: Devonport
Sub-registration district: St Aubyn
ED, institution, or vessel: 7
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 37
Household Members: Name Age
Sydney W Dunslaw 28
Margaret M Dunslaw 28
Dorothy G Dunslaw 3
Frances J Sprague 49 (aunt)

1891 England Census
Name: Sidney W Dunstan
Age: 19
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1872
Relation: Son
Father's Name: William W
Mother's Name: Mary A
Gender: Male
Where born: Devonport St. Mary's, Devon, England

Civil Parish: Stoke Damerel
Ecclesiastical parish: St Mary
Town: Devonport
County/Island: Devon
Country: England

Street address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Education:

Employment status: View Image

Registration district: Stoke Damerel
Sub-registration district: St Aubyn
ED, institution, or vessel: 2
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
William W Dunstan 51
Mary A Dunstan 60
****************Sidney W Dunstan 19

Nearest I can find -

1881 England Census
Name: William Dunstone
Age: 43
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1838
Relation: Head
Spouse's name: Mary A.
Gender: Male
Where born: Underwood, Devon, England

Civil Parish: Stoke Damerel
County/Island: Devon
Country: England

Street address: 23 Dockwall St
Condition as to marriage: Married
Education:

Employment status: View Image
Occupation: General Labourer

Registration district: Stoke Damerel
Sub-registration district: St Aubyn
ED, institution, or vessel: 2
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
William Dunstone 43
Mary A. Dunstone 50
**********Frederick Dunstone 10
**********Sydney Dunstone 7

1871 census - William appears to be 18 years younger than his wife(?). Doesn't appear to be mis-transcribed.


1871 England Census
Name: William Dunston
Age: 22
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1849
Relation: Head
Spouse's name: Mary Ann
Gender: Male
Where born: Plympton, Devon, England
Civil Parish: Stoke Damerel
Ecclesiastical parish: St Mary
County/Island: Devon
Country: England
Street address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Disability: View Image
Registration district: Stoke Damerel
Sub-registration district: St Aubyn
ED, institution, or vessel: 2
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 178
Household Members: Name Age
William Dunston 22
Mary Ann Dunston 40
Charles Pike 73
*************************Frederick P Dunston 1

The short certificate that you have is most likely to be his adoption certificate as a short birth certificate gives the registration district. They are identical except for the district details so as to "hide" any stigma associated with adoption.

The only birth I can find for Saltash (St Germans district) which would probably be registered in the December quarter is

Births Dec 1913 (95%)
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DOWN John H D Woodall St.Germans 5c 68

He was born 14 October 1913 in Saltash . His short birth certificate gives his place of birth as England but his passport shows Saltash and this was also the town mentioned on his adoption certificate. I agree that it seems odd that even though his adopted parents had children they adopted him as well. So far I haven't traced his adopted mother's brothers or sisters - I have a copy of her death certificate and am waiting for a copy of her birth certificate. As for Frederick E P Dunston I have a copy of his birth certificate showing his father as being William William Dunstone and his mother as Mary Ann Dunstone nee Pike. From the 1881 census it shows Frederick Dunstone and Sydney Dunstone as being their children. (I've also seen these details under the names of Durnston). I've yet to find anything about Sydney Dunstone - he was a witness at Frederick's wedding to Julia so I must assume he was a brother and therefore is my next person to try and track down.

Have you looked to see if Julia or Frederick had any sisters? If they did, thats probably where I'd start the search, working forward for their marriages then looking for births and finally deaths. I think there's a high possibility that the Dunstons were related to your Dad.

Odd thing is, this family already had children. Why adopt another when they were in their 40s?

Schedule type Last names First names Sex Birth year Age in 1911 District / other County /
DUNSTONE DANIEL C M 1906 5 Totnes Devonshire
DUNSTONE ETHEL MAY F 1905 6 Totnes Devonshire
DUNSTONE FREDERICK C M 1901 10 Totnes Devonshire
DUNSTONE FREDERICK E P M 1870 41 Totnes Devonshire
DUNSTONE HAROLD M 1897 14 Totnes Devonshire
DUNSTONE MARY E F 1898 13 Totnes Devonshire
DUNSTONE JULIA R F 1868 43 Totnes Devonshire

Rose

Where was he born?

Rose

Hi everyone - again my sincere thanks for all your suggestions. I don't think that John James L was my father in that my father died in Weston-super-Mare on 28 January 1976. (sorry I should have mentioned that date). I don't understand either as to why he was adopted at the age of 16 but almost immediately after that he went into the RAF so perhaps that was the reason he was adopted at that age. Maybe he would have needed a birth certificate to enter the RAF. (I just have a short copy confirming his date and place of birth) I also don't think that his adopted mother was his birth mother as she would have been 47 when he was born. His adopted parents were married 15n November 1891 in Plymouth.

Found them as Dunstone. They were in Totnes, Devon in 1911 though.

Rose

I don't see births or a marriage for his adoptive parents.

Rose

It was only in the 1920s that adoption became legally recognised in Britain. Perhaps they wanted to formalise the unofficial adoption that took place in 1913?

Rose

Forgive me for saying but he seems quite old to have been adopted

That birth would be this death then

Name: John James L Hocking
Birth Date: 19 Sep 1913
Death Registration Month/Year: Aug 2001
Age at death (estimated): 87
Registration district: Camborne-Redruth
Inferred County: Cornwall
Register number: D58
District and Subdistrict: 3551
Entry number: 2

That would make him the son of this couple:

Marriages Dec 1910
Hocking Richard J Redruth 5c 483
Skeat Annie O H Redruth 5c 483

Don't see any other siblings.

Rose

My late father was John Hocking Dunston b.14 Oct 1913 adopted on 21 June 1929 by Frederick Ernest Pike Dunston and Julia Slowly Dunston (nee Taylor) registered in the Petty Sessional Division of East South County of Cornwall. In January this year I posted the same query and received very helpful advice suggesting I search birth details in the names (and variations) of Dunston, Slowly, Hocking and Taylor but have had no luck. I've also been told that only an adopted person can apply for their birth details and when an adoptee dies all their birth records die with them. I really have no idea of where else to look. Any suggestions would be so welcome.

Regards
Sandra

I doubt he would have been registered under any of his adoptive parent's names.

There's a small chance he kept his first name.

Do you care to share the info. so we can make some suggestions?

Rose

Thank you all so much for your help. I really appreciate it. Thanks again.