Genealogy Chat

Berkshire records office charges for searches (fair enough) but intimates that a search in a specific church record for a fairly specific date will take half an hour, so goodness knows what searching for an unknown church with a range of 7 years will cost.

Hi All. Still no laptop I 'm afraid, but just to let you know that Martha Priors birth and death certs just turned up, as soon as Emilys arrive I will let you know. Much thanks again. Jo

Anything interesting on Martha Prior's certs Joanne??? Cx.

Hi Cynthia. Long time no speak. Not really anything interesting except on death cert it said Heart failure, which is also unfortunately common on dads side! the plot thickens. All I hope for is Emilys to turn up with mother Martha Prior and father Alfred and then hopefully we will be able to make some sense of all this. there has been so much information it has blown our minds. some of it just so doesn't tally age wise and there does seem to be an abundance of Rivers's especially alfreds. the main aim really in all this is to find where Joseph(grandad) came from and where he was on each census. he turns up with Annie Boulter his aunty in 1901 I think it is but dont have the info here with me. he was 22 then where was he at 11?? we have him at 1891 with martha = alfred etc when he would have been 1.

I was really meaning other people's names on the certs Joanne - addresses etc. that sort of thing. Cx.

Hi Joanne, but didn't we think that Martha was not a Prior, but Martha Weavens/Weaving? And I think we have Joseph on every census, 1891 with mum Emily, 1901 and 1911 with Uncle and Auntie. Pretty sure that is right.

Have you not yet had Emily's birth cert? You ordered it on 29th March. That is an unusually long delay. I would try ringing the GRO about it.

I am sure she will be a Weavens or whatever.

Margaret

Hi Joanne

Found a Baptism record for
Alfred Rivers 1833
East Garston Berkshire

Father name John Rivers
Mother name Denny.

I found it on

pilot.familysearch.org/

put in the name Rivers location Berkshire you will find lots of Rivers from East Garston


Annabel

That ties in with the marriage of John Rivers to Dene Talbot in 1824, and the death of Denny Rivers in 1840. So our Alfred told porkies about his age while his wife was alive.

Looks like Jo is still waiting for the birth cert of Emily, which should show her mother as Martha Weavens. We already have a marriage of Alfred and Martha in Oct 1863, which tells us his father is John, mother Denny Talbot and Martha's parents John Weavens and Ann Palmer, married 1824.

I've just found Alfred in 1841 on Find My Past:

RIVERS, John* M 34 1807 Berkshire VIEW
RIVERS, Mary Ann F 14 1827 Berkshire VIEW
RIVERS, Charles M 9 1832 Berkshire VIEW
RIVERS, Alfred M 7 1834 Berkshire VIEW
RIVERS, Thomas M 3 1838 Berkshire VIEW

RG number:
HO107 Piece:
22 Book/Folio:
1/5 Page:
7

Registration District:
Hungerford Sub District:
Lambourn EnumerationDistrict:
Ecclesiastical Parish:

Civil Parish:
Garston, East Municipal Borough:
Address:
Garston, East, Garston, East County:
Berkshire

I think that "stitches him up", though Jo could get his marriage to Martha Weavens just to satisfy herself that his father is an Ag Lab, and to check his age - but I bet he lied about that.

Hi all its arrived. Emily born 20th April 1867 to father ALFRED MOTHER MARTHA WEAVING. why in marriage to Alfred october 1863 is she called Weavens? I really am struggling to understand quite a few things though.
why does it state so clearly in the 1871 census that Martha was Prior?, why does it say that Alfred was carter then ag,lab. what and how do i deal with all this info now . thanks so much to you all for continuing, but can you just help me put it in some order please. thanks Jo

Hi Joanne

some one might be able to explain thing better than me, but here goes
Weavens or Weavng
People transcribing the original parish records may have had a job to read the writing or the vicar spelt it wrong,

Census 1871
Many mistakes are found in census, the family on the bottom of page 8 before the Rivers were called Prior , remember many people did not have a education years ago so could not read or write and signed with a cross next to their names

Carter, Ag lab same job working on a farm

I have enjoyed helping you .

cheers Annabel

Hi Jo,

I wouldn't worry about the spelling difference. The people who transcribe parish records (whether for Annebel's CD or for the IGI) are instructed to transcribe it exactly as it is written, and not to make any guesses as to what it should really be. Imagine the vicar saying "What's the bride's family name?" and somebody says "She's one o' the Weavin's" - which could mean almost anything!

I'll set it all out for you and email it.

Hi All. I cannot begin to thankyou all so much for all your help and advice. Madmeg! I would be thrilled to receive it all by email that would be amazing. Annabel what a love you have been too, if there is anything I can do for either of you let me know Ha! not family tree stuff. Just out of curiosity I really would like to find the living relatives so I may go that way next although I'm not sure my dad is up to it maybe I can be in touch first. there is NO WAY that we would have found this information without you all we were dead sure that martha prior was the one I even have birth and death certs for her. maybe one day someone on here will be looking for her and I can give them to her. thanks againand if I need more help I will certainly know who to call.