Genealogy Chat

Ali,

I know you are trying to find Alfred James. I am suggesting he might have gone by another surname as we cannot find him in earlier census records.

Time and time again we see surnames change for many reasons. Examples are illegitimacy, bigamy, mother remarried, etc, etc.

With Minnie listed as being born Aldershot 1894/1895 in census records then a Q3 1897 birth in Portsea district can't possibly be your Minnie. If you look on the 1901 census, you can confirm this correspond to another Minnie.

Likewise, with the Alfred James birth you mention in Portsea district.

Portsea district and Farnham district are no where near each other.

The only likely birth for your Minnie is the Roberts one I mention.

Rose

Ahh. . . . . I see what you are getting at now. Portsea and Aldershot are about 40 miles appart. . . .This family are driving me nutts! lol oooh back to the drawing board. . . again!

Ali

Do you have his address when he married (apologies if this has been given already, might be me having a grey moment!). Just thought it might be worth checking out.

I did find this, a very long shot but putting it as Alfred Shaw happens to be a bricklayer:

1881 England Census

Name: Alfred James
Age: 14
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1867
Relation: Son
Father's Name: Alfred Shaw
Mother's Name: Ann Shaw
Gender: Male
Where born: Canning Town

Civil parish: Bilston
County/Island: Staffordshire
Country: England

Street Address: No 9 Stone St

Registration district: Wolverhampton
Sub-registration district: Bilston

Alfred Shaw 42
Ann Shaw 37
Alfred James 14
Lizzie James 1
George Pittam 17
Mary Alice Wright 7
Henry Wright 3

I suspect Ann was a Wright though, so not mother to the Alfred above:

Marriages Jun 1879
Crooke John Wolverhampton 6b 611
GOLBY Lucy Wolverhampton 6b 611
Shaw Alfred Wolverhampton 6b 611
Wright Ann Wolverhampton 6b 611


1891 England Census

Name: Alfred Shaw
Age: 52
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1839
Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Ann Shaw
Gender: Male
Where born: Belgium

Civil parish: Bilston
Ecclesiastical parish: St Leonard
Town: Bilston
County/Island: Staffordshire
Country: England

Registration district: Wolverhampton
Sub-registration district: Bilston

Alfred Shaw 52
Ann Shaw 47
Mary Ellis Wright 17 Stepdaughter
Lizzie Shaw 11
Tom Shaw 9
Lottie Pittam 4


Jan

This is the Alfred above, must be a total red herring I think, though why his children have surname James in 1881 defeats me!

1871 England Census

Name: Alfred Shaw
Age: 32
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1839
Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Sarah Shaw
Gender: Male
Where born: Belgium
Civil parish: Garston
Ecclesiastical parish: St Micheal
County/Island: Lancashire
Country: England
Registration district: West Derby
Sub-registration district: Wavertree

Alfred Shaw 32
Alfred Shaw 4
Emma Shaw 7
Minnie Shaw 6
Eliza Shaw 1
Sarah Shaw 32
Bengimen Bell 55

Forget the above - apologies - I suspect the son's 2nd name has been recorded as his surname, and Lizzie has just followed on:

Births Mar 1867
Shaw Alfred James W. Ham 4a 27

Jan

Hi brummiejan Considering all the records I do have frustratingly there's actually very little info on them. Alfred was aged 22 and a Driver with the RHA when they married so the residence just has Aldershot Fathers name George James Bricklayer. In his war records George is down as the next of kin with his address is 24 Court 1 House King (or Kings) Street Birmingham. Trouble is I'm not sure if that was added to the record when Alfred enlisted in 1888 or when he was leaving in 1900 as it's crossed out and next of kin was changed to Minnie (Wife) they married in 1892 I have Alfreds Death certificate and it only gives me his age as 56 The man is a mystery

Ali