Genealogy Chat

Thanks JustDinosaurJill, yes I am currently waiting for Ernest's death certificate to come through, I am 95% sure I know which is the right Ernest to order the birth certificate but I just wanted to double check the location/year/quarter from his death certificate to triangulate against the census before I go ordering it.

Yes hopefully the mother's maiden name will give me another trail, but regardless of that I still can't find that pesky father John any earlier than the 1881 census either, so any help on how I could go about finding more about dad John would be very helpful - looks like in 1891 and 1901 they lived right on the edge of the site which is now an Olympic stadium!

Kind regards,
Alison :-D

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page
Births Mar 1881 (>99%)
RILEY Ernest W. Ham 4a 24

Have you got Ernest's birth cert as that should show his mother's maiden name?

For Ref

1891 Census Household Record
Household Information
Address 8, Thornham Grove
Parish West Ham
District West Ham, Stratford
Administrative County Essex
Householder 1
Name John Riley
Age 44
Estimated Year of Birth 1847
Relationship to Head of Household Head
Occupation Railway Engine Driver
Birth Place Worksop
Birth County Nottinghamshire
Householder 2
Name Mary Riley
Age 42
Estimated Year of Birth 1849
Relationship to Head of Household Wife
Occupation
Birth Place Westham
Birth County Essex
Householder 3
Name John Wm Riley
Age 19
Estimated Year of Birth 1872
Relationship to Head of Household Son
Occupation Railway Engine Cleaner
Birth Place Stratford
Birth County Essex
Householder 4
Name Samuel Riley
Age 16
Estimated Year of Birth 1875
Relationship to Head of Household Son
Occupation Railway Engine Cleaner
Birth Place Stratford
Birth County Essex
Householder 5
Name Simon Riley
Age 14
Estimated Year of Birth 1877
Relationship to Head of Household Son
Occupation Merchants Clerk
Birth Place Stratford
Birth County Essex
Householder 6
Name Alfred Riley
Age 12
Estimated Year of Birth 1879
Relationship to Head of Household Son
Occupation Juvenile
Birth Place Stratford
Birth County Essex
Householder 7
Name Ernest Riley
Age 10
Estimated Year of Birth 1881
Relationship to Head of Household Son
Occupation Scholar
Birth Place Stratford
Birth County Essex
Householder 8
Name Ada L Riley
Age 5
Estimated Year of Birth 1886
Relationship to Head of Household Daughter
Occupation Scholar
Birth Place Doncaster
Birth County Yorkshire
Householder 9
Name Mary B Riley
Age 2
Estimated Year of Birth 1889
Relationship to Head of Household Daughter
Occupation Juvenile
Birth Place Stratford
Birth County Essex

Hello! I think I've been making reasonably good progress on my family tree for a newbie at least. But I've got stuck up one line. My grandmother's father died when she was 3 so we have very little information to go on, which doesn't help either! I have ascertained that her father was Ernest Riley b1881 in West Ham, Essex, died 1911 shortly after the census. Ernest's parents were John Riley born Worksop/Warsop, Nottinghamshire approx 1846-7 (died in West Ham in last q of 1901 aged 56) and Mary (maiden name unknown) who was from East London. There are lots of John Riley's marrying various Mary's - I wonder if it is Mary Samwell though purely on the basis that this is the last marriage in the right area before the birth of the oldest Riley son John...but this seems to have been before the 1871 census yet I can't find a match on the 1871 census, so I'm not sure.

John was an engine driver/fitter - and son Ernest (and the other sons) were also all engine drivers/fitters - Ernest was apparently killed in a work accident, I am currently waiting for his death certificate to arrive to find out more. I may be wrong, but this makes me suspect that John's father too would possibly have been an engine driver, and perhaps was why they ended up moving from Notts to London.

All speculation - and this is the problem, the trail has gone cold at John. There are just too many John Riley's to narrow it down, and I'm unfamiliar with the Notts area which adds to my lack of confidence on this. The earliest I can find for 'my' John Riley is the 1881 census, I can't find him on the 1871 census and I don't know when he moved from Notts (or wherever they moved around to!) and when he finally arrived in London.

www.confused.com - if anyone has any bright ideas on how I can re-ignite this trail, I would be very grateful! Many thanks if you've even got this far :-D