Genealogy Chat

I have an ancestor who was a reporter at Parliament between 1825 and 1850. I'm trying to find information about his career and family background e.g. home address etc. I've tried the Parliament Archives with little success. Any idea where I might find further details?

Home address will be on censuses

Unless he was a very prominent reporter, I doubt you'll find career info

Family background can be researched once you know when and where he was born

Welcome to the boards Anthony

If you would like to post as much about him as you know then members may be able to help you find further info.

Presume you got back to him somehow so who are his descendants, parents etc.
When and where was he born
Do you have him placed in any census at all etc

The 1841 census should be your first port of call as that is during the time frame you are looking at.

Kath. x

Poster has started another thread - advised to return to this one

Thanks for replying.
I know Alexander Lyons died in 1850 (have death Certificate).
I have copies of obituaries in most national English and Irish papers so he was well known in Press circles
I know he lived lastly at Clement Chamber off the Strand up to his death.
I know hr was manager of the Morning Herald London.
I have his entry in the 1841 census living in Lambeth.
He had two children Lewis and Jane born 1836 and 1839 Lambeth. I have there birth certificates and with Jane her death certifcate.
His wife or partner was Jane.
He was a reporter for the Herald from 1825 to 1850
Before 1836 is a blank.
Any ideas where I could make progress would be most helpful.

For our ref death for age

LYONS, ALEXANDER 50
GRO Reference: 1850 S Quarter in STRAND Volume 01 Page 306

1841 England, Wales & Scotland Census
Portsmouth Place, St Mary Lambeth, Lambeth, London & Surrey, England


Alexander Lyons Male 40 1801 -
Jane Lyons Female 30 1811 -
Lewis Lyons Male 5 1836 Surrey, England
George Moore Male 10 1831 -
Jane Roberts Female 35 1806 -

Edited sorry correction, have you found a birth cert for daughter or just death reg?

Just for ref

Lewis James
Last name Lyons
Gender Male
Birth year -
Birth place -
Baptism year 1836
Baptism date 09 Sep 1836
Place Lambeth
County London
Country England
Father's first name(s) Alexander
Father's last name Lyons
Mother's first name(s) Jane
Mother's last name -
Record set England Births & Baptisms 1538-1975
Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records
Subcategory Parish Baptisms
Collections from England, Great Britain

Jane Lyons
Gender Female
Birth year -
Birth place -
Baptism year 1839
Baptism date 15 Feb 1839
Residence Lambeth, Surrey, England
Place Lambeth
County Surrey
Country England
Father's first name(s) Alexander
Father's last name Lyons
Mother's first name(s) Jane
Mother's last name -

Birth certificates were not issued before July 1837

According to1841 census, Alexander was not born in Surrey, but that is hardly specific

Didn't his obituaries give any idea of where he was born?

According to the 1841 census he was living in Lambeth but he was NOT born in the county.

Kath. x

Many thank for the replies which is much appreciated.

For the birth of Lewis James I have the Church record from St. Mary's and both the birth certificate and death certificate for Jane (1839).
I have Lewis's full life history until his death in the White chapel workhouse in 1874.
As regards Alexander the obituaries just say what a fine chap he was, much respected, deaf in the left ear and never learnt to do short hand.

Do you have Jane's maiden name please.

That's one of the stumbling blocks. I have no information about Jane whatsoever. She's in the 1841 census which gives little information about her. Lewis's birth at St. Mary's simply says son of Alexander and Jane as does Jane the daughter's. She is not mentioned in Jane's death certificate nor in Alexander's when he died in 1850, Lambeth Achive also can find no record of a marriage in Lambeth where they lived between 1836 to 1841. Only Alexander appears to have moved to Clements Chambers by 1843.

You probably already have below for him, not seeing any Probate.

Chris :)

London, England, Church of England Deaths and Burials, 1813-2003

Alexander Lyon abt 1794
Burial 29 Sep 1850 All Souls, Kensal Green, Kensington and Chelsea
(Abode, 1, Clements Inn, Strand)


(Daughter Jane, same Abode as Baptism)

Jane Lyons abt 1838
Burial 16 Dec 1839 St John the Evangelist, Lambeth.
(Abode, Griffin Street)

You said that you had Jane’s birth cert. Clearly, you don’t, or you would know her mother’s maiden name

There is no birth registration for her on freebmd or the GRO site

I did not say I had Jane's birth certificate only the Church entry. I am still trying to locate a certificate although in 1839 about 15% of birth's were not registered so her birth certificate may not exist.

Actually you did say that

"He had two children Lewis and Jane born 1836 and 1839 Lambeth. I have there birth certificates and with Jane her death certifcate."

That's why I queried it, as I couldn't find a birth for Jane on freebmd/GRO etc. So she was probably not registered unfortunately. It would have helped to know Jane's maiden name...however I can't see a marriage for Alexander, unless there are Parish records on Ancestry for the church where the children were baptised?

I'd probably take a look at this death and see if you can find any further info on him as a possible father ?

Westminster Burials

First name(s) Alexander
Last name Lyons
Birth year 1772
Death year 1802
Death date ? ? 1802
Burial year 1802
Burial date 11 Dec 1802
Burial place St Clement Danes
County Middlesex
Country England
Archive
City of Westminster Archives Centre
Record set Westminster Burials
Category

You also said -

For the birth of Lewis James I have the Church record from St. Mary's and both the birth certificate and death certificate for Jane (1839).

To me that reads that you have Lewis' baptismal record but the actual birth certificate for Jane.

Baptismal records sometimes show a dob, often not and again sometimes a mmn but not very often. And the problem is that baptisms can happen very shortly after a birth but years later sometimes, so may not necessarily help to pinpoint a marriage date. The ages shown in the 1841 census mean that Jane could have been up to 34 years of age. IF the eldest child was only 5 then, that's either a late-ish marriage or there were other unknown children before that perhaps or even second marriages.

It's unfortunate that relationships aren't shown on the 1841 census, who is George Moore ?