Genealogy Chat

I have a problem that someone may be able to help me with? I'll TRY not to be too long winded with it..... I received my Grandad's birth cert yesterday and since then someone has done a census search for me. On the census my Gt Grandad Julius Clarke was a lodger at a married woman's house, Catherine Best. The house where my Grandad was born. On the census my Grandads surname and his mopther's is Best - but on his birth cert his surname is Clarke and so is hers. Kate Clarke formerly Mc Arthur. Has anyone any ideas what's going on? Thank you for any ideas x UPDATE! Today I received my GT Grandads and Granny's marriage cert'. Julius Clarke to Catherine Best. - see message

Lorraine, Sounds to me like 'Lodger syndrome'. Lodger has his evil way with landlady, all hunky dory for a few months/years, so woman calls herself by the lodger's name, and registers the baby under it's father's name, Lodger does a bunk, woman reverts to her own name, and calls the child by her surname, as it saves scandal. My G Grandmother had 9 children out of wedlock, and on every birth certificate she gave her surname as the same as that of the children's father (my G Grandfather) Ontheir marriage, she declared herself a 47 year old spinster, which she legally was!

Which census are they listed on & when was his birth? Circumstances might have changed between the two dates. Was the married woman's husband also around at the time? Also who registered the birth, was it his father or his mother? Questions, questions, questions.....sorry to ask so many but I confuse really easliy!! Rachel

Hi Maggie The thing is though that he was known as Arthur Julius Clarke all his life - which he was registered as. Perhaps my Gt Grandad and Granny never married then? x

Hi Rachel It was on the 1891 census. My Grandad was 5mths old, he was born 5/11/1890. It does say Catherine Best - Head, married, charwoman, so it looks as though she could have been widowed/divorced? Kate Clarke formerly Mc Arthur- mother- registered the birth. Perhaps my Gt Grandad & Granny weren't married? x

I think I found them on the 1891 census. It looks as though some of Julius Clarke's children have been wrongly listed as the householder's children. There is also a daughter , Phyllis Clarke age 7. I first thought that maybe they were the householders but there is another child in between Phyllis & Arthur, Alexander Best age 5. Julius Clarke was originally put down as a "widow", then that was cancelled out and replaced by "single". I'd look for a Kate Clarke dying between Arthur's birth and the census. It may have just been chance that his wife was called Kate and the householder was Catherine. This might be completely wrong though... Rachel

Hi Lorraine Wow! You are making progress! Perhaps they married later? Heather

Kate is another name for Catherine. Heather

Hi when Ruth very kindly did the look up the name Best jogged my memory and I remembered something about my Grandad having half brother's and sisters....The name Best also stirs some recollection but I'm not sure where I can go now? x

Hi Heather - it's just that he was born 5/11/1890 and registered as Clarke by his mother also Clarke but the census when he's 5mths old they are both Best? My Gt Grandad a seaman is there as a lodger aged 33?x

Now I might just be confusing things but.... I found Catherine Best on the 1881 census. Hubbie is absent but her oldest child is with her. Her occupation is Seamans wife, and they are living in Southampton. That could explain why he's never there on the census. Also left her lots of time to take in lodgers... I don't know if that helps or not. I looked for Julius in 1881 but I haven't managed to find him yet. Rachel

Lorraine On the 1891 census he is Arthur Clark, not Best. Rachel

How about looking for the marriage of Catherine or Kate McArthur to someone named Best? And then see if the husband died. Heather

That seems a good idea. I think maybe she was widowed/divorced with children then my Gt Grandad came onto the scene and they had my Grandad and maybe others? I just can't see why the surname is different on the birth cert/census or maybe it's normal - I'm quite new to this! x

Lorraine I think you might struggle with these because on the 1891 census (which i can email to you if you like) Julius's place of birth is very difficult to read. It's been transcribed as Barbadair, Wisconsin. It may be that he and Kate were married in America? Like I said earlier the 2 children with the surname Clarke have been included under Catherine's name as her children. Both their places of birth are down as Southampton, but that may be wrong. She might just have thought that they were both born there. It all depends on when he travelled over from America. Because Kate registered his birth, that means that she survived childbirth. Her and Catherine might be one and the same person but who knows... I'd keep an open mind about it for now. Rachel

Rachel - Thank you I'd love to see it anyway....thank for all your help everyone x

Hi Julius Clarke's birth place should be Barbados West Indies....I know his family originated there. x

Have just read it all through again and think that Rachel's idea is best. I'd look for death of Kate first. Confusing, Isn't it? Heather

It is confusing isn't it? I suppose this is a fairly normal thing to happen? Still I can't give up hope and fall at the first hurdle eh? x

What was the date when the birth was registered? Heather