RootsChat.Com
England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Staffordshire => Topic started by: DudleyWinchurch on Monday 17 August 09 13:05 BST (UK)
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Hi all,
I decided it was time to restart this thread for a couple of reasons.
One is that I have noticed several new members appearing on RootsChat and asking about Bilston.
Welcome to all and I am including a link to the old thread here so that you can trawl through and find all the discussion we have already had.
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,280912.0.html
And the other is the obvious one, I now do have more names again that I can lookup in the Bilston, Holy Trinity catholic church Baptism Index, so anyone looking for family names in the range A-F at that church, just add a request here or PM me.
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Hi Dudley, just seen your new thread re Bilston etc.
I'm interested because my Gt Gt Uncle Thomas Howell was born 16 Aug 1848 in a place called Workhouse Fold (where or what is that?) in Bilston.
Also I believe that my Gt Grandad James Howell may also have been born in Bilston 1843 -1844 but I've never been able to trace a birth for him.
As they were probably Methodists, is it possible his birth may be recorded in Bilston Parish Records?
Barbara.
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Hi Barbara,
Transcriptions of Bilston Parish records (and a lot more) are available from the Wolverhampton Archives web page at:
http://www.wolverhamptonhistory.org.uk/resources/familyhistory
Unfortuntely there seems to be a gap in the Methodist records available so far.
Another useful site for church records of various denominations is:
http://www.freereg.org.uk
but I couldn't find Thomas or James on there.
As far as I am aware, there was no requirement after 1837, when general registration came in, for baptisms at any other church to be also registered in the local parish church.
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Hi Dudley,
Thanks for all that, I have e-mailed the archives enquiring about the gap 1837 - 1907 in the Methodist records.
By the way, can you enlighten me as to where exactly Workhouse fold was? Was it just the Workhouse?
Barbara.
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Hi Barbara,
I'm not familiar with Workhouse Fold but there were many small streets and back courts between the main houses in Bilston in the 19th century. It could just have been an area adjoining or belonging to the Workhouse.
Who were the parents of your Gt Gt Uncle Thomas?
There is a family in Bilston (in 1841 and 1851) with parents, Thomas and Eliza (or Elizer) Howell, who have both a Thomas and a James but the James is 10 years older than your estimated date. The children all seem to have been baptised at Coseley in Sedgley Parish and transcriptions can be found on the LDS FamilySearch site at:
http://www.familysearch.org/
with file reference C037861
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Hi Dudley, thanks very much for trying to help me.
The parents of my James & Thomas Howell were Thomas & Jane Howell.
Whilst I was able to get a Birth cert for Thomas for 1848, I've never been able to trace the birth of James in 1843/1844.
I'm becoming convinced that he was not registered even though he was born after 1837 when civil registration came in.
Cheers anyway Dudley
Barbara.
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Just found a reference to Workhouse Fold being in the centre of the town.
Also a very detailed description of Bilston which may be of use to others too, at:
http://www.localhistory.scit.wlv.ac.uk/articles/BilstonDirectory/BilstonHistory/bilstonhistory04.htm
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Thanks a lot for the link Dudley.
It's a very interesting article about Bilston and I would imagine it's of interest to a lot of people out there with family history links to Bilston.
Thanks for turning it up
Barbara.
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Hi, I'm a bit new to all this but I'm trying to research back on my Mothers Side.
The Family name is Betts and they originate from Bilston. My Grandad & Great Grandad were both named Joseph H Betts & my Great Grandad was Abraham. I've found reference to an Abraham Betts on the 1901 census but I'm unsure if it's the right one as the wife/children's details differ from what my Mother remembers.
So I've tried trace back from my Grandad to find out. His Mother was named Amy Clark (maiden name) but she died when my Grandad was approx 6 months old, sometime late 1921. I can't find any record of her death? Does anyone have any ideas where else to look or how I can find out if it's the right Abraham.
Sorry for the lengthy post but as this is all new to me I keep going round in circles.
Thanks
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Hi Samanthapom,
Welcome to the RootsChat site.
Can't find any Betts mentioned at Holy Trinity Church.
The cemetery records for Bilston Main Cemetery are on film at Wolverhampton Archives and many people from Bilston were buried there. If you are unable to access the archives then Wolverhampton Bereavement Services now manage the cemetery and can be helpful.
There were other cemeteries in Bilston but I think that they were no longer much in use by the 1920s.
Are you sure of the date of Amy's death? There is one listed for 1924 on FREEBMD. As your Grandad was so young when it happened he must of learnt about his mother from other family members so the information may not have been very precise.
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Thanks DudleyWinchurch,
My grandad died years ago so I'm going on information remembered by My Mum & Aunt so the age of my Grandad when his Mum died might not be correct. I had a look an FreeBDM but I can seem to find the Amy you're talking about, it comes up with no matches? Any idea what I've done wrong?
Thanks once again for your help.
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Ignore last post...just found it, thanks.
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Does anyone know where I could find out where somewhere was buried? Ive found a death listed for 1924 in Stafford? I would like to find out which cemetary she would have been buried in.
Thanks
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Many people down the line have looked backward to try and establish the origin, I am not the first and hopefully wont be the last. I would like to get past the hurdle in our family tree that Bilston has come to represent though.
There is a marriage in Wolverhampton around 1802/1803 between James Bird and Mary Lea. Following this, there are several baptisms at St Leonards for Charles Bird, Catherine Bird.... upto about 1810.
There is then a death of the above mentioned James Bird in our family bible and recorded as burried at St Leonards in 1834, aged 80. This gives him a birth date of 1754. I can not find his birth anywhere!!!
My grand father came up with a theory, that he had travelled down to Bilston (for an unknown reason) from the Berwyn mountains, using the coach road (he refered to it as the Military Road). Apparently in Bilston the horses would be changed, and therefore James would have had the chance to stop. I have no idea why my Grand father suspects the Berwyn Mountains, but they are on this road (apparently) and in 1950, the telephone book did show a Charles Bird living at Plas Tanat, which also lies on this road.
I'm not sure if the story of the evidence came first, and therefore, I am asking anyone with sometime, and an open mind, to try and find James Bird for me, a possible reason why he might have moved to Bilston, perhaps you have land records, or can get his will. I have run out of ideas, I'm no longer sure how much weight to give various ideas I have had in the past. Any objective evidence based approach is very welcome!
Best wishes
Andrew
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... and yet more names.
I can now look up A-H in the Bilston, Holy Trinity baptism index, if that's of any use to anyone (covers over 4,500 names already).
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Andrew_85
I can't help with any details on your problem, but, for what its worth...
Why would someone travel from the Berwyns to Bilston?
I suppose there could be lots of reasons, but my ancestor travelled between Bilston and N Wales (not quite the Berwyns, but close), too - at least twice c1800-35.
Do you know James Bird's occupation, perhaps?
There was certainly a connection between the iron foundries in both areas, if that might give a clue...? I am still researching this and how it affected my furnace-building ancestors, so I was interested to hear about the Military Road story.
As above, not sure whether this will help you find your James Bird, but ...
Good luck anyway!
pwhh
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No references to a James Bird in the Holy Trinity registers (very few Birds at all).
Bilston was on the canal network and I think that many workers may have used this to travel around the country as work increased or decreased in the various coal-mines and ironworks, etc.
Meantime, the baptism database for Holy Trinity now goes from A-J but I may take a break before tackling the next tranche.
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There is a marriage in Wolverhampton around 1802/1803 between James Bird and Mary Lea. Following this, there are several baptisms at St Leonards for Charles Bird, Catherine Bird.... upto about 1810.
There is then a death of the above mentioned James Bird in our family bible and recorded as burried at St Leonards in 1834, aged 80. This gives him a birth date of 1754. I can not find his birth anywhere!!!
Andrew
Hi Andrew,
Transcriptions of St Leonard's registers are on FREEREG at: http://www.freereg.org.uk
and on the Wolverhampton Archives webpages at: http://www.wolverhamptonhistory.org.uk/resources/familyhistory
I can only see the two baptisms that you have mentioned above there (Charles 1804 and Catherine 1806).
If you know of other children in the same family then maybe they moved away from Bilston for a while before James final return there. If you can find out where they went then this may give a clue as to why they kept moving.
It may help if you start by listing all the information about this family that you have from the family Bible. There were a number of families with a James Bird as father of children baptised in Bilston around that time.
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Hi Dudley Winchurch.
I note you are now up to H.
I am interested in the Graven family (Catherine married my G grandfather) and I wonder if you have found any others that might help me trace their origins.
Thanks,
Emgee.
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Hi Emgee,
Still haven't found anyone with the name spelled Graven but, because they might be useful, if only to demonstrate the extent of the variation in spelling of names in the Holy Trinity registers, I am sending you two lists. The first is of children whose family name begins Gav... and the second is children whose mothers maiden names begin Gav... Unfortunately there are not yet any Grav.. variants even for mother's maiden names, as yet.
[modified: sorry meant to send by PM]
Good luck, and remind me again to repeat the mother's maiden name search when the database is complete.
Sheila
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Shelia.
Many thanks for the PM. (to which I have replied).
So many people have benifited from your research you should let us know if there is a particular item we should be on the look out for that would help you.
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Sorry Shelia I hope you can read the last post.
I meant to run a spell check not cross it out!
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That ok - all the best 1911 data is crossed out like that too ;D ::) ;D
S.
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Wishing all my fellow Black Country researchers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
:D ;D :D ;D :D
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Hello Shiela and all other Bilstonians,
A very happy and peacefull Christmas and New Year to you all :)
regards, Tony
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To Sheila and Tony and all those who give so much help to others.
Thankyou
A happy Christmas and New Year to you all!
Emgee