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Research in Other Countries => Europe => Topic started by: wilcoxon on Wednesday 06 January 10 22:30 GMT (UK)
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I have this person in all Census from 1851 to 1891. Born Italy BS.
He is living in Liverpool / Formby area.
Marriages Jun 1848 West Derby
Lewis Formby / Margery Sawyer,
Family Search 1881 Census.
Louis FORMBY b 1828 . BS British subject . b Italy
Death 10 July 1899 Formby
In all census he was just an Ag lab or farm servant, so how was he born in Italy. Why would his father have been there at that time.
IGI has Formbys born in Formby going back to 17th c. but until I get past Lewis / Louis I can go no further.
Thanks.
Annette
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Somebody else posted about this man about 2yrs ago
An Italian ship was wrecked in Formby but this baby survived and was taken in by a local family and given the surname Formby
If you use the Search facility on Rootschat you will find the old post
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Try this one for starters
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,271335.0.html
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This is the one
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,270477.0.html
Hi Carole and Pam,
Congratulations! in just a few short hours while I was out this afternoon you have confirmed a family legend from over 175 years ago.......The Baby on the Beach.........curious?
Let me enlighten you.
In the early 18th century an Italian ship left the port of Liverpool and was wrecked in Liverpool bay in a terrible storm There were no survivors. The following morning a person walking on Formby beach came across a tiny baby boy lying on the sand. A local family took pity on the orphaned infant and brought him up as their own, giving him the surname Formby, the place where he was found. He grew up a fine, dark haired young man and married a local girl, passing his name and complexion on to his children. We had no record of his christian name nor the family that took him in, just the story passed down.
I wonder where the name Lewis came from? perhaps the name of the person who found him? Is there an entry for him in 1841 before he married?
Thanks so much,
Sue
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WOW, how interesting. :o
This is the famiy I started with, Margaret the sister in law eventually married W.Derby March Q 1883 8b.686
Richard TAYLOR and Margaret FORMBY .
It seems that Lewis Formby was the father of Margery, Margaret and Mary.
Richard was the son of Samuel Taylor and the brother of my direct ancestor John Taylor.
1851 HO107; Piece: 2503; Folio: 691; Page: 27
Nant
Thomas Taylor 41 Stonemason b Wrexham
Elizabeth 43 b Ruthin ? ( Derwen)
Carolin 11 errand girl b Wrexham
Richard 8 b “Samuel 5 b “
Elizabeth 2 b “
1881 RG11; Piece: 3746; Folio: 154; Page: 8;
56 Liverpool Rd, Formby.
Thomas Rimmer 22 ag lab b Ainsdale
Marjery Rimmer 20 wife "
Alice Rimmer 1 dau "
Margaret Formby 27 sister in law washerwoman , un married. "
Marjery E. Formby 3 neice Ainsdale, Lancashire,
1901 RG13; Piece: 5219; Folio: 109; Page: 29
21 Penygelli Rd.
Richard Taylor 51 free stone mason b Coedpoeth c 1850
Margaret 45 b Ainsdale
Margery 20 “
Elizabeth 17 b Birkdale
Thomas 15 collier b Ainsdale
Richard 11 b Coedpoeth
Maggie 8 b Coedpoeth
Beatrice 2 b Coedpoeth.
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Sue hasn't been online at Rootschat since November but I have sent her a pm with the link to this post
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Hi this search is not for me i was trying to find out about Carl Henry Bongartz on the 1901 cencurs name spelt Karl Bonkartz german spelling trying to find where they were before 9 Churton Street Totenfields westminster. He was born in Luebeck germany in 1887 in the january, he was married to my grandma in march qtr 1910 at croyden. But trying to find out when they got to england. On his death cert which he is burried in norfolk is got name as carl henry bongartz otherwise Johann Weilhelm bongartz his last name might also be spelt bongarty . So will be most grateful.
Yours faithfully
Alison Sinclair
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Hi Annette, thanks Carole for notifying me about the post.
I'm afraid I have nothing much to add to the information you already have. I can see that Margaret must have gone to work in Liverpool and met Richard as they were married in West Derby (district of Liverpool) in March quarter 1883 - actually in St Mary's Walton. There would have been plenty of work for a stone mason in Liverpool at that time.
I can't find the birth or baptism of Elizabeth born in Birkdale but I have found Thomas:
Baptism: 21 Jun 1885 St John, Ainsdale, Lancashire, England
Thomas Taylor - Child of Richard Taylor & Margaret
Born: 3 Jun 1885
Abode: Mill Lane
Occupation: Mason
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Richard and Margarets headstone. Elizabeth Taylor is Richards mother.
They are buried in Wern Chaplel gravyard , near Minera, Wrexham.
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Something interesting in the 1841 census:
HO 107/519/8 folio 12 page 17
in Formby
William Formby, 75, "Ind", b. in county
Wm Kershaw, 20, Ag Lab, b. in county
Lewis Workhouse, 15, no occupation given, b. "Foreign"
I think if you look at the Formby parish records you are likely to find a baptism for him under the first name Lewis (which surname is anyone's guess) and there may be some notes regarding his origins there.
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Thanks so much for this, I have only just found this Formby link to my Taylors, so for you to find this after so much searching before by others is just excellent.
Well worth following up. :)
[
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Interesting, yes, I was never able to find him in the 1841 census, and the right age (rounded up or down to the nearest 5 years on that census). I think that is probably him. I have trawled the baptisms for Formby in the record office, there was only the one church, St Peter's and there is no sign of a Lewis.
By the way "The Ancient Chapelry of Formby, St Peter' reminds us that a chapel existed in Formby from early times - in what was a detached part of the ancient parish of St Mary, Walton"
http://www.westgallerychurches.com/Lancs/Formby/Formby.html
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Hi,
I have been doing some family history research and I was delighted to find that Sue's family also had a myth about Mr Formby. Therefore, I would like to pass on the information that has been handed down through the generations on my side. Our version of Mr Formby's story is as follows:
He was found as a young man wondering on Formby beach after a supposed shipwreck. He spoke no English, just Italian. He had no idea what had happened to him, where he came from, or who he was really- it was supposedly a case of amnesia. He soon settled in the area and was named after the beach he was found on, hence Mr Formby, he found work and got married.
Over the years he learnt to speak English but he refused to learn how to read and write it- he'd always get someone else to read the newspaper to him. The story goes that after many years when he was much older, some Officials wanted to speak to him but he refused to engage with them and he 'played dumb'. I note on one census he has been ticked as being "blind, deaf or dumb'. I wonder if this could perhaps offer an explanation as to why he never learnt to read or write English, or whether this was because he supposedly had amnesia, or if he was faking it/hiding something.
His name was pronounced 'Loo-eee' like the Central European name 'Louis', which could explain why the spelling in one census is different and the name was passed down for a few generations. But we've always referred to him as Mr Formby.
If he is the person listed as 'Lewis Workhouse' in the 1841 census, the approximate age of 15 would fit our version of his life as being a young man. As for the father named on his marriage certificate, we strongly believe that this is a lie but there ut cannot be proven or disproven.
One family rumour is that he was a stowaway on board a ship that got into trouble off the coast of Formby. Another is that he was wanted for something in Italy so left and went on the run. Obviously over the generations the story could have changed and/or been exaggerated so we'll never know what truely happened. Of course, Sue's version could be closer to the truth.
It's at moments like this that I wish I had a time machine so I could go back and find out.
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Interesting that you have a similar story and not unusual that it has it's own version of events although the basic facts are the same. There is no reason to discount that he was a young man who spoke Italian for if he was a child how would he know he came from Italy? As I was looking for a foreign vessel it was just as likely to have been a British one with foreign seamen onboard, not unusual but that we will never know. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/158745615/lewis-formby
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Hi Sue,
Thank you for your response. This is exactly why I was exited to find your story which I told other relatives and they were just as thrilled- the basic facts are the same: beach, shipwreck, Italian. It is great knowing that the legend is known to other decendants! If I find out anymore I'll let you know.