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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Durham => Topic started by: JonnyL on Wednesday 03 March 10 15:09 GMT (UK)
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Greetings,
I am looking for any advice on how I might trace Alice Laws b. 19 Aug 1870, who was born to John Laws and Mary Ann Younger in Bishopwearmouth.
Mary Ann died of TB less than a month later on 12 Sep.
Father and Daughter appear in the 1871 Census in a boarding house - but this is the last I can establish about Alice.
Three years later (1873), John Laws is re-married and has four more children with his new wife, Jane Williamson but Alice doesn't appear in the 1881 Census.
How likely is it Alice would have been adopted outside the family? I have seareched for Alice Laws in various Census' after 1871 but can't find anything definite. Would the Church have been involved?
Grateful for any advice
Jonny
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Hello Jonny
Any adoption taking place at that time would have been very informal with nothing written down for you to go on. The Church would only have been involved if directly asked to be I would imagine. Most likely, a child would be looked after by grandparents or other relatives, if they were available. Are you sure Alice didn't die between the 1871 and 1881 census?
Brenda
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Was Alice LAWS her full name at birth? I don't see a matching birth registration in Sunderland (which would be the correct registration district for Bishopwearmouth) though I do see one in Auckland.
Do you know that Alice survived childhood? (Sorry - I see Brenda asked this).
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Brenda,
Thanks. No, I can't be sure if Alice died between those dates - maybe one day I'll be able to look in a bit more detail.
Jonny
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AVM,
I don't have any more info on the birth - I can see the one in Auckland. John Laws (father) was born in "Iveston" - but my knowledge of Co Durham is a bit limited. Does 'Auckland' Registration District refer to Bishop Auckland?
I may have to dig a bit further into the Grandparents.
Thanks,
Jonny
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Here are details of Auckland registration district:
http://www.ukbmd.org.uk/genuki/REG/districts/auckland.html
The reason I asked about her birth registration was to establish her full, formal name - which in turn you will need to identify possible deaths or later events. Given that you know her exact birthdate I wondered whether you had the birth certificate, but perhaps you had the date from another source.
Anna :)
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Jonny
The Alice born in the Aukland district is on the 1881 census with her family, father is not named John.
Iveston is about 10 miles NW of Durham city, very close to Consett. Also in the vicinity is Medomsley, where a John Laws was chr on 4 FEB 1844 to a Robert and Isabella Laws. Robert Laws and Isabella Browell were married there on 15 Oct 1842. Doesn't help you much with Alice though I'm afraid!
Brenda
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I am less certain about Alice's birth date now!
Her father (the widower) said she was 'about 5 months' at the beginning of April 1871 - which means she was born before Christmas...
So she's probably this one:
Births Sep 1869
Laws Alice Gateshead 10a 722
And nowt to do with Auckland at all.
Hmmn...
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I am less certain about Alice's birth date now!
Her father (the widower) said she was 'about 5 months' at the beginning of April 1871 - which means she was born before Christmas...
So she's probably this one:
Births Sep 1869
Laws Alice Gateshead 10a 722
And nowt to do with Auckland at all.
But if she was 5 mths in spring 1871 then she was born in late 1870, not 1869 ???
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It's been a long day...
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Is this the death registration of John's wife*?
Sep qtr 1870
Mary Ann LAWS aged 31
Sunderland 10a 313
Obviously Alice can't have been born after her mother's death (though the circumstances might have delayed registration, if indeed there was a birth registration).
*NB I can't find a suitable marriage in her maiden surname of YOUNGER - was she previously married (e.g. to a Mr SHAW)?
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Mary Ann Younger (Alice's Mother) was indeed married to Henry Shaw (A Scot, b. 1829 Inverkeithing). They had a daughter, Sarah Ann, b, 1860. Henry died in 1866.
Mary Ann Younger then married John Laws in 1868, I think. Alice must have arrived in before Mary Ann's death (recorded in several other people's trees as 12 Sep 1870 - I have seen a cert) - so there is a childbirth theory...
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Mary Ann Younger then married John Laws in 1868, I think.
Yes - she's indexed on FreeBMD as marrying in the name SHAW rather than YOUNGER. Not unusual to take a stepfather's name.
So Alice wasn't illegitimate (which is why I looked for a marriage for her parents - wondering whether she was registered at birth in her mother's maiden name).
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So maybe I should look for an Alice SHAW or YOUNGER in 1881? If she was around then...