Birth Look Up Request-Somerset

[mandmsports]

Still on Joseph Harper, born in Somerset in 1843 or 44. Is there any info on birth details, please?  Parents names believed to be Joseph and Sarah Harper but am starting to have second thoughts. Father was supposed to have been from Long Ashton.
Thank you,

Mike

[alcrighton]

Hi Mike,

I found the following in the BMD records:

June Quarter 1843
HARPER, Joseph
Bedmimster XI 80

According to GENUKI (http://www.fhsc.org.uk/genuki/REG/districts/bedminster.html) Long Ashton came under the Bedminster registration district.

I also found the following family in the 1871 census for Bromley, Kent (RG10/873 Folio 126 Page 36):

Joseph HARPER, Head, 28, Raolway Guard, b. Somerset, Long Ashton
Emily HARPER, Wife, 29, b. Kent, Lydd
Eliza M HARPER, Dau, 7, b. Kent, New Romney?
Joseph Fred'k ditto, Son, 3, b. Surrey, Clapham

Could this be the Joseph Harper you're looking for?

Regards,

Al

[mandmsports]

Al,

Thank you for that. I know, for a fact, that the Joseph Harper that you found in the census is my Joe. As far as the birth record, I would need to know the proximity of Bedminster to Long Ashton. The date seems to be there, though. It is rumoured, in family lore, that Joseph's father, (another Joseph), was a solicitor in Long Ashton. I am still trying to learn my Brit geography, as it were. Thanks again.

Mike

[alcrighton]

Hi Mike,

The link below will take you to a map of the area South West of Bristol and you'll see that Bedminster & Long Ashton are about 5km apart.

Bedminster & Long Ashton

I would say it's a fairly safe bet that the birth record I found is for the same Joseph HARPER from the 1871 census.  To be sure you'd have to order a copy of the birth certificate from the Gerneral Registry Office - they will deliver anywhere in the world.  You can do this on line at www.gro.gov.uk and the birth certificate would have the names of Joseph's parents.

Regards,

Al

[alcrighton]

Hi again,

I've just had another go at searching the earlier censuses for Joseph HARPER born 1843/44 (I couldn't find anything before 1871 yesterday!) and came up with the following:

1851 Census New Romney, Kent (HO107/1634 Folio 75 Page 19)

Joseph HARPER, Head, 39, Solicitor's General Clerk, b. Gloucestershire, Newnham??
Sarah M ditto, Wife, 40, b. St. Johns Newfoundland ??
Joseph ditto, Son, 8, b. Somerset Long Ashton

Looks like family lore was pretty close to the mark!

Regards,

Al

[mandmsports]

Al,

You are "bang on" with the above info. We have always believed that Joseph Sr was a lawyer but, as the census shows, he was a legal clerk, basically. Sarah is the daughter of the late Reverend John Harris, who died in St John's in January of 1810.
The census also places young Joseph in Kent, clear across the southern end from Somerset, but, guess what! That is where he met and married my great grandmother. She was born in Deal!
Thank you so much. You have found something that we have been trying to find for some time.

All the best,

Mike in Canada

[alcrighton]

Hi Again,

I've searched the 1861 census for Joseph Junior without success but I think I've found Joseph Senior although his wife seems to be recorded with another name .  This may be an enumerator's mistake.

1861 Census, New Romney, Kent (RG9/555 Folio 61 Page 13)

Joseph HARPER, Head, 49, Collector of Rates under the Poor Law Board, Accountant & General Agent, b. Gloucestershire, Newnham
Phebe HARPER, Wife, 50, b. St Johns Newfoundland, British Subject

I've also found the following in the International Genealogical Index (IGI) at www.familysearch.org

Joseph HARPER
Birth: 13 AUG 1811
Christening: 09 SEP 1811 Newnham, Gloucester, England
Father: Thos. HARPER
Mother: Mary
Batch No. C030421

Joseph HARPER
Marriage: 11 APR 1839   St Andrews, Clifton, Gloucester, England
Spouse: Sarah Margaret HARRIES
Batch No. M172352

The first record is almost certainly your Joseph Senior although I'm less sure about the second.  Clifton is in the West of Bristol and you can just see it's location at the top of the map from the link I gave you.

Hope this is useful.

Regards,

Al

[mandmsports]

Al,

You are THE man! You may still be on to something. I have no doubt that you have my Joe Sr in ALL cases. Let me explain. Sarah Harris' mother's name was Phoebe. She also had a sister, Phoebe. Could it be that Sarah passed on and Joe "got it on" with his sister-in law or did Old Joe get confused at census time and mention that Phoebe was his mother-in-law? Hmmm. Do you see any death records for Sarah?
I have seen Joseph Harper's name mentioned, in regards to documents dealing with Workhouses. I am sure that this is my Joe.
I am impressed. Thank you, once again or should I say Gracios Amigo!

Mike

[mandmsports]

Hi Al,

Just a note to say that you were bang on. Turns out that Sarah Margaret Harper died in 1853. Joseph, later married his sister-in-law, Phoebe, (Phebe), in 1854.
Phebe had been widowed, (don't know when , yet), from George Durham and left with 2 small children, Betsey and Ann.