1861, 1871 Census - Thompson (Stilton)

[Xenoid]

Mike, what a wonderful site, you have clearly done an enormous amount of work! I am thrilled to see the Thompsons back a further two generations.

As you may have gathered, my link to William Thompson is through my mother's side and the marriage of Mary Anne Thompson (William's daughter) to William Bradley. Their son, William (why is everyone called William  ) was my grandfather. He died fairly young, from a burst appendix so I never met him.

I am intrigued by the Rachel Bowles problem. I assume the Rachel in the 1891 and 1901 censuses was from Toseland? I notice there are a few William Thompson / Rachel marriages after 1881 but none from the Dronfield area. The Rachel death in 1876 (4th Q. Derby 7b/274) is a bit suspicious as it is not really the "right" area. But why would he say he was widowed in the 1881 census.

Regards, Ken

[MikeLoney]

Ken

Rachel in 1891 & 1901 does come from Toseland.

I do wonder if the William Thompson we found in 1881 is in fact our William? If as we surmise Rachel didn't die until 1907, we are then missing both William and Rachel in 1881.

If they were staying with someone, i.e. one of their married daughters, they could have been enumerated with the surname of the head of the house in error, or simply mistranscribed.

I'll have a look tomorrow for All Rachel & Williams, of the right age, and see who pops up. One never knows...

Mike

[bedfordshire boy]

I think it's the correct family in 1881- just that William may have been wrongly enumerated as widower. In 1881 he's brother in law to a Hunts born family, the wife being born in Toseland. He has a daughter Sarah S age 14 born Mabourne Hunts - in 1891 he has a separate family in his house headed by Sarah Doddridge widow 25 b Morbourne Hunts.

[Xenoid]

After doing a bit more searching, I am inclined to agree with bedfordshire boy. This is the right family but there are major enumeration/transcription errors.

I can't find a reasonable marriage for a Thomas Bellamy to a "B. anyone" let alone a B. Thompson. William Thompson doesn't appear to have a sister with a B. initial. Thomas Bellamy and William Thompson can't be brothers in law.

The children's mother is listed as "B." I think "B. Bellamy" is actually Rachel Bowles. There are no Bellamy children listed which is unusual. "B. Bellamy" is the right age and comes from Toseland, this fits her being Rachel. I can't find a married Thomas Bellamy in 1871 or 1891.

Perhaps it is Thomas Bellamy who is the "widowed one".

It would appear that Rachel died in 1906 and not 1876.

Ken

[MikeLoney]

Hi,

Whilst I tend to agree that B Bellamy is in fact Rachel, the term brother-in-law didn't necessarily have same meaning then as today. He could easily have been married to a sister of Rachel's (he wasn't).

Furthermore, although initial is 'B', doesn't mean forename began with B. She could be a Betty, in which case her forename could have been Elizabeth.

What is puzzling, is why we can't find Thomas Bellamy in other censuses. Does anyone know where Brough Fen is exactly?

With regards Williams daughter, I think this should be Sarah J (not S), and she appears in 1871 and 1881 censuses. As you say, in 1891 she appears as Sarah J Doddridge (widow), with a daughter Jessie.

A Jessie Doddridge was registered 1889 Q4 Chesterfield 7b 763, but there does not appear to be a marriage registered for Sarah around this time. Of course if it was her second marriage, it wouldn't be under Thompson.

I suspect Jessie is illegitimate

Were you aware that William and Rachel had at least two other children, who didn't make it on to the censuses, both dying as infants:

Angelina Chr 25/5/1855, buried 8/4/1855 in Stilton
William Edward Chr 20/9/1857, buried 10/3/1858 in Stilton

Mike

[Xenoid]

Does anyone know where Brough Fen is exactly?

Googling "Brough Fen" brings up Borough Fen which is a civil parish in the north of Peterborough.

In the 19th Century it was in Northamptonshire.

Ken

[MikeLoney]

Hi

Yes I saw that one, but that didn't help finding Thomas in other censuses.
I just wondered if there was another one.

Mike

[seahall]

Hi All.

Borough Fen was a one of the parts of Peterborough as already stated.

The actual area was known as "The Soke of Peterborough".

There is a pfd link here although it is mainly about "Weights and Measures".

www.maths.lse.ac.uk/Personal/norman/NTH.pdf

Sandy

[magslote]

StiltonP/Rs
Thompson family,children all bapts to
Michael/Hannah
ANN.5.1.1823
GEORGE.1.8.1825
WILLIAM25.5.1828
HANNAH 26.9.1830
JOHN24.5.1833.
JANE 21.6.1835
SARAH6.8.1837.
Marriage, by Banns.2.9.1822Michael=Hannah Jefferies.b.o.t.p
witts were Sarah Jeffreys/William Odam.
Margaret.