I would welcome any and all ideas on how to proceed with my equivalent of the Berlin Wall (OK, it wasn't strictly a brick wall, but you know what I mean!).
My great grandfather's name was (supposedly) Henry Thomas BUTLER (or possibly Henry John Butler). I have found him on the 1881, 1891 and 1901 censii. He died in 1906. In the three censii on which he appears the ages he gives corespond to birth years of approximately 1842-3, 1844-5, and 1845-6. His death certificate implies a birth year of approximately 1845-6. At least he was consistent in his (supposed) place of birth: Chelsea, London (or sometimes Middlesex).
He should appear in the 1851, 1861, and 1871 censii, but I am unable to locate him on any of these.
One problem is that in about 1870 or 71 he married Margaret McHale (sometimes MacHale or McHall or Machall). But there is no marriage certificate. Without this I do not know his parents' names, which makes it virtually impossible to locate him in the 1851 and 1861 censii.
The 1871 census is interesting. Margaret has left her parent's pub, the Duke of Ormond, in Princes St. Westminster and appears in the census living alone on census night in a boarding house at 10 Gloucester St., Finsbury. Intriguingly, she records herself as Margaret Butler, married. It's hugely circumstantial, I know, but why would she record her name as Butler and her marital status as married if she had recently started living in sin with her boyfriend in an area where they were not known, and where I suspect many such examples existed. This makes me think that they really were married, but where is the certificate? Margaret was almost certainly Catholic, Henry almost certainly not - I don't know if this would be significant.
But where was Henry in 1871? As an actor, he could have been anywhere in the country, though most likely somewhere in the southeast. But I've researched all Henry Butlers, and tried obvious mis-transcriptions like Buller and Butter, with no success!
I have downloaded all births of Henry Butler in the 1842-46 period, and even ordered certificates of the most likely candidates based on place of birth. The trouble is, without knowing his parents' names, I cannot know if any birth certificate is the right one or not. As Henry & Margaret's second son, born 1874, was named Hubert, after Margaret's father (their first was Henry), I was hoping that I might come across a birth certificate for Henry in which the parents' names were Edith (their oldest daughter's name) or Reginald (their third son), but no luck!
Margaret McHale is an unusual name, of course. Interestingly, there is a marriage of a Margaret McKale in Chelsea (!) in the 4th Q of 1867. Perhaps a year or two too early, but maybe not - she would have been 19 at the time. The groom's name is George Turney. Could Henry have been using an assumed name, for some reason? Or is Henry Butler an assumed (stage) name and George Turney his real name? Or is this all just a coincidence? Mysteries! None of the George Turneys in the 1871 census are married to a Margaret (or Maggie or Peggy).
This has stymied me for 7 years so far. Any thoughts most welcome!
Thanks
Tim
