Hi,I'd really like some suggestions for tracing this family please. I'm at a total loss with them,and perhaps someone here could suggest something to find them which I may be totally overlooking, and have not thought of. I can not find my Great grandmother Florence (or her parents) in the 1881 census, or 1891. The only census I have with Florence is in 1901 when she is married with children. I have no siblings for her, and no clue about her parents family either :Florence Rosina Batten born 17 June 1871, address 1 Goodhind st, Bristol.mother Susannah Pattison father Joseph batten, occupation carpenter(info from Florence's birth cert)in 1881 Florence should be 10 years old, I have searched for with her birth name "Batten" ( also all other mistranscribed names that I can think of , batter, Battle , Bitten,Button etc etc,the list goes on and on. I've basically gone through the whole alphabet ). I have searched for her using her mother's maiden name - Florence Pattison ( Patterson etc etc) . I have also searched for her using just her Christian name ( just in case her mother has re-married and Florence is going under the name of Florence Smith or whatever) . Also have searched using a wide birth range just in case the census is mistranscribed. I have also tried searching for her by her middle name , just in case she is going by her middle name Rosina. 1891 , no sign of her either . Later in 1891 ( after the census date - Oct/Dec quarter ,BedweltyMonmouthshire ) she marries an Alfred Quarman . I have searched for her using the above methods, plus the Quarman name just in case she is living with him before they are married ( can not find her soon to be husband Alfred in 1891 either, I have him in all the other census though)1871 - I have what may be her parents ( below *), but can't really prove it is them, even if it is them it still is not much use to me (as they are the only people in the house, no kids, or other relatives) ,as I can not trace this couple any further with the info I have. I have searched through pages of entries for a Susannah pattison and Joseph Batten marriage ( using 1837 site) around 1871 ( when Florence was born) . I think I searched five or 6 years after 1871, and around 8or 9 years before 1971 *info :5 Morton StreetSt James And St Paul Bristol GloucestershireJoseph Batten Head 33 b Chew Magna Somerset . occupation CarpenterSusan Jane Batten Wife 27 b Plymouth DevonBirths for the parents Joseph and SusannahI haven't searched because there are too many Joseph Batten's etc, and I have no way in knowing which Joseph Batten is my Joseph. same goes for Susannah.1901 - I have Florence , her husband Alfred and kids in the census, living in Glamorgan.sorry for this long post, this is all the info I have on them. I've been trying to find Florence ( and her parents) as a child in 1881 for almost a year now, and also 1891, and having no luck what so ever. I'm pulling my hair out over this family! My thoughts are these, she may be totally mistranscribed in 1881, but surely she can't be mistranscribed in 1891 too with a simple name such as Batten? Also, why would they not fill in two censuses, one maybe ,but two?? The only thing that I can think of, her mother has re-married and she is known as Florence "smith" etc. Or perhaps I have a family of travellers ( gypsies)? . Or maybe they went to Ireland could be another long shot.Am I overlooking anything which is the reason why I can't find them? I would dearly love to find them in the 1881 census to find out more about her parents, or any other siblings. Thanks for any suggestions
I am also descended from Alfred!he was my great grandad, I have loads of family history researched, please do not hesitate to contact me anytime
Thanks everbody for all your helpThe New Tredegar does explain something. Later on this family lived in the reg district Caerphilly (Glamorgan) for years, and one of the kids (the oldest Alfred H , known to my family as “Harry” (for some odd reason)worked in Bedwas pit, and was in the mining disaster/explosion of 10th Oct 1952 ( which I found was listed as being in Monmouthshire and Caerphilly/Glamorgan too, depending on what search I put in) . It Seems that too is right on the border . Harry (Alfred H/Henry) was badly burnt in this disaster , I have pictures of “Harry” before and after the accident ( one below, which was taken around the late 30's or even 1940/41 maybe – I’m going by the age of the little boy in the photo ,who was born around 1935 . I won’t bore you with my mystery old lady photo, who is either Florence, or my other G Grandmother lol ), and the other is after 1952 when his face is all burnt, and meeting the mayor, presumably the ceremony had something to do with the survivors of this explosion in the Bedwas navigation colliery. Thanks so much for your suggestion Helen, I never thought of that with the Batten name -[ (although I have used this technique with the more unusual names for my other lines, it didn’t dawn on me to try it with these “common” names).Now I’ve got something else to think of. Looking at all the names, –in the same quarter Florence was registered there is a death of a Susan Batten age 24. In the 1871 census, I have a Susan Jane Batten age 27(whether this is my “Susannah or not) , I can’t find this Susan in any of the later censuses either, she disappears off the face of the planet. I’m now wondering if this is her in the deaths, Age is out by three years (but deaths, and censuses tend not to be too accurate on ages) .The mystery deepens; my head is all in a buzz . Pure, pure speculation of course, and I’m probably going right off in the wrong direction here with this theory , but now I’m thinking perhaps she died a couple months after giving birth to Florence (Florence’s actual birth was in June , but she falls into the July/sept quarter in the indexes because she was registered on the 28th of July by her mother) ,and this is why my father never knew his grandmother Florence’s maiden name was Batten until he had his mum’s birth cert ,but he had heard of the Pattison name. Maybe she was brought up my her grandmother Pattison (who ever she is) , or someone in the Pattison family, and not the Batten family..Thanks again for all your help, I most certainly will get the marriage for Alfred and Florence and see if it throws a little light on it