George Wilfred Frederick Shepherd

[Richard Knott]

The occupation could be 'chair caner' written over a word with 'i' in it.

Richard

[LucyLockett]

Thanks, I think it is Chair Caner as have now been told Fred worked with wicker

Lockett

[LucyLockett]

Repeating my previous post

'Have you discounted this birth registration?

Births Mar 1884   
Sheppard  Frederick George     Islington  1b 251'

Regards

Valda

Hi Valda,
No, not discounted it BUT and is a big but..... In 1881 Charles Edward Shepherd was a widower with two small girls. In 1891 he is married to an Elizabeth and the only marriage I can find is Elizabeth Shore and they married in Shoreditch in Q2 1887 so she cannot have been Fred's mother unless he was born Shaw but I can find no birth for him with that surname to fit. Do you think there was a marriage in between that resulted in Fred?? Otherwise I think I will just have to take the plunge and go for the certificate you have suggested. Would like your input on the mystery tho....

[LucyLockett]

Ooops meant Elizabeth SHAW not SHORE

Apologies

[avm228]

Vicky, I think you're going to have to take a chance on that birth certificate if you're to progress with this.  We can speculate all we like about what might have happened, but it's worth nothing without the documents.

You can save money on speculative certificates by using the GRO's "checking points" system, whereby you specify something you know to be true of the correct person (e.g. for this birth certificate - that the father's name is Edward or Charles or some combination of the two) and if the certificate doesn't match the checking point you get a partial refund and no certificate.

If the Sheppard birth turns out to be wrong, there are a couple of Shaw ones at the right sort of time - but probably better to start out with the Sheppard one and see what happens.

Anna

[Valda]

Vicky

With marriages you can never be sure that people use both their names when they marry, marry before the birth of children, or even marry at all. Births can be registered as legitimate when they are not. There was no checking system (until the second half of the C20th) so even if Frederick's parents were not yet married there was nothing to stop them registering their children as legitimate - they just needed to bluff it out with the registrar.

If you are able to eliminate the Frederick George Sheppard birth registration (there is no other Frederick either in or born Islington on the 1901 census of that age, so if he is not yours who is he) then to establish Elizabeth's surname for certain it would be better getting one of the other children's birth certificates.

Births Jun 1889   
Shepherd  Edward Charles    Islington  1b 196

Births Mar 1901   
Shepherd  Harriet Mary A    Islington  1b 167


Regards

Valda

[LucyLockett]

Hi Anna and Valda,
I am going to take your advice and just plump for the Frederick George Sheppard birth. Hopefully there will be a match. Otherwise I will apply for one of the other children's and see just who their mother was. Your help and advice has been invaluable so as ever.... thanks very much. I will let you know how I get on and / or if the certificate leads to any further confusion.

Vicky