Eliza Smith b. 1876, Caunton Notts

[babygirl101]

Can anyone possible find Eliza for me - she's gone missing!!!

My great grandmother was born Eliza Smith  30 May 1876, Caunton, d/o Hawthorn & Lydia Smith, she appears on the 1881 census, correctly aged 5 with her parents and living in Edingley.

In 1895 she has produced a son - Joseph Markham Smith who appears on the 1901 census as living with his grandparents Hawthorn & Lydia.

Eliza next appears on the 1901 census working as a servant in Beckingham.  The census return gives her correct age and place of birth.

By 1903 she has married Joseph Bower and they're both on the 1911 census, again she has given her birthplace as Caunton and her age is correct.

So where on earth was she for the 1891 census, if I can find her, maybe it will help with trying find Josephs father who was missing from his birth certificate.

I'm wondering if the father was possibly a Markham or if that was just a name she picked at random. It has been suggested that Eliza was possibly in a workhouse in Markham and that's where Josephs middle name came from - not sure on that, or how to find out either

Any suggestions gratefully received on this one, as I'm completely stumped   

Many thanks

BG   

[patrish]

 It would appear that he was illegitimate  and theyoften "invented" fathers names.

[babygirl101]

Hmm, I rather suspect you're right on that one as I've looked for the surname Markham, nothing even vaguely possible as far as I can tell. I'm more systified by where she's disappeared to, I feel she can't have gone far away.

I've asked my gran about her but she can't recall anything more about Elizas life than I've already pieced together.

BG  

[patrish]

I cant find her as Eliza or Elizabeth Smith b 1876 Nottingham on the 1891.

Maybe she is living under a different name.   

Do you have her birth cert to see if she was Eliza or Elizabeth 

Any clues on her marriage if you have it.  fi so where did she marry 

[Necromancer]

these situations are really tough - she deffo isnt using Caunton or a similar spelling as her PoB ...


even if you find a lass of the right age in Service etc, she may well have been 'given' the PoB of the parish she was in in 1891 by the Householder not knowing any other facts ...

you really need something else to Id her, but in my experience, unless she has an unusual name etc you've had it   

[patrish]

Cant disagree with you there,

I doubt even if in 1891 she would be living with the father of her illegitimate child as he was not born until 1895 .

[babygirl101]

I must admit this one's proving to be impossible. Her birth certificate shows her as born 30th May 1876 Caunton - Eliza Smith d/o Hawthorn Smith.

Her marriage certificate shows her as Eliza Smith, spinster, d/o Hawthorn Smith - 20th July 1903 at Edingley Parish Church.

It looks as if she never really left the area - so I'm beginning to think that for some reason she was missed off the 1891 census - there doesn't seem to be any other option.

BG 

[Necromancer]

sadly there are many other options - mistran / wrong PoB / wrong relationship etc .... as I said earlier, w/o something more unique to ID her, its a tough one.

[babygirl101]

sadly there are many other options - mistran / wrong PoB / wrong relationship etc .... as I said earlier, w/o something more unique to ID her, its a tough one.

Oh well, I'll keep searching, maybe she'll turn up eventually. Many thanks for checking for me, at least I now know I'm not missing the obvious.

BG