Thame Registration District

[cb1964]

Hello

I am trying to trace a birth record from 1887. Although it doesn't exist on the GRO Index, I would like to try and see if it appears on the original birth registrations. I am hopeful that the record exists and that it never found it's way onto the index.

Does anyone know if it is possible to access the original entries? I appreciate Thame RD no longer exists, but the records must be somewhere.

Regards

CB1964

[jillruss]

Hi,

Could you give us a few details? It may be lurking somewhere, possibly mistranscribed, names reversed etc etc.

Do you know exactly where in the Thame Reg District your person was born? I have a few Oxon FHS CDs from that area (but not all) and it might help if we can find his/her baptism.

Jill

[cb1964]

Hi Jill, thanks for responding.

I have posted more info on this thread:

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,365353.0.html

Any help would be much appreciated.

Regards

CB1964

[jillruss]

Hi again,

I've read the link and looked on the Thame CD for a possible baptism but found nothing. I also looked on FreeBMD etc but have had no luck - but then why should I when others have tried and failed! 

My thoughts are probably not very helpful but, given that you can't find either his birth or a marriage for his parents (James & Fanny? have I got that right? where does Emma come into it? and her name might even be Harriet!!) AND James (snr) was in the navy, how about the possibility that they married abroad and had William James abroad as well? As to why he would think he was born in Thame - perhaps that's where they lived when they first returned to England? All complete supposition, but might be worth seeing if you can get hold of James snr' navy records.

Jill

[jillruss]

Forgot to mention that, whilst searching through a few CDs of neighbouring Oxon parishes, I noticed that there are rather a lot of Sel(l)woods in Dorchester (Oxfordshire not Dorset!!).

Jill

[cb1964]

Hi Jill

Yes you have failed  ,but then again, so have the rest of us! 

No, I can't find a marriage cert for his parents, James & Fanny (or Harriet). The reference regarding Thame comes from the 1891 & 1901 census. Both census are specific in that James (snr) came from Cheltenham, Glos, Fanny from Chalvey, Bucks & James (jnr) or William James from Thame, Oxon.

Emma was just a possible connection from the other thread. I don't believe it is relevant.

I have James (snr) Naval records and they don't make great reading. During his 9 years of service, he spent 4 periods in the ships cells, he was court martialed for 2 years from 1879-81 in Lewes. He finally left the Navy in 1883 when he was invalided from the Naval Hospital at Haslar.

My gut feeling is that he then met Fanny between 1883 & 1887. They had a son out of wedlock and the birth was never registered. Given his navy record, I'm not surprised he didn't do anything by the book. 

The Selwood family I am tracing came from the Gloucestershire area.

I really think this mystery is going to remain unanswered, but I will keep trying.

Thanks again for your help, Jill.

Regards

CB1964

[jillruss]

What was he in for ? Wasn't bigamy by any chance?!!   

Jill

[cb1964]

I wish, it would make my life easier. 

No, it was something much more trivial, desertion and insubordination!

Regards

CB1964