LEVITTs from Lackford - COMPLETED

[saworth]

Hi Carol, thank you for your help last night.  You can tell how much of a novice I am, because I don't understand when you say 'the 1851' or 'the 1861'.  If you mean Census returns, then I already have Robert on the 1851 Census, with Charles and Margaret and the rest of the Prince household.  I am using Ancestry site for references - now also double checking on the family search site, I was kindly informed about.  Could you tell me please where I find the site with the RG references you mention?
I had also been going by Ancestry for the death of Margaret and as she was the only one to show up for Suffolk for anywhere around that time, I presumed it was her.  In the clear light of day I can see as there is no record of a birth year for her, it may not actually be her death either!  Thank you again  Carol for your time and patience!

[diddymiller]

only margaret  death i can find on suffolk index around right date:

margaret levett  b. lackford  died 23/3/1864  age 40 lackford.

Diddy

[CaroleW]

Hi Diddy

Margaret (we think) died between 1851-1854, otherwise hubby Charles committed bigamy when he married Harriet in 1854

[CaroleW]

Hi Saworth

Could you tell me please where I find the site with the RG references you mention?

All census entries have a reference starting RG followed by a piece number, folio number and page number

RG9 - 1861 census
RG10 - 1871
RG11 - 1881
RG12 - 1891
RG13 - 1901

As you have Ancestry access - all you need to do is select 1861 census from the Ancestry menu and at the bottom of the light green coloured  input screen you will see boxes as follows

Census

            Piece         Folio               Page#

RG9/

Put the references I showed above in the appropriate fields and press search

[saworth]

Thank you Carol for your explanation.  I shall have a go on this, this afternoon!  Rgds Sally

[Annette7]

Hi Sally

Methinks the answer here is quite simple - the name Harriet on the 1861 census is a mistake and that this is actually Margaret.   Looks like family were firmly in Lackford all this time and Margaret is buried 23/3/1864 Lackford aged 40.   If you note on 1851 and 1861 census both Harriet and Margaret exactly the same age, both  born Lackford.   There is no sign of a Margaret born Lackford in 1861 and yet we know she didn't die until 1864, plus there is no death of a likely Harriet Levitt between 1861 and 1871.   The only way to confirm it for sure is to get birth certificate of one of the younger children but I feel sure I am right.

Annette

 

[Necromancer]

The only way to confirm it for sure is to get birth certificate of one of the younger children but I feel sure I am right.

deja vu   

[saworth]

Hi Annette,  many thanks for your contribution to this.  I shall order a birth cert for the second child, to see if they have the same mother.  Excuse my ignorance, but would a big mistake, like a completely different name (Margaret and Harriet) have been made on a census return? 
Will post the outcome here once cert arrives. Thanks, Sally

[Annette7]

Hi Sally

Quite honestly literally anything can happen on a census form.   There were good enumerators and bad ones, and who knows what happened here.   He could have written it roughly to write in properly when he got home, couldn't read his own handwriting, maybe just wrote Mt and then read it as Ht.   Although there were strict rules on what they should do mistakes often happened as I'm sure others on rootschat can tell you.   Plus, at a time when so many people were still illiterate everything was down to the enumerator and spelling was also a great issue.   

Would think maybe the birth certificate of the youngest child would be the best bet.

Look forward to learning the result.

Annette