completed -WOODROFFE -

[mc8]

Hi Monique on the 1881 census James shows being with his mother Sophia, initially i thought he hadnt married but looking closely he shows as married but he must have been visting her on the day of the census. I cant find his wife elsewhere. How could i go about looking for them as non-conformists/catholics within the camberwell area?
I know these may be simple questions i'm asking but on every single branch for both me and my husband ive been able to go back to 1800 but this line, is teaching me that family history doesnt always land in your lap!

there are some independent records for Camberwell/ Surrey here http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~hughwallis/IGIBatchNumbers/CountySurrey.htm#Camberwell but the dates are all too early for you. Some time ago I ran through all the Woodruff families in Camberwell, and by chance came across my notes this weekend-I'll have a skeg for you

[mrsspen]

thank you for such a kind offer of help

[mc8]

your lot aren't easy are they
As you say, tracing James with parents James and Sophia is relatively easy. (did you see that on the 1851 they are next door to widowed Thomas price, Gunmaker? I wonder if he was the source of an apprenticeship for young James?)
Accepting that on the 1881 he is married, it should be easy to narrow it down-but I can't find anything (unless he was previously married, or ann/ anne/ annie wasn't her first name). Likewise, I can find no trace of their childrens registration of birth or baptism.
He is missing in the 1861/ 1871 which might offer some clues to Annie and the location of any workhouse hospital he might have been admitted to if he had that accident-Camberwell workhouse infirmary could provide a link as the records there have helped me in the past
sorry I cannot be of much help
Monique

[mrsspen]

Hi Monique thanks for trying.
I can find James as a child on the 1851 census with his parents and siblings, then in 1861 as a gunlock filer. 1871 i have found a james woodroffe at the school of military engineering (which i assume is him learning more gun stuff?!) then later with his mother and turned claypipe maker. I have also found a will for woodroffe claypipe maker which i am almost certain is his grandfather but i just cant prove the link.

before i close this down as completed because i fear its been rung dry..how do I go about looking for catholic ancestors or Irish as "annie" was allegedly both according to family. (census says otherwise)