Street Directories 1909, London

[epc]

My father-in-law always said that he was born in Brighton.  However, after he died we found his birth certificate which states that he was registered as having been born on 8.10.1909 at 12, Wallis's Yard, Buckingham Palace Road. registration district St George Hanover Square.  He always said that he was in fact born on 6.10.1909 and that because his mother was late registering him she had to lie about his date of birth. 

I have two questions:-
When a baby was born in 1909 were the details of the place of birth recorded at the time of delivery or could the mother have said that the baby was delivered in London when in actual fact he was delivered in Brighton. 

Were the street directories done every year at that time.  I live in Shropshire, so what is the easiest way for me to look at them, please?

Any help or suggestions would be much appreciated.

[Valda]

Hi

You had up to 6 weeks to register a birth. The birth certificate will give the date the birth was registered so you can check whether the first piece of information was correct, namely that the birth date had to be given as 2 days later to fall within that 6 week period.

A proper system of checking any information easily was really only in place in the second half of the C20th.

Have you checked the 1911 census to see what birthplace is given on that for your father-in-law and where the family were then?

http://www.1911census.co.uk/



Regards

Valda

[geniecolgan]

Wallis Yard was the location of a Workhouse.

See: http://www.rootschat.com/links/0868/

scroll down to St. George's Union.

[Valda]

Hi

'In 1904 guidance was issued by the Registrar General for registering births that occurred in workhouses. In an attempt to remove any stigma associated with such births, only the address was be included and the name of the institution was to be omitted.'

From the help guide at the top of the London and Middlesex board on civil registration.

It doesn't look as if records survive for the workhouse from this period.

http://www.workhouses.org.uk/index.html?StGeorges/StGeorges.shtml

London Metropolitan Archives
Wallis's Yard workhouse holdings include: Births (1885-97); Deaths (1885-1918); Creed registers (1884-93, 1910-21)
City of Westminster Archives Centre
Wallis's Yard Workhouse: baptism registers (January 1866 - December 1892)

If he was born in the workhouse infirmary (many workhouse infirmaries later became National Health hospitals so a birth in an infirmary does not necessarily mean his family were paupers) then the details on his birth certificate are more likely to be correct.


Regards

Valda

[epc]

Thank you for your reply Valda. 

On the 1901 census his parents, Henry and Florence Cullen, were living in Brighton.  Henry was a coachman (not domestic) - what would (not domestic) mean, please?

By 1911 they were living at Churchover, Rugby and Henry was still a "coachman".

On the birth certificate it states that Bob's father, Robert, was born on the 8.10.1909.  The date of Registration was 22.11.1909, which is more than six weeks by 3 days.

I have the school records for Churchover Parochial C of E School.  They state that Henry's oldest child started school 26.1.1910 and that his last school was St Peters, Eton Square. also listed as Lower Belgrave Street.  I cannot find any trace of them living in the Eton Square area, unfortunately.

I would still like to find out if there are any Street Directories around 1909 for the area around Wallis's Yard because I think that they were staying with  Henry's mother (Eliza Blanks) at that time.

Thank you for the interest that you have shown.

Regards epc

[Valda]

Hi

The map of Wallis Yard in 1916 doesn't seem to indicate there was residential housing in Wallis Yard as there was for instance in Palace Place

http://www.workhouses.org.uk/index.html?StGeorges/StGeorges.shtml

There are some directories online at the Historical Directories website

http://www.historicaldirectories.org/hd/index.asp

Otherwise you will need to contact Westminster Archives

http://www.westminster.gov.uk/services/libraries/archives/

or the London Metropolitan Archives - this is their guide to directories

http://217.154.230.218/NR/rdonlyres/5A046A2D-EA1C-44FD-84B7-97BE715EC8A7/0/infono23.pdf

'Coachman not domestic' means he wasn't a servant working for a family of wealth


Regards

Valda

[epc]

Thank you for all your help Valda.  It is much appreciated.  I will follow it up.

epc

[ShaunJ]

See previous thread on this

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,294357.0.html

Seems that 12 Wallis's Yard was a mews house attached to 25 Buckingham Palace Road.

[epc]

Shaun

Wow!!!  Thanks  -  how did you find that out, I have been searching for ages!

Is there an easy way for me to find out who was living at 25 Buckingham Palace Road around 1909.  Back to trying to find a street index I suppose.  Also is it possible to search the 1901 and 1911 census for an address only.

Big thank again

epc