This is my first message so please forgive me if it is in the wrong place or phrased unhelpfully - I promise to learn. I am trying to track down my great-great grandfather.
His name is William JONES. I have him in 4 censuses:
1871 Age: 27 Est YOB: 1844 POB: Leintwardine
1881 Age: 39 Est YOB: 1842 POB: Leintwardine
1891 Age: 49 Est YOB: 1842 POB: Leintwardine
1901 Age: 60 Est YOB: 1841 POB: Leintwardine
I also have his marriage certificate. He married Ann DIGGORY in Hadnall, Shropshire on 25 March 1866. He gave his age as 24 which gives an Est YOB: of 1842.
Leintwardine is in the Ludlow District of Herefordshire. A FreeBMD search identifies 3 William JONESes born in the period Jan 1841 to Dec 1844. I can eliminate one of them as he is shown as born in Wigmore and I have a Wigmore-born William JONES appearing in other census records.
That leaves 2 candidates:
William JONES born 19 Nov 1842 to Margaret Jones, then resident in Whitton. Father: Charles Bishop; and
William JONES born 12 Mar 1843 to Mary Jones (nee Hammonds), then resident in Marlow. Father: Charles Jones.
In fact all three of the William JONESes that the BMD search turned up had a father called Charles. Confusingly, William JONES's 1866 marriage certificate records his father's name as "John JONES".
I would welcome any help you can give me as to how I reduce the two candidates to a single one.
Sean
