George Lawrence b.Beaminster 1810

[B.E.]

We're struggling to find any trace of the above gentleman after his appearance in the 1851 census. He was a blacksmith in Fleet Street, Beaminster at that point. In 1861, his wife, Mary Lawrence, appears to have moved to Yeovil (a servant in the Granger household) and describes herself as married. She reappears as a 'windower' (presumably widow!) in the 1881 census, living with her son's family in Dorchester. There's no obvious trace of George. He appears not be the George Lawrence who d.Beaminster in 1852 (that was a 6-month-old baby), nor yet the one who was up before the beak at Dorchester in 1855 and imprisoned for assault with intent to ravish (that was a scallywag from Fontmell Magna). We've also checked emigration records in vain.

Can anybody come up with any lateral thinking here? Any theories for his having escaped the attentions of both the census enumerator and the death registrar?

[And, as a side issue, any trace in 1871 of Mary Lawrence b.North Cheriton(?), Somerset c.1800?]

[groom]

There's no obvious trace of George. He appears not be the George Lawrence who d.Beaminster in 1852 (that was a 6-month-old baby),

Hi

If it is the same person, a tree on Ancestry has his death as March 1862 Beaminster. They have his wife as Mary Skinner (died Dorchester 1882) and a son Lawrence.

In which case it would be this death

LAWRENCE, George
Beaminster
1862 Jan-Feb-Mar
Volume no: 5A Page no: 283
 

[B.E.]

Sorry, my cock up!

The 1862 death is the baby to whom I referred (I mistyped as 1852).

Our George Lawrence's wife was indeed Mary Skinner, but there was no son called Lawrence - that was the surname. I think somebody must have jumped to the same conclusion as me when first looking, but OPC clearly states the age of the child, a detail not available on FreeBMD.

[shirl100]

Just another thought to explore, what if George & Mary moved to Yeovil and he died there? On freebmd between 1851 and 1881 there are 3 George Lawrence deaths registered Yeovil district (1854, 1859, 1863)

Shirl

[trish1120]

There is a Mary Lawrence born c 1799 Somerset, Servant, Widow, in St James, Clerkenwell, London, in the 1871 Census.

[B.E.]

Shirl,
Do you know, that's so blindingly obvious, I'm seriously embarrassed! For some reason we were all assuming that Mary moved to Yeovil after George's disappearance/demise, but it doesn't of course have to be that way at all.

In theory, if Mary was telling the truth that she was still married in 1861, then it can't be either of the 1854 or 1859 deaths. If Trish's new find [thanks!] is the right lady, then she was widowed in 1871, so an 1863 death remains a possibility. On the other hand, if they weren't actually living together in 1861 he could have been absolutely anywhere!

I suspect the family are going to have to plump for a death certificate if they want to prove that 1863 is the right one.
Cheers,
Brian

[shirl100]

Shirl,
Do you know, that's so blindingly obvious, I'm seriously embarrassed! For some reason we were all assuming that Mary moved to Yeovil after George's disappearance/demise, but it doesn't of course have to be that way at all.

In theory, if Mary was telling the truth that she was still married in 1861, then it can't be either of the 1854 or 1859 deaths. If Trish's new find [thanks!] is the right lady, then she was widowed in 1871, so an 1863 death remains a possibility. On the other hand, if they weren't actually living together in 1861 he could have been absolutely anywhere!

I suspect the family are going to have to plump for a death certificate if they want to prove that 1863 is the right one.
Cheers,
Brian

Good luck

[trish1120]

Good luck with the Cert

Trish