Marriage of Martha NORTON & Henry HOLDEN at Hednesford (St Peter) Q4/1890

[Ladyhawk]

My biggest problem with Martha is proving that Thomas Frederick DUCKHOUSE was her son.
 The 1881 census entry for George & Martha NORTON shows that they have a Frederick NORTON aged 8 living with them. He is described as George's son but this is possibly not so given that he was born 2 or 3 years before they married. Furthermore their sons George, Stephen and Joseph were all baptised together in 1878 and their daughter Maud in 1880 - no sign of a Frederick NORTON baptism! - and no 1891 or later Census entries for him either.

There was, however, a baptism for a Thomas Frederick DUCAS at Wood End Primitive Methodist Church, Wood End Rd, Wednesfield on 11 Aug 1872. This is where Martha and her family hail from.
FreeREG record this surname as being that of his father, a miner. On examining the actual register itself at Wolverhampton Records Office it quite clearly states "no father" and there is no "occupation" entry - unfortunately it fails to show a Christian name for the mother but her surname was obviously DUCAS (a phoenetical representation of DUCKHOUSE).

FreeBMD only show one Thomas F DUCKHOUSE entry in their entire index - for 1872  at Wolverhampton. This seems to tie-in with the Wood End baptism. There are no other Thomas/Tom/Frederick/Fred DUCAS/DUCKHOUSE entries that even remotely match the criteria.

I wonder if this is the same Thomas Frederick - names two of his sons George & Stephen

Thomas Frederick Duckhouse Age:   19 (1871)
Ellen Pardoe Age:19  Father's Name:   William Pardoe
14 Oct 1890 St Peter Hednesford, Staffordshire

1901 RG13; Piece: 2925; Folio: 144; Page: 46
304 Warwick Road
Frederick Duckhouse 29 Wednesfield Staffordshire Cycle packer
Ellen 30
John 8
George 6
Stephen 4

1891 RG12; Piece: 2221; Folio: 11; Page: 16
Church Hill
Frederick Duckhouse 19 Wood End Staffordshire Coal Miner
Ellen 20
son 9 days
on same census above Fred & Ellen are
William Pardoe 42 Coal Miner, Eliza 42, Jane G 18, Rose A 16, James 4

Frederick William Duckhouse
Christening Date:    14 Apr 1891 Hednesford, Staffordshire
Father Thomas Frederick Duckhouse Mother    Ellen

John Henry Duckhouse
Christening Date:   2 Dec 1892 Hednesford
Father Thomas Frederick Duckhouse Mother    Ellen

George Duckhouse
Christening Date:   5 Mar 1895 Hednesford
Father   Frederick Thomas Duckhouse Mother    Ellen

[alhal]

Thanks, Ladyhawk, for your input.

There is further "circumstantial" evidence linking Thomas Frederick DUCKHOUSE/DUCAS with Martha DUCKHOUSE/NORTON/HOLDEN.

One of the witnesses at his marriage to Ellen PARDOE on 14 Oct 1890 at Hednesford (St Peter) is a Henry HOLDEN and one of the witnesses at the marriage of Martha NORTON to Henry HOLDEN at the same church on 21 Dec 1890 is a Thomas DUCKHOUSE.

The DUCKHOUSE family are on my wife's tree and haven't been a concern of mine until recently. I have now discovered that 2 of the sons of Thomas Frederick DUCKHOUSE, namely Stephen (b1897) and Albert Edward (b1901) were taken into the care of Barnardos and were shipped out to Canada in 1910 as part of the British Home Children disgrace. I have found both together on the 1910 passenger lists and separately on the Canadian 1911 Census living miles apart in unrelated households.

The family with whom Stephen DUCKHOUSE was living treated him as one of their own and still have his original Barnardos trunk at the farm which they still own. They have invited my wife to go and stay there in a few weeks time and have asked for as much family background information as possible - hence my sudden quest for information.

The eldest son Fred DUCKHOUSE, my wife's Grandfather, was the unnamed 9 day old baby shown living with his parents and grandparents on the 1891 Census.

At the time of the 1901 Census his parents and siblings lived together in Warwick Rd, Yardley whereas Fred was still living with his grandparents, William and Eliza PARDOE, in Poplar Ave, Yardley.

He was still with them on the 1911 Census but was at that time joined by his mother, Ellen, and his 3 brothers who had remained in England, John, George and Walter. His mothers status is shown as "married" but I can find no trace of the father, Thomas Frederick DUCKHOUSE, after the 1901 Census - no death, re-marriage, census, rates, migration, military, poor house, prison record or anything else - he just disappeared into the ether. Perhaps he changed his name again - maybe to HOUDINI.

The arrival of the 1872 Birth Certificate of Thomas Frederick DUCKHOUSE should make his origins a lot clearer but will not help with his ending.

I am awaiting information from Barnardos that might throw some light onto the subject, but that could take months to come.