Shropshire placenames

[silverleaf79]

The 1865 marriage sadly looks the right one for a son of John Snr

18 Feb 1865 - John Roberts (bachelor, coal miner), age 24, of Thornley, son of John Roberts (coal miner) married Elizabeth Clark (spinster), age 23, of Thornley, daughter of John Clark (coal miner)
Witnesses: Matthew Chalder, John Pollard

How can you tell it's the right one? Not doubting you at all, but I'm not really experienced with this and trying to learn a few tricks.

[Kay99]

The 1865 marriage sadly looks the right one for a son of John Snr

18 Feb 1865 - John Roberts (bachelor, coal miner), age 24, of Thornley, son of John Roberts (coal miner) married Elizabeth Clark (spinster), age 23, of Thornley, daughter of John Clark (coal miner)
Witnesses: Matthew Chalder, John Pollard

How can you tell it's the right one? Not doubting you at all, but I'm not really experienced with this and trying to learn a few tricks.

His age, name, occupation, father's name and occupation matches the son of John and Maria. This John is also living in the same village as his parents and the names given to his children reflect his parents and siblings.   The only reason I hesitated originally was the birthplace of Wednesfield/Wolverhampton listed in the census, but it is a place where the family lived previously.

Sadly I think it is a far more likely he is John and Maria's son than your John

[silverleaf79]

The 1865 marriage sadly looks the right one for a son of John Snr

18 Feb 1865 - John Roberts (bachelor, coal miner), age 24, of Thornley, son of John Roberts (coal miner) married Elizabeth Clark (spinster), age 23, of Thornley, daughter of John Clark (coal miner)
Witnesses: Matthew Chalder, John Pollard

How can you tell it's the right one? Not doubting you at all, but I'm not really experienced with this and trying to learn a few tricks.

His age, name, occupation, father's name and occupation matches the son of John and Maria. This John is also living in the same village as his parents and the names given to his children reflect his parents and siblings.   The only reason I hesitated originally was the birthplace of Wednesfield/Wolverhampton listed in the census, but it is a place where the family lived previously.

Sadly I think it is a far more likely he is John and Maria's son than your John

I guess that John does have a couple more matches than mine - my John's father's occupation on the marriage cert is Ag Lab.

So it's looking like we have more than one John with son John of the same age moving from Shrewsbury/Oswestry to Worcs, or maybe just the young John moving there before his marriage in 1865.

It's such a shame there are no siblings or anything in young John's 1871 and 1881 censuses. That would be really helpful. I guess I need to think about where to go next. :/

[Kay99]

I hadn't realised that your John's father was listed as an Ag Lab.

 Were there any witnesses named Roberts??

[silverleaf79]

I hadn't realised that your John's father was listed as an Ag Lab.

 Were there any witnesses named Roberts??

I discounted John's father's occupation as unimportant myself because I've definitely had Ag Labs become Coal Miners, and vice versa. But with all the other evidence, it probably IS significant.

The witnesses to young John's marriage are Charles Poole and Sophia Cox.

[silverleaf79]

Okay, going back to stuff I definitely know, and working from there.

Young John had 5 children that I know of, all born in Oldbury, Worcs.:
Agnes ROBERTS Oct 1866
John ROBERTS 1869
Eliza ROBERTS 1871
Daniel George ROBERTS 17 Jul 1874
Mary A ROBERTS 1880

Apart from Daniel George (my great great grandfather) I can't find any of them after 1881. Daniel married in Staveley, Derbys. in 1895 so I wonder if the whole family moved to that area at the same time?

[silverleaf79]

Okay, going back to stuff I definitely know, and working from there.

Young John had 5 children that I know of, all born in Oldbury, Worcs.:
Agnes ROBERTS Oct 1866
John ROBERTS 1869
Eliza ROBERTS 1871
Daniel George ROBERTS 17 Jul 1874
Mary A ROBERTS 1880

Apart from Daniel George (my great great grandfather) I can't find any of them after 1881. Daniel married in Staveley, Derbys. in 1895 so I wonder if the whole family moved to that area at the same time?

Urgh. the whole family (apart from Daniel) seems to have dropped off the face of the earth after 1881.

[Kay99]

Back after being dragged out for lunch - but can't complain

So no witnesses that look to be useful in terms of Roberts family

Will have a fiddle

[silverleaf79]

Back after being dragged out for lunch - but can't complain

So no witnesses that look to be useful in terms of Roberts family

Will have a fiddle

Lovely! I trust you had a good time?

Nope, no helpful witnesses.