How to find a past trade/business?

[ShaunJ]

Something is nagging at me here. As far as I can make out Henry Harold Munday and Martha Surridge were married in 1900. Was there a previous marriage for Henry? Who was Harry's mother?

[JWebb89]

Hi Shaun, glad it's not just you - this is a predicament we've pondered too.

We don't know if Martha was his mother - as far we know, yes she is and that he never had a step mother. It would have meant Harry was 11 years older than his brother Sid - quite a difference. Was he born out of wedlock to Henry and Martha? Maybe. We just aren't sure.

It's all very odd. But as far as we know, he never had a step father/mother etc but it's a possibility. They seem to have moved around quite a bit too. 

[larkspur]

Births Dec 1892   
Surridge    Henry Harold       
Bridgwater    5c   343

same Christian names as his father...birth certificate needed if you do not already have it.

[JWebb89]

That's him! 

It must be?

Do you mind if I ask where you found this? Was it free BMD?

So Henry Munday was his step father?!

And if Henry Harold Munday was his step father, that could explain the bad blood and why he ran away from home?

[larkspur]

Free bmd
Henry does not HAVE to be step father. My gt gt grandparents had 4 children born before they married, his first wife was still alive. With the younger having the same christian names I would think it likely the elder was the father, which is why you need the birth cert.

[JWebb89]

I think I had better get that ordered... Thank you so much LarkSpur!!! 

[larkspur]

 

[12tootsi34]

If he ran/owned/rented the property then he would have appeared in the Poor law and highways rate book kept by the local parish. He had to pay his rates every 6 months which is noted in these documents. By trawling through these you can see how profitable the business is and whether he had difficulty in paying them. It also gives you a good indication of when he vacated the property.

[jbml]

By trawling through these you can see how profitable the business is

Well, not exactly.

Rates have always been levied on the value of the land occupied. There is no direct connection ot the profitability of the business carried on there.