Born on sea - why

[kingpettey]

Apologies - yes 1851 census ( I put 1841).

Thank you for all your thoughts. Even if you confine King just to Tetbury and later Pencoyd it's a very popular name as is William and Mary.Thus which is the right one. Add in other areas and John King seems to be everywhere.

As mentioned in another thread (somewhere here, Pencoyd? - only have mobile access ) I mentioned male King tan very easily so born overseas connection seemed likely, but I'm not so sure.

Another  thought is a criminal record so he wanted to hide his birthplace thus chose born on sea?

It's not knowing or at least a high probability that bugs, but such is life.

Once again thanks.

Ray

[kingpettey]

Sadly not on ancestry (except library) at the moment so can't contact tree owners.

Indeed yes was he a King or just chose a common name to hide his real name?

Ray

[Maiden Stone]

Since all we can do is speculate I am wondering if his mother was a lady’s maid accompanying her mistress on the “grand tour” and gave birth on the way home.

I doubt a member of Quality would have been embarking on a "grand tour" of Europe at war. Battlefield tours? Although the lady may have been an army or navy officer's or diplomat's wife. Holland was an ally of Britain.

Another birth I recall during this period was variously "at sea" or "Dublin". Father's militia regiment was stationed in Ireland for 2 years prior to son's birth. I imagined the poor woman having labour pangs as she boarded the ship at Dublin and giving birth before it docked at Liverpool.

Other incidents from same era were troop ships wrecked with several women & children among those drowned. I think one ship was in a harbour waiting to depart when a sudden, violent storm occurred.

[Rosinish]

It could be worth contacting the owners of the trees I mentioned earlier as they give a date and place of birth  - 02 Jan 1801 born Limburg Netherlands, but also have him as born on sea.

May be worth a request on the Europe board for a look-up for that birth date/place?

Annie