Genealogy Chat

I promise this will be the last time I ask for help - well, I hope so.

I have a confusing name situation. I am trying to decide if two brothers swapped names at some point. The father of both brothers was James Stoneham born 1802 in Watford. He appears in the 1841 census with his family including sons James born in 1832 and Henry born in 1835. It appears that Henry later becomes James and moves to Darenth, Kent and marries Mary Ann Kemsley but it also appears that James becomes Henry and moves to Darenth too and then disappears. This is beginning to drive me mad and I would like someones opinion if it's possible. The names are mistranscribed on some sites but has an update on Ancestry

have you got the marriage cert .if so the witnesses may be a help as brothers are often best man

Marriages Dec 1860 (>99%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kemsley Mary Dartford 2a 443
Stoneham James Dartford 2a 443

How do you know this might be Henry?

No, I haven't. I was just trying to work out which brother is which first.

1861 census stiil James!
Name: James Stoneham
Age: 26
Estimated birth year: abt 1835
Relation: Son-in-law
Spouse's name: Mary
Gender: Male
Where born: Berh, Buckinghamshire, England

Civil parish: Darenth
Ecclesiastical parish: Rochester
County/Island: Kent
Country: England

Street Address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage: View image

Registration district: Dartford
Sub-registration district: Dartford
ED, institution, or vessel: 7
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 107
Household Members: Name Age
Henry Kemsley 48
Sarah Kemsley 45
Sarah Kemsley 22
Caroline Kemsley 9
James Stoneham 26
Mary Stoneham 18
Thomas Field 72
James Chapman 20
John Chapman 15


Source Citation: Class: RG9; Piece: 468; Folio: 13; Page: 22; GSU roll: 542644

Maybe he knocked a few years off his age as his wife was only 18

no James with the family in 1851
Name: James Stenham
[James Stoneham]
Age: 49
Estimated birth year: abt 1802
Relation: Head
Gender: Male
Where born: Watford, Hertfordshire, England

Civil parish: Denham
County/Island: Buckinghamshire
Country: England

Street Address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Disability: View image

Registration district: Eton
Sub-registration district: Iver
ED, institution, or vessel: 4a
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 102
Household Members: Name Age
James Stenham 49
Henry Stenham 16
Fredrick Stenham 11
Susan Stenham 13
James Rolf 26
Elenor Rolf 23
Eliza Rolf 4
Julia Rolf 10 Mo



Source Citation: Class: HO107; Piece: 1718; Folio: 48; Page: 26; GSU

James is consistently b 1835
1871 census
Name: James Stoneham
Age: 36
Estimated birth year: abt 1835
Relation: Head
Spouse's name: Mary
Gender: Male
Where born: Denham, Buckinghamshire, England
Civil parish: Darenth
Ecclesiastical parish: Rochester
Town: Darenth
County/Island: Kent
Country: England
Registration district: Dartford
Sub-registration district: Dartford
ED, institution, or vessel: 9
Household schedule number: 59
Household Members: Name Age
James Stoneham 36
Mary Stoneham 28
Sarah Stoneham 9
Anne Stoneham 6
Henry Stoneham 3
James K Stoneham 1
Caroline Kemsley 19



Source Citation: Class: RG10; Piece: 885; Folio: 91; Page: 11; GSU roll: 823479.

Wonder on the 1841 whether the enumerator mixed up their ages

Thanks for this Shirley. I was thought that was a possibility. So which one married Mary Ann Kemsley? Was it James born in 1835? My head is spinning.

the marriage is listed as James and he is with her and the family on the 1861 census They must have married and lived with her family

So, would you say Henry was born in 1832, moved to Darenth then disappeared (died) and James was born in 1835, married and lived happily ever after with Mary Ann?

I have had a complete surname change which can be really confusing :-)

Oh Joy, don't wish that on me - please!!

I'm confused enough as it is.

well it certainly looks like it was james who married Mary .How do you know Henry moved to Darenth too ?

One then just has to compare very, very carefully, first names in the family, going back census by census :-)

Oh boy - it was James that moved to Darenth with his sister, Mary Ann. I thought at that point James was actually Henry and it was Henry with his sister. I think I'm clearer now thanks to you, Shirley. Maybe I had better give up with this for tonight and watch Masterchef.

I totally agree Joy and I'll be a lot more careful in future.

Thanks for all your help Shirley