Genealogy Chat

Can anyone suggest variations of Robert Fuge? I have been trying to find him on 1851 census. He was born 1822 in Devon,around Plymouth (said by family).Married Elizabeth Taylor in East Stonehouse in Dec 1851,then went to South Australia in 1853.(Not Robert Cox Fudge).Found in 1841 census at Ersworthy,Sheepstor,Devon,but not with parents. His father was John Fuge,occ Cabinet Maker. As no-one has been able to find Robert Fuge in 1851 census,Ive been trying to think of any variations which he may have been mistranscribed as,such as Fudge, Page etc. Any other suggestions most welcome! Thanks Kerri

Theres quite a bit on LDS on your Fuge family. Marion

Hi Marion & Laura I have all the information on the Fuge family in South Australia. Im trying to confirm Robert's birthplace. The Devon Records Office could not find his birth in Plymouth. Thanks for your help. Kerri

Anything is possible with this surname. Tuge Tuye Frige Friye Maureen

Are you sure about his year of birth? On the 1861 there is a Robert and Elizabeth Fuge. They were born in 1838 and 1839. They are in Paignton, Devon. He is born in Paignton (spelt incorrectly) and she was born in Stoke Fleming. Could that be them?? It is Devon, just the birth year that is wrong?

Hi Andrea No , Robert & Elizabeth came to South Australia,arriving in Jan 1853. Kerri

You could try running a search with no surname at all. With the other details available you should be able to restrict it to manageable numbers. I've done this successfully many times. Then look for surnames that could have been mis-spellings. I found a relative under the name of Stull - his name was in fact Hutt.

I've used that technique Paul describes with some success, too. It can find not only mistranscriptions, but enumerator errors. One possible phonetic error comes to the eye: HO107/1883 Fo 169 p 2 (Sheepstor) There's a John FUKE, lodger, age 63, b Sheepstor He's obviously not your man - but (I haven't checked to see how he appears in 1861) it does seem another possible spelling/variant. Christine

If you get really desperate, you could trawl through the census images for likely places. I had a look through Sheepstor (7 pgs) & Sheepwash (33 pgs). Not a problem for me, because some of my husband's family were from that area, and it was useful revision. Some are from the Devonport area too, but I don't feel desperate enough to trawl that lot just now! It might be worth looking through the E Stonehouse pages yourself - but pick a time when you're not busy - it'll take you a while, I think! Christine

I just had a look on the Access to Archives website. There's tons on the Fuge family of Devon. Presumably you already know that a Robert Fuge was mayor of Plymouth in 1796? If your ancestor was in business the historicaldirectories website may well have him listed. I can't access it at the moment otherwise I'd tell you.

Hi Everyone Thanks for your suggestions. My Robert's father was John Fuge,occupation Cabinet Maker of Plymouth.Im waiting for the achives to send me cost of photocopying. I found 'Fuge family of Bilbury Street,Plymouth 17??-1810'. This is probably of the Mayor's family but you never know. Thanks all. Kerri

I think the suggestions you have been given are pretty good, including looking at all the census pages for East Stonehouse. Tho just because he married there in 1851 doesn't mean he was born there. One word of caution - some of the 1851 census has not been transcribed very well, partly due to some poor handwriting from the enumerators. I have someone who is the brother of my ancestor and I couldn't make out the name on the page - it had been transcribed as Solodunth - but I could see it wasn't that and there were other transcription errors from the same page. I have since discovered the name is Goldsmith and now I know that I can see it clearly on the page! It doesn't help you much, I know, but is a word of caution. Also I have another rellie who I can't find in 1891 and have tried many different ways of searching. The conclusion I have to come to is that perhaps the family were missed from the census. Your guy may have been a visitor or lodger somewhere and the name may have been completely mis-written down. Do you have your Elizabeth Taylor on the 1851 census? Hope you find them!

I was just working on the basis that, if he were married in E Stonehouse in 1853, he might have been living close by for a while... say in 1851. Christine