Genealogy Chat

It is a mess so may take me a while, please bear with me

Ok what i have is birth cert of my great grandad Herbert Henry Walters born 30/11/1895 Islington. Father Edward James a labourer in the gas factory. Mother Forence Annie Walters formerly Lakin Marriage cert of James Walters aged 36 batchelor Railway plate layer. Father John Walters (deceased) Plumber Florence Annie Lakin 26 years spinster father Charles Lakin (deceased) Maltster. 2/3/1900 St Pancras birth cert of Eric Walters father James and mother Annie 1913 (he is the youngest of all the children). fathers occupation barman Herbert, Florence and Irene are on 1901 census RG13/143. Florence listed as head, birth place Grantham. Think i have found James as barman RG13/673. The problem is i cant go back any further. I have the birth cert of a Florence Annie Lakin born 1870 in Leicester. No father, mother listed as Hannah born in a workhouse. I think i have found a Flora, living with her grandfather up until 1881 in Shenton. This Thomas had a daughter Ann (c1844) who in 1871 is working in Warks and stays there until at least 1901 when she is married. I have looked for a Florence marrying a Lakin, but no luck as i thought maybe she married and then used her father-in-laws name instead. Any ideas on where i can go with this mess? Many thanks for any advice you may be able to give

It seems odd to me that the only Charles Lakin in the country who is a maltster just happens to have children born in Grantham, but there is no apparent Florence! 1881: Charles LAKIN M Male 31 Burton On Trent, Stafford, England Maltster Mary LAKIN M Female 32 West Bromwich, Stafford, England Maltster Wife Harriett LAKIN U Female 7 Burton On Trent, Stafford, England Scholar Robert LAKIN U Male 4 Grantham, Lincoln, England Scholar Mary Ann LAKIN U Female 3 Grantham, Lincoln, England Infant Edwin LAKIN U Male 2 Grantham, Lincoln, England Infant Infant LAKIN U Female 2 d Burton On Trent, Stafford, England Infant Mary Ann GOTHERIDGE M Female 57 Portsmouth, Hampshire, England Labourers Wife Thomas WARREN U Male 37 Casslbe Headinton Labourer Merry

........and that Charles is dead before 1901 as his wife has remarried to a Thomas Larner between 1891 and 1901. Hmmmmm.................... a conundrum! Merry

Okay, if I'm reading this correctly, you have the birth certificate of your great grandfather Herbert and the marriage certificate for your gg grandfather and gg grandmother, that you know to be correct? You know that Florence Annie's father was Charles Lakin from the marriage certificate. I think that maybe the birth certificate for Florence Annie Lakin may not be the correct one and that is perhaps what's throwing you? It sounds as though you've found her on the 1901 census after she's married (born Grantham, when?), and I presume Irene is a sibling of Herbert's? Have you found her on the 1891 census? Emma

Hi Merry yes thats the one i found too. I got all excited until i searched back further and that Charles is living at home with another Thomas at the time Flora is with her grandfather. I thought if she married one of his sons it would make a lot of sense, but i cant see a Florence marrying a Lakin anywhere. (I did find a couple but they are all together in 1901, and presumably she cant be in two places at once!) These 2 are going to cause me loads of problems as James/Edward changed his name to Walters so i had hoped i would be able to find Florence. I did wonder if perhaps he changed his name between them getting married and Herbert being born, so they remarried with their new names. Think thats a bit far fetched though!

Hi Emma no i cant find her in 1891. her birth date is stated as 1874, which ties in with her birth on her marriage cert

And would seem to indicate that the 1870 birth wasn't hers after all? I'm not sure why you're looking for Florence marrying a Lakin, she was surely born a Lakin and married a Walters? Emma

I was looking to see if Florence married before and is then using the Lakin name, that would be a good indication as to why i cant find her prior her marriage. Although that would make too much sense, and things are never that easy!!!

Why would you think the Leicester birth cert was right for someone who says she was born in Lincs?? Was it purely because that was the only ond with the right name?? If it was my problem I would be looking very hard at that Harriet Lakin aged 7 in 1881 to check she didn't hate the name Harriet so much she dropped it for Florence when she grew up. It's common for people to state their place of birth as the place where their younger siblings were born on the census, because that's all they can remember!! Harriet's middle name may have been Ann: Births Mar 1874 Lakin Harriet Ann Burton 6b 415 Though there are other Harriet's!! You need to eliminate this young woman if nothing else!! Merry

Hi Merry yes i wanted to eliminate this Florence as this is the only one (up until 1900) where a child is born Florence Annie. What i have been trying to do also is to see if the witnesses William and Elizabeth Fulbrook could be a link. I havent yet found a suitable marriage yet, i have been seeing mainly if William married a Lakin Im going to have a good hunt for Harriett now

Unless she was lying, she states she's a spinster on the marriage certificate, so it's unlikely that she was married before. I think Merry's theory is a good one, especially as you said one of the children's birth certificates had mother Annie. She could well have swapped Harriet out for Florence and then just decided to go with Annie. Emma

I have just looked at Familysearch. Looks like Harriet married John Richard Williams in 1893. Am just double checking 1901 to confirm