Genealogy Chat

SEE REPLY NUMBER 5 to add to this weird one!! OK thanks to the wonderful Elaine (Spain) I have the 1901 census for my Charles Thomas Goodwin...... The address is the same on both the census and the MC; BUT the fathers occupation is completely different - Jailer on MC and Labourer General on Census. Plus Charles Jnr's age is 20 on Census and 22 on MC...... Does this happen? As the address is spot on I think I can take it as red that this is the right family???? Plus I have been given a cert reference that would make him 21 at census time and 22 by the time he got married! Am I thinking right?

People change their jobs and lie about their age nowadays too!! Anne

In my research I have found that ages can be wrong by up to 5 years. Some people changed occupation a lot, and brides and grooms often gave their fathers slighly more upmarket occupations. My gt grandfather was a milk carrier but when his son married he was recorded as a 'provisions merchant'. nell

Exactly what i thought had happened especially as father deceased by marriage time!! Thanks everyone, this chap has eluded me for nearly 2 years (I was searching someone of the wrong age DOH!!) so I just wanted to make sure I didn't flip off on another wrong tangent!! xx

I have found ages to vary from census to marriage certificate; I should think they are close enough. Also, the job varies too! Ooops, posted a few seconds after you! :-)

Another weird one..... the father on the census is shown as WILLIAM but on the marriage cert its CHARLES THOMAS!! Oh no what do I do now?

Do I presume the image has reached you now ?? - if so if you look at it there are 2 Charles Goodwins in the household - one is named Charles and the other Charlie both born c 1880/1881 (if I remember rightly) and both born Lewisham. The William who is listed could be the father to your Charles, or to the other Charles. Unfortunately, as you know, both Charles´s have the same occupation!!! Don´t know what to suggest - other than to start your packing and enjoy yourself next week !!!!! Regards Elaine

Ann - happy to agree that but changing the fathers names? Charles Thomas on MC but William on census!!

I am working from memory (iffy!) I seem to remember 'head' is crossed of first Charles So i surmised the two Charles were one and the same. I think the enumerator got confused.

Jim, yes the first head is Charles 20 crossed off but the HEAD is then stated as WILLIAM 60 - BUT marriage cert says father is Charles Thomas!! :O(

Jim - must admit I wondered whether the two Charles were one and the same.

Also one is Charles and the other Charlie...... is it possible that he's living with an uncle and not his father? Especially as his father is deceased by Dec 1901 on MC God i'm looking forward to the damn desert now to get away from this man for a week! :O)

Re Fathers name on marriage cert, my grand father put on his cert that his father was Joseph Betts, traced a whole line that was wrong, when he was 8 his father William Charles Betts had died and his mother had remarried a Joseph Bauser, so he had step dads first name and real dads last name down, so expecct anything on cert rigth name, wrong name, made up name, and all my grand fathers brothers put their names as fathers name on their certs