Genealogy Chat

Can anyone suggest a really daft spelling to help me find my Gt Grandfather? The name is JOHN SOMERVILLE. more details below....

Some kind people found my relly SAMUEL ELLIS GILBERT down as SAMUEL ELLEN ELBERT a couple of days ago and the thought has occurred to me that I have got to be more creative! I've been looking on Ancestry for JOHN CHARLES SOMERVILLE born 1866 or 1870(!) Holborn, with no luck after 1898 after my grandad was born. No death or 1901 census result either. What silly spelling can anyone suggest which might get a result? (Have tried poor souls in prison or workhouse with mere initials without finding anything)

Are you saying he isn't with his wife and child(ren)??? Merry

It could be Summerville or Somervill or Somervil, or it could be mistranscribed. My Smoothy family were transcribed as Lenorthey and Timothy, to give examples of how capital letter S can be misread. Why don't you know when he was born? What is his age and place of birth on 1881? nell

Apart from mis-spelling his name, have you tried alternative places of birth? Bloomsbury Clerkenwell St Pancras Farringdon amongst others, are often substitutes for Holborn (which also gets spelled wrong - Hoburn or Holburn etc) Merry

I can't find any John Somerville born around the right time on 1881 nor can I find his birth. What is your first recorded reference to him? nell

Hi Merry! No, my Grandad was put into care from an early age - ill treated and abandoned my Mum always said - he is in Hospital for 1901, aged three (although some sites have him as 13 - someone put a tick next to the three!) Just a mystery where the pair disappeared to (his ma called ALICE EMILY nee GINN) Have tried various immigration sites etc Just thought that a bit of creative spelling might throw something up! Cheers

Thanks all for the suggestions - I've tried all the SOMERVEL etc variations to no avail. Scrolled through oodles of JOHNs with mad spellings in mad places. He is there on 1871 census RG10/349 85 67 as being aged 5 There is a complication, as his marriage cert makes his birth 1870 but this can only be the 1866 JOHN lying about his age! (I've been going round and round on this one! I's soooo complicted! More details on application as they say)

Have to go now - back later - cheers!

nudging this as I'm back now! Allie

How do you know that the 5 year old in 1871 is the same chap who married and lied about his age? nell

Perhaps this explains the two dates: IGI Individual Record FamilySearch™ International Genealogical Index v5.0 British Isles Search Results JOHN CHARLES SOMERVILLE Birth: 09 MAR 1866 Christening: 27 MAR 1870 Saint Andrew, Holborn, London Parents: Father: GEORGE FREER SOMERVILLE Mother: MARY ANN nell

Hello Helen That entry has been the reason why I am almost sure that it is he! There seems to be no alternative - Either there was a mistake when the entry was made, mistaking his christening for birth (he was 'done' at the same time as his younger bruv) or it was a deliberate attempt to bring his age nearer to his bride's! I had quite a heated debate about this on Rootsweb a while back - I had expressed my doubts when someone assured me that it MUST be him and was severely 'smacked on the wrist' for not bowing to her superioir knowledge!! lol This is why I prefer GR - everyone is so much nicer! Cheers Allie Any more ideas for the 1901 census though?

As previously said, I have one of my lot with the S transcribed as L - have you tried that, as mad as it may seem.

Thanks Heather I think I have tried the L option before, but will give it another go - as I said, I've been going round in circles on this one and my brain hurts from looking at all the options! Cheers Allie