Genealogy Chat

The marriage to Mary Wiseman is on the Pallots Index on Ancestry and says he was a bachelor, which isn't what you want to hear, I don't think? The death cert would give his age - Sarah

Oh lucky you! YES buy it.

The will is not that long! I thought the wife was dead by the 1841, but have just checked and they are on there (Mary is wife). I am assuming that this is my family as the father and son lived in the same street and Richard was down as schoolmaster. It is the right son(William), the wife and child match up. So the will is probably the right one and he changed job from schoolman to shorthand writer.... Anyway, onwards: I have been on to LDS site and on the IGI there is a Richard Robinson Merrett (as per will) married Mary Wiseman in 1825 (Stepney). So, the parish records could in fact also be right as this suggests that Richard married twice and had three children with 1st wife and poss others with the second. I will not get death cert for 1st wife as it looks as though it was pre 1825. Do you think it is making sense and I am on the right lines??!Sarah

How long is the will? I may not mind helping you read it (I've done loads now and it gets much easier!). Seeing as I said, 'get it', seems the least I can do. Was original wife on 1841 census? Do you have her death? As Victor said, just how many shorthand writers can there be?!!! Not a common occupation! Sarah

Sarah Try to imagine how many Shorthand Writer's there would have been in the time and area. You say the area is within 0.9 miles. You say you have a Son who is a Shorthand Writer, and Possible Father being Shorthhand Writer's. Is this just a HUGE coincidence or are they related. I would, at the moment anyway, sway towards them being related, that is until you can disprove the theory. Victor

Anyone fancy helping me to read this will?! Right, stressed out now. This does not match the parish records as mentioned in the first message I have put on here (wife is now Mary - so could have remarried or PRs could be wrong!) This is what I have: William Merrett born 1808 St George in the East, married, and on cert, father is named as Richard Merrett - Schoolman) Both are on 1841. William died in 1842. Richard is not on 1851 census, I have truly scoured all relevant discs and the index (online one is now complete I believe). Will of Richard online NA site (as mentioned above) Now I am confused, either the parish records are not relative, the will is not relative, both are not relative, or all are relative and he remarried!!!!! HELP! Sarah

YES GET IT!!! What's £3.50 lol Sarah

(Excited!) Have had a quickie at the NA site, and there is a will for a Richard Merrett, 1846 (fits as I have trawled and found him on 1841, he is not on 1851 census records). BUT: It has him down as a Short Hand Writer of Saint George the Martyr, Southwark , Surrey (0.9 miles from St George in the East where all other records come from!). Could this be him??? Shall I get it? Sarah

Haven't tried BTs and never even thought of wills, what a good idea, off now to try and scoot around NA site. Any more ideas welcome! Thanks! P.S I have found out that schoolmen often worked in peoples houses back then, as opposed to always in schools. And the education thing I assume is right as the son was a shorthand writer. Sarah

I would have thought the change from Revenue officer to Schoolman was quite likely. Both occupations would require a certain level of education (though not as much as would be expected today lol) Maybe it's easier to say two occupations do NOT fit together. I wonder how you can find out more? Any wills for these people? Sarah

a lot of new taxes were introduced for the Napoleonic wars and then abolished afterwards. So perhaps he was made redundant. For the illegible register, have you tried the BTs?

Don't know what a revenue officer or a schoolman is! I imagine a revenue officer collected taxes and a schoolman was a teacher. Both jobs would require a standard of literacy/numeracy, so I guess a person could change from one to the other. nell

Hi Sarah, one of mine went from potter to shopkeeper to publician. You can never tell!!

I have been searching parish records for a birth in 1808,but the records for the year I am looking for are no longer legible. I have found two other births though, 4 and 6 years later (poss sisters?), same parish, same fathers name (not sure about mother as I only have sons marriage cert and census info to go on, where she has died). The only thing that makes me think that this is not the right family is that the fathers occupation is revenue officer. On the marriage cert I have for my direct ancestor, father is listed as a schoolman. Anyway, no other MERRETTs are listed in the parish records over relevant years, and I know from other info that they stayed in the same area. Do you think that it is possible that in the early 1800s a man would change from being a revenue officer to a schoolman? ***See below for update!! Sarah