I'm trying to find William, John's father, and have been struggling using the free resources. This isn't a plea for help yet but...
Anyway I found familysearch.org today and searched the 1881 census for William Smith born in 1876 or 1877 in Woodville as per the census info Snoopysue found. The site came back with just two matches, one with a William aged 5 and the other aged 4. How confident can I be that the one with William aged 4 is correct?
When I put the parents given me into my App I get the 1881 census and the 1901 census. The latter agrees apart from more children, but although there's children aged 24 (William) and 19 at that address, Henry who would be 16 isn't there but in the 1911 census he's moved from Warwickshie to Ilkeston with his brother. I suppose the 1891 census would help
I can't have the correct censuses. The 1901 one has William as single living with his parents in Elvaston, Derbyshire but my William had already had two sons born in Tamworth
1901 Census: 2 Gas Lane, Tamworth. William SMITH hd.24 Coal Miner Hewer b.Woodville,Leics. Lydia SMITH wife 23 b.Polesworth. William H.SMITH son 2 b.Tamworth. Sydney SMITH son 2 mths. b.Tamworth. Henry SMITH boarder 18 Lab. Pipe Yard. b.Tamworth.
I know it's a long time ago when I started this but in talking to an uncle I started going back over what I'd found and noticed Ancestry had come up with more hints.
One is a Wliiam Henry Smith baptised in Woodville in 1879, father Robert and mother Annie. However I think this is a nasty coincidence.
This is because Family Search had a marriage in Tamworth of William Henry Smith and Lydia Allsopp in the correct year with the same father for Lydia that I had, and the same year of birth for William and Lydia. but this has William Henry as the groom's father.
So can somebody please find the 1881 and/or 1891 censuses with William Snr and William Jr (b 1877) but also (assuming Robert didn't die and Annie married his brother William who was put down as father of the groom) find censuses with Robert and William to corroborate the fact that there were two William Henry Smiths born in Woodville around the same time.
Marriage: 28 November 1898 St Editha, Tamworth William Henry Smith, 21, B, Stoker, 6 Gas Lane Tamworth, Father: William Henry Smith, Pipe-Maker (Deceased) Lydia Allsopp, 20, S, Glascote Heath, Father: John Allsopp, Collier Wit: Thomas Smith, Eliza Gould
????? 1881 Census: 83 Bridge Street, Stoke on Trent, William Smith, Head.Mar, 40, Pipe Maker, Ashby, Leics Jane Smith, Wife, 38, Tamworth John Smith, Son, 16, Tailor Thomas Smith, Son, 10, Scholar Is he the witness to William & Lydia's marriage??? William Smith, Son, 6, Scholar Mary J. Smith, Dau, 3 (Others born Woodville)
???? 1891 Census: 17 Brewery Lane, Tamworth William Smith, Head.Mar, 50, Brickmaker, Ashby de la Zouch, Leics Jane Smith, Wife, 48 Thomas Smith, Son, 19, Painter William Smith, Son, 17, Coal Miner Jane Smith, Dau, 13, Scholar Henry Smith, Son, 8, Scholar ?living with William & Lydia in 1901 & 1911 Kate Smith, Dau, 5, Scholar (Others born Tamworth)
Next censuses already given to you on forum 1901 Census: 2 Gas Lane, Tamworth. William SMITH hd.24 Coal Miner Hewer b.Woodville,Leics. Lydia SMITH wife 23 b.Polesworth. William H.SMITH son 2 b.Tamworth. Sydney SMITH son 2 mths. b.Tamworth. Henry SMITH boarder 18 Lab. Pipe Yard. b.Tamworth. 1883
1911 Census: 36 Belper St Ilkeston William Smith, Head, Married, 34, Coal Miner Hewer, Woodville Leicestershire 1877 Lydia, Wife, Married 12 years, 33, Polesworth Warwickshire William, Son, 12, School, Tamworth Warwickshire Sydney, Son, 10, School, Tamworth Staffordshire Lizzie, Daughter, 8, School, Glascote Heath Warwickshire Ruth, Daughter, 6, School, Kingsbury Warwickshire 1905 John, Son, 3, Kingsbury Warwickshire B: 20 June 1907 Phoebe, Daughter, 0, Ilkeston Derbyshire Mary Ann, Daughter, 0, Ilkeston Derbyshire Henry, Brother To Head, Single, 26, Coal Miner Hewer, Tamworth Warwickshire
1939 Register: 18 Mundy Street, Ilkeston (FMP) John Smith - B: 20 Jun 1907 - Colliery Hewer/Heavy Worker - Married Edith E Smith - B: 11 Jan 1911 - Unpaid Domestic Duties - Married 4 Closed Records
Next door at No: 19 Samuel T Disney - B: 21 May 1885 - Knitting Machine Cleaner Artificial Silk Fabric - Married Emily G Disney - B: 11 Sep 1887 - Unpaid Domestic Duties - Married 1 Closed Record
I didn't know about FreeREG nor the 1939 register. I did know that Edith's parents lived next door. Unfortunately very little of Mundy Street exists now and a few houses on Belper Street were knocked down to be replaced by a car park for a factory including number 36.
I wish the ages from the 1881 and 1891 censuses matched the 1901 and 1911 censuses though.
