Completed - Where's William?

[Pudsey to Howard]

Hi

I've been cobbling my family tree together for a little ove 4 years and a constant thorn in my side has been the whereabouts of my great grandfather in 1891 and 1901. Every so often I gird my loins and boldly initiate fresh searches on both Ancestry and Findmypast, bravely battling incorrectly transcibed names [Tate, Fait, Sait, Taft, etc] and emerge on the other side once again battered and beaten. Maybe I'm missing the obvious!

Here's what I've gathered so far: William Tait born 1859 in Stockton Durham, according to the 1861 census; this changes in the 1871 census to born 1860 in Yarm Yorkshire; and then in the 1881 census he's shown as born 1860 in Stockton on Tees and is working as a groom at Skelton Castle.
I know he married a Susannah Elizabeth Green on the 17th February 1885 in Guisborough Yorkshire [he's a 25 year old groom]. William & Susan had one child Charles Adam Tait born 1st May 1887 in Bradford Yorkshire. Susan's died 1888 in Bradford.
I've found Charles in the 1891 census living in Thornaby Yorkshire [he's in the residence of a John & Sarah Garbutt and is listed as a nurse child]. But William's not there!
William married Elizabeth Emma Harrison 2nd March 1896 in Stockton Durham [he's a 36 year old labourer at engine works] and lived at 15 Victoria Street Stockton On Tees Durham.
In 1901 Elizabeth is living at 14 Victoria Street Stockton On Tees Durham with Charles and her other children [including my grandmother] and guess what - William's not there.
William died in 1908 and is buried at the Oxbridge Lane Cemetery Stockton Durham.

Now maybe a fresh set of eyes [yours?] may find what I can't.

[peterd]

you have any marriage certs for william and charles ?

[peterd]

first thing if you havent got it send for this marriage cert

Marriages Mar 1885
Green Susan Guisbro' 9d 634
Tait William Guisbro' 9d 634

[Maths girl]

Hi

Given that you know where and when he died - do you have the death certificate - where was he when he died - who registered his death does that give any clues to follow back on?

[Pudsey to Howard]

I have both of William's marriage certificates: when he married Susan/Susannah in Guisborough his place of residence is simply listed as Skelton.

Charles was born at Bierley Hall in Bradford.

The John & Sarah Garbutt, that Charles is dwelling with in 1891, are the parents of the wife of William's brother John.

When William died he was living at 21 Hutchinson Street Stockton On Tees. The informant was his stepdaughter Edith Bainbridge [Elizabeth's illegitimate child].

[Maths girl]

In 1911 his wife is still living in Hutchinson Street albeit not 21 and she has had another son born in 1906 so he must be around at least spasmodically

1911 7 Hutchinson Street Stockton on Tees
TAIT, Elizabeth Emma Wife F 50 1861 Redmarshall Durham
TAIT, Charles Adam Stepson Single M 23 1888 Warehouseman Yorks Bradford Yorks
TAIT, Robert Harrison Son M 14 1897 Newsboy Stockton on Tees Durham
TAIT, George Son M 12 1899 School Part Time Newsboy Thornaby on Tees Yorks
TAIT, Hilda Daughter F 11 1900 Schoolgirl Thornaby on Tees Yorks
TAIT, William Son M 5 1906 Schoolboy Stockton on Tees Durham


As a groom he could have gone away with employers - to put a positive slant on it.
The fact that Elizabeth's daughter registered the death could suggest that either Elizabeth Emma was too distraught or -- I hesitate to say it as it is your forebear -- too pleased to be rid of an errant husband to do it herself.

[Pudsey to Howard]

William is, apparently, listed as a fireman on the marriage cerificate of Charles Adam Tait.

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.ph ... ic=85135.0

Whilst on my grandmother's marriage certificate he's shown as a marine engineer [deceased];

and according to my dad, his mum told him that his grandfather was a shipwright!

[Maths girl]

William is, apparently, listed as a fireman on the marriage cerificate of Charles Adam Tait.

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.ph ... ic=85135.0

Whilst on my grandmother's marriage certificate he's shown as a marine engineer [deceased];

and according to my dad, his mum told him that his grandfather was a shipwright!

Well at least your grandmother was sticking to the same story --I can see marine engineer and shipwright being one and the same job!

[Maths girl]

TAIT, Charles Adam Stepson 1888 Yorks Bradford Yorks
TAIT, Robert Harrison Son 1897 Stockton on Tees Durham
TAIT, George Son 1899 Thornaby on Tees Yorks
TAIT, Hilda Daughter 1900 Thornaby on Tees Yorks
TAIT, William Son 1906 Stockton on Tees Durham

Just wondering what his occupation is on the birth certificates above as they span the missing census years - he obviously moved the family around a fair bit -- were these marine engineer sorts of places? -- did he move to the next building job? sometimes preceding the family - inconveniently in 1891 and 1901!!

[peterd]

first thing if you havent got it send for this marriage cert

Marriages Mar 1885
Green Susan Guisbro' 9d 634
Tait William Guisbro' 9d 634

who were the fathers on this marriage cert and who were the witnesses ?

[Pudsey to Howard]

who were the fathers on this marriage cert and who were the witnesses ?

William's father was Adam , a paper cutter; and Susan's, Joseph, an agricultural labourer [deceased].

[dianel]

William is, apparently, listed as a fireman on the marriage cerificate of Charles Adam Tait.

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.ph ... ic=85135.0

Whilst on my grandmother's marriage certificate he's shown as a marine engineer [deceased];

and according to my dad, his mum told him that his grandfather was a shipwright!

There is not necessarily a conflict between the occupations. I think I saw him on a census as "Fireman for an Engine" ie. a Stoker. If this was so, then he could have been at sea for those missing census. Looking for the census now .... maybe I dreamt it?

[dianel]

I think I did dream it, but the theory still makes some sense, doesn't it?

[Maths girl]

I think I did dream it, but the theory still makes some sense, doesn't it?

Yes it could but probably not enough to be conclusive without other evidence

[Pudsey to Howard]

Hi

I'll put this babck on the backburner for now.

Doug