Genealogy Forum UK

I have a James Stoner b 1871 Bolney Sussex to George & Sarah Ann. I have him on census for 1881 & 1891. In 1911 he has his mother living with him in West Grinstead, Horsham, Sussex (corrected as a widow although her husband is still alive). There is no wife but there are three children, Arthur James aged 13, Thomas Edward William aged 11 & Alfred Frederick George aged 8.

Can anyone find the 1901 Census for the family, the marriage to whoever was the mother of the children and either her death record or her whereabouts in the 1911 census.

Schedule no, Address, Reg Dist, ED etc. would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Poss - Stoner on image..
1901
Moor Lane, Ringmer, Sussex
James Stone 28 - Labourer (? farm) - b Bolney
Harriet Stone 22 - b Alfreston
Arthur Stone 1 - b Hurstpierpoint

Civil parish: Ringmer
Ecclesiastical parish: Ringmer St Mary the Virgin
Town: Ringmer
County/Island: Sussex
Country: England
Registration district: Lewes
Sub-registration district: Chailey
ED, institution, or vessel: 6
Household schedule number: 41
Piece: 914
Folio: 67
Page Number: 7
Source Citation: Class: RG13; Piece: 914; Folio: 67; Page: 7.

Couple of poss

Marriages Sep 1892
Mountfort Harriett Horsham 2b 570
Stoner James Horsham 2b 570

Monies on this one....
Marriages Dec 1898
STONER James Cuckfield 2b 385
Tester Harriett Elizabeth Cuckfield 2b 385

Marriages Mar 1902
Gardiner Harriet Anne Midhurst 2b 705
Gardiner Harriett Anne Midhurst 2b 705
Stoner James Midhurst 2b 705

Poss
1881
Birdcage, Laughton, Sussex
Thomas Tester 30 - Ag lab - b Cros boro?
Elizabeth Tester 25 - b Maresfield
Robert T.D. Tester 3 - b Cros boro
Harriet E. Tester 1 - b Alfriston

1891
Moor Lane, Ringmer
Thomas Tester 42 - Labourer - b Crowboro
Elizabeth Tester 35 - b Masesfield
Robt Thos David Tester 14 - Crowboro
Ada Elizabeth Tester 11 - b Alfriston
Henry William Tester 10 - b Tranfield?
Frank Geo Tester 5 - b Tranfield?
Albert Fredrick Tester 3 - b Ringmer
Alfred Edward Tester 1 - b Ringmer

Births Sep 1899
Stoner Arthur James Cuckfield 2b 162

Name: Arthur James Stoner
Gender: Male
Christening Date: 6 Aug 1899
Christening Place: Albourne, Sussex, England
Father's Name: James Stoner
Mother's Name: Harriet Elizabeth


Births Dec 1901
Stoner Thomas Edward W Lewes 2b 168

Births Dec 1904
Stoner Alfred Frederick G Lewes 2b 153

kids with their mother on the 1911

Births Dec 1907
STONER Francis Herbert J Lewes 2b 155

Births Mar 1909
STONER Clara Dorothy R Lewes 2b 145

Births Jun 1910
STONER William Reigate 2a 220

Here she is..

1911
Pagewood Road, Charlwood, Surrey
Thomas Hoad 51 - Widower
Harriett Elizabeth Stoner 32 - Cousin - Housekeeper - Married 8years, 8 kids, 7 living
Francis Herbert John Stoner 3 - b Ringmer
Clara Dorothy Rose Stoner 2 - b Ringmer
William Stoner 10m - b Charlwood
others b Alfriston, Sussex

Registration district: Reigate
Registration District Number: 37
Sub-registration district: Horley
ED, institution, or vessel: 5
Household schedule number: 102
Piece: 3235
Class: RG14; Piece: 3235; Schedule Number: 102

Poss other kids for this couple

Births Jun 1912
Stoner Frederick Tester Reigate 2a 417

Births Dec 1918
Stoner Bertha Tester Reigate 2a 304

Births Jun 1920
Stoner Albert H Tester Reigate 2a 464

Brilliant. Thanks very much.

Having studied the records and merged them with current info I find some anomalies.
The 1911 census for James:
James Stoner Head 41 Married Cowman on farm Bolney Sussex
Married: 14 years
Children born: 3
Children alive: 3
Sarah Ann Stoner Mother 63 Married (Widow) Cowfold Sussex
Arthur James Stoner Son 13 School Hurstpierpoint Sussex
Thomas Edward William Stoner Son 11 Ringmer Sussex
Alfred Fredrick George Stoner Son 8 Ringmer Sussex
Schedule no: 4
Postal Address: Fosters Cottages, West Grinstead, Horsham Sussex
Registration District: 81 (Horsham)
Registration Sub-District: 1 (South Horsham)
ED: 3
Civil parish: West Grinstead
Ecclesiastical Parish: West Grinstead St George
Ashurst St James
Rural District: Horsham
RG14/5238

gives different marriage & children info than the 1911 census record for Harriett:

Census 1911
Thomas Hoad Head 51 Widower Hawker Alfriston Sussex
Harriett Elizabeth Stoner Cousin 32 Married Housekeeper Alfriston Sussex
Married: 8 years
Children born: 8
Children alive: 7
Children dead: 1
Francis Herbert John Stoner Son 3 Ringmer Sussex
Clara Dorothy Rose Stoner daughter 2 Ringmer Sussex
William Stoner Son 10 months Charlwood Surrey
Schedule no: 102
Postal Address: Pagewood Rd, Charlwood, Surrey
Registration District: 37 (Reigate)
Registration Sub-District: 37.3 (Horley)
ED: 5
Civil Parish: Charlwood
Ecclesiastical Parish: St Nicholas
Rural District: Reigate
RG14/3235

Also, given the combined number of children on those 2 census records there appears to be one missing.

Methinks this is trickier than I first considered.

I have run out of time, but here are some thoughts..

I believe it's the correct couple, not sure why the discrepancy in the marriage years, have rechecked the 1911 for both, maybe Harriet had got the length of marriage and # of kids in the wrong column and decided not to change it.. who knows..

This is their first kid parents details from the IGI - states Harriet Elizabeth as mother, didn't find the other kids..

Births Sep 1899
Stoner Arthur James Cuckfield 2b 162

Name: Arthur James Stoner
Gender: Male
Christening Date: 6 Aug 1899
Christening Place: Albourne, Sussex, England
Father's Name: James Stoner
Mother's Name: Harriet Elizabeth

I think this is one of the missing links you are looking for there's a birth for an Elizabeth Annie Stoner could be the grandchild Tester on the 1911.
I search births on Freebmd for a Stoner between the dates 1901-1907 born Lewes (where the other kids were born)
besides Elizabeth Annie there were 2 contenters both Alberts, one needs checking..

Found 2 entries for Elizabeth Tester, need to follow up on the 1905 one..

Births Jun 1905 (need to find in 1911)
Tester Elizabeth Uckfield 2b 123

Births Mar 1903
Tester Elizabeth Ada Southwark 1d 67 - Southwark spans London & Greater London


Births Jun 1903
STONER Elizabeth Annie Lewes 2b 167

1911
Fern Lodge Cottage, Lowfield Heath, Crawley
Charlwood, Surrey
Married 35 years, kids 14, living 11
Thomas Tester 61 - Ag labourer - b Crowbar
Elizabeth Tester 55 - b Marsefield
Albert Edward Tester 23 - Cowman on Farm
Alfred Fredrick Tester 21 - Ag labourer
Emily Tester 15 - b Viewhaven?
Auther James Tester 13 - b Albourn
Elizabeth Annie Tester 8 - grandchild
others b Ringmer

Registration district: Reigate
Registration District Number: 37
Sub-registration district: Horley
ED, institution, or vessel: 3
Household schedule number: 24
Piece: 3233
RG14; Piece: 3233; Schedule Number: 24

Births Dec 1905 (need to find on 1911)
Stoner Albert Edward Lewes 2b 144


Births Sep 1906
Stoner Albert Enos F Lewes 2b 170
Deaths Dec 1906
STONER Albert Enos F 0 Lewes 2b 108

Thanks again. I'm inclined to agree that it's the correct couple, and that grandchild probably nails the missing child.

On the 1911 census the two youngest's birthplaces suggest a recent 'separation', possibly on the death of Thomas Hoad's wife.

There's a distinct lack of detailed baptism records. I have access to the Sussex parish records via the SFHG but they only go up to around 1900. I could ask them to look up the 1901 - 1911 baptisms at their HQ in Lewes although they may not have the info there either.

I also note the post-1911 children carry the middle name Tester, which earlier children didn't. Might this not suggest that James isn't the father and that he was either dead (if so I can't find a suitable record that early) or the separation was permanent?

SRD wrote:Thanks again. I'm inclined to agree that it's the correct couple, and that grandchild probably nails the missing child.

On the 1911 census the two youngest's birthplaces suggest a recent 'separation', possibly on the death of Thomas Hoad's wife.

There's a distinct lack of detailed baptism records. I have access to the Sussex parish records via the SFHG but they only go up to around 1900. I could ask them to look up the 1901 - 1911 baptisms at their HQ in Lewes although they may not have the info there either.

I also note the post-1911 children carry the middle name Tester, which earlier children didn't. Might this not suggest that James isn't the father and that he was either dead (if so I can't find a suitable record that early) or the separation was permanent?

On FreeBMD the other parents name was added from the end of 1911
Tester is the mothers name for the kids b after Sept qtr.

Births Jun 1912
Stoner Frederick Tester Reigate 2a 417

Thomas Hoad was married and widowed between the 1881 & 1891, b Alfriston, living with parents at Ringmer.
I followed this guy back but don't see the cousin connection.

You should get those lookups to prove, when you do I'd love to know the outcome.

I suppose I could get distracted from the direct blood line (James is a descendant on the distaff side from the Hillmans that I'm currently studying) and take a look at the Tester/Hoad connection (probably again on the distaff side). And, technically, I haven't really got down to James generation in full yet so I ought to be concentrating on his aunts and uncles, but the Stoners are a pretty boring lot so I'll send off a query to the SFHG about the parentage.

Marriage 4Q1898 to Harriett Elizabeth Tester who registers 11 Stoner births, not all by James.

More at www.stoner.org.uk/stoner2008/Ft2z.html#M878

Make that Harriet registered 12 Stoner births.

Thanks, it looks like Harriett had 3 children that James accepted were his (probably the three living with him in 1911 with maybe doubts about the parentage of Elizabeth, hence her living with her grandparents in 1911) then moved in with her cousin Thomas Hoad sometime around 1903 (I must check to see where he was living in 1901) having 4 children with him (not including Elizabeth one of whom died) then moving in with a Tester around 1911/12. I've got 3 more children then. Which makes 11, where's the 12th?
Arthur James - 1899
Thomas Edward - 1901
Elizabeth Annie - 1903
Alfred Frederick - 1904
Francis Herbert - 1907
Clara Dorothy - 1909
William - 1910
Frederick - 1912
Bertha - 1918
Albert H - 1920
And the one marked as dead on Harriet's 1911 census record.