ARC TBC Elizabeth Shingles born 1863 Liverpool
Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2021 1:31 pm
I've been researching my family tree for a number of years but have reached a block with my great great grandmother. She states on various documents - census, marriage that she was born in Liverpool in 1863, yet I cannot locate her birth record nor that of her brother Frederick Shingles born 1864 in Congleton, Cheshire.
Elizabeth first appears in the public record on the 1871 census, living in Congleton as a 'boarder' with a family named 'Morris'. I cannot find her on the 1881 census, the next time I can find trace of her is her marriage to my great great Grandfather Thomas Goodier (born 1860 in Cotton, Cheshire) in 1887 in Congleton. I have a copy of the wedding certificate and on it states her father is Frederick Shingles and he is a labourer, it does not say deceased, so I infer from that he is alive at that point, he may in fact have witnessed their marriage since one of the witnesses is a Frederick Shingles, but that could be her brother for all I know.
I wonder if anyone can think of a reason which I may not have considered why there is no birth record for her. Have records gone missing from the GRO? I have tried all sorts of alternative spellings for both names (Shingler, Shingles, Singleton, Beth, Betty, Liz, Lizzie etc) and there are 2 Births in England which match that name and year of birth but neither of them is my Elizabeth, I've researched both of the others just to make sure.
I do wonder about the possibility her name was different at birth, that is definitely possible but how would I find out if that was the case? Frederick (the father) does not appear on any census, that I can locate in that general area of Cheshire / Liverpool. I did find a Frederick Shingles in Staffordshire on the 1841 census who may be the right one, but only because he is about the right age.
Elizabeth first appears in the public record on the 1871 census, living in Congleton as a 'boarder' with a family named 'Morris'. I cannot find her on the 1881 census, the next time I can find trace of her is her marriage to my great great Grandfather Thomas Goodier (born 1860 in Cotton, Cheshire) in 1887 in Congleton. I have a copy of the wedding certificate and on it states her father is Frederick Shingles and he is a labourer, it does not say deceased, so I infer from that he is alive at that point, he may in fact have witnessed their marriage since one of the witnesses is a Frederick Shingles, but that could be her brother for all I know.
I wonder if anyone can think of a reason which I may not have considered why there is no birth record for her. Have records gone missing from the GRO? I have tried all sorts of alternative spellings for both names (Shingler, Shingles, Singleton, Beth, Betty, Liz, Lizzie etc) and there are 2 Births in England which match that name and year of birth but neither of them is my Elizabeth, I've researched both of the others just to make sure.
I do wonder about the possibility her name was different at birth, that is definitely possible but how would I find out if that was the case? Frederick (the father) does not appear on any census, that I can locate in that general area of Cheshire / Liverpool. I did find a Frederick Shingles in Staffordshire on the 1841 census who may be the right one, but only because he is about the right age.