Clara Ball born 1851 to Henry Ball and Mary Ann West London

[Hutchinson]

Hi,

Can anyone help - been driving me nuts for weeks.

Plenty of Henry Ball's married to a Mary Ann in West London but none with a daughter Clara Ball born in 1851. Cannot find her in 1871 census and married by 1881. Mary Ann died in 1876 - no idea about Henry.

She married a George Bemmer (recorded as Bemoner in 1881) census. She died in 1931.

Many thanks

Graham Hutchinson

[johngu]

Conceivably Henry was not always know as just Henry eg his first name might have been eg William. Have you got the marriage certificate? George and Clara married in Kensington in last quarter of 1874. Was Clara actually around in 1851?

johngu

[johngu]

Sometimes subjects or enumerators rounded up ages. Sometimes it is supposed that when the subject couldn't write the enumerator asked for year of birth and then subtracted eg in 1881 "born 1851" could have been recorded as age 30.

OR

1851 was taken on 31 March. 1881 was taken on 4 April. Suppose she'd been born on say 2 April 1851?!

johngu

[Hutchinson]

Hi,

Thanks for your help. The only evidence for her being alive in 1851 is finding her age 30 in the 1881 census born Chiswick, Middlesex. I have recently found a birth in 1850 Brentford for a Clara Ball (which I had not found previously, as I searched London not Middlesex) and think this may be hers.

I had not found the marrieage before and will get the certificate and check on "Henry" as you suggest.

Many thanks

Graham

[johngu]

... would have been 31 in 1881 (because she was born in the first quarter of 1850)

dare say it could be the right one all the same

let me know how it goes

johngu

[johngu]

In case you hadn't seen it Geo Bemmer's birth was registered at St Saviour Southwark in the last quarter of 1847 and that matches his age in the 1881 census. So you could get that at the same time...

johngu

[Hutchinson]

Thanks again. I have a copy of Georges Birth certificate - and theres another search - trying to find parents of the mother Harriett Morris!!

Do you have the facility to look up Clara Ball in the 1851 census as that might nail the Henry?

Regards

Graham

[johngu]

Is Harriet B the 79-year old lady who died in Brentford in 1st qtr of 1901 - so just missing the 1901 census? If so she would have been born about 1821/22 - about right for the birth of Geo in 1847?

Sorry I don't have any 1851 capabilities. The indexes are all over the place.

johngu

[Hutchinson]

Yes, that is her. she was born in 1822 in Pimlico Chelsea. Her father was John Morris and mother Susannah. I've found a marriage 1818 in Deptford Kent but nothing to verify it.