Post by Mal on Oct 8, 2010 13:44:15 GMT -5
I agree with CT-
These cases are always tricky! I have a whole case file full of if's, but's and maybe's! But nothing concrete!
The only thing in these instances, and I am sure CT will back me up on this one, is to get the GRO certs.
Census return information, especially the early census returns, can be so inaccurate as to send you off on a wild goose chase that ends up with with a net full of red herrings and you feeling a bit of a gander! ;D
Given the fact that family sources confirm the death of Christopher Tenbath aged 45 at Camberwell St, I still think it's more than likely that Elizabeth Hicks was his mother, i.e. the 1829 record however that is before BMD registration. I think the best way with this one would be to work backwards from the death, of which we are sure and might give some further hints of witnesses etc, a marriage record and so on. Perhaps Elizabeth Hick's death cert would be useful, it might mention a next of kin- as in one of our previous cases with the Bowline family.
Marriages Sep 1856
Tenbeth Christopher Lewisham 1d 952
married to Emma Mitchell.
Deaths Dec 1875
TENBETH Christopher 45 Penzance 5c 216
These are our "keys" to the kingdom!
Another thing, which is not so empirical but worth bearing in mind, let's not forget the human side to all of this. Perhaps we take these census returns too much at face value. What do I mean? Well, in my own family I can think of people who refer to cousins who are not exactly cousins at all, but we all grew up together so same difference. I am sure there are plenty of nans or grans out there who were/are called as such even though they are not actually the grandparents and so on. Perhaps Elizabeth Hicks, née Trembath, was looking after a nephew or young lad in the family who, due to her age etc, referred to her as grandmother! Given that the census was taken by word of mouth as such, it's just as possible that she said "grandson" because it would do! People weren't too happy about the census and BMD registration when it first started, no doubt, and were probably economical with the truth too!
Anyway, to cut a long story short. I'd say, you need to get the certs for the confirmed information and work around that, taking into account the circumstancial evidence we've been through here.
These cases are always tricky! I have a whole case file full of if's, but's and maybe's! But nothing concrete!
The only thing in these instances, and I am sure CT will back me up on this one, is to get the GRO certs.
Census return information, especially the early census returns, can be so inaccurate as to send you off on a wild goose chase that ends up with with a net full of red herrings and you feeling a bit of a gander! ;D
Given the fact that family sources confirm the death of Christopher Tenbath aged 45 at Camberwell St, I still think it's more than likely that Elizabeth Hicks was his mother, i.e. the 1829 record however that is before BMD registration. I think the best way with this one would be to work backwards from the death, of which we are sure and might give some further hints of witnesses etc, a marriage record and so on. Perhaps Elizabeth Hick's death cert would be useful, it might mention a next of kin- as in one of our previous cases with the Bowline family.
Marriages Sep 1856
Tenbeth Christopher Lewisham 1d 952
married to Emma Mitchell.
Deaths Dec 1875
TENBETH Christopher 45 Penzance 5c 216
These are our "keys" to the kingdom!
Another thing, which is not so empirical but worth bearing in mind, let's not forget the human side to all of this. Perhaps we take these census returns too much at face value. What do I mean? Well, in my own family I can think of people who refer to cousins who are not exactly cousins at all, but we all grew up together so same difference. I am sure there are plenty of nans or grans out there who were/are called as such even though they are not actually the grandparents and so on. Perhaps Elizabeth Hicks, née Trembath, was looking after a nephew or young lad in the family who, due to her age etc, referred to her as grandmother! Given that the census was taken by word of mouth as such, it's just as possible that she said "grandson" because it would do! People weren't too happy about the census and BMD registration when it first started, no doubt, and were probably economical with the truth too!
Anyway, to cut a long story short. I'd say, you need to get the certs for the confirmed information and work around that, taking into account the circumstancial evidence we've been through here.