Mysteries
John Ainscow - Chelsea Pensioner?
I know that John Ainscow, my great-great-great-grandfather died between April 1841 and March 1851 as he appears on the 1841 census with his wife and family but by the 1851 census, his wife Margaret Pendlebury is listed as a widow and head of the household. Unfortunately I do not know his exact death date.
I do have a death certificate for a John Ainscough, described as a "labourer and Out Pensioner of Chelsea Hospital from the 3rd Regiment of Dragoons Guards". This John died on the twenty fourth of March 1844 in Blackrod and the death was registered by a Giles Ward who was present at the death.
Although the surname is spelt differently, phonetically it is the same and in records Ainscough and Ainscow are frequently used for each other. The age listed on the death certificate of 59 is about right for John Ainscow in 1844. However I have no other evidence of John being a retired soldier or a connection to Giles Ward.
So until I can find a definite connection with Giles Ward or information to collaborate John being a Chelsea Pensioner I can not confirm that this is the death certificate of my great-great-great-grandfather.
Where's Albert?
My great grand father Albert Wooff appears to be missing from the 1901 census. At some point between 1891 and 1905, he must have moved to Horwich, Lancashire from Westmorland as that is where he married Florence Morgan who had moved there with her parents between 1881 and 1891. Albert and Florence stayed in Horwich after their marriage and many of their descendants are still there.
There is a Charles A Wooff born in Tebay around 1877 listed in Horwich in the 1901 census. He was a carter and was boarding with a family called Consterdine. I have not been able to trace Charles in earlier census returns or in the birth index. Tebay was a small hamlet about 2 miles from Orton and Albert who was born in Orton, lived in Tebay in 1881 and on the 1891 census Albert's birthplace was listed as Tebay. Albert's birthdate was 1876 so on census returns he was shown as age 4, 14, etc. meaning that when assessing birthdates, his also comes out as about 1877.
So is Charles A Wooff actually my great grand father Albert? If so, why was he using the name Charles and why had he left Westmorland?
[ Back to top ]
Thomas or James Raynor?
Thomas Raynor is my maternal great grandfather. I know that he married Susan Graham on the 30th July 1898 in Ambleside. At the time Thomas was working as a "boots" at a hotel and was 33 years old. On the marriage certificate, his father is listed as Thomas Raynor, private soldier (deceased).
In the 1901 census, Thomas and Susan are living in Cleator with their first child, Margaret, who was born at Windermere. Thomas is listed as a 36 year old, bricklayer's labourer who was born in India as a British Subject. So from this we know that:
- Thomas was born circa 1865 in India
- His father was a soldier
- His father was also called Thomas
- His father had died before 1898
I located a Thomas Raynor, born circa 1865 in the East Indies in the 1881 census. This Thomas is 16 years old and is a trumpeter in the Royal Artillery stationed at Hilsea Barracks in Wymering, Hampshire. In the 1800's, it was common for 'army' children to be enlisted into a regiment at a young age (so they could effectively pay their way, the army allowed wives and children to travel with the regiments but weren't interested in offering any support additional to the enlisted soldier's pay). We know that Thomas's father was a soldier so this would appear to be my maternal great grandfather Thomas born circa 1865.
With these clues I trawled the GRO Regimental Births Index and located a Thomas Raynor born 1864 in Jhansie, India with the 80th regiment. Other Raynors born to the 80th found are: Louisa, 1862 Sangar, India; Betsy, 1864 Jhansie; Charles, 1867 Portland and William A, 1869 Preston. I ordered the birth certificate for Thomas. Unfortunately when it arrived, the parents are listed as James and Louise Raynor, James being a sergeant in the 80th Regiment of Infantry. Not the Thomas Snr I was hoping for.
However, Thomas and Susan Graham named some of their children, Louisa, John James and Charles - these names seem to link to both James and Louise and the other children born to the 80th. So are Thomas and James the same person, did Thomas Jnr, forget his father's name, was the father called James Thomas or Thomas James and used his second name rather than his first. Where to go from here to resolve this, I don't know.
[ Back to top ]
Eleanor's Father?
The birth certificate of my 2nd great grandmother Eleanor Fallowfield only lists her mother, Catharine Fallowfield. Catharine subsequently married Thomas Parkin and had another child Henry Parking before her death in 1849, shortly before Eleanor's third birthday. Eleanor's marriage certificate shows her father as Thomas Fallowfield, a labourer. It seems likely that Thomas Parkin as her step-father was the only father she knew so when she got married she gave her father's name as just "Thomas" and the registrar assumed the surname. This doesn't however help identify her biological father. So who was he? Unless I can find Eleanor's christening record in the parish registers and by some fluke it lists her father, unlikely as he wasn't named on the birth certificate, I guess we'll never know.
[ Back to top ]