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Hello!

I am trying to put together a family tree for my Nan's 90th birthday in a few weeks!

I have got back quite far with her relatives but have hit a snag with her grandmother, Kate Willis.

I know she was born in Southampton in 1863, and that she died in South Stoneham in 1900, presumably of childbirth as her youngest child James was born the same year.

She was married to John Willis, born 1864 in Poole, Dorset. They had five children - Sarah, born 1883, John, born 1888, Ruth (my great grandmother), born 1890, Samson, born 1892, and James, born 1900.

I have garnered all this information from the 1901 and 1891 censuses and from death records, but I can't find a marriage registered for John and Kate so I have no idea what Kate's maiden name was to be able to trace her any further back. If a marriage certificate does exist I would imagine it would have to be from either 1881 or 1882 as their first child was born in 1883.

Can anyone help me?!

Thank you so much!

Rachel

A birth certificate of one of the children would give you her maiden name.

Births Dec 1892 (>99%)
Willis Samson A* S. Stoneham 2c 44

Is this your great grandmother?

Births Jun 1890 (>99%)
Willis Ruth Kate Southampton 2c 1

Hi

Marriages Mar 1887 (>99%)
BOSBURY Kate Caroline S Poole 5a 423
WILLIS John Alverd Poole 5a 423

There is a birth for John Elvert Willis 1863 Poole - misspelt middle name at marriage?

Gail

1901 census for reference -

WILLIS, John A Head Widower M 37 1864 Assurance Agent
Poole
Dorsetshire VIEW
WILLIS, Sarah J Daughter Single F 18 1883
Poole
Dorsetshire VIEW
WILLIS, John Son Single M 14 1887 Shop Boy
Woolston Southampton
Hampshire VIEW
WILLIS, Ruth K Daughter Single F 12 1889
Northam Southampton
Hampshire VIEW
WILLIS, James Son Single M 11 1890
Woolston Southampton
Hampshire VIEW
WILLIS, Samson Son Single M 10 1891
Woolston Southampton
Hampshire VIEW

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Piece:
1979 Folio:
52 Page:
9 Registration District:
Poole

Civil Parish:
Poole St James Municipal Borough:
Address:
3, West Bults Street, Poole St James County:
Dorsetshire

1891 census for reference -

WILLIS, John Head Married M 27 1864 Iron Driller
Poole
Dorsetshire VIEW
WILLIS, Kate Wife Married F 28 1863
Southampton
Hampshire VIEW
WILLIS, Sarah Daughter F 8 1883 Scholar
Poole
Dorsetshire VIEW
WILLIS, John A Son M 3 1888 Scholar
Woolston
Hampshire VIEW
WILLIS, Ruth K Daughter F 1 1890
Wortham
Hampshire VIEW

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Piece:
922 Folio:
108 Page:
25 Registration District:
South Stoneham

Civil Parish:
St Mary Extra Municipal Borough:
Address:
3, Arthur Terrace, Church Road, St Mary Extra, Woolston County:
Hampshire

Births Jun 1883 (>99%)
BOSBURY Sarah Jane Poole 5a 290

This could be the daughter of Kate before she married???

Thank you Gail and Lynski! So quick!

1887 would be too late for the marriage as they had their first child in 1883, so I don't think that can be right, but thank you Gail!

Lynski - of course. I didn't think of that. Would birth certificates be available online?

Ah, I see...very interesting! Possibly a skeleton in the closet!! That would explain the big gap between the first and second children as well. I think we might have solved the mystery - thank you so much, you are brilliant!

Birth certificates are not available on-line.

You have to order them from

http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/

You have to register but it doesn't cost anything to do so.
Certificates are 9 pounds, 25 pence.

(I am in Australia and don't have a pound sign on my computer!!)

I cannot find a birth for Kate Caroline Bosbury??

Still looking..........

I wonder if this is her in 1881 census - marriage is Kate Caroline S.??

HUNT, Edward Head Married M 35 1846 Cabinet Maker Master Employing 4 Men & 3 Boys
Poole
Dorset VIEW
HUNT, Mary Elizabeth Wife Married F 38 1843
Appledore
Devon VIEW
HUNT, Harold Edward Son Single M 9 1872 Scholar
Poole
Dorset VIEW
HUNT, Joseph Ernest Son Single M 8 1873 Scholar
Poole
Dorset VIEW
HUNT, William Howe Son Single M 7 1874 Scholar
Poole
Dorset VIEW
HUNT, Florence Daughter Single F 4 1877
Poole
Dorset VIEW
HOWE, Catherine E Sister In Law Single F 24 1857 Assistant
Bideford
Devon VIEW
BOSBURY, Catherine Sophia Servant Single F 18 1863 General Servant Domestic
Southampton
Hampshire VIEW

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Piece:
2095 Folio:
64 Page:
25 Registration District:
Poole

Civil Parish:
Poole St James Municipal Borough:
Address:
North Street, Poole St James County:
Dorsetshire

?????????????

Births Dec 1862 (>99%)
BOSBURY Catherine Sophia Southampton 2c 18

Name: WILLIS, Kate
Registration District: Help South Stoneham
County: Hampshire
Year of Registration: 1900
Quarter of Registration: Apr-May-Jun
Age at death: 37
Volume No: 2C
Page No: 44

Says on marriage cert (which you can view onthe Dorset records on Anc)
that she is Kate Caroline Sophia Bosbury

father John a market gardener

Jan

I wonder if I am on the right track with that birth - age seems to fit.

I know that Caroline and Catherine can easily be mis-interpreted??

Catherine Sophia Bosbury
Date of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec 1862
Registration district: Southampton
Inferred County: Hampshire
Volume: 2c
Page: 18

the date fits with the date on the marraige cert

1871
Catherine Bosbury
Age: 8
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1863
Relation: Daughter
Father's Name: John Bosbury
Mother's Name: Sophia Bosbury
Gender: Female
Where born: Southampton, Hampshire, England
Civil parish: Millbrook
County/Island: Hampshire
Country: England
Registration district: South Stoneham
Sub-registration district: Millbrook
ED, institution, or vessel: 3
Household schedule number: 139
Piece: 1199
Folio: 67
Page Number: 28
Household Members:
Name Age
John Bosbury 40 Market Gardener
Sophia Bosbury 39
Francis Bosbury 14
Hugh Bosbury 12
Catherine Bosbury 8
Sarah Bosbury 5
John D Bosbury 6

This information is incredible, thank you! I would never have found this myself!

I wonder whether my grandmother knew her aunt was not her grandfather's child...I shall have to ask when I see her this weekend!

Thank you so much Janet and Lynski, I am so excited to give all this to my Nan!

Births Jun 1883 (>99%)
BOSBURY Sarah Jane Poole 5a 290

she may well have been his child though? they might just not have been married at the time

True, Janet...it will be interesting to see if my nan can shed any light!