Genealogy Chat

I have spent months now looking for my GG Grandfather in 1841, 51 and 61. He appears in all other census but not these. What's going on? If any kind soul can help I would be eternally grateful. Maybe I will never find him? The sad thing is I am sure his mum was unmarried and gave him to another family member to bring up. He was born John Potter in Pocklington E. Yorkshire in 1831 to Ellen Potter. I believe she went on to marry a Robert Ibbetson in 1836. John married Olive Brightwell in 1857 in Lambeth Surrey. From 1871 they turn up as living in Heathfield North in Twickenham. I have his marriage cert which has a line thru the box marked 'name of father'. Can anyone help? Diana

I see from the 1871 census and the birth places of the children, that this family might be almost anywhere in 1861!! The thing is, there are between ½ and one million records missing from the 1861 census - The pages were destroyed by poor storage conditions before anyone ever got around to filming or transcribing them. I will nudge up a thread I wrote a while back, listing some missing areas. Trouble is, we don't know where they should be (I would imagine?) Merry

Thanks Merry. Do you think I should stop losing sleep over this and concentrate on someone else? Soul destroying :-(

Yes, I do!! merry

on the 1881 census they live in the civil parish of Twickenham at no 163 Heathfield North. John Potter head age 50 carpenter born pocklington yorkshire Olive wife age 47 born ? chobham? surrey ? beielly? son age 23 carpenter born Plumpstead Kent Robert William son age 16 bricklayer born pocklington yorkshire John Steven son age 13 scholar born ? sifestrobn? Essex Olive Jane daughter age 12 scholar born twickenham middlesex Ellen daughter age 10 scholar born twickenham middlesex Oliver Edward son age 9 scholar born twickenham middlesex Annie daughter age 7 scholar born twickenham middlesex george son age 5 scholar born twickenham middlesex emma daughter age 3 born twickenham middlesex sorry there were some words i couldnt understand hope it helps Ann

on the 1871 census there looks like another son age 1 year older than what i now think is Billy called i think Frederick and he was born in Pockington yorkshire too. Their address seems to be 213 heathfield north twickenham on this also.

on the 1901 census they again pop up in Twickenham middlesex. 152 heathfield north this time John Potter Head age 70 Builder Employer born Pocklinton yorkshire Olive Wife age 67 born chobham surrey Olive J daughter unmarried age 32 Dressmaker worker born twickenham middlesex annie daughter unmarried age 27 born twickenham middlesex george son unmarried age 25 carpenter at home born twickenham middlesex

Thanks so much Anne. That pretty much confirms what I have for those census. Do you have access to 1841, 51 and 61?

near pockington in yorkshire is a place called Bielby. Do you think the son with the mystery name could be called after this place?

have been searching 1861, and have some limited access to 1851 but no luck sorry

youll be sick of me...... lol there was a marriage in 1883 quarter september in the district of Brentford in the county of middlesex volume 39 page 158 which is for a Bielby Potter. Too much of a coincidence to not be Johns son.

Ann, yep thats Johns son Bielby. He married Caroline. They had 3 children - Caroline, Harold and william. Nope, never get sick of helpful people. I went to visit their joint graves last week for the 1st time, yes i am a weirdo.....