Genealogy Chat

Can I ask a question to anybody interested. I have a Charles Robinson, who was born 1849/50 in Portsea Portsmouth. I can find him on the 1871 Census and he is living in Whites Row Portsea, aged 21 and married to a Mary Ann, who is 19. Living with them is a Benjamin Robinson, who is brother to the Head of the household and is 14. Benjamin is definitely mine, so if he is brother to Charles, then Charles must be mine. I searched for a marriage for Charles and found one in 1868 to a Mary Ann Burgess. I applied to Portsmouth Registry Office for a copy of the certificate and they told me that I have the wrong bride, as the details do not match up but strangely enough, Mary Ann Burgess is on the entry before. I cannot find Charles or Mary Ann on any other Census, unless they have 'forgotten' when they were born. I have been hours trying to sort this couple out, so I would appreciate any guidance from a different pair of eyes because mine are knackered!! Thanks.

I found these details on Ancestry civil reg: Burgess, Mary Ann 1868 June Marriages Portsea Island Hampshire Hunt, Henry 1868 June Marriages Portsea Island Hampshire NORMAN, Harriet 1868 June Marriages Portsea Island Hampshire Robinson, Charles 1868 June Marriages Portsea Island Hampshire I can only imagine that Mary Ann married Henry Hunt and that Charles Robinson married Harriet Norman. This would explain why Mary Ann is the entry above Charles as these are all on the same page. So - either this is NOT your Charles Robinson, and he married a Mary Ann somebody else (after all Charles and Mary Ann are quite popular names). OR this is your Charles and he married Harriet, who died and then Charles married another Mary Ann. nell

Have looked at the census without success. If you know that Benjamin is yours, can you look for a baptism/birth of Charles too, to confirm that they are brothers? It could be that Charles and Mary Ann were not in fact married until after the census, but said that they were, to be seen as respectable.

I had a look on the IGI using this cunning site: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb. com/~hughwallis/IGIBatchNumbers/CountryEngland.htm#PageTitle (remove the Return) It allows you to choose which church, which date-bloc, and which event, you want to search - and then by name. However, I couldn't find them in any likely slots, for Baptisms or Marriages, which are available. It tends to suggest that your family were of independent religious persuasion? There aren't such late records for those churches. Christine

Thanks for the replies. I still can't work it out. I will try and search the Record Office to see if there are any baptisms and start from there. Thanks anyway