Genealogy Chat

A couple of years ago I visited the Metropolitan Archives looking for a couple of marriages in the Holborn, London area. One of the marriages might have been around 1850 but I was told that this was too late for that particular archives and that I would need to go to the nearby Family Centre or at least that's what I think she said. Does anyone know anything about the Family Centre or why the records are split by dates?

In case anyone is feeling sleuth like, I am looking for a marriage between Thomas Peak and Catherine Sheering. Catherine's maiden name has come from their son's birth certificate. From the Census records Catherine would have been born in London around 1825. Thomas was born in Holborn and their son was also born in Holborn.

I would appreciate any ideas regarding this family as they are a bit of a mystery. There is an older child born 1843 although the gap between the first and second leads me to think that there may have been more than one marriage.

A very long shot:

The closest marriage match on Freebmd is Catherine Shearing in Lambeth in 1837, but that looks to be too early and Thomas Peak, or any likeness, is not on the same page. There are only seven names on that page instead of eight, with one male missing.

Oh no! Where are the records held now?

I've got Ancestry but can't find a match. I've already bought birth certificates, one that gave me Catherine's maiden name and one that was not connected to them. I thought the best course of action would be to read through the lists of births inthe area to see if there are any children between Thomas (son, 1850) and Mary Ann (daughter 1843) which might hopefully throw up some more clues to confirm Catherine's maiden name and where she came from.

Thanks Brian, interesting. I'll have another look at the 1841 census.

Presumably this is them in 1851?


1851 England Census
about Thomas Peak
Name: Thomas Peak
Age: 27
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1824
Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Cathrine
Gender: Male
Where born: London, England

Civil parish: Saffron Hill
Ecclesiastical parish: St Peter
County/Island: Middlesex
Country: England

Street Address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Disability:

View image

Registration district: Holborn
Sub-registration district: Saffron Hill
ED, institution, or vessel: 1h
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 103
Household Members:
Name Age
Thomas Peak 27
Cathrine Peak 26
Mary Peak 8
Ann Peak 5
Thomas Peake 1

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Original
Record

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View b

Possible for 1841?


1841 England Census
about Catherine Shiring
Name: Catherine Shiring
Age: 20
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1821
Gender: Female
Where born: Middlesex, England

Civil parish: Chelsea
Hundred: Ossulstone (Kensington Division)
County/Island: Middlesex
Country: England

Street Address:

Occupation:

View image

Registration district: Kensington
Sub-registration district: Chelsea South
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members:
Name Age
James Shiring 60
Catherine Shiring 60
Catherine Shiring 20

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Original
Record

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View blank form

Yes, that's them. One of the daughters disappears from subsequent census records although not sure which one. Either Mary Ann's age is incorrect or she goes on to just call herself Ann as an adult. Whichever way round it is, it doens't make things any easier when trying to decide which birth certificates to buy. Thomas dies before the next census although that doesn't make any difference as far as finding out who Catherine was although might help clarify his age so that I can find his birth.

Thanks blossom, Catherine could be Shiring and not Sheering, just need the marriage to confirm.

I've just realised - on the 1851 Thomas is down as a widower and the age is 47 not 27.

No, you were right first time. If you look at the '2' a few lines up and the '4' a few lines about that you can see that Thomas is 27 not 47. I don't see the condition as widower either. Annoying that they have crossed through so many entries like that have, it doesn't make searching any easier.

Oh, sorry - my mistake! Still can't find the silly man though!

Could be a possible for Thomas in 1841:


1841 England Census
about Thomas Peek
Name: Thomas Peek
Age: 15
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1826
Gender: Male
Where born: Middlesex, England

Civil parish: St James Clerkenwell
Hundred: Ossulstone (Finsbury Division)
County/Island: Middlesex
Country: England

Street Address:

Occupation:

View image

Registration district: Clerkenwell
Sub-registration district: Goswell Street
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members:
Name Age
Thomas Peek 45
Harriet Peek 50
Harriet Peek 20
Thomas Peek 15
Ellen Peek 12
Mary 10
Maria 7

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Original
Record

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or this one:


1841 England Census
about Thomas Peak
Name: Thomas Peak
Age: 14
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1827
Gender: Male
Where born: Middlesex, England

Civil parish: St Luke
Hundred: Ossulstone (Finsbury Division)
County/Island: Middlesex
Country: England

Street Address:

Occupation:

View image

Registration district: St Luke
Sub-registration district: Old Street
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members:
Name Age
Edward Peak 45
Ann Peak 40
Edward Peak 20
Thomas Peak 14
Hannah Peak 12
Henry Peak 9
Charles Peak 4
Arthur Peak 1

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Original
Record

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They are a problem family for sure. I think the only chance I have of finding anything more on them is to plough through microfiche for the marriage. I'm sure it must be there somewhere but where would the microfiche that was in the Family Centre be held now?

Thanks Eileen. I'll plan a trip. Kew is near to Richmond cemetery I think, where there are quite a few of my Scottish family and with the plot numbers accessible online I should have a busy visit.

Since you've got Ancestry, and everyone's got FreeBMD, you can list all the Peaks rego'ed in, say, Middlesex for one year, and click on the view images link or spectacles to see the image of the GRO index page, and read thru them if that's what you want

Could this be your Thomas?????

from the Criminal Records on ancestry

Name: Thomas Peak
Age: 18
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1823
Date of Trial: 19 Oct 1841
Trial Year: 1841
Location of Trial: Middlesex, England
Sentence: Imprisonment 6 months
Crime:Larceny
Date of Execution or Release: See Image


at the County Sessions, Clerkenwell



sylvia

There are several trees (both public and private) on ancestry that have Thomas Peak born London, ca 1824.

This is taken from one of the public trees

Spouse & Children

Catherine 1826 – 1880
Mary Ann Peak 1844 – 1887
Ann Peak 1846 –
Thomas Peak (peake) 1850 –
William Peak 1853 –



sylvia

Thank you all. I've checked the Genes and Ancestry records again and no other trees have got any further back than I have. I am not easily satisfied like so many other people whose trees are built from cobbling together best fit bits of information from the censuses. Although the censuses are invaluable in tracking back there are occasions like now when there is a gap in information.

As I have a maiden name from Thomas's birth certificate I know that even if there was no marriage Catherine's maiden name was Sheerer or something similar. If there is a marriage I am guessing there was a transcription error. I already think I know who Thomas (Snr born 1824) parents are (from information found in the Met Archives) but need the marriage to confirm Thomas's father's name to be sure. If no marriage then I need to pursue the children's birth certificates for confirmation of information.

Thanks again.