Genealogy Chat

Sorry people, I got thrown off the pc last night ! Thanks for your comments....keep looking and guessing I suppose ! Clive u are a little mad I think !! Marie x

No Sylvia Todd is wrong. Your family read 'The 13th commandment' on this message board (only go to it if you have a lot of time and are in need of a very good laugh. Your family has set out to confuse all genealogists especialy nosey younder family members! You should also look for small village in early returns being the nearest town in later census returns and posher versions of the family name as the kids get older. Maternal grandmother went to extremes but forgot teaching records so name change, dob change (she stayed the same age, 29, for five years for some reason!), place of birth change were all to no avail. The school record has her in the same place all the way through. Clive

Marie, When looking at the censuses remember that many (if not most) people were not educated, and could not read or write. An enumerator was often only slightly more literate than the others. The birthplace given for people depends on who was giving the information to the enumerator (or writing it down themselves). Dad may have forgotten where all his children were born ...... so put them all down as born in the one place he can remember. He might have forgotten that wife number 1 was born in Gateshead, and wife number 2 was born in Durham ..................and so wife number 2 gets written down as born in 'Durham'. Many of our ancestors actually seemed to forget themselves where they were born ........ or never knew! They may have said something like 'Top Bottom Farm' to the enumerator ............... who replied with 'Huh?? Where's that then?' 'Near Gateshead'. Enumerator recognises Gateshead, so Gateshead gets put down on the form. Many of them seemed to occasionally misunderstand the question .... and say they are born where they are living on some censuses and born elsewhere on others. I suppose a question like 'Where are you from?' could be misunderstood! It also seems that many people did not want to tell 'them government people' everything ........................ so they kept information secret, changed it around, etc etc. And on and on it goes!!!!! In other words ....................... this might well be your family!

Yeah, it's that one that's confusing me ! I can't be certain as my John was born in Longbenton not Gateshead but I know people say these things aren't 100 per cent accurate. Still confused ! Cheers Marie x

Marie , I found 1871 a John Bolam aged 18 but born in Gateshead mother Ann aged 42 and father John Bolam aged 40 with brothers ans sisters Charles Elizabeth Mary Thomas Hazel

The 61 and 71 census is a strong possibility. My ggggrandfather on every census (nearly) always gives his place of birth wherever the census was taken.that year.

He needn't have been with his parents. He might have been working away from home, or in the army or the navy - a lot can happen in 10 years. Note that people with the name John were often called Jack. Good luck! Margaret

Some excellent points there that I certainly hadn't thought of, thanks very much to you both xx

I've checked 1861 and 1871 census and the only possibility is a John and Ann as parents but it states that John junior was born in Gateshead along with the rest of the family, not Longbenton, do you think this is a possibility or not ?

I am stumped ! I have my family in 1881as follows: John Bolam 28 Coal Miner Born Longbenton Mary Jane Bolam 28 Born Durham Kids are Edward, John, Thomas and George. They are living at Seaton Burn. Trouble is I can't find John in the 1871 census, when I presume he should be roughly 18 and living with his parents. From his marriage cert I know Johns dad is also John. Any help would be fab before I go insane !! Cheers Marie x

Have you checked the 1861 census? Have you found any others, if any, in the family. Also that may not be his father's name on the bc, if you see what I mean. Does this help?