Genealogy Chat

Can anyone help - I have Cornish ancestors from Camborne who are recorded up to and including the 1871 cenus. After that they seem to have disapeared. They are Thomas Carpenter (b. abt 1841), Julia (nee Webster, b. abt 1839) and children William (b. abt1860), John (b. abt 1868) and Thomas (b. abt 1871). John was my g, grandfather and though I can't find him on the 1881 census, he eventually wound up in Halifax, Yorkshire. The rest of the family seem to have disapeared. I know that one of Julia's brothers emigrated to the States with his family and parents, and I have been in contact with a distant cousin there, but so far there seems to be no evidence that Julia and family followed her brother out there. I've search the death records, and Welsh and Scottish census info and found nothing. Any ideas? Shelagh.

Is it poss Thomas, the father died and Julia remarried and that the family are entered under a new fathers name on the census info? Look for a death of Thomas or a remarriage of Julia. I take it you have tried searching using justJulia's first name (as its quite unusual) plus all the other details just in case the surname is mistranscribed?

1881 I keep wondering about this family Name: Frank Carpenter Age: 20 Estimated birth year: abt 1861 Relation: Boarder Gender: Male Where born: Kenton, Devon, England Civil parish: Stansfield County/Island: Yorkshire Country: England Street address: 23 Russel St Education: Employment status: View image Occupation: Cotton Spinner Registration district: Todmorden Sub-registration district: Todmorden ED, institution, or vessel: 5a Neighbors: View others on page Household Members: Name Age Alice Carpenter 13 Frank Carpenter 20 John Carpenter 15 Louisa E. Carpenter 16 William Carpenter 18 Elizabeth Gibbons 38 George Gibbons 46 George Gibbons 15 Harry Gibbons 7 Thomas Gibbons 5 1901 John is married to Rachel and one of their children is listed as born in Todmorden 1891 I think John is shown as born Devon Maureen

1901 for info Name: John Carpenter Age: 33 Estimated birth year: abt 1868 Relation: Head Spouse's name: Rachael Gender: Male Where born: Camborne, Cornwall, England Civil parish: Todmorden Ecclesiastical parish: Cross Stone St Paul County/Island: Yorkshire Country: England Street address: Occupation: Condition as to marriage: Education: Employment status: View image Registration district: Todmorden Sub-registration district: Todmorden ED, institution, or vessel: 21 Neighbors: View others on page Household schedule number: 87 Household Members: Name Age Albert Carpenter 10 Rochdale Harry Carpenter 5 Ivy Carpenter 3 John Carpenter 33 Minnie Carpenter 10 Rochdale Rachael Carpenter 32 Lincoln William Hy Carpenter 14 Todmorden 1891 could be the same family Name: John Carpenter Age: 27 Estimated birth year: abt 1864 Relation: Head Spouse's name: Rachel Gender: Male Where born: Exeder, Devon, England Civil parish: Warley Ecclesiastical parish: St John Town: Warley County/Island: Yorkshire Country: England Street address: Occupation: Condition as to marriage: Education: Employment status: View image Registration district: Halifax Sub-registration district: Sowerby ED, institution, or vessel: 9 Neighbors: View others on page Household Members: Name Age Frank Carpenter 2 John Carpenter 27 Rachel Carpenter 27 Gosberton, Lincs William H Carpenter 3 Walsden, Lancs

Hi Heather, Thanks for your suggestion about Julia re-marrying, I had not thought about that one! I have search through various spellings of the surname etc., Thanks, too, for your comments, Glitter Baby. I've looked long and hard at the census info for months. I have a feeling that there might be a link between the adult Frank Carpenter on the 81 census and g, grandad John as he did name a son Frank who died in infancy; and that the John mentioned in th 81 census could be g,grandad - the age is about right. The family story goes that he worked his way up the country, and once in the north and married would often come home and say to Rachael 'pack up' I've got a job in such and such a place and the whole family would move. I wonder if he stated his place of birth as the last place he had lived in on the census info - hence the 91 census showing he came from Exeter and not Camborne. Shelagh.

This is the Devon born John Carpenter in 1871 Name: John Carpenter Age: 5 Estimated birth year: abt 1866 Relation: Son Mother's name: Elizabeth Gender: Male Where born: Topsham Civil parish: St Sidwell Ecclesiastical parish: St James County/Island: Devon Country: England Street address: Occupation: Condition as to marriage: Disability: View image Registration district: Exeter Sub-registration district: St Sidwell ED, institution, or vessel: 8 Neighbors: View others on page Household schedule number: 135 Household Members: Name Age Alice Carpenter 2 Elizabeth Carpenter 28 Frank Carpenter 10 John Carpenter 5 Louisa E Carpenter 6 William K Carpenter 8 His mother is a widow 1861 Name: William Carpenter Age: 23 Estimated birth year: abt 1838 Relation: Head Spouse's name: Elizabeth Gender: Male Where born: Kenton, Devon, England Civil parish: Kenton County/Island: Devon Country: England Street address: Occupation: Condition as to marriage: View image Registration district: St Thomas Sub-registration district: Kenton ED, institution, or vessel: 6 Neighbors: View others on page Household schedule number: 13 Household Members: Name Age Elizabeth Carpenter 18 Frank Carpenter 3 mo William Carpenter 23 So this John has a father William which means there is no chance of confusion on marriage cert with other John with father Thomas. A longshot might Rachel have married the Devon John followed by the Cornwall one? The two Johns might have been related which would be how she met him.

Hi Andrea, Rachael was only married once to Cornwall John. There is confusion, because on the 91 census it states he came from Exeter, and then on the 1901 his orgin is Camborne which is correct. I think he might have spent some time in Exeter before moving further north. However, I can only trace the Carpenters back to Camborne/Cornwall to John's grandfather (William, born in Illogan in abt 1785) after that I hit a brickwall. It could be there is a Devon link and some Carpenters moved from Devon to Cornwall. Having said that when you look at the census details for 81/91 there seems to be quite a migration from Cornwall and Devon to the Lancashire cotton mills which coincides with the collapse of the tin & copper industry in Cornwall. Thanks for the info on the Devon Carpenters, at least it rules out that John, though it's possible they could be cousins or distantly related. Shelagh.

Who were the witnesses on his marriage cert? Can you tie them in as his relations? Mind you, I find that when you really want a witness from one side you can guarentee that they are all from the other:-)))

Just e.mailed St. Catherine's to get a certificate. I'll keep my fingers crossed, though I think you might be right - Rachael had brothers & sisters living close by, I bet anything they will have been the witnesses.