1891 National Census
- We can also see the Armitage family a little earlier on:
Germaine Leo is living elsewhere at this time - why not have a look at this post to find out more.
1881 National Census
- a little earlier still:
Note that Walter's occupation is a little different. But he is already doing well for his age.
1871 National Census
- even earlier on - here it gets tricky:
Clara was a little trickier, as I didn't know her maiden name - there were 4 possibilities. But then our cousin Mike gave us the maiden name Clara Guiver from her son's birth cert., so now know that it's Clara who was born Spring 1845 in the Edmonton district.
The census searches drew a complete blank, but then I simply browsed through an alphabetical list of all the Claras in Middlesex till I found a Clara Gruver (aged 6 in the 1851 Edmonton census) - when I looked at the image of the original document, I could see it had been mis-transcribed. Her parents are Catherine & Henry Guiver (born 1811, Enfield, a Tailor). They live at the Post Office, High Road, Ponders End - with a family of 5 bairns. In later censuses, Catherine and the older son are running the Post Office, but Clara has moved out, and is not to be found yet.
1861 National Census
- even earlier on:
Which is interesting, as George & Sarah are a couple I also found in the 1881 Census (see further below). They are living at King St. in Thorne (I think next-door neighbours to other Armitage households).
George (born ~1813, Thorne) is a Master Mason (stone & Marble) by trade, in 1861. The family live in Back St., Thorne.
Sarah A. Armitage was born in Holmfirth {the Kirkburton area of West Riding}. They have 5 children (George, 17, Mason apprentice; our Walter, 13; Mary, 10; Lucy; Sarah, 5.) They also have a live-in servant, Jane (aged 15).
See at the bottom of this post - found a reference to the Christening of George A. in 1812 - he was the son of Mary (nee Linter), and George Armitage.
Also see a later post - we now know that Sarah Ann Armitage's maiden name was Booth. There is a record of their marriage in the Huddersfield district (which includes Holmfirth) in the year 1842.
1851 National Census
- If we go further back, the last entry I found was in the 1851 Census.
George works as a Stonemason, and the family now live at Finkle St, Thorne.
A Stonemason's Apprentice lives in the household, Thomas Troop(?) (aged 18), and a servant Ann Briggs, aged 16.
It's noticeable that Nathaniel is not listed in the family 1861 census return, when he'd be 15. He could have died, or he could be in school/service somewhere. So next I searched for Nathaniel elsewhere in England (1861)-- he turned up as a lodger in a Saddler's house in Hatfield, Yorkshire. He is described as an illegible kind of apprentice, aged 15.
A note from the East Riding Archives tells us about an 1841 will for a Thorne gentleman (George Hopwood) whose witnesses includes George Armitage, stonemason of Thorne.
Back to the Future
So, what happens to the other children of George & Sarah?
In the 1871 Census, we see them in King St.
George is now a Builder, with Sarah and 5 children again (at this time, Walter was boarding in Hull, Nathaniel was not found) - George Junior (28, Stonemason), Mary (20, Schoolmistress), Lucy (18, Governess), Sarah R. (16) and a new addition, Harry (8 - so born 1863 in Thorne).
George Junior here could well be the same George Armitage (55) of Back St., Thorne who is working as a Stonemason in 1901, but from the year 1871 a strange & confusing twin arrives in Thorne: -
We have George A., born approx 1844 in Thorne, married to Ann (in 1871, living in Casson's Yard, Silver St.) and working as a Stonemason.
We also have our George A., born approx 1844 in Thorne, living at home in King St. with our George & Sarah.
I have not found two such Georges going forward in time, though. Which one is the widow of 1881? Were the two men in the 1871 census actually the same man??
In 1881, the census shows us that George Senior (now aged 68) is a Master Builder, employing 1 man and 1 apprentice. Only his wife Sarah & son Harry continue to live at home - at the age of 18, Harry is an apprentice Cabinet Maker. {This is probably the same Harry Armitage who was found in the 1901 census, Thorne. He is then aged 38, a Joiner & Cabinet Maker, married to Florence Anna (37) with 4 children: Ralph, 9; Percy, 7; Hilda, 6; Connie, 1. Granddad remembers a very skilled carpenter in the family.}
In 1881, Nathaniel is found living at 2 Aireville Rd, Heaton (Shipley), Yorks {well, it could be our lad}. He is married to Mary H. Armitage (born Doncaster, works as assistant in the shop), and has a son Nathaniel N. (born 1874) and a daughter Lucie I. (born 1877). His occupation is as a Chemist & druggist. A dressmaker Miss G. Minskip, from Hoyland is a visitor.
In 1891, Nathaniel is found with his family in 1 Armley Grove Place, Armley (West Leeds). He is a registered Chemist & his son is now his apprentice.
By 1901, Nathaniel the Chemist is widowed and lives (only with a servant Mary) in Armley. I believe he died in Bramley, 1906.
His son in 1901 lives at 24 Low Pavement, Chesterfield, with his wife Mary Jane (born Gildersome, 1872). He is employed as a Pharmaceutical Chemist. {He has the fantastic name of Nathaniel Newborn Armitage, but then I found his father Nathaniel's marriage record (1872) and saw that his mother was born as Mary Hannah Newborn.}
There is evidence, therefore, for a total of 7 children for George & Sarah Armitage. (The couple were not found in the next census, 1891.)
Other Family Members?
There are several other Armitage households in Thorne in 1901.
The oldest couple found in the Thorne Census are William (75) and Elizabeth (74) Armitage. Perhaps William is an Uncle to our Walter??
William is described as a retired Chemist, born in Thorne (approx 1826). Elizabeth was born in Sykehouse, Yorkshire. There are some responses from Google when we search for Willm Armitage of Thorne. He may be the same Willm Armitage on the committee mentioned in this historical article about the opening (1887) of a new bridge, the Jubilee Bridge from Thorne over to Fishlake. (See Flickr here for a photo from 1955.)
Also some mentions of a chemist in Thorne. (archives of accounts, not online) Earlier censuses give more detail about the man, who seems to have done fairly well!
{A quick search through the 1911 census suggests that William has died - but Elizabeth may be living with family elsewhere in Yorkshire.}
It is curious to note that (e.g. in the 1881 Census records) the Armitages are all together in King St. We see 4 households in a row - Geo & Sarah A. - William & Elizabeth A. - a Methodist Chapel (uninhabited, of course!) - then Walter & Clara A.
Here's a link to the collection of photos of Thorne (and Alford) in the Francis Frith site, includes photos from ~1960 of King St & Finkle St.
George Armitage, born 1844
There is some confusion here, as to whether this is our George or not - see above.
George is seen in the 1881 census, aged 37, a widow with 2 boys Cyril (10) & William (7). Also in the household are a Housekeeper Hannah Sales (31) and a lodger, Stonemason Apprentice Thomas (17). George's trade is Stonemason & Builder.
Interestingly, the address in Thorne is given as Finkle St, but just 2 households away is described as Armitage's Yard, where a Joiner lives/works.
In the 1891 census we seem to find the same Stonemason George, now married to Sarah Jane (37, born Headley, Lincs), and with the same boys (both are now his apprentices), a servant and another apprentice from Newark. They live in Back St.
In 1901 George & Sarah Jane live (alone apart from a servant) in Back St., his son Cyril (stonemason) lives next door with his family.
In 1911, Cyril E. Armitage (39, a mason) lives with his wife Ada (37) in Thorne.
Mary ARMITAGE, born 1818
Julie, a person I met on the internet kindly helped me by passing on this information about her ancestor, Mary Armitage (b. 1818 Thorne, d. 1906 ) who married a William Downing.
Her parents were George & Elizabeth Armitage. George was a blockmaker in Thorne, born ~1796.
Mary had a sister Ann and brother Thomas Darley Armitage (b. 1824). The children were all born in Thorne, though the parents married in Hull.
Looking Further.
A useful website to start research in Yorkshire is the GENUKI page. There are three easy ways to access Registry or BMD data (i.e. Birth certificates etc) for an area. (Obviously if you are local you can search the local office records directly. Most big libraries also have the national BMD data on microfiche.)
For Yorkshire & some other counties, there is an online database which you can search, here is the Yorkshire BMD Registrar Office. (Although not many of the certificates for Thorne have been updated - so far {end 2008} only those marriages which took place at the Registry office, 1839 - 1946. Take care not to get confused with the town of Thorner near Leeds! I am on a list to get news about any updates for these pages - so I can access the data as soon as it becomes available. It is a huge project, all transcribed by volunteers!)
BMD data is also freely available via FreeBMD. (Again, all transcribed by volunteers!, but not complete)
Or for a fee via Ancestry.com and others.
Data from FreeBMDSo - below I have just listed a lot of the data gleaned from these sources, it's a bit rough-looking, but you can see that in some cases it is fairly certain that X belongs to Y...but in some cases we can't narrow it down. Armitage is a common name! The only way to be truly sure is to work back through the generations using Primary resources, i.e. birth, marriage & death certificates. That's why it's so enlightening to be passed details from actual certs - Thanks Mike!
Marriage cert for Walter & Clara Armitage - found none in Thorne, so I checked in Middlesex area. (Clara's place of birth) One Walter Armitage marries in 1876 in the Pancras area but not to a Clara. Another Walter Armitage marries in 1873 in the Hackney/Stoke Newington area to Clara (Clara Mary Guiver or Clara Short, we can't be sure as there are two marriages to each index page! Both brides are called Clara, what's the chance of that?). We know our Clara's birth place was Ponders End which is near Enfield - rightish area, but further out from London. More search needed here!
** Mike gave us the maiden name Clara Guiver from their son's birth cert., so now we know they married in 1873.
Birth cert for Harry Armitage, 1862 in Thorne {Walter's younger brother}
then a marriage cert in Thorne in 1891 for Harry A. and Florence Annie Nornable {confirmed by 1901 census}.
**Birth Cert for Walter Armitage, in Apr-June 1848, Thorne {vol 23, p. 72}{from Ancestry.com}
**Birth Cert for German {sic} Leo Armitage, in 1876, in Wortley district of W. Riding
**Marriage cert for Germaine Leo Armitage, 1909 to Marian Foster in Thorne.
Marriage cert for Kate Armitage, to Robert Munby in Thorne, in 1910 - there were no others for any K. Armitages from 1890 to 1946. She would be around 26 (birth date from census).
No marriage records for any of her other brothers in Thorne - probably they went to the bride's town.
So in Lincolnshire - one marriage of Ewart Armitage. Married in Spilsby area (includes Alford) to a Miss Dora Barnes, in 1913 {when our Ewart would've been just 23}.
No men matching our Walter G Armitage got married in Lincolnshire, but ever so many got married in Yorkshire (I'd need a rough date or district or spouse name to narrow it down a bit)
In the 1911 census, Clara Armitage (his mother, b. 1846) is living with him in Thorne.
Marriage in Thorne Register Office in 1912, of Alice A. Armitage to Robert ARRAND.
** Latest - The 1911 census for Lincs, and for Yorkshire West Riding are now available.
Ewart Armitage (aged 23 and born in Thorne - almost fits our Ewart) found living in Spilsby, Lincolnshire...in 1911!! He is living in the same household as a lady, Annie Maria Armitage, (31) - but seems to suggest that she is his sister/ sister in law - Not known before this. There are no other Armitages from Thorne living in Lincs at that time.
Ewart's future wife Dora Barnes (b. 1889) is living with her parents in Spilsby at this time (1911) - her father Will'm Martin Barnes is aged 64.
Kate (nee Armitage) & Robert Munby are found living in Thorne - they had just married.
Many Armitages in 1911 Thorne, Yorks, of course - notably Walter Guiver Armitage (32) presume our Leo's brother.
Death Certs from FreeBMD -
Mary Armitage, in 1839, in the Doncaster area.
George Armitage, 1838, in Thorne
George Armitage, in 1840, in Thorne.
George Armitage, aged 71, in 1883, in Thorne.
Sarah A Armitage, aged 70, in 1891 in Thorne.
William Armitage, aged 66, in 1896, in Thorne {too young?}
William Armitage, aged 76, in 1901, in Thorne
Walter Armitage, estimated born 1848, died 1903, in Thorne {from Ancestry.com}
Elizabeth Armitage, aged 83, in 1910, in Thorne
Henry Guiver dies in 1875 in Edmonton, aged 64 (Clara's father)
Catherine Guiver dies in 1869 in Edmonton, aged 56 (Clara's mother)
Catherine Guiver dies in 1839 in Edmonton. (Perhaps that was a child, or Henry's mother?)
Clara herself died in Thorne, in 1913, aged 68.
Searching for a Marriage cert for George & Sarah (around 1837 - 1845?).
Not found in Thorne, too many in Yorkshire.
One in Huddersfield - Sarah Ann Booth married Geo A. in 1842 (vol 22, p.161)
Another ditto, Sarah Cockin married Geo A in 1839
Another ditto, Sarah Ann Berry or Sarah Spencer in 1838
Another ditto, Sarah Mitchel in 1837 (when marriage certificates first began - Sarah would've been only 15/16 years old then)
Searching a long way back:
Ancestry.com - Christening records searched for Armitages in Thorne (1800 - 1830):
In this time period, we cannot use Registry offices as Certificates were only required after 1837. Some parish records of Christenings, Marriages & Deaths do survive, though - and they can be searched through good old Ancestry and other online sources, (as well as directly in the local area).
- George Armitage, August 1812, Thorne: Mother Mary Linter, of Jane & Peter Linter.
These next records from Thorne are a group of siblings, which probably link up to Julie's family line (see earlier note on Mary Armitage (1818-1906)) and also gives an interesting link to the Darley family - a famous brewing name in Thorne. (The brewery was on King St, opposite Walter & Leo's house.) But no evidence yet of how they link to me/us...perhaps uncles.
- Thomas Darley Armitage, Oct 1789, of parents William Armitage & Mary Darley.
- William Armitage, November 1791, of parents William Armitage & Mary Darley. {could he be the father of William Armitage born 1826, Chemist of Thorne?}
- George Armitage, August 1796: Father William Armitage, Mother Mary Darley, of Thomas & Margaret Darley.
Finally a reminder that computers are not infallible:
2 comments:
At least some bloggers can still write. Thank you for this blog post!!!
Hi Anonymous
Thanks for your comment, and the tenner is in the mail!!
Cheers, Lisa
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