View Full Version : Do people pull names out of thin air?
I've been looking at my direct line dead ends and seeing if there is any more info available online.
There are some records for my convict rellies, which is good.
One man has thrown me though as FTM is throwing up some family trees for him that have parents details. I can't find any sources though.
Can anyone find a marriage for a Harold Thorn to an Anne Innes? Or a birth for Humphrey Thorn to those parents?
Humphrey was tried at the Old Bailey on 25/6/1788 so I would guess his birth is 20 years or more before that.
The only one I can find was born to Thomas and Elizabeth and baptised in 1786. As he was 51 days old I suspect he was too young to be tried at the Old Bailey. :rolleyes:
kiterunner
05-04-12, 08:33
It's possible the name came from somewhere other than the internet, isn't it? For instance, an old family bible or other documents, or research at record offices?
It is possible Kate. It's just that not one person lists a source. I'd be happier if someone says Aunt Fanny's bible.
anne fraser
05-04-12, 11:04
Do ypu know what area he is likely to have come from?
I was once presented with a huge tree, only one date on it, and the information that the father was a neighbour of William Cobbett. Every detail was correct.
But as a general rule, the more information that is provided, the more accurate a tree is likely to be. If an exact date or place is given, then at least the information is capable of being checked, even if there are currently no online sources.
However, the fact the details are feasible doesn't necessarily mean that they are right!
Not really Anne. He was tried in London so he may have been from there. The ancestry trees mainly say London, sometimes Middlesex.
Sorry Phoenix missed your post. The parents may be correct, but it is unusual not to find any trace of info anywhere. I didn't even get a submitted entry on familysearch.
If I get stuck on something I will look at the trees FTM throws up and see what I can verify or disprove. Normally with something like this I would find the marriage but nothing to prove they had any children, or that they had 10 kids, none of them mine, but a hole or 2 where he might fit in. Not necessarily the answer but hints it might be right, or wrong.
Googling showed me a tree for these people with a death for Humphrey of 4 April 1823 ?(Age 65)? Parramatta, Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Do you know if that bit is right? (and if it did say aged 65!)
Ann Innes would probably have been from Scotland (or have a Scottish ancestry).
This is from one of the Ancestry trees:
Born in London, England on 22 Dec 1751. Anne married Harold Thorn and had a child. She passed away on 9 Jan 1821 in Portsmouth, England
I wonder if there is a burial to match that in 1821? At home I have the Hampshire Burial Index CD, but I'm not at home!!
EDIT and there might be a burial for Harold too:
(same tree as above)
Born in Edinburgh, Scotland on 21 Oct 1751 to William Thorn and Roselynne Hancock. Harold married Anne Innes and had a child. He passed away on 6 Oct 1837 in Portsmouth, England.
At least the name Harold Thorn would be pretty rare.
He passed away on 6 Oct 1837 in Portsmouth, England.
No sign of a death registration, but maybe it just didn't get done? From memory, my CD ends in 1837, but I have a vague feeling it does include 1837.....not sure though.
There are Portsmouth burial records here
http://www.knightroots.co.uk/transcriptions/Parishes_P/Portsea_Portsmouth_Southsea/Burials/burials.htm
but I don't know how complete they are and I don't see your Thorns.
Merry the year sounds right for Humphrey and Rebecca was about 3 years later. I have a photo of the grave. The ages sound like what was on the grave but whether they were accurate I don't know.
I'll have a look at Scotland's People and see what turns up. Thanks for the info.
Jenny I'll have a look, thanks.
EDIT and there might be a burial for Harold too:
(same tree as above)
Born in Edinburgh, Scotland on 21 Oct 1751 to William Thorn and Roselynne Hancock. Harold married Anne Innes and had a child. He passed away on 6 Oct 1837 in Portsmouth, England.
At least the name Harold Thorn would be pretty rare.
Tried Scotlands People and can't find a Harold, nor a marriage for the parents. It could be that I'm not getting the spelling right though.
who is Rebecca? Sorry if I missed her but I'm on my phone and going back thro takesages! I'll be able to check my CD later.
Right, I'm home now and looking at my CD.....the Hampshire Burial Index CD is supposed to be "complete" (as complete as the PRs allow) up to 1837.
Born in London, England on 22 Dec 1751. Anne married Harold Thorn and had a child. She passed away on 9 Jan 1821 in Portsmouth, England
Born in Edinburgh, Scotland on 21 Oct 1751 to William Thorn and Roselynne Hancock. Harold married Anne Innes and had a child. He passed away on 6 Oct 1837 in Portsmouth, England.
First Ann.....she would have been about 70 in 1821. I've checked all likely spellings and all parishes in Hampshire (as "Portsmouth" covers quite a wide area and number of parishes) and guess what? Nothing! lol
And there's nothing for Harold either!
The burial index does extend to the end of 1837, so that's not the reason for there not being an entry for Harold. I cannot search by date on this CD, but I can by forename alone, so looked for Harolds in 1837 and there were none.
If Humphrey was 65 in 1823 and his parents were both born in 1751 then they were both under the age of ten when Humphrey was born! As there don't seem to be any deaths for Harold and Ann either, do we presume they are fictitious?
ElizabethHerts
06-04-12, 20:43
There's this burial:
Day:31
Month: Dec
Year:1828
Surname:Thorn
Forename:Ann
Age:74
Parish:Portsea St Mary
County:Hampshire
Notes:
Record source:Hampshire Burials
Data provider:Hampshire Genealogical Society
Yes, I saw that one, but decided an Ann Thorn without a Harold was too common a name to get excited about - I guess I should have posted it up though :o She is even younger than the 'other' Ann!
Right, I'm home now and looking at my CD.....the Hampshire Burial Index CD is supposed to be "complete" (as complete as the PRs allow) up to 1837.
First Ann.....she would have been about 70 in 1821. I've checked all likely spellings and all parishes in Hampshire (as "Portsmouth" covers quite a wide area and number of parishes) and guess what? Nothing! lol
And there's nothing for Harold either!
The burial index does extend to the end of 1837, so that's not the reason for there not being an entry for Harold. I cannot search by date on this CD, but I can by forename alone, so looked for Harolds in 1837 and there were none.
I did a google search and found a page that had similar text to what you posted but where Harold had one child with Ann, Ann had 6 children with Harold. Clearly both can't be correct.
Rebecca was Humphrey's wife Merry. Humphrey married in 1792 to Rebecca Richards. Humphrey was convicted in 1788. Those dates and the date he died are all that I am confident in. I don't have alot of faith in ages in the early days of Australia.
Harold and Ann may be accurate but the dates and places don't seem to be. I think whatever we found on google was like ancestry onetree.
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