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West Yorkshire Maggy
08-01-10, 22:59
Not sure where to start on this one, one of my family tree mysteries. Would appreciate ideas from anyone.

My paternal Grandad was born Albert Stevenson Allinson 5/10/1888 in Beal, West Yorkshire. No father was named on his birth or marriage certificate.

His brother was born John Stephenson Allinson 26/8/1886, Whitley, West Yorkshire. No father was named on his birth certificate. He married 1/9/1912 at Altofts, West Yorkshire. His father on his marriage certificate was given as John Stephenson, deceased, a soldier, but I not convinced on this one, maybe it was made up? I have found the christening of John S Allinson, but his father wasn't named, but can't find any record of my grandad's christening.

Will also mention that I have lots of information on John S Allinson, so please don't waste any time looking him up. He appears to be a bit of a character with 2 wives in 2 different countries at the same time?

Any ideas or inspiration from anyone on this one please?

West Yorkshire Maggy
09-01-10, 22:00
Anyone?;(

Merry
09-01-10, 22:45
Erm......*rubs crystal ball*

Have you seen the PRs for Beal?

kiterunner
09-01-10, 22:56
I would think it pretty likely that the father was called John Stephenson, but as for whether he was a soldier or not is another matter.

West Yorkshire Maggy
10-01-10, 00:02
Can you rub that crystal ball harder Merry please:) No I can't find the parish records for Beal. I found the Whitley ones at Wakefield archives, but couldn't find the Beal ones. Don't think it will show anything anyway.

You're probably right Kiterunner, and I'll probably never find out for certain.:confused:

The only little glimmer of hope for me is the fact that my grandad remarried later on in life. Maybe his second marriage certificate shows his father, but I doubt it. I doubt that even he knew who his father was.

Thanks to you both for responding. I honestly didn't expect anyone to come up with anything, but it was worth a try. I just wondered if I had missed anything that was glaringly obvious to someone else.

kiterunner
10-01-10, 10:09
If only the name was less common! I did look on the censuses for any John Stephenson or Stevenson with occupation soldier, and looked on TNA to see if his army record was listed, but no luck. I suppose you could look through the National Probate Calendar at all the John Stephenson / Stevenson entries to see if there is a soldier listed, or an entry with a name that you recognise as executor, but of course he may not have been deceased by 1912 as it is quite common for "illegitimate" children to put their father down as deceased when he isn't. Still, you could have a go at looking through from 1886 or 1888 to 1912 to start with.

maggie_4_7
10-01-10, 10:45
Anyone?;(

Albert Stevenson Allinson 5/10/1888 in Beal, West Yorkshire.

What was Albert's mother's name?

Edit to say:

Its okay I found a census http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?rank=1&gsfn=albert&gsln=allinson&=%2c%2c5292%2cYorkshire%2c%2c&gsby=1888&gsb2co=3251%2cEngland&gsb2pl=5292%2cYorkshire&gsdy=&gsd2co=1%2cAll+Countries&gsd2pl=1%2c+&sbo=0&sbor=&srchb=r&prox=1&ti=5538&ti.si=0&gss=angs-c&pcat=35&h=6003539&recoff=1+3&db=uki1891&indiv=1&hovR=1

Elizabeth.

maggie_4_7
10-01-10, 16:29
I've been having a think about this and like I always do I trawl the census for the towns/villages that the woman lived in i.e. Elizabeth Allinson

Elizabeth is here in 1881 with her family :-

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/iexec/?htx=view&r=5538&dbid=7572&iid=WRYRG11_4585_4589-0598&fn=Elizabeth&ln=Allinson&st=r&ssrc=&pid=25226290

and then here in 1891 with her two sons:-

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/iexec/?htx=view&r=5538&dbid=6598&iid=WRYRG12_3756_3757-0344&fn=Albert+S&ln=Allinson&st=r&ssrc=&pid=6003539

Just two pages back from the 1881 census with Elizabeth on is this Stephenson family with a Head listed as John Stephenson

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/Browse/view.aspx?dbid=7572&path=Yorkshire.Whitley.ALL.1.12&sid=&gskw=

When you look at the 1871 census for the same family they have a son named John William Stephenson who isn't on the 1881.

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/iexec/?htx=view&r=5538&dbid=7619&iid=WRYRG10_4632_4635-0104&fn=John&ln=Stephenson&st=r&ssrc=&pid=29281414

Bit of a coincindence but who knows, I wonder where John William is in 1881 and also 1891 I can't find him. I don't think Whitley was a big place. I don't think without documentation you are going to prove anything one way or the other but I always find a bit of detective work might give you a clue.

maggie_4_7
10-01-10, 16:50
The only little glimmer of hope for me is the fact that my grandad remarried later on in life. Maybe his second marriage certificate shows his father, but I doubt it. I doubt that even he knew who his father was.


I think its very probable he knew exactly who his father was, Elizabeth had two sons who have the middle name Stephenson/Stevenson. I expect they both knew and it looks like Elizabeth wasn't worried about the relationship and not being married she had two sons by this man. So the relationship lasted a few years.

I don't think people were as worried about illegitimacy then as we might think they were.

maggie_4_7
10-01-10, 17:33
I think I found that John William Stephenson in 1901 married to Isabella.

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/iexec/?htx=view&r=5538&dbid=7814&iid=YRKRG13_4277_4280-0243&fn=John+W&ln=Stephenson&st=r&ssrc=&pid=27273326

I think from FreeBMD they married in either 1895 or 1898.

Cannot find him on 1881, 1891 census I found a couple that could be him but who knows.

West Yorkshire Maggy
10-01-10, 18:35
Thanks for that Maggie, it's given me something else to think about. I had looked for a Stephenson/Stevenson family living in the same area, but hadn't found that one, thanks.

Kiterunner, I hadn't heard of the National Probate Calendar?

West Yorkshire Maggy
10-01-10, 18:54
Just had a quick google Kite Runner, and understand now, thanks.