a small success

[Nell]

Ex's gt x 2 grandmother Elizabeth Alice McCarthy aka Carter, nee Goodwin always says she was born in Long Acre abt 1830. I haven't been able to find her baptism.

However, I knew she had a brother Charles who appears in 1881 living with her, after his wife died. Tracing Charles back I've found him with his father John Goodwin in 1841. I know that John was a carpenter and Charles a French polisher, although I still don't know why Elizabeth says on her marriage cert that her father was a waiter (not the restaurant kind, but someone involved in Customs & Exize).

Well, I am confident John is Elizabeth's dad because of connection with Charles.

So far, so good.

Anyway while looking for Elizabeth's baptism again on Ancestry I found some other baptisms with parents John Goodwin and his wife Frances, including an older daughter called Harriet.

I've found a marriage for Harriet Goodwin, father John a joiner. Wasn't too sure that it was the right woman, but found her on 1851 census living at the same address, tho' separate household, as Charles Goodwin and to clinch matters Harriet's daughter is called Frances!
BTW the enumerator wasn't very good in 1851. He recorded Harriet's daughter as Francis and Harriet's birthplace as St Jiles in the Fields!

[marquette]

Well done, Nell.

Isn't it a nice feeling when you get some confimation that you were on the right track ?

Maybe there was some sort of rift in the family, which made her "hide" her father and birthplace ?


Di

[Nell]

No, I don't think so. I've got her 4 older siblings' baptisms but her's and two other children can't be found. Just baptised in a church that's not online I guess.

[Nell]

Not a success after all! I found Elizabeth's baptism and her parents are recorded as John & Elizabeth and her father's occupation given as wine porter, which is nearer a waiter than carpenter. All her supposed siblings have parents John (carpenter) and Frances and the address is different.

Back to the drawing board!

[Merry]

So is Charles still her brother?

[Nell]

I don't think it at all likely. The connection is they are both born in Long Acre, both baptised in St. Giles in the Fields and both their fathers are called John.

But Elizabeth's address isn't the same as Charles, or those of his siblings born before and after Elizabeth's birth, their mothers names are different and so are their fathers' occupations.

Maybe we should have a Failure board!