Who Do You Think You Are Magazine Forum

[adrianm]

Can you please help to solve a twenty year old mystery. Charlotte Shears is my great grandmother.
I have her baptism record from ST Marys Lambeth as part of a joint set of baptisms with Joseph Shears as the father and Elizabeth his wife on November 23rd 1870
The children all fit with Joseph 12, Alfred 10, James 4. There is also a John
These all agree with the 1871 census but in that census the father, Joseph is shown as being married to Edith not Elizabeth and also John is not there.
I cannot trace Edith or Elizabeth. To make matters worse the only marriage I can find for Joseph is to a Mary Ann Jefferies on 7 may 1837
I am fairly convinced that the mother is Elizabeth Rowden bapt 27th April 1834 in Saint clement danes to William and Mary Ann
Can anyone help to solve this twenty year old mystery for and convince me one way or another. Any help would be really appreciated . To make matters worse (or more complicated) I can find a James Shears in the 1861 st James Westminster census but this time married to an Emma

Please, please help if you can
Thanks in advance

[phsvm]

It would help to know what age you think Charlotte was in 1871.

There's a birth registration for a Charlotte Elizabeth Shears in the March Q of 1865 in Lambeth. Is this her?

From the 1871 census Joseph appears to have been born about 1807 (parents Joseph and Ann from his baptism record) and the 1841 census shows a Joseph of about the correcct age with a Mary Ann Shears living in Westminster so the marriage you've found could be the correct Joseph with an earlier marriage although in 1841 his occupation seems to be 'whitemilling' ie a silversmith, not musician. There's a death registration for Mary Ann Shears in St Pancras in June Q 1853. If this is her it would have left him free to remarry.

Joseph dischrged himself from the Lambeth work house in 1873 and Charlotte is recorded as being an inmate there in 1871 so could Elizabeth/Edith have been inmates there at some time as well?

[ianbee]

There's a birth registration for a Charlotte Elizabeth Shears in the March Q of 1865 in Lambeth.

Mother's maiden surname Rowden.
In 1871 in Lambeth, piece 665 folio 22 page 38. Joseph Shears, 64, Out of Employ
The baptisms mentioned give Joseph's occupation as Music smith. Address as in 1871, 26 Bolwell Street

To make matters worse (or more complicated) I can find a James Shears in the 1861 st James Westminster census but this time married to an Emma

You mean Joseph. In St James, piece 61 folio 95 page 5
Joseph, 49, is a Smith. Wife Emma, 27, born Portsmouth.
Children Emily, 4, Joseph William, 9 months

Poss birth reg?
Sep 1860 St. James Westminster 1a 318
Shears, Joseph William
Mother's maiden surname: Cole

Then in Dec 1862 in St James, birth reg of Alfred Shears, mmn Rowden.

Charlotte seems to be in the Lambeth workhouse in 1881. There is a rough settlement exam for her in February.

[ianbee]

Death of Charlotte's mother?
June 1875 Lambeth 1d 285
Shears, Elizabeth
age 41

Joseph may have died the following year, age 76.

[adrianm]

Wow, I really didn’t think I would get any replies let alone this quickly.
Firstly, let me thank you for taking the time to look.
Sorry if I wasn’t clearer. Yes, I believe that was her. She was baptized as part of a job lot see attached
I took Joseph as a music smith as in that same workhouse record he is put down as a music smith. I can now see where you got the whitesmith from and I wonder which is correct.
My confusion comes from the 1871 census where charlotte is shown as being 6 years living at 26 bolwell street with joseph and Edith. May I ask where you got the workhouse record from showing her as an inmate? Perhaps that’s part of my confusion in that there are two such families living in the same area at the same time

[adrianm]

Wow, I really didn’t think I would get any replies let alone this quickly.
Firstly, let me thank you for taking the time to look.
You are definitely correct on the census where Joseph is 49. I am not sure about the joseph William shears 1860 as the mothers maiden name is cole whereas I belived it is Rowden. However, it may be that Joseph was born of an other mother who died between 1860 and 1862. I must look for a shears death in that period and also a shears/cole marriage.
May I ask please where you got that examination record from as I cant seem to find on Ancestry

Also, I believe you are correct with her death and also of Joseph

[phsvm]

Apologies - typo.

It's the 1881 census that shows her as an inmate in Lambeth Workhouse.

[DianaCanada]

Possibly the Edith is actually Elizabeth and was incorrectly transcribed when the census was copied, I can see someone looking at an abbrev. for Elizabeth and thinking it might be Edith.

[ianbee]

This is the link for the exam on ancestry.co.uk
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/ ... 3134-00298

or
London, England, Poor Law and Board of Guardian Records, 1738-1930
Lambeth / Lambeth / Settlement Papers / Rough Settlement Examinations, 1879-1881 / Image 299 (of 481)

Re Charlotte in the Renfrew Road workhouse, I am not sure if there are surviving A + D registers for the period. There are the creed registers, which are available on ancestry, but (like the exams) have not been indexed.

The creed registers are also on FamilySearch (free, but you need to be registered). I don't know how many admissions there are for her in total, but I've found three on here so far, starting 9 Dec 1880, when she was admitted from the infirmary. Includes date of discharge.
Two images
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903 ... at=1390389

The other two are on images 1434/5, and 1438/9

Throw in the Princes Road WH creed register for Joseph Shears. Two images again, he is the first name
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903 ... at=1390389

[adrianm]

Apologies - typo.

It's the 1881 census that shows her as an inmate in Lambeth Workhouse.

Many thanks. I have that now