Puzzled

[Vonny North West]

I am trying to find the birth of Edward Alcock. On the 1911 census he gives his place of birth as Middleton Green Withington Lancs. I have check to find if this place exists, perhaps the wording is written the wrong way round on the census, as what I have found is that there is Withington Green Middleton Manchester.
He gives his age as 27 so this would make his birth year c.1884. I have looked on Free BMD and cannot find a birth that fits - between 1883-1886 only 2 show up which would be out of area. I have looked on Lancashire BMD and again the same. I have looked on Ancestry and again drawn a blank. Perhaps I am missing something somewhere? On the 1911 he is living in Burslem Staffordshire with his wife May and son Reginald. May must have filled this census in as she has signed it and the address is 49 Harvey Street Burslem. I have found their marriage on Free BMD Marriages Sep 1907
________________________________________
ALCOCK Edward Wolstanton
6b 225

PRITCHARD May Wolstanton
6b 225

Can anyone find his birth?
Vonny

[Chrissie Smiff]

There are several possibilities, including births, for this Edward Vonny and you need the marriage certificate to give you the name/occupation of the father to pin him down.

The most likely one in 1901 appears to be the one who says born Leigh, Staffordshire, as he is also a carter. This is only speculation though. I have just double checked though and in 1901 the one who says born in Burslem is also a carter. So either are just as likely and only one year difference.

[Janet in Yorkshire]

If May filled in the form, perhaps she recorded what she thought she knew for both year and place of birth. Not necessarily correct! In 1901 census, my grandfather's birth place is given as Ipswich - he was born in a small Norfolk village many miles from Ipswich. I suspect that as he was a fireman on a ship, he had sailed from Ipswich to South Shields, where he eventually settled. If the question was "where did/have you come from?" then Ipswich would have been the right answer.

I agree the marriage cert would help, as, hopefully, it should give the name of Edward's father. In the short term, can you find a possible bp, which gives parents names, so that you can chase forwards possible candidates?

Jay

[maudarby]

Hi Vonny
I think the county is wrong on the 1911 census. There is a Middleton Green near Withington in Staffordshire which would make more sense being as he was living in Staffs in 1911. Still trying to work out exactly where it is. I don't know if this postboxes map will help. Hover over the little red flags to see the names.
Moggie

http://www.nearestpostbox.co.uk/search.php?q=Middleton+Green

[Vonny North West]

On the 1911 for place of birth it is definitely LANCS also ditto for the wife but no place name given. Or perhaps I'm reading it wrongly? Perhaps May came from Withington in Staffordshire now I've looked at it again, as Burslem has been crossed out. So that leaves Middleton Green Lancs. Still Puzzled!
Vonny

[SmallTownGirl]

There one b. Q3 1883, Wolstanton on FreeBMD. Could that be your chap, perhaps?

STG

[Vonny North West]

I have had a look at the 1901 using STG information. The surname for head of family is the same, b. Leigh Staffs and a carter general. Edward is age 17 and listed as a visitor and also born in Leigh Staffs. He is a carter general on the 1901 just as appears on the 1911. The rest of the family are all from Burslem. The age fits, the profession fits, but not the place of birth as stated on the 1911. Still puzzled. Thank you STG for finding that birth reg, it does seems the only one that fits in place.
Need a drink - and I don't mean tea!!!!
Vonny

[maudarby]

There one b. Q3 1883, Wolstanton on FreeBMD. Could that be your chap, perhaps?

STG

There were 2 Edward Alcock births in the same qtr 1883. I think the Wolstanton one was the son of James & Rachel.(mmn Henney).
The 2nd one was registered in the sub district of Uttoxeter which if you look back at my post #4 re postboxes Uttoxeter is down at the bottom right hand corner. You might have to move the map about to find it.
Moggie

ALCOCK	Edward	Burslem	Stoke-On-Trent	HENNEY	BUR/086/011
ALCOCK	Edward	Uttoxeter	Newcastle-Under-Lyme		U/021/065

[Chrissie Smiff]

I have been following those two in 1901 Moggie and I believe the one that says born Leigh is the Uttoxeter one and the one that says born Burslem is the Wolstanton one.

[Vonny North West]

Yes, just found the second on the 1901, father James a farmer, and Edward carter general b. Burslem. What I cannot fathom is why on the 1911 it has got Middleton Lancs as place of birth? It's quite clearly written. Now I am wondering if I have the correct marriage registration? On the marriage certificate I have for his son who married 1934, his profession was a potters carter, does that make a difference?
Vonny

[Vonny North West]

Just thought I should have added to post 10, Edwards son married in the Congregational Church, Moorland Road Burslem.
Vonny

[maudarby]

The marriage of Edward & May took place at Sneyd Holy Trinity.
Did they have 2 children? Reginald born 1910 Burslem & Robert born 1917 Burslem. Staffs BMD has mother's maiden name for both as Pritchard.
Moggie

[Vonny North West]

Should have put this on the previous post 11 I found Edward on the 1911 via his son Reginald who was born in 1910 in Burslem. Just in case anyone is looking at a different 1911 census for Edward Alcock.
Vonny

[maudarby]

I think this could be your Edward Alcock in 1891. http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/65...2192_2194-0541

They were living at Morrilow Heath. If you go back to Pages 6 & 7 the address is Middleton Green.
Moggie

[Vonny North West]

Moggie, I really think you may have cracked this! I have looked again at the 1911 and zoomed in of the Lancs part. It does look as though something else was written underneath, perhaps it might have been Leigh? It's too faded to be sure, but after finding Middleton Green on the 1891 (have downloaded all copies) it really does seem to be the Edward I am looking for. Besides Reginald his son b.1910, he did have a daughter B.... but haven't yet found her birth reg. It all seems to fit in. So, on the 1901 I found him as a visitor, it may be possible the family of the same name was a relative, possibly an uncle, who was also born in Leigh?
Many thanks everyone, it seems I could be on the right track now. Fingers crossed!! The mist does seem to be clearing!!
Vonny

[maudarby]

Moggie, I really think you may have cracked this! I have looked again at the 1911 and zoomed in of the Lancs part. It does look as though something else was written underneath, perhaps it might have been Leigh? It's too faded to be sure, but after finding Middleton Green on the 1891 (have downloaded all copies) it really does seem to be the Edward I am looking for. Besides Reginald his son b.1910, he did have a daughter B.... but haven't yet found her birth reg. It all seems to fit in. So, on the 1901 I found him as a visitor, it may be possible the family of the same name was a relative, possibly an uncle, who was also born in Leigh?
Many thanks everyone, it seems I could be on the right track now. Fingers crossed!! The mist does seem to be clearing!!
Vonny

Hi
I did find B.... yesterday on the staffs BMD site born 1928 Burslem mmn Pritchard but thought with such a long gap between her & Robert it might be another Alcock/Pritchard couple.
Moggie

[maudarby]

Just had another look at the 1911 census. May's writing is in a dark black ink but the word Lancs is written in a lighter ink, as is the word general, in brackets alongside the word Carter. I guess these were added by the enumerator who might not have been a local man assuming that the Withering referred to was the one in Lancashire. Had you spotted that there was a Benjamin Alcock & family living next door to Edward & May at number 51? If you trace him back I'm 99% certain he was Edward's brother.
Moggie

[Chrissie Smiff]

Sorry for butting in but do we know that B.... is deceased? Or do I need to remove her name?

[maudarby]

Sorry for butting in but do we know that B.... is deceased? Or do I need to remove her name?

Hi Chrissie
Maybe a good idea to remove her name, never thought of that when I added her year of birth.
Moggie

[Chrissie Smiff]

Thanks Moggie, done now. Sorry Vonny but unless you know that she has died there were too many to check marriages etc to see if I could find her death.