Where did Robert go?

[LorraineJ]

I am back with the Thomson family again and asking where Robert went?

Robert Thomson was my GGGF married first to Amelia and when she died he is married to an Eliza a long time after. He was married to Amelia for the 1841 census and she is dead for the 1851 census. I haven't been able to find entries for either the 1861 or 1871 censuses and he is shown again as a retired baker in the 1881 census married to Eliza. Part of the problem could be that I found the 1881 entry down as Thompson not Thomson but I could not find entries for the 1861 or 1871.

Could he have been a soldier or something in those years (though would have thought he would still be counted in the census), or is there another spelling I could try. I have not been able to find the marriage to Eliza either.

I have found a death of Robert Thomson Q4 1887 Pancras, which seems to fit in with the other data I have, or is it wishful thinking, but it does not help the way the spelling of with or without a P.

[Little Nell]

Have you exhausted Thomson, Tomson, Thompson, Tompson, etc? T is often mistranscribed as J or S.

Have you tried looking for him in the census using just first name, birthplace and age?

Often people are mistranscribed or we discount them because they are staying somewhere we don't expect them to be.

But I do have many instances of people who just weren't recorded and no idea why.

[samesizedfeet]

I'd say this is him in 1871 down as Gentleman

Birthplace matches as does the age for ELiza, who is a fair bit younger than him

RG10; Piece: 242; Folio: 44; Page: 4

[LorraineJ]

I'd say this is him in 1871 down as Gentleman

Birthplace matches as does the age for ELiza, who is a fair bit younger than him

RG10; Piece: 242; Folio: 44; Page: 4

Thank you, I found it and the one before I think.

William is living with his father:

RG 9 115

I can't read the father's occupation, it looks ? dealer
the occupation for William and his age is right

[samesizedfeet]

Who's William?

[LorraineJ]

Who's William?

William is my GGF, his details match with what I have. He was the son of Robert and Amelia (who died in 1850).

[KiteRunner]

Thank you, I found it and the one before I think.

William is living with his father:

RG 9 115

I can't read the father's occupation, it looks ? dealer
the occupation for William and his age is right

I think it says "Picture Dealer" but the writing is very hard to make out.

[LorraineJ]

Thanks Kiterunner, I spent ages squinting at it and now you have said it, I agree.

This leads me onto another question, what made him go from being a baker to a picture dealer. Did he inherit some money from somewhere, or maybe when Amelia died he got some money from the family estate, as she was no longer alive to benefit.

[LorraineJ]

Have now found his marriage to Eliza. Shame the censuses seem to start on line from 1841.

[KiteRunner]

Lorraine, hardly any pre-1841 censuses are available, although there are a few, but even if they were available they wouldn't be much help because in most cases they didn't include nearly as much detail as the 1841 and the later ones; you are lucky if it gives the full name of the householder and they hardly ever give birthplace, names of other members of household etc.