I have been chasing down some missing people in my husband's tree following details in a will. Having found his 3rd great grandparents had a daughter who had slipped under the radar, I have traced her marriage and a number of children.
Ellen Sophia Reed was born to this couple and her birth registered in the April quarter of 1843 in Bristol. She was baptised Ellen Sophia Smallwood Reed in Bristol on 6th July 1845, the same day as her sister Rhoda Thomas Reed. (Thomas is the mothers maiden name).
Imagine my delight when all the London information came to Ancestry and there in the burials was an Ellen Sophia Smallwood Reed dying in 1854. This was quickly followed by disappointment when it revealed this child was only 5 months old when buried. I put all this to one side for a while, but it kept nagging at me , so I finally ordered her death certificate which arrived today.
It is the Ellen Reed I was looking for and low and behold her age is incorrect on the death certificate as well - given as 9 years - despite being registered by her mother. I can only be thankful that the unusual names in this family have sorted it out.
So it goes to show that even primary sources can be wrong so that every avenue has to be followed and tied in with other information. Can you imagine how difficult it would have been if she had been Mary Smith!
Now I just have to find out what happened to her sister Imogene Margaret Thomas Reed born 1849 in Ipswich, who disappears along with most of the family after the 1851 census!
Ellen Sophia Reed was born to this couple and her birth registered in the April quarter of 1843 in Bristol. She was baptised Ellen Sophia Smallwood Reed in Bristol on 6th July 1845, the same day as her sister Rhoda Thomas Reed. (Thomas is the mothers maiden name).
Imagine my delight when all the London information came to Ancestry and there in the burials was an Ellen Sophia Smallwood Reed dying in 1854. This was quickly followed by disappointment when it revealed this child was only 5 months old when buried. I put all this to one side for a while, but it kept nagging at me , so I finally ordered her death certificate which arrived today.
It is the Ellen Reed I was looking for and low and behold her age is incorrect on the death certificate as well - given as 9 years - despite being registered by her mother. I can only be thankful that the unusual names in this family have sorted it out.
So it goes to show that even primary sources can be wrong so that every avenue has to be followed and tied in with other information. Can you imagine how difficult it would have been if she had been Mary Smith!
Now I just have to find out what happened to her sister Imogene Margaret Thomas Reed born 1849 in Ipswich, who disappears along with most of the family after the 1851 census!
Comment