Request to read a Christening record for me

[LorraineJ]

Hi, begging another favour, can anyone help, as Ancesters.co.uk won't let me read this record.

Its on viewing page 141-160

England and Wales Christening record 1530-1906

Amelia Thomson
Mother Amelia
Father Robert Thomson

Think these could well be my ancestors, but having search through thoroughly the census' records, for Robert Thomson and Amelia, the only other one I have found who is the right age was a slave. A Robert Thomson and Amelia Bryan married in December 1850 (a friend found the record, I was hoping to go back in and find the subsequent census record, unless of course she died, therefore she wouldn't appear on the next census).

[Elaine ..Spain]

Amelia Thomson
Born 12 Oct 1783
Christening Place: Woolwich, Kent, Eng
Father's Name - Robert Thomson
Mother's Name - Amelia
Maternal Grandfather's Name - Alexander Nugator

[LorraineJ]

Amelia Thomson
Born 12 Oct 1783
Christening Place: Woolwich, Kent, Eng
Father's Name - Robert Thomson
Mother's Name - Amelia
Maternal Grandfather's Name - Alexander Nugator

Thank's Elaine.

Can you indulge a novice to geneology, this Amelia can't be my Amelia (as she was born a Bryan) but she could possibly be her mother or am I way off?

[Elaine ..Spain]

You really would need to work back from what you know, step by step.

Thinking about it, probably just a coincidence - she could possibly be Robert Thomson's mother, if he was born illegitimate, but unlikely to be Amelia's mother as you have no idea what her mother's maiden name is.

[LorraineJ]

Elaine

This is what I know


Robert Thomson was born about 1800
Amelia Bryan was born about 1812

I have two dates my friend has jotted down, one was St Olawes Southwark September 1840, the other December 1850 St Pancras - but I am not sure to what they relate

Their son William Thompson (note the spelling) is registered as being born in about 1840, St Pancras being the link.

Your help in unravelling this mess would be appreciated.

[Elaine ..Spain]

Do you have the family on the census - if so does it give the place of birth for the parents?

[KiteRunner]

There is a possible Robert Thomson / Amelia Bryan marriage on the GRO indexes Jul-Sep 1840 St Olaves (or St Saviours? Can't read the image for Amelia Bryan on FreeBMD so I will try on ancestry) which may be what your friend has found, but if so then we don't know for sure that they married each other or that they are your William's parents. You would ideally need his birth certificate to see what it says for mother's maiden name, but if we can find the family on the censuses maybe there will be other clues on there.

[KiteRunner]

Okay, having checked the index images, you can rule out that Sep 1840 marriage because the refs for Amelia Bryan should be St Saviours, page 461, and for Robert it is St Olaves, page 451. So they didn't marry each other.

[KiteRunner]

Is this the family in 1851?

14 Arlington Street, St Pancras
Robert Thomson Head Widower 41 Baker Surry
William Do Son 11 Middx St Pancras
Albert Do Son 8 Middx St Pancras
Henry Do Son 6m Middx St Pancras
Emma Do Daur 6 Middx St Pancras
Emma White Serv 20 Do London
Thomas White (crossed out?) Rowe Mar 26 Journeyman Baker Northampton

Or is your William the William Thompson age 10 born St Pancras who is a pupil at the Yorkshire Society's School, Westminster Road, Southwark St George? Though of course they could both be the same person, listed twice.

[KiteRunner]

I do hope I'm not barking up the wrong tree here!
1841, same address as 1851 (14 Arlington St., St Pancras):
Robt Thomson 39 Baker N
A Thomson (female) 27 Y
Robt Do 4 Y
Wm Do 2 Y
Isabella Do 70 S
Do Do 30 Y

If this is the right family, then William was born about 1838-39.

[KiteRunner]

I really should stop till you catch up! But there is this baptism on the IGI which may be where you or your friend found the name Amelia? It does look from this as though William was born before 1840, if this is your William:
William Charles Thomson born 13 Jul 1839, baptised 8 Dec 1839 Old Church St Pancras, father Robert Thomson, mother Amelia.

Was your William a William Charles?

Corresponding birth registration is William Charles Thomson Sep 1839 St Pancras Vol 1 page 245. So if this is your William, the birth certificate would give you Amelia's maiden name. It looks as though Robert and Amelia would have married before civil registration started given the age of their oldest child.

[LorraineJ]

Arlington Street plays a part in my ancestry, so it could be the same family. I think I need to get hold of some marriage/birth certificates.

[LorraineJ]

I really should stop till you catch up! But there is this baptism on the IGI which may be where you or your friend found the name Amelia? It does look from this as though William was born before 1840, if this is your William:
William Charles Thomson born 13 Jul 1839, baptised 8 Dec 1839 Old Church St Pancras, father Robert Thomson, mother Amelia.

Was your William a William Charles?

Corresponding birth registration is William Charles Thomson Sep 1839 St Pancras Vol 1 page 245. So if this is your William, the birth certificate would give you Amelia's maiden name. It looks as though Robert and Amelia would have married before civil registration started given the age of their oldest child.

That information fits in with what I already have. I have William Charles Thomson registered as being born on 13 July 1839, baptised 8/12/39. Therefore this has to be the same information my friend found.

If you can find any more information and can spare the time, I'd be really grateful

[KiteRunner]

I think your next step would be to order William's birth certificate to see what his mother's maiden name was. It looks as though she died in 1850-1, going by the age of the youngest child (Henry) on the 1851 census, and there is an Amelia Thomson death registration Dec 1850 St Pancras vol 1 page 252, also a Henry Edward Thomson birth in St Pancras in the same quarter. If you get Amelia's death certificate it will tell you her age at death which should help in looking for her baptism.

The only other thing I can think of which we could do before you get those certificates is to see if there is a likely baptism for Robert with mother Isabella, and a sister also Isabella, matching those people from the 1841 census, though of course it doesn't actually say they are his mother and sister.

[KiteRunner]

Hmm, think I've found Isabella senior in 1851 (age 71) at 14 Newman Street, Marylebone, but it's not really any help as she is an "inmate in widows' home" and it only says Scotland for her birthplace. Following Isabella jr forwards through the censuses doesn't seem to help either as she always seems to be lodging with non-relatives and is pretty vague about her age and birthplace. I would say your best bet for now is William's birth cert and Amelia's death cert.

[LorraineJ]

Might be being rather dense here, but what info do you need to request a birth/death/marriage cerrtificate. I gather you need the reference numbers (how do you get them), plus £7 for each certificate and how do you do it?

[KiteRunner]

Have a look at this:
General Register Office (GRO) - Official information on births, marriages and deaths

[LorraineJ]

Have ordered my first certificate, will see how that goes before getting another :D thanks for your help.