So, the birth and marriage certificates arrived. James and Emily Haley’s marriage certificate gave up the information that his father was also called James and that James the elder was a lighterman. Fascinating! For those of you who don’t know, I give you the following link from Wikipedia. Due to the fact that Lightermen had to be licensed and only acheived this after a bound apprenticeship, I am planning a trip to the Guildhall Library as the apprentice records for the Worshipful Company of Watermen and Lightermen are housed there on microfiche.
Anyway, from this info I found their entry on the 1881 census, although so far the 1871 and 1891 have elluded me. I have a feeling that it’s going to be another of those ones where the name is mispelt or something. I am pretty certain that the elder James’ full name is James Mirrelees Joseph Haley and have sent off for a birth certificate to check. I’ll get there in the end!Â
As to Nanny B’s birth certificate. That was annoyingly vague due to the fact that her mother is listed as being called Frances Louisa Bach, which I know to be wrong. SO if they got the surname wrong, then they could just have well have got the middle name wrong. I may have to send off for Auntie Winnie’s certificate to see what is on there. At least I have the GRO for that one. All very annoying. Also, it turns out that there were two lines of Besch’s with almost identical names, all tailors who lived in pretty much the same area of London. I need to sort out for certain which one was which, although I am assuming that they were related! Typical that such an uncommon name can have its own problems.
Anyway, I am waiting on 6 items from the GRO which should arrive in a week and a half now.
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