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Thank you, that was very useful information. I think I am gaining a better understanding of how things work though it does all get quite confusing at times!
The name Kezia was really interesting to me so am going to look into that a little.

Thanks again for the tips :)

Kirsty x

What you need to remember Kirsty is that none of the census documents we can see are originals. In early censuses people didn't fill in their own forms.

The enumerators wrote down details in books. These were copied by them onto the sheets we can see on microfiche or as supposedly "original documents"

Then the census sheets have been transcribed by volunteers to give us the easy to read print versions.

At each stage there is the opportunity for errors and misunderstandings. Sometimes genders or ages are wrong. Names may be misheard by the enumerator or wrongly transcribed recently if the handwriting was poor or faded.

I have recently found several missing ancestors with weird transcriptions of their names.

My great grandmother Ellen is (for reasons I don't understand) written down as Claire on the 1901 census. I have checked the "original" document and it does indeed look like Claire but I am 100% positive that this is wrong because I know her unusual birthplace and all is correct in every other document........plus the fact she was still alive when I was a child!

So don't worry. If things don't quite match just try to think laterally and either think how might someone have made a careless error or how might a name sound if an enumerator were told it by someone with a strong local accent.

Kezia is always and only a female name. It is as female as Elizabeth or Mary and is not a name which is ever used for males.

Best wishes
Sue

Hi Kirsty,

That's on Ancestry.

Here's the reference: Class: RG12; Piece: 2368; Folio 126; Page 11

Rose

Thanks Rose, that really helped, I was getting quite muddled! I find it quite hard to read the original transcriptions sometimes, despite having them in front of me even!

The last one you mentioned? Where would I view that one as I see the names are all completely different?

Thanks again! :) x

Another terrible transcription. The image clearly lists Spooner and same address as 1881:

1891 England Census
Name: Howard Thorner
Age: 15
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1876
Relation: Son
Parent's Name: Kaarlo
Gender: Male
Where born: Birmingham, Warwickshire, England
Civil Parish: Birmingham
Ecclesiastical parish: St Barnabas
Town: Birmingham
County/Island: Warwickshire
Country: England
Registration district: Birmingham
Sub registration district: Lady Wood
ED, institution, or vessel: 13
Household Members: Name Age
Kaarlo Thorner 57
Olice Thorner 32
Howard Thorner 15

Rose

Howard having Edward as a father was what you wanted.

Births Jun 1875
Spooner Howard Ernest Birmingham 6d 32

Here's the family together in 1881 Howard has been transcribed as Horace:

1881 census.
Name Relation Marital Status Gender Age Birthplace Occupation Disability
Edwd. SPOONER Head M Male 50 Birmingham Brass Finisher
Kezia SPOONER Wife M Female 46 Birmingham
Alice SPOONER Daur U Female 22 Birmingham House Girl
Clara Jane SPOONER Daur U Female 21 Birmingham Dressmaker
Horace SPOONER Son U Male 6 Birmingham Scholar

Dwelling 113 Grosvenor St West
Census Place Birmingham, Warwick, England
Family History Library Film 1341709
Public Records Office Reference RG11
Piece / Folio 2966 / 74
Page Number 13


1901 was messed up by the enumerator who has Kezia and Alice as his father and mother when it should be Mother and sister.

Name: Howard Ernest Spooner
Age: 26
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1875
Relation: Son
Father's Name: Keziah
Mother's Name: Alice
Gender: Male
Where born: Birmingham, Warwickshire, England
Civil Parish: Birmingham
Ecclesiastical parish: St Mark
County/Island: Warwickshire
Country: England
Registration district: Birmingham
Sub registration district: Lady Wood
ED, institution, or vessel: 8
Household schedule number: 179
Household Members: Name Age
Keziah Spooner 66
Alice Spooner 42
Howard Ernest Spooner 26
George Charles Baker 20

Rose

Rose

Sorry, final piece of information is that Howard Ernest Spooner's father was definitely Edward Spooner as I have bought the marriage cert for Howard and Nellie. Very confused!

Thanks to anyone with any thoughts x

Oh! And in the 1901 census, Howard Ernest Spooner is listed as having parents, Alice and Keziah. However I had almost settled on Keziah being a woman but I now wonder if I am wrong?!

Hello!

I m trying to follow this Spooner line and I have come across a problem which I would appreciate some help with?

I followed that there was a Keziah / Kezia Laverick married to an Edward Joseph Spooner, born in 1831c and 1834 respectively.

However....the person this all stemmed from was a Howard Ernest Spooner born in 1875in Birmingham, married to a Nellie Johnson. It was all correct until then!. And according to all census's, Howard ERnest Spooner doesn't exist within the Laverick / Spooner family...

Does this mean I have followed the wrong trail? Any help would be much appreciated as always.

Thanks! :) x

Do you know? I don't know another site that has people on it as helpful as here, it's lovely :)

Thanks ever so much! xx

and in 1851 with his parents and siblings
Joseph Spooner
Age: 50
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1801
Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Sarah
Gender: Male
Where born: Birmm, Warwickshire, England

Civil Parish: Birmingham St Thomas
Town: Birmingham
County/Island: Warwickshire
Country: England

Street address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Disability: View Image

Registration district: Birmingham
Sub registration district: St Thomas
ED, institution, or vessel: 9
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 133
Household Members: Name Age
Joseph Spooner 50
Sarah Spooner 46
Edward Spooner 20
Alfred Spooner 18
William Spooner 16
Joseph Spooner 11
Sarah Spooner 8
Penelope Field 69
William Fenn 22
Thomas Ballard 16 ( visitor )

Ann

and in 1861

Edward J Spooner
Age: 30
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1831
Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Kezia
Gender: Male
Where born: Birmingham, Warwickshire, England

Civil Parish: Birmingham
Ecclesiastical parish: St Mark
Town: Birmingham
County/Island: Warwickshire
Country: England

Street address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage: View Image

Registration district: Birmingham
Sub registration district: Lady Wood
ED, institution, or vessel: 21
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 12
Household Members: Name Age
Edward J Spooner 30
Kezia Spooner 25
Alice Spooner 2
Clara J Spooner 1

Ann

and this is the family in 1871

Edward J Spooner
Age: 40
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1831
Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Kezia
Father's Name: Josep
Gender: Male
Where born: Birmingham, Warwickshire, England
Civil Parish: Birmingham
Ecclesiastical parish: St Barnabas
County/Island: Warwickshire
Country: England
Street address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Disability: View Image
Registration district: Birmingham
Sub registration district: Lady Wood
ED, institution, or vessel: 14
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 37
Household Members: Name Age
Edward J Spooner 40
Kezia Spooner 37
Alice Spooner 12
Clara Jane Spooner 11
Edward J Spooner 5
Josep Spooner 70 (father )

Ann

This could be the death of one of their children
Joseph Edward Spooner
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1866
Year of Registration: 1874
Quarter of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep
Age at Death: 8
District: Kings Norton (To 1912)
County: Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire
Volume: 6c


Ann

Oooo and on Kezia's marriage page there is an even number of people but one in a different district? Would that then work out? x

Hi I have just had a look at both marriage images, and it is Edwards that is INCORRECT it should read 571 not 371, so if you are going to purchase the certificate, make sure you get the right one

Ann

Hi Sue!
Thanks for all this!

Few questions, would it be better for me to get Howard Ernest Spooner's birth certificate as he is the last line I am sure of? I don't know that Edward Spooner was definitely his father?

Also, does this mean Howard Ernest Spooner was christened after his father's (Edward) death? I'm almost there with understanding :)

Thanks ever so much x

If you do more of a search on the IGI (International Genealogical Index) you will find the marriage of Kezia's parents.
Look on http://www.familysearch.org/

These are transcripts of parish records but beware of any records on the IGI which are submitted rather than extracted. Submitted ones may be guesswork while extracted ones are taken from actual records.

This site is useful to read
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~hughwallis/IGIBatchNumbers.htm

Sue

Poor Edward dies in 1881

Deaths Dec 1881 (>99%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spooner Edward Joseph 52 Birmingham 6d 13

Howard is on the IGI too

Howard Ernest Spooner Pedigree

Male





________________________________________Event(s):

Birth: 1875


Christening: 12 JUL 1886 Birmingham, Warwick, England

Father: Edward Joseph Spooner
Family

Mother: Kezia








________________________________________Source Information:

Batch No.: Dates: Source Call No.: Type: Printout Call No.: Type:


C042798
Film