Find Ancestors

If our assumptions are correct (and that's a big 'if'!) This is likely to be Thomas Bentley's birth: THOMAS BENTLEY - Q4, 1844 - District of Tynemouth, 25 398 (which doesn't sound a correct volume to me, but I'm sure someone else will know!)

Or maybe William Richardson is his real father but he was born before they married. Maybe William never formally adopted him as such and that's why he later kept the surname he was registered as.....oh I don't know, getting a bit confused now. The certs should help!

I've just had a look at that possible family for Thomas in 1861. I found this marriage: Jane Bentley married William Richardson in 1850. Well, I don't know if they definitely married as there's a few people on the page but I think it's probably likely that it's them. That would explain why Thomas later calls himself Bentley. Meaning William Richardson was his stepfather. Hope I'm making sense! It would be useful if you could find someone to do you a 1851 lookup for Thomas. I think then you could find the answer as to who his father was. Maybe he was illegitimate...fingers crossed he wasn't!

Hi Carol, Oh that's good. I'm interested to know the answers. Fingers crossed you get them soon! Speak soon Helen x

Hi Helen I have ordered two certs this afternoon, one for William Richardson Bentley and his sister Elizabeth Nicholson Bentley. I will update the message later in the week when I get them.

Hi again Carol, I've not had chance to follow your thread this afternoon as I've had visitors. You could well be on to something with the family you've found in 1861. To get further with this, like Rose has said, you firstly need to get one of Thomas' children's birth certs. Knowing the mothers maiden name may then help in finding the marriage. Hopefully it will be the one that I found in 1866. Once you've got the cert, you will then have Thomas' father's name and then you can go on from there. Good luck and let me know how you get on. Helen x

If you determine the mother's maiden name, you have more chance of knowing when you have the correct marriage. Rose

Helen have found on 1861, a Thos Bently Richardson, born 1846 Fenwicks Close Northumberlan. residing Holywell. Parents Jane Richardson and Wm Richardson. Off to try to find out where Fenwicks Close is. One of Thomas children was named William Richardson Bentley! This may be a possibility, has my Thomas dropped the Richardson surname? Where did Bently as a middle name come from? So many questions and not enough answers. thanks again for your help,

Oh drat! That's ruled them out then!!!

yes I saw that, but checked 1871, that Thomas is still with family, my Thomas is married by then with children John and Richard. Why can't I find my Thomas in 1861?????????????? This has been blocking me for months. Now I have a possible connection with another member, but neither of us can prove it until I find out who Thomas's father is! I really appreciate your help this morning though.

All this guessing I'm doing is OK, but it obviously has to be backed up with evidence etc From my experience, places of births are often wrong, my lot are anyway!

There's a possible family in 1861 that could be Thomas's. It states he was born in Woolich?, Kent but it's hopeful as the family are in Northumberland. Elizabeth M Bentley abt 1857 Newcastle Daughter St John Northumberland Joseph Bentley abt 1813 Corbridge, Northumberland, England Head Margret J Bentley abt 1861 Newcastle Daughter Mary Bentley abt 1823 Ireland Wife Mary J Bentley abt 1844 Ireland Daughter Thomas Bentley abt 1846 Woolich, Kent, England Son

unless Ann(ie) was born there and that is why they married there, it is a slim chance, but Ann states her pob as Earsdon on the census in 1871/1881 and 1901. Haven't found her yet on the 1891. Is the 1861 census fully transcribed on ancestry do you know? I can find a Richard Bentley born 1842 Earsdon on the 1861 but cannot find Thomas, I thought if I could then he might still have been with his family.

Hi Carol, The only possible marriage I can find is this: (I searched for an Annie as this is what she calls herself on the 1881) THOMAS BENTLEY married ANNIE E HARRISON Q4, 1866, 10A 17 - District of Darlington, which spans the boundaries of County Durham and East Riding of Yorkshire. Do you think this is a possible?

Hi Helen both parents were born Earsdon, according to the census info.

thanks Last Rose, I have found that reference, but is really the marriage info I need. I need to find out who Thomas's father was. I did wonder if Williams middle name had any connection maybe with his mums maiden name, but then found that their daughter Elizabeth has the middle name Nicholson. Don't know yet where that has come from either.

You'e welcome. Ages are often a year out on census records. It simply means that on the night of the census, they hadn't yet had their birthday for that year. By getting John's birth cert, it would at least give the maiden name of his mother. I know this still isn't finding the marriage though. The birth cert refs are: Q1, 1867, 10b 204, district of Tynemouth OR Q3, 1867, 10b 189, district of Tynemouth. I'd go for the later one. You could ask for a ref check, using his father's name and then you're more likely to get the correct one. Do you know where his parents were born?

I've looked at 1881.........this birth reg seems to fit............ the cert would, of course, give you Ann's maiden surname Name: Bentley, William Richardson Record Type: Births Quarter: September Year: 1874 District: Tynemouth County: Northumberland Volume: 10b Page: 221 Rose

thanks for the help so far Helen, I had not found Johns birth yet, so thats a great help. Other children I had found references for all seem to be about a year out from the census info. I really need to find the marriage though to go back further and to help with a possible connection I have found through GR

Hi Carol, I've found two possible births for son John, one in Q1, 1867 and the other, Q3, 1867. Both registered in the area that Holywell comes under. No marriage as yet though.... Helen