I have quite a long story to tell that summarises the log-jam in my family history work. I'm not sure I'll ever prove things 100% but I have quite a few "jigsaw" pieces and would value the opinions of others as to what the likely "picture" looks like.
Here goes ........
WILLIAM YOUNG (b1857)
William has consistently given his date of birth as 1857 and his place of birth as "London, Middlesex".
William married Sarah Ann Duffin in Paddington, London on 12/05/1884 and the marriage certificate shows William's father as "Edward Young" and one of the witnesses at the marriage as "Sarah Anne Young".
No census record prior to this date (ie: 1881, 1871, 1861), shows a William Young (b1857 +/- 2) living with a father named "Edward".
At the time of the 1861 census, William should have been a four year old child and must have been in the care of somebody. There is an entry on this census for a William Young (b1857) in London and listed as a "visitor" at the house of a Mr & Mrs Cowley where he is seemingly in the care of another "visitor" listed as Rebecca Young, b1821 in Yorkshire. I was drawn to this entry (a) because the DOB was spot on and (b) because of the place of birth again being stated as “London, Middlesex” ...... most others born in London have stated specifically which area.
A search of birth records for a Rebecca Young shows only one match for an 1821 Yorkshire birth and she was married to a Thomas Young and living in Yorkshire and listed on the 1861 census with her family in Yorkshire.
I have checked all other census records prior to and after 1861 and only one Yorkshire born 1821 Rebecca Young exists anywhere ...... except 1861 when there are two. One in Yorkshire and one with four year old William in London.
I have enquired as to whether it is possible for a person to be listed twice on a census and the response was a definite yes. I believe, therefore, that Rebecca Young was listed at her Yorkshire family home as a resident but also in London where she appears to have been visiting / working.
Further investigations have supported this theory, namely ..........
- Rebecca's husband Thomas was a tailor and she lists her occupation while visting London as a "bootbinder" and was visiting a “hatter”
- Rebecca has a Yorkshire based daughter, born 1853, called Sarah Anne Young which links with the witness name on the marriage certificate
After the 1861 census return, William appears to making his own way in life and Rebecca is back in Yorkshire with her family. On the 1871 census return, william is working as a Servant ("Groom") in Stamford and in 1881 I believe he is in Reigate at a lodging house with a dozen others where his occupation is shown as a "hawker".
His wife, Worcestershire born Sarah Ann Duffin, was a servant moving around the Midlands from an early age and was working in Westminster at the time of the marriage which was also where William was working - about 200 yards around the corner, both at large private houses where they were undoubtedly servants of some sort.
The question remains who is William Young and what is his link with Yorkshire born Rebecca Young ?
One possibility is that Rebecca is William's mother. Her other children were born 1844, 1846, 1848, 1850 and 1853 so William's 1857 DOB fits quite nicely but why is his place of birth London and why is he evidently not part of the Yorkshire Youngs family ? I'm advised that witnesses at weddings are very often sisters which might support the idea of Rebecca being William's mother ..... and, therefore, Sarah Anne his sister.
Was William born out of wedlock as a result of a previous trip to or brief residence in London and a relationship with an "Edward" ? If that was the case then it wouldn't have been an "Edward Young", as stated on the marriage certificate, as it is clear that he has taken his mother's name.
It isn't clear why Rebecca would be in London. Although she shows as a "bootbinder" in 1861, she is simply a house-wife before and after that census. The railway into Kings Cross was barely ten years old in 1861 and most travel would probably be via the Great North Road (now A1), for which Stamford was a major stopping point. Does that explain how William found himself at Stamford in 1871 working with horses as a groom at age 13/14 ?
If Rebecca isn't William's mother then who was she helping out in caring for him in 1861 ? If his "Young" name really did come from an Edward Young then the only explanation would be that Edward was related to Thomas Young, Rebecca's husband and would she really be such a long way from home taking care of him / seems unlikely. I’ve also searched for evidene of a Yorkshire Edward born where Thomas was born and there are none that can’t be accounted for subsequently in that area.
Is it fair to assume that William was Rebecca's "secret" illegitimate son who's only record of existance prior to his marriage came about because they were caught together on the night of a census return in London ? Would it, therefore, be likely that Sarah Anne would travel all the way south to witness the marriage in 1884 ? Seems strange !
Here goes ........
WILLIAM YOUNG (b1857)
William has consistently given his date of birth as 1857 and his place of birth as "London, Middlesex".
William married Sarah Ann Duffin in Paddington, London on 12/05/1884 and the marriage certificate shows William's father as "Edward Young" and one of the witnesses at the marriage as "Sarah Anne Young".
No census record prior to this date (ie: 1881, 1871, 1861), shows a William Young (b1857 +/- 2) living with a father named "Edward".
At the time of the 1861 census, William should have been a four year old child and must have been in the care of somebody. There is an entry on this census for a William Young (b1857) in London and listed as a "visitor" at the house of a Mr & Mrs Cowley where he is seemingly in the care of another "visitor" listed as Rebecca Young, b1821 in Yorkshire. I was drawn to this entry (a) because the DOB was spot on and (b) because of the place of birth again being stated as “London, Middlesex” ...... most others born in London have stated specifically which area.
A search of birth records for a Rebecca Young shows only one match for an 1821 Yorkshire birth and she was married to a Thomas Young and living in Yorkshire and listed on the 1861 census with her family in Yorkshire.
I have checked all other census records prior to and after 1861 and only one Yorkshire born 1821 Rebecca Young exists anywhere ...... except 1861 when there are two. One in Yorkshire and one with four year old William in London.
I have enquired as to whether it is possible for a person to be listed twice on a census and the response was a definite yes. I believe, therefore, that Rebecca Young was listed at her Yorkshire family home as a resident but also in London where she appears to have been visiting / working.
Further investigations have supported this theory, namely ..........
- Rebecca's husband Thomas was a tailor and she lists her occupation while visting London as a "bootbinder" and was visiting a “hatter”
- Rebecca has a Yorkshire based daughter, born 1853, called Sarah Anne Young which links with the witness name on the marriage certificate
After the 1861 census return, William appears to making his own way in life and Rebecca is back in Yorkshire with her family. On the 1871 census return, william is working as a Servant ("Groom") in Stamford and in 1881 I believe he is in Reigate at a lodging house with a dozen others where his occupation is shown as a "hawker".
His wife, Worcestershire born Sarah Ann Duffin, was a servant moving around the Midlands from an early age and was working in Westminster at the time of the marriage which was also where William was working - about 200 yards around the corner, both at large private houses where they were undoubtedly servants of some sort.
The question remains who is William Young and what is his link with Yorkshire born Rebecca Young ?
One possibility is that Rebecca is William's mother. Her other children were born 1844, 1846, 1848, 1850 and 1853 so William's 1857 DOB fits quite nicely but why is his place of birth London and why is he evidently not part of the Yorkshire Youngs family ? I'm advised that witnesses at weddings are very often sisters which might support the idea of Rebecca being William's mother ..... and, therefore, Sarah Anne his sister.
Was William born out of wedlock as a result of a previous trip to or brief residence in London and a relationship with an "Edward" ? If that was the case then it wouldn't have been an "Edward Young", as stated on the marriage certificate, as it is clear that he has taken his mother's name.
It isn't clear why Rebecca would be in London. Although she shows as a "bootbinder" in 1861, she is simply a house-wife before and after that census. The railway into Kings Cross was barely ten years old in 1861 and most travel would probably be via the Great North Road (now A1), for which Stamford was a major stopping point. Does that explain how William found himself at Stamford in 1871 working with horses as a groom at age 13/14 ?
If Rebecca isn't William's mother then who was she helping out in caring for him in 1861 ? If his "Young" name really did come from an Edward Young then the only explanation would be that Edward was related to Thomas Young, Rebecca's husband and would she really be such a long way from home taking care of him / seems unlikely. I’ve also searched for evidene of a Yorkshire Edward born where Thomas was born and there are none that can’t be accounted for subsequently in that area.
Is it fair to assume that William was Rebecca's "secret" illegitimate son who's only record of existance prior to his marriage came about because they were caught together on the night of a census return in London ? Would it, therefore, be likely that Sarah Anne would travel all the way south to witness the marriage in 1884 ? Seems strange !
