I beleive we might have a common ancestor. My Great, Great Grandfather was Robert Flatt of Feltwell. just 3 miles from Methwold. Joseph Flatt was I believe a cousin to Robert. Henry Capp Wortley held a mortgage on land owned by Robert Flatt in Feltwell. Joseph was witness at Robert's wedding in 1851. what we don't know is anything about Robert's father William. Do you have a name for Joseph's father and where he came from. I suppose he came from Methwold as so many Flatt people did. Any information would be greatly appreciated. I have lots of info about robert but have hit a brick wall about his father.
Hope to hear from you, Dorothy Green.

Hello Dorothy,

I have not been researching the Flatt ancestry, but have located the combination birth and baptism transcription for a Robert Flatt at the FreeREG website at: http://freereg.rootsweb.com/cgi/Search.pl

The transcription shows that Robert was baptized in Feltwell, Norfolk on 1 July 1823, and that his birth took place on 30 March 1823.

His parents are listed as William and Maria Flatt. No maiden name is given for his mother, nor is the name of church where he was baptized in Feltwell listed in the transcription.

But, this may be your Robert, as you had mentioned that he was from Feltwell, and that his father’s name was William.

The transcription is just below:


County Norfolk
Place Feltwell
Church
Register Number
Date Of Birth 30 Mar 1823
Baptism Date 01 Jul 1823
Forename Robert Flatt
Sex M
Father Forename William
Mother Forename Mariia
Father Surname Flatt
Mother Surname
Abode Feltwell
Father Occupation Labourer
Notes
____


I also located the baptism transcriptions for two other children of William and Maria Flatt. These are Maria, baptized 21 April 1820, in Feltwell, and George, baptized in Feltwell on 1 March 1825.

The name of the church where they were baptized is not given in these transcriptions either.

Please see below:


County Norfolk
Place Feltwell
Church
Register Number
Date Of Birth
Baptism Date 21 Apr 1820
Forename Maria
Sex F
Father Forename William
Mother Forename Maria
Father Surname Flatt
Mother Surname
Abode Feltwell
Father Occupation Labourer
Notes
____


County Norfolk
Place Feltwell
Church
Register Number
Date Of Birth
Baptism Date 01 Mar 1825
Forename George
Sex M
Father Forename William
Mother Forename Maria
Father Surname Flatt
Mother Surname
Abode Feltwell
Father Occupation Labourer
Notes
____


It’s unfortunate the three transcriptions do not give the name of the church where the baptisms occurred.

I believe there are at least two Church of England parishes in Feltwell. These are St. Mary’s and St. Nicholas, and so it’s possible the children were baptized in one these two churches.

It’s also possible that William and Maria were married in Fletwell, though I did not find their church marriage record at the FreeREG website. However, information at the site states that if a record isn’t found it may be because the registers have not all been transcribed to date.

But, the Latter Day Saints (LDS) formally known as the Mormon Church, have filmed parish registers for St. Mary’s and St. Nicholas, but these registers cover the time period of 1562-1817 , and 1660-1819, respectively, just short of the 1820 time period you need to research for the baptisms of the three Flatt children in the Transcriptions above.

On the other hand if born and married in Feltwell, the marriage of William and Maria may be in either the St. Mary’s or St. Nicholas church parish registers.

Information and film numbers for the St. Mary and St. Nicholas parish registers follows:

Parish registers of St. Mary's church, Feltwell, 1562-1817
Authors Church of England. St. Mary's Church (Feltwell, Norfolk) (Main Author)

General registers of baptisms, marriages and burials, 1562-1684;
List of rectors, 1728-1879, general register of baptisms and burials, 1684-1781 and marriages, 1684-1754;
Baptisms and burials, 1781-1812; Marriages/banns, 1754-1812, and banns, 1754-1817.
FHL BRITISH Film 2186543 Items 5 - 8
____


Parish registers of St. Nicholas' church, Feltwell, 1660-1819
Authors Church of England. St. Nicholas' Church (Feltwell, Norfolk) (Main Author)

General register of baptisms, marriages and burials, 1660-1745, and two marriages for 1746;
General register of baptisms, 1746-1811, marriages, 1748-1754 , and burials, 1747-1790(?);
Marriages, 1756-1812, and banns, 1754-1819. FHL BRITISH Film
2186543 Items 9 - 11
____


The parish registers for St. Mary’s Church can be found in LDS microfilm number 2186543, while the parish registers for St. Nicholas can be found in LDS microfilm number 2186543.

These films can be ordered from your local Family History Center.

The Latter Day Saints have in addition filmed the Church of England parish registers for Feltwell for the 1820s, when the Flatt children were born, but information about the registers does not state if the records are for St. Mary’s, St. Nicholas, or a combination of both.

However, I’d recommend ordering these registers, which are on two microfilm reels if you plan extensive research for your ancestors.

Below is information and film numbers.


Parish registers of Feltwell, 1772-1901
Authors Church of England. Parish Church of Feltwell (Norfolk)

Baptisms, marriages and burials, 1772-1791 (dates on title boards incorrect); Baptisms, 1813-1883.

FHL BRITISH Film 2186543 Items 12 - 16


AND


Parish registers of Feltwell

Baptisms (contd.), 1883-1901; Marriages, 1813-1901; Burials, 1813-1901; Banns, 1843-1901.

FHL BRITISH Film 2186544 Items 1 - 10
____


The microfilms for the Feltwell Church of England registers are on microfilm numbers 2186543, and 2186544. You can order these films from your local Family History Center as well.

In addition the LDS have filmed the St. Mary and St. Nicholas Feltwell Church of England parish registers separately.

The LDS have also filmed what are known as the Archdeacon’s Transcripts for both St. Mary’s and St. Nicholas in Feltwell.

These may be easier to read than the individual parish registers for each church. Archdeacon Transcripts were kept from the 1600s to 1812 in Norfolk.

The LDS have filmed the Archdeacon Transcript’s for St. Mary and for St. Nicholas for the same time period, 1725-1812.

See below for information and film numbers:


Archdeacons transcripts, 1725-1812
Authors Church of England. St. Mary's Church (Feltwell) (Main Author)

Baptisms and burials 1725-1812 Marriages 1725-1811
FHL BRITISH Film 1526791 Item 6


AND


Archdeacons transcripts, 1725-1812
Authors Church of England. St. Nicholas' Church (Feltwell) (Main Author)

Baptisms and burials 1725-1812 Marriages 1725-1811
FHL BRITISH Film 1526791 Item 7
____


More information about Archdeacon Transcripts as well as Bishop’s Transcripts can be found at the Norfolk Record Office link at: http://archives.norfolk.gov.uk/documents/pdf/NRO046_ATs_BTs....

Because it is feasible that William Flatt and his wife Maria may have come from Methwold, you may also be able to locate information about them in the Methwold Church of England parish registers, which the LDS have also filmed on two microfilm reels.

Information about the Methwold Church of England registers is just below:


Parish registers of Methwold, 1683-1909
Authors Church of England. Parish Church of Methwold (Norfolk) (Main Author)

General registers of baptisms, marriages and burials, 1683-1746;
Baptisms and burials, 1746-1781, and marriages, 1746-1754;
Baptisms, marriages and burials, 1782-1799;
Baptisms and burials, 1800-1812;
Baptisms, 1813-1901; Marriages/banns, 1754-1812; Marriages, 1813-1862.
FHL BRITISH Film 2186649 Items 6 - 16

Marriages (contd.), 1862-1909; Burials, 1813-1901.
FHL BRITISH Film 2186650 Items 1 - 3
____


The parish registers for the Methwold Church of England can be found in LDS microfilm number 2186650.

By the way Dorothy, you don’t have to be a member of the LDS church to order microfilms from the Family History Center.


Concerning other records, I looked for William, Maria, and their children in the 1841 census for Norfolk, but did not find them, at least not all together.

However, I did locate an 18 year old Robert Flatt and a 19 year old William Flatt living in the household of Daniel and Maria Pettit in the parish of St. Mary and St. Nicholas, Feltwell.

The Robert Flatt in the census may be the same Robert in the 1823 birth and baptism transcription shown earlier.

The 1841 census shows Robert Flatt to be 18 years old, which means he was born circa 1823, the exact year of the birth and baptism transcription. It’s possible that Robert and William were brothers. But, it would be impossible to tell, just from the 1841 census alone, that the Robert and William Flatt in the Pettit household, were the sons of William and Martha Flatt. I believe they were however, though I cannot prove it, as this census would be circumstantial evidence.

The census shows the Pettits and Robert and William were living in a location called the “Barracks.”

The census follows:


1841 England Census

Civil Parish: St Mary and St Nicholas Feltwell
Hundred: Grimshoe
County/Island: Norfolk
Country: England

Street Address or Place: Barracks

Registration district: Thetford
Sub-registration district: Methwold
Household Members: Name Age

Name, Sex, Age, Occupation, Whether Born in Same County

Daniel Pettit, Male, 35, Yes
Mariah Pettit, Female, 40, Yes
Adam Pettit, Male, 8, Yes
Jonathan Pettit, Male, 5, Yes
Robert Flatt, Male, 18, Ag Lab, Yes
William Flatt, Male, 19, Ag Lab, Yes
____


The 1851 census again shows that Robert and William Flatt living in the household of the Pettit family. But in this enumeration the head of the household is named Dominick, while Dominick’s wife is Ann Maria.

I think this is the same Pettit family as seen in the 1841 census, as the names of the Pettit sons are Adam and Jonathan, just as in the 1841 census..

Unfortunately, the census in places is illegible, and so I couldn’t tell what the relationship of William and Jonathan was to the head of the household, Dominick.

Both Robert and William are shown to have been born in Feltwell, and both are unmarried.

I am wondering if the older William Flatt had died sometime before 1841 and if his wife Maria then married a second time, to a fellow named Pettit.

The 1851 census is below:


1851 England Census

Civil Parish: Feltwell
County/Island: Norfolk
Country: England

Street address: Not Given

Registration district: Thetford
Sub-registration district: Methwold
ED, institution, or vessel: 8b
Household schedule number: 116

Name, Relation to Head of Household, Condition as to Marriage, Sex, Age, Occupation, Where Born

Dominick Pettitt, Head, Married, Male, 49, Bricklayer, Sporle With Palgrave
Ann Maria Pettitt, Wife, Married, Female, 52, Briclayer's Wife, Hayden Norfolk
Adam Pettitt, Son, Unmarried, Male, 18, Bricklayer, Feltwell Norfolk
Jonathan Pettitt, Son, Unmarried, Male, 15, ? Labourer, Feltwell Norfolk
William Flatt, ?, Unmarried, Male, 29, Ag Lab, Feltwell Norfolk
Robert Flatt, ?, Unmarried, Male, 27, Gardener, Feltwell Norfolk
____


I looked for the marriage transcription for a Daniel or Dominic Pettit and a Maria Flatt at the FreeREG website but did not find a transcription. The oldest Pettit child in the 1851 census is shown to be Adam, 18 years old. At age 18 in 1851, Adam would have been born circa 1833, too early to have his birth recorded in the civil registration of births, marriages, and deaths, which began in the September quarter of 1837 in England and Wales..

If you order the LDS microfilm for the Feltwell Church of England registers, see if you can find a burial record for a William Flatt, and a marriage record for a Maria, or Ann Maria Flatt, who married a Daniel or Dominick Pettit.

In your queries to the Ancestry.com message boards you had noted that Robert Flatt was married in 1851, and that his wife was Martha.

And so, I searched for Robert’s marriage index at the FreeBMD website at http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/cgi/search.pl

I believe I found the GRO marriage index.

But first, by way of explanation, Volunteers at FreeBMD have transcribed millions of birth, marriage, and death indexes held by the General Register Office (GRO).

The marriage indexes found at the FreeBMD website often contain more than two individuals. This is the case for the index I believe pertains to the marriage of Robert Flatt.

Individuals in the index are listed alphabetically by last name, not by marriage partner. However, only one Martha is named in the index. This is Martha Gathercole. Also in the index is a Mary Gathercole. This means that either Martha and Mary are actually the same person, or that perhaps two sisters or perhaps cousins whose maiden names were Gathercole had married during the same quarter.

The index shows the marriage was recorded in the Thetford Registration District in the December quarter of 1851.

Please see below:


Marriages Dec 1851

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page

Feltham Ann Thetford 13 795
Flatt Robert Thetford 13 795
Gathercole Martha Thetford 13 795
Gathercole Mary Thetford 13 795
Kidd Hannah Thetford 13 795
Morley William Thetford 13 795
Turner George Thetford 13 795
____


The full marriage record for Robert Flatt can be found in Volume 13, Page 795 of the GRO registers. If you do not already have a copy of the civil marriage cert, you can order it from the GRO website at:
http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/

Marriage records will contain some or all of the following information, which comes from the FreeBMD website:


Marriages :

District, Church, Parish, Location,
Date of Marriage, Forename & Surnames, Ages,
Marital Conditions, Professions, Addresses,
Father's Forename & Surname, Father's Occupations, for both parties present.
Witness names, Priest/Vicar's Name,& Signature
____


The Thetford Registration District recorded births, marriages, and death for several towns and parishes in Northfolk, including Feltwell.

A list of these towns and parishes can be seen at the RootsWeb link at: http://www.ukbmd.org.uk/genuki/reg/districts/thetford.html

The next record I located was the 1861 census for Robert and Martha Flatt and their children living on Cook Street in Feltwell.

The census shows that Robert was a “Gardner,” 38 years old and born in Feltwell. His wife Martha is listed as 36 years old, also born in Feltwell.

The children in the household include Mary A., 9 years old; Sarah M., 5 years old (I believe this Sarah to be your ancestor); Martha, 3 years old; and Jane, 1 year old. All the children are shown to have been born in Feltwell.

The 1861 census transcription, from the Ancestry.com website, is below:


1861 England Census

Civil Parish: Feltwell
County/Island: Norfolk
Country: England

Street Address: Cook St.

Registration district: Thetford
Sub-registration district: Methwold
ED, institution, or vessel: 6
Household schedule number: 23

Name, Relation to Head of Household, Condition as to Marriage, Sex, Age, Occupation, Where Born

Robert Flatt, Head, Married, Male, 38, Gardener, Norfolk Feltwell
Martha Flatt, Wife, Married, Female, 36, Gardener’s Wife, Norfolk Feltwell
Mary A Flatt, Daughter, Female, 9, Scholar, Norfolk Feltwell
Sarah M Flatt, Daughter, Female, 5, Norfolk Feltwell
Martha Flatt, Daughter, Female, 3, Norfolk Feltwell
Jane Flatt, Daughter, Female, 1, Norfolk Feltwell
____


After locating the Flatt family in the 1861 census, I then looked for the GRO birth indexes the four children, Mary A., Sarah M., Martha; and Jane, at the FreeBMD website.

I believe I found the birth indexes for them, though I can be completely sure, as the indexes do not name the parents.

All the births are shown to have been recorded in the Thetford Registration District.

The GRO birth indexes, each with accompanying Volume and Page Number in which the full birth records can be found, are below.


Births Dec 1851

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page

Flatt Mary Anna Thetford 13 307
____


Births Mar 1854

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page

Flatt Sarah Maria Thetford 4b 379
____


Births Dec 1857

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page

Flatt Martha Thetford 4b 373
____


Births Sep 1859

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page

Flatt Jane Thetford 4b 392
____


Birth records will contain some or all of the following information:


Births :

District, Date & Place of Birth,
Child's ForeNames & Surname, Child's Sex,
Father's Name, Fathers Place of Birth, Father's Occupation,
Mother's Name, Mother's Occupation, Mother's Place of Birth, Mother's Usual Address,
Informant's Name, Informants Qualification, Informant's Address, Informant's Signature,
Date of Registration,Registrar's Name & Signature,
Child's Revised Name (if any, after registration).
____


I also located the family of Robert and Martha Flatt in the 1871 census living in a street address of Old Market Place, Thetford, Norfolk.

Not in this census are the two oldest daughters Mary A., and Sarah M. More on Sarah a little later.

By 1871 Robert and Martha added at least one more child to the family, a daughter named Eliza, who is shown to be 9 years old and born in Feltwell.

The census was found at the Ancestry.com website:


1871 England Census

Civil Parish: St Mary
Town: Thetford
County/Island: Norfolk
Country: England

Street Address: Old Market Place

Registration district: Thetford
Sub-registration district: Thetford
ED, institution, or vessel: 4d
Household schedule number: 93

Name, Relation to Head of Household, Condition as to Marriage, Sex, Age, Occupation, Where Born

Robert Flatt, Head, Married, Male, 45, Gardener Domestic Servant, Feltwell Norfolk
Martha Flatt, Wife, Married, Female, 44, Feltwell Norfolk
Martha Flatt, Daughter, Female, 13, Scholar, Feltwell Norfolk
Jane Flatt, Daughter, Female, 11, Scholar, Feltwell Norfolk
Eliza Flatt, Daughter, Female, 9, Scholar, Feltwell Norfolk
____


I looked for Eliza Flatt’s GRO birth index at the FreeBMD website, but didn’t find it. I may have missed it in the GRO indexes at the FreeBMD website.

Concerning Robert and Martha’s daughter Sarah, because she was not in the household with her family in Thetford in the 1871 census, I figured she was most likely working and living elsewhere. By 1871 she would have been 16 years old. I searched for Sarah in the 1871 census at the ancestry.com website, and believe I found her working as a domestic servant for a family whose last name appears to be Extrauge, though the name is a little difficult to decipher with complete accuracy.

The head of the household is listed as Harry P.S. Extrauge, 50 years old, born in Kings County, Ireland, and whose occupation was Captain and Adjutant of the West Norfolk Militia.

His wife is 36 year old Pauline A. Extrauge, from Paddington, London. The couple have five daughters in the household between the ages of 5 and 15.

Sarah M. Flatt, 16 years old, is shown to be a domestic servant, born in Feltwell, Norfolk. I believe this may be your ancestor.

Please see below:


1871 England Census

Civil Parish: Heigham
Ecclesiastical parish: Trinity
Town: Heigham
County/Island: Norfolk
Country: England

Street Address: 1 Chester Place

Registration district: Norwich
Sub-registration district: West Wymer
ED, institution, or vessel: 17
Household schedule number: 7

Name, Relation to Head of Household, Condition as to Marriage, Sex, Age, Occupation, Where Born

Harry P S Extrauge, Head, Married, Male, 50, Capt. & Adj West Norfolk Militia, Ireland Kings County
Pauline A Extrauge, Wife, Married, Female, 36, London Paddington
Harriet M Extrauge, Daughter, Unmarried, Female, 15, Ireland Dublin
Emily S Extrauge, Daughter, Female, 13, Ireland Dublin
Pauline J Extrauge, Daughter, Female, 8, Norfolk Norwich
Elizabeth C Extrauge, Daughter, Female, 7, Norfolk Norwich Eaton
Laura B H Extrauge, Daughter, Female, 5, Norfolk Norwich Eaton
Emma Sinter, Servant, Unmarried, Female, 20, Domestic Servant, Norfolk Hunstanton
Sarah M Flatt, Servant, Unmarried, Female, 16, Domestic Servant, Norfolk Feltwell
Thirza E Rayner, Servant, Unmarried, Female, 22, Cook Domestic Servant, Norfolk West Lofts
____

I then looked for Mary A. Flatt in the 1871 census. If you recall, the GRO index seen earlier shows that her birth was recorded in the December 1851 quarter, Thetford Registration District.

I didn’t find Mary in the 1871 census. I then searched for her in the GRO marriage indexes at the FreeBMD website, but initially was not successful. I did eventually find her marriage index and also found her in the 1871 and 1881 census returns as you will see a little later.

I next located Robert and Martha Flatt and their daughter Jane in the 1881 census, living in the Mailing Yard, Thetford St Mary, Norfolk

The census was found at the Latter Day Saints (LDS) free website at www.familysearch.org:


Household:

Name, Relation, Marital Status, Gender, Age, Birthplace, Occupation, Disability

Robert Flatt Head M Male 57 Fletwell, Norfolk, England Gardener
Martha Flatt Wife M Female 57 Fletwell, Norfolk, England
Jane Flatt Dau U Female 21 Feltwell, Norfolk, England

Source Information:
Dwelling Malling Yard
Census Place Thetford St Mary, Norfolk, England
Family History Library Film 1341485
Public Records Office Reference RG11
Piece / Folio 2012 / 60
Page Number 24
____


I then found Sarah M. Ambrose living in the household of her sister Mary Ann and Mary Ann’s husband Thomas Beadle in Erith Kent, in the 1881 census.

In one of your submissions to the Ancestry Message Boards, you had stated that Sarah had married Edward Ambrose. Edward is not listed in the Beadle household, but under Sarah’s occupation in the census is the note that she is a “Soldiers Wife,” and that she has “No Occ,” that is, No Occupation.”

The 1881 census also shows that Thomas and Mary Ann Beadle have three daughters, all born in Erith, Kent. The census also shows that Sarah has two children, 3 year old Adelaide and 2 year old Edward Ambrose.

Also in the household is a boarder, 19 year old George Harris:


Household:

Name, Relation, Marital Status, Gender, Age, Birthplace, Occupation, Disability

Thomas Beadle Head M Male 33 Erith, Kent, England Waterman Lighterman
Mary Ann Beadle Wife M Female 31 Feltwell, Norfolk, England
Lillie E. BEADLE Daur Female 8 Erith, Kent, England Scholar
Bessy K. BEADLE Daur Female 7 Erith, Kent, England Scholar
Martha A. BEADLE Daur Female 5 Erith, Kent, England Scholar
Sarah M. AMBROSE Sister M Female 26 Feltwell, Norfolk, England Soldiers Wife (No Occ)
Adelaide Ambrose Daur Female 3 Erith, Kent, England
Edward Ambrose Son Male 2 Woolwich, Kent, England
George HARRIS Boarder U Male 19 Wandsworth, Surrey, England Watermans Apprentice

Source Information:
Dwelling 5 West St
Census Place Erith, Kent, England
Family History Library Film 1341204
Public Records Office Reference RG11
Piece / Folio 0863 / 63
Page Number 21
____


I looked for Sarah’s and Edward’s GRO marriage index at the FreeBMD website, but did not find it. It may not have been recorded under the civil registration scheme, or I may have missed it.

Or, it may have been recorded by the British military, and may have not been required to be registered by any local registration district.

But, I did locate the GRO birth indexes for Adelaide and Edward Ambrose at the FreeBMD website.

There are actually two entries for Adelaide found at the FreeBMD website, one showing her birth was recorded in Volume 1b, Page 634, in the Holborn (Kent) Registration District, and one in Volume 1b, Page 684 in Holborn.

The index is for the March quarter of 1878.

I would say the volunteer transcriber at FreeBMD had could not decipher the exact page number in Volume 1b for Adelaide’s birth. If you send to the GRO for her full birth record however, the staff should still be able to locate the cert using the information from the two entries in the index, which follow:


Births Mar 1878

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page

AMBROSE Adelaide Marion Holborn 1b 634
Ambrose Adelaide Marion Holborn 1b 684
____


The GRO index for Edward has a similar problem, as it appears the FreeBMD volunteers could not determine the full spelling of the name Ambrose. The GRO index may be faded and difficult to read. But, I believe this index refers to Edward’s and Sarah’s son Edward Ambrose.

The birth is shown to have been recorded in the June quarter of 1879. It can be found in Volume 1d, Page 1088 of the GRO registers:


Births Jun 1879

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page

Ambr_s_ Edward Woolwich 1d 1088
____


I also found an Edward Ambrose in the 1881 census whose occupation is listed as a “Sergeant R A,” that is Royal Artillery, stationed at the Royal Artillery Barracks, Woolwich, Kent.

The census shows Edward to be 37 years old, married, and from Sandon, Hertford.

He is listed in the census with several other soldiers in the barracks. Aside his entry are ***** for easy identification.

This census was also found at the LDS free website:


Household:

Name, Relation, Marital Status, Gender, Age, Birthplace, Occupation, Disability

James Henry WATSON Other U Male 20 Stone, Kent, England Gunner Royal Artillery
Thomas WILSON Other M Male 23 Hartlepool, Durham, England Gunner R A
John WHITE Other U Male 24 London, Middlesex, England Gunner R A
James HARVEY Other U Male 31 London, Middlesex, England Gunner R A
George PASSEY Other M Male 30 Greenwich, Kent, England Gunner R A
Edward Ambrose Other M Male 37 Sandon, Hertford, England Sergeant R A **********
Daniel HARRINGTON Other U Male 36 London, Middlesex, England Gunner R A
John STANTON Other U Male 24 St Heliers, Jersey, Channel Islands Gunner R A
Alfred John GARDNER Other U Male 24 London, Middlesex, England Gunner R A
Henry SMITH Other U Male 31 Lambeth, Surrey, England Gunner R A
Frederick CULVERWELL Other U Male 22 Brixton, Surrey, England Gunner R A
Ernest APPLEBY Other U Male 18 Newdigates, Surrey, England Gunner R A
John PORTER Other U Male 20 Ireland Gunner R A
James GALLBRAITH Other U Male 30 Actg Bombadier R A
Joseph Robert FURLONG Other U Male 18 Leyton, Essex, England Gunner R A
Robert HENERY Other U Male 21 Ireland Gunner R A
Thomas FAULKNER Other U Male 31 Naseby, Northampton, England Gunner R A
William EVANS Other M Male 22 Hanley, Stafford, England Bombadier R A
William Henry MATHER Other U Male 32 Stretford, Lancashire, England Gunner R A
Joseph WHITE Other U Male 23 Bermondsey, Surrey, England Gunner R A
(Continued)

Source Information:
Institution "Royal Artillery Barracks" Woolwich
Census Place Woolwich, Kent, England
Family History Library Film 1341174
Public Records Office Reference RG11
Piece / Folio 0745 / 65
Page Number 4
____


After the comment below is the GRO marriage index for Mary Ann Flatt and Thomas Beadle found at the FreeBMD website.

The index, which names two couples, or four people, shows the marriage was recorded in the Woolwich Registration District in the December quarter of 1870. The full marriage cert can be found in Volume 1d, Page 1175 of the GRO registers:


Marriages Dec 1870

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page

Bailey William Woolwich 1d 1175
Beadle Thomas Woolwich 1d 1175
FLATT Mary Ann Woolwich 1d 1175
PRETTY Eliza Ann Woolwich 1d 1175
____


The Woolwich Registration District recorded births, marriages, and deaths for towns and parishes in portions or Kent and London. A list of these towns and parishes can be found in the GenUKI link at: http://www.ukbmd.org.uk/genuki/reg/districts/woolwich.html

Knowing that Mary Ann Flatt had married Thomas Beadle in 1870 in the Kent/London area, I went back to the 1871 census enumeration to see if I could find them.

I did locate them in the census, which shows they were living at the High Street Leiston Cottages in Erith, Kent.

23 year old Thomas’s occupation is listed as “Foundry Labourer,” and his birthplace as Erith.

Mary’s birthplace is also given as Erith, Kent, but I believe this to be an error on the part of the person who filled in the census schedule.

This census was transcribed from both the Ancestry.com and Origins.net subscription websites:


1871 England Census

Civil Parish: Erith
Ecclesiastical parish: St John the Baptist
County/Island: Kent
Country: England

Street Address: High Street Leiston Cottages

Registration district: Dartford
Sub-registration district: Bexley
ED, institution, or vessel: 18
Household schedule number: 174

Name, Relation to Head of Household, Condition as to Marriage, Sex, Age, Occupation, Where Born

Thomas Beadle, Head, Married, Male, 23, Foundry Labourer, Erith Kent
Mary A Beadle, Wife, Married, Female, 20, Erith Kent
____


Moving on to the 1891 census, I found Edward and Martha Ambrose and their five children living at 2 Clarence Rd., West Ham, Essex.

Edward’s occupation is that of a clerk. He is shown to have been born in Sandon, Herts.
38 year old Sarah is shown to have been born in Feltwell, Norfolk.

The children in the household are Adelaide, Edward, William, Florence, and Esther.

The census was transcribed from the Ancestry.com website:


1891 England Census

Civil Parish: West Ham
Ecclesiastical parish: St Gabriel
Town: West Ham
County/Island: Essex
Country: England

Street Address: 2 Clarence Rd.

Registration district: West Ham
Sub-registration district: West Ham
ED, institution, or vessel: 43

Name, Relation to Head of Household, Condition as to Marriage, Sex, Age, Occupation, Employer or Employed, Where Born

Edward Ambrose, Head, Married, Male, 47, Clerk, Employed, Herts Sandon
Sarah Ambrose, Wife, Married, Female, 38, Feltwell Norfolk
Adelaide Ambrose, Daughter, Single, Female, 13, Erith Kent
Edward Ambrose, Son, Single, Male, 12, Scholar, Plumbstead Kent
William Ambrose, Son, Single, Male, 10, Scholar, Plumbstead Kent
Florence Ambrose, Daughter, Single, Female, 7, Harwich Essex
Esther Ambrose, Daughter, Single, Female, 1, Poplar London
____


The following are what I believe to be the GRO birth indexes for William, Florence, and Esther Ambrose. These were obtained, based on the birthplaces and ages listed for them in the 1891 census just above.

I can’t be completely sure these are the children of Edward and Sarah, because the parents’ names are not given in the indexes:


Births Sep 1881

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page

AMBROSE William Woolwich 1d 1136
____


Births Jun 1884

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page

Ambrose Florence Martha Tendring 4a 448
____



Births Jun 1889

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page

Ambrose Esther Jane Poplar 1c 675
____


Concerning Sarah’s parents Robert and Martha Flatt, the 1891 census still shows them living in Thetford, on Old Market Street. In the household with them is their 32 year old daughter Jane:


1891 England Census

Civil Parish: Thetford St Cuthbert
Ecclesiastical parish: Thetford St Cuthbert and St Mary
County/Island: Norfolk
Country: England

Street Address: Old Market Street

Registration district: Thetford
Sub-registration district: Thetford
ED, institution, or vessel: 5

Name, Relation to Head of Household, Condition as to Marriage, Sex, Age, Occupation, Employer or Employed, Where Born

Robert Flatt, Head, Married, Male, 68, Gardner, Employed, Norfolk Fleetwell
Martha Flatt, Wife, Married, Female, 66, Norfolk Fleetwell
Jane Flatt, Daughter, Single, Female, 31, Norfolk Fleetwell
____


Robert and Martha Flatt’s daughter Mary Beadle was also found in the 1891 census with her family living in the Pier Road, Erith, Kent

Mary‘s birthplace is listed as “Kitwell” Norfolk:


1891 England Census
Civil Parish: Erith

Ecclesiastical parish: Erith
Town: Erith
County/Island: Kent
Country: England

Street Address: Pier Road, ? Beadle’s ? Offices

Registration district: Dartford
Sub-registration district: Bexley
ED, institution, or vessel: 16

Name, Relation to Head of Household, Condition as to Marriage, Sex, Age, Occupation, Employer or Employed, Where Born

Thomas Beadle, Head, Married, Single, 41, Pilot Seas, Kent Erith
Mary Ann Beadle, Wife, Married, Female, 38, Norfolk Kitwell
Lillie Beadle, Daughter, Single, Female, 19, Domestic, Kent Erith
Bessie Beadle, Daughter, Single, Female, 17, Dressmaker, Kent Erith
Martha Beadle, Daughter, Single, Female, 15, Dressmaker, Kent Erith
Lee McClane, Cousin, Single, Male, 13, Scholar, London
William Shepperd, Visitor, Single, Male, 22, Lighter? Man Barge, Surrey Norwood
____


By the 1901 census Edward Ambrose would have been deceased as Sarah’s surname is now recorded as “Pomroy.” She is shown to be married, but her husband is not listed in the 1901 census. She is also shown to have been born in Feltwell.

The children in the household include 23 year old Adelaide E. Ambrose; 19 year old Florence Ambrose; 18 year old William Ambrose; and 11 year old Esther Ambrose.

The family are living in 265 East India Rd., Poplar, London:


1901 England Census

Civil Parish: Bromley
Ecclesiastical parish: All Hallows East India Docks
Town: London
County/Island: London
Country: England

Street Address: 265 East India Rd.

Registration district: Poplar
Sub-registration district: Bromley
ED, institution, or vessel: 26

Household schedule number: 12

Name, Relation to Head of Household, Condition as to Marriage, Sex, Age, Occupation, Employer, Worker, or Own Account, Where Born

Sarah M Pomroy, Head, Married, Female, 45, Hairdresser Employer at Home, Feltwell Norfolk
Adelaide E Ambrose, Daughter, Single, Female, 23, Draper’s Assistant, Worker, Kent Erith
Florence Ambrose, Daughter, Single, Female, 19, Draper’s Assistant, Worker, Essex Harwich
William Ambrose, Son, Single, Male, 18, Dock Labourer, Worker, Kent Plumstead
Esther Ambrose, Daughter, Female, 11, London Cubitt Town Poplar
____


I located what may be the death index for Sarah’s husband Edward Ambrose. The index shows the death of an Edward Ambrose recorded in the Poplar (London) Registration District in the December quarter of 1897. The December quarter includes the months of October, November, as well as December. He would have died in one of those three months. The full death record can be found in Volume 1c, Page 462 of the GRO registers:


Deaths Dec 1897

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page

AMBROSE Edward 56 Poplar 1c 462
____


Death records will include some or all of the following information:

Deaths :

District, Location, Date & Place of Death,
Forename & Surname, Sex, Maiden Name,
Date & Place of Birth, Occupation, Usual Address,
Informant's Forename & Surname,
Informant's Qualification, Informant's Address,
Cause of Death, Signature of Informant,
Registration Date, Registrar's Signature.
____

If you order the death record, see who is recorded as the informant to the death. If this is Sarah’s husband, Sarah may be listed as the informant.

I also found Sarah Ambrose’s GRO marriage index at the FreeBMD website. Your information shows that she had married George Pomroy.

The marriage was recorded in the Poplar Registration District in the December quarter of 1898. The full marriage record can be found in Volume 1c, Page 1211 of the GRO registers.

Another couple, Matthew and Sarah Ann Pascoe, are also named in the marriage index:


Marriages Dec 1898

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page

Ambrose Sarah Maria Poplar 1c 1211
PASCOE Matthew Poplar 1c 1211
PASCOE Sarah Ann Poplar 1c 1211
Pomroy George Charles Poplar 1c 1211
____


The 1901 census shows that Robert and Martha Flatt are living at 35 Castle St., Thetford. Both are shown to have been born in Thetford, rather than Feltwell.

In the household with them are their daughters Jane and Eliza, as well as a visitor named Philis Spaulding, 24, from Thetford.

The census transcription comes from the Ancestry.com website:


1901 England Census

Civil Parish: Thetford St Cuthbert
Ecclesiastical parish: Thetford St Cuthbert and Holy Trinity
Town: Thetford
County/Island: Norfolk
Country: England

Street Address: 35 Castle St.

Registration district: Thetford
Sub-registration district: Thetford
ED, institution, or vessel: 1
Household schedule number: 107

Name, Relation to Head of Household, Condition as to Marriage, Sex, Age, Occupation, Employer, Worker, or Own Account, Where Born

Robert Flatt, Head, Married, Male, 78, Gardner Domestic, Worker, Norfolk Thetford
Martha Flatt, Wife, Married, Female, 76, Norfolk Thetford
Jane Flatt, Daughter, Single, Female, 41, Norfolk Thetford
Eliza Flatt, Daughter, Single, Female, 39, Cook Domestic, Worker, Norfolk Thetford
Philis Spalding, Visitor, Single, Female, 24, Housemaid Domestic, Worker, Norfolk Thetford
____


Robert and Martha Flatt’s daughter Mary Ann Beadle and her husband Thomas and family are shown in the 1901 census to be living in 1A Wheatley Terrace Road, Erith, Kent.

In the household with them is their granddaughter, 8 year old Ethel Dora Sheppard, born in Erith:


1901 England Census

Civil Parish: Erith
Ecclesiastical parish: Christchurch
County/Island: Kent
Country: England

Street Address: 1A Wheatley Terrace Road

Registration district: Dartford
Sub-registration district: Bexley
ED, institution, or vessel: 19
Household schedule number: 157

Name, Relation to Head of Household, Condition as to Marriage, Sex, Age, Occupation, Employer, Worker, or Own Account, Where Born

Thomas Beadle, Head, Married, Male, 52, Barge Waterman Transporting Pilot, Own Account, Kent Erith
Mary Ann Beadle, Wife, Married, Female, 49, Norfolk Feltwell
Ethel Dora Sheppard, Granddaughter, Single, Female, 8, Kent Erith
____


Living in 1 Wheatley Terrace Road are the people I believe to be Ethel Dora Sheppard’s parents James and Lillie A. Shepard. Lillie would be the daughter of Thomas and Mary Ann Beadle.

James Sheppard is shown to have the same occupation as his father-in-law, that is, a “Waterman Transporting Pilot.”

In the household with James and Lillie Shepard are their three children, Thomas, age 3; Kathleen M., age 5; and Lillie May, 7 months old. All the children are shown to have been born in Erith:

Street Address: 1 Wheatley Terrace Road

Name, Relation to Head of Household, Condition as to Marriage, Sex, Age, Occupation, Employer, Worker, or Own Account, Where Born

James Sheppard, Head, Married, Male, 30, Waterman Transporting Pilot, Own Account, Surrey Croydon
Lillie A. Sheppard, Wife, Married, Female, 28, Kent Erith
Thomas James B. Sheppard, Son, Single, Male, 3, Kent Erith
Kathleen M. Sheppard, Daughter, Single, Female, 5, Kent Erith
Lillie May Sheppard, Daughter, Single, Female, 7 Months, Kent Erith
____


I next looked for the GRO death indexes for Robert and Martha Flatt. Your information is that Robert had died at about 100 years old, which means he would have died circa 1923.

I did not find the death index of a Robert Flatt who was that old.

But, I did locate a GRO death index for an 86 year old Robert Flatt in the Thetford district. The death was recorded in the March quarter of 1917.

I am wondering if this death index pertains to your Robert Flatt:


Deaths Mar 1917

Surname First name(s) Age District Vol Page

Flatt Robert 86 Thetford 4b 504
____


I also found a possible death index for Martha Flatt.

The index shows the death of Martha Flatt was recorded in the Thetford Registration District for the December quarter of 1903.

The full death record can be found in Volume 4b, Page 231 of the GRO registers.


The index follows:

Deaths Dec 1903

Surname First name(s) Age District Vol Page

Flatt Martha 80 Thetford 4b 231
____


If you order the full death cert, see if Martha’s husband Robert or one of her children are listed as an informant to the death.

Concerning your ancestor Sarah Flatt Ambrose Pomroy, I found her death index at the New South Wales Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages at:
http://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/Index/IndexingOrder.cgi/se...

The index shows that she had died in 1923 and that he parents were Robert and Martha. The district where the death was recorded is listed as Redfern.

The index is below:


Registration Number: 10548/1923
Last Name: POMROY
Given Name(s): SARAH M
Father's Given Name(s): ROBERT
Mother's Given Name(s): MARTHA
District: REDFERN
____


If you do not already have Sarah’s full death record, you can order it from the New South Wales Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages website.

While at the New South Wales Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, I searched for the marriage and death indexes of the children of Sarah, under the name Ambrose, but did not find anything.

Resuming the search back in England, I next looked for a marriage and or death index for Robert and Martha’s daughter Eliza. Eliza was first seen in the 1871 census when she, her parents, and sisters Martha and Jane were living in Old Market Place, Thetford. Eliza was 1 year old in that census.

The 1901 census shows that Eliza was in the household of her father Robert, her mother Martha, and sister Jane
in 35 Castle St., Thetford.

I did not find a marriage index for Eliza, but did locate a possible death index.

This index shows the death of an Eliza Flatt recorded in the Thetford Registration District for the June quarter of 1902:


Deaths Jun 1902

Surname First name(s) Age District Vol Page

Flatt Eliza 42 Thetford 4b 222
____


The full death cert can be found in Volume 4b, Page 222 of the GRO registers.

In addition, I searched for the marriage and or death index for Robert and Martha’s daughter Jane, but did not find any information concerning her at the FreeBMD website.

But, I did locate what may be the GRO marriage index for Robert and Martha’s daughter Martha.

The index shows Martha had married Thomas James Rudduck. The marriage was recorded in the Thetford Registration District for the June quarter of 1877. The full marriage record can be found in Volume 4b, Page 613 of the GRO registers.

The index follows:


Marriages Jun 1877

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page

Flatt Martha Thetford 4b 613
Rudduck Thomas James Thetford 4b 613
____


Also found were Thomas J., Martha, and their 3 year old son Arthur Rudduck in the 1881 census, showing they were living in Newmarket St., Thetford.

Thomas’s occupation is “Shopman Dealer & Provisions.” His birthplace is Thetford. Martha’s birthplace is listed as Feltwell, while the census shows their son Arthur was born in Dereham, Norfolk.

The 1881 census, from the LDS free website, follows:

Household:

Name, Relation, Marital Status, Gender, Age, Birthplace, Occupation, Disability

Thos. J. RUDDUCK Head M Male 25 Thetford, Norfolk, England Shopman Dealer & Provisions
Martha RUDDUCK Wife M Female 23 Feltwell, Norfolk, England
Arthur RUDDUCK Son Male 3 Dereham, Norfolk, England

Source Information:
Dwelling Newmarket St
Census Place Heigham, Norfolk, England
Family History Library Film 1341469
Public Records Office Reference RG11
Piece / Folio 1950 / 13
Page Number 20
____


The next record found was an 1877 GRO birth index for an Arthur James “Rudducs.” This may be the son of Thomas and Martha.

The index shows the birth was recorded in the Mitford Registration District for the September quarter of 1877.

The full birth record can be found in Volume 4b, Page 267 of the GRO registers:


Births Sep 1877

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page

RUDDUCS Arthur James Mitford 4b 267
____


The Mitford Registration District recorded births in East Dereham, Norfolk. Please see the GenUKI link at:
http://www.ukbmd.org.uk/genuki/reg/districts/mitford.html

The 1891 census for the family of Thomas J. and Martha “Ruddock,” shows that Arthur was indeed born in East Dereham. Thomas in the census is listed as a “Grocer.”

In this census the family is shown to be living on 33 Exchange St., parish of St Johns Madder Market.

Along with 15 year old Arthur, two other Ruddock children are in the household. These include 6 year old Laria and 3 year old Robert J. Both children were born in Nowich.

Also in the household is 15 year old Kate Brown, a servant from Cantley, Norfolk:


1891 England Census

Civil Parish: St Johns Maddermarket
County/Island: Norfolk
Country: England

Street Address: 33 Exchange St

Registration district: Norwich
Sub-registration district: West Wymer
ED, institution, or vessel: 2

Name, Relation to Head of Household, Condition as to Marriage, Sex, Age, Occupation, Where Born

Thomas J Ruddock, Head, Married, Male, 34, Grocer, Norfolk Thetford
Martha Ruddock, Wife, Married, Female, 31, Norfolk Feltwell
Arthur J Ruddock, Son, Male, 15, Scholar, Norfolk East Dereham
Laria D Ruddock, Daughter, Female, 6, Scholar, Norfolk Norwich
Robert J Ruddock, Son, Male, 3, Norfolk Norwich
Kate Brown, Servant, Single, Female, 15, General Servant Domestic, Norfolk Cantley
____


By the 1901 census the Rudduck family were living in 11 Victoria Street, Lakenham, Norfolk.

One child was added to the household between the 1891 and 1901 census enumerations. This is Kathleen, who is shown to be 5 years old and born in Norwich.

The 1901 census, from the Ancestry.com website, shows that Martha Rudduck was born in Feltwell, Suffolk, rather than Feltwell Norfolk.

The Rudducks are shown to be living in 11 Victoria St, Norwich:


1901 England Census

Civil Parish: Norwich
Ecclesiastical parish: Lakenham All Saints and Lakenham St John the Baptist and Trowse St Andrew
Town: Lakenham
County/Island: Norfolk
Country: England

Street Address: 11 Victoria St.

Registration district: Norwich
Sub-registration district: West Wymer
ED, institution, or vessel: 35
Household schedule number: 151

Name, Relation to Head of Household, Condition as to Marriage, Sex, Age, Occupation, Employer, Worker, or Own Account, Where Born

Thomas Rudduck, Head, Married, Male, 42, Grocer’s Assistant, Worker, Norfolk Thetford
Martha Rudduck, Wife, Married, Female, 42, Suffolk Feltwell
Laura Rudduck, Daughter, Female, 17, Milliner, Worker, Norfolk Norwich
Robert Rudduck, Son, Male, 13, Norfolk Norwich
Kathleen Rudduck, Daughter, Female, 5, Norfolk Norwich
____


I next looked for more information concerning Maria Flatt and her brother George Flatt. Like Robert, the FreeREG baptism transcriptions showed they were the children of William and Maria Flatt.

Maria Flatt the younger, according to the FreeREG seen earlier, was baptized in Feltwell on 21 Apr 1820, while George Flatt was baptized in Feltwell on 1 March 1825.

Because Maria was older than Geroge, I began my search for her in the census returns and GRO indexes.

I didn’t find Maria in the 1841 census in Feltwell or in any other Norfolk town, and so I wondered if she had been married by 1841 or had died by that year.

I searched for her GRO marriage index at the FreeBMD website, and believe I found it, only the index shows she was not married in the Feltwell district but in the Downham, Norwich Registration District.

The index lists eight people, or four couples who were married in the Downham district in the September quarter of 1838.

The four men in the indexes include Richard John Astley, Thomas Carter, Noah Spinks, and Henry Williams. Maria had to marry one of these four gentlemen.

The index follows:


Marriages Sep 1838

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page

ASTLEY Richard John Downham 13 105
CARTER Thomas Downham 13 105
Flatt Maria Downham 13 105
METCALF Mary Ann Downham 13 105
ROAN Martha Downham 13 105
SPINKS Noah Downham 13 105
STANNARD Hannah Downham 13 105
WILLIAMS Henry Downham 13 105
____


The Downham Registration District recorded births, marriages, and deaths primarily in Norfolk, but also for the Welney parish, which at the time crossed the border into Cambridgeshire, according to the GenUKI link at:
http://www.ukbmd.org.uk/genuki/reg/districts/downham.html

The full marriage cert would tell you who Maria Flatt had married, and who her father was, but I wanted to see if I could find out who she did marry from online resources.

To do this I skipped the 1841 census, as that census does not give a town land or parish or birth for those listed in the enumeration. I went to the 1851 census to see if I could find a Maria, born in Feltwell circa 1820, whose last name was either Astley, Carter, Spinks, or Williams.

I found Maria in the 1851 census showing that her husband was Thomas Carter. The census also shows that Maria, in 1851, was 20 years old and was born in Feltwell.

More on the 1851 census a little later.

Knowing that Maria had married Thomas Carter, I could then look for her and Thomas in the 1841 census.

I found Maria and Thomas Carter in the 1841 census living in the parish of Stoke Ferry with their two children, 2 year old Elizabeth and 9 month old Susan.

No street address is given for the family.

I could not make out the full occupation for Thomas, but it shows he was in the “Lime” trade.

The 1841 census, from the Ancestry.com website, is below:


1841 England Census

Civil Parish: Stoke Ferry
Hundred: Clackclose
County/Island: Norfolk
Country: England

Street Address: Not Given

Registration district: Downham
Sub-registration district: Fincham

Name, Age, Sex, Occupation, Whether Born in Same County

Thomas Carter, 25, Male, Lime ?, Yes
Maria Carter, 20, Female, Yes
Elizabeth Carter, 2, Female, Yes
Susan Carter, 9 Mo, Female, Yes
____


Next is the aforementioned 1851 census transcription, from Ancestry.com.

The Carters are still shown to be living in the Stoke Ferry parish. Thomas is shown to have been born in Stoke Ferry, as are their seven children. Only 31 year old Maria is shown to have been born in Feltwell.

You’ll also notice in the 1851 census that a Charles Flatt is in the household. He is listed as a Nephew to the head of the household, Thomas. I believe however, he would have been a blood relative with Maria, rather than Thomas:


1851 England Census
Civil Parish: Stoke Ferry
County/Island: Norfolk
Country: England

Street Address: Not Given

Registration district: Downham
Sub-registration district: Wiggenhall
ED, institution, or vessel: 4c

Household schedule number: 85

Name, Relation to Head of Household, Condition as to Marriage, Sex, Age, Occupation, Where Born

Thomas Carter, Head, Married, Male, 38, Agricultural Labourer, Norfolk Stoke Ferry
Maria Carter, Wife, Married, 31, Female, Norfolk Feltwell
Elizabeth Carter, Daughter, Female, 12, Norfolk Stoke Ferry
Susan Carter, Daughter, Female, 10, Norfolk Stoke Ferry
Eliza Carter, Daughter, Female, 8, Norfolk Stoke Ferry
Mary Carter, Daughter, Female, 5, Norfolk Stoke Ferry
William Carter, Son, Male, 2, Norfolk Stoke Ferry
Ann Carter, Daughter, Female, 1 Mo, Norfolk Stoke Ferry
Charles Flatt, Nephew, Male, 10, Norfolk Stoke Ferry
____


I next looked for the GRO birth indexes for the children of Thomas and Maria Carter, beginning with the two children found in the 1841 census, and then the other five children in the 1851 census.

Elizabeth is shown to be the eldest child in both enumerations. In 1841 Elizabeth is listed as 2 years old while in 1851 she is 12.

This means she could have been born in either 1838 or 1839.

The 1841 census was enumerated on 2 June of that year. Ages in the census are given for the past birthday, not a birthday that may come after June 2nd. This means if Elizabeth had been born after June 2, she would have actually turned 3 in 1841.

The GRO indexes show several birth indexes for Elizabeth Carters registered in the Downham district. Because the first name Elizabeth and surname Carter are very common, I can’t tell which Elizabeth would be the daughter of Thomas and Maria Carter.

The indexes follow:


Births Mar 1838

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page

CARTER Elizabeth Downham 13 81
____


Births Sep 1838

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page

CARTER Elizabeth Downham 13 69
____


Births Dec 1838

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page

CARTER Elizabeth Downham 13 70
CARTER Elizabeth Downham 13 63
____


Births Jun 1839

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page

Carter Elizabeth Downham 13 74
Carter Elizabeth Downham 13 78
Carter Elizabeth Downham 13 *
____


I believe however I may have located the GRO birth indexes for the five other Carter children.

I actually found two birth indexes for William Carter registered in the Downham district in 1848 and 1850 respectively.

Because the parents of the children are not named in the GRO indexes, I can’t be 100 percent sure the following are the children of Thomas and Maria Flatt Carter:


Births Sep 1840

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page

Carter Susan Downham 13 65
____


Births Mar 1843

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page

Carter Eliza Downham 13 84
____


Births Jun 1845

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page

CARTER Mary Downham 13 931
____


Births Jun 1848

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page

Carter William Henry Downham 13 71
____


Births Sep 1848

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page

CARTER William Peter Downham 13 83
____


Births Mar 1850

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page

Carter William Downham 13 86
____


Births Mar 1851

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page

Carter Ann Maria Downham 13 94
____


By the 1861 census, three more children were added to the Carter household, including Sarah, Ellen, and Charles.

The census shows that Thomas, Maria, and four of their children were living in an address of Ebenezer Chapel, Stokes Ferry.

Also in the household is Thomas’s mother, 84 year old Susan Carter, a widow, from a town that appears to be Wretton, in Norfolk.

This census gives Thomas’s full occupation as “Lime Burner.”

The 1861 census transcription, from Ancestry.com, follows:


1861 England Census

Civil Parish: Stoke Ferry
Ecclesiastical parish: Norwich
County/Island: Norfolk
Country: England

Street Address: Ebenezer Chapel

Registration district: Downham
Sub-registration district: Fincham
ED, institution, or vessel: 1
Household schedule number: 121

Name, Relation to Head of Household, Condition as to Marriage, Sex, Age, Occupation, Where Born

Thomas Carter, Head, Married, Male, 40, Labourer Lime Burner, Norfolk Stoke Ferry
Maria Carter, Wife, Married, Female, 40, Labourer's Wife, Norfolk Feltwell
Ann Maria Carter, Daughter, Female, 10, Scholar, Norfolk Stoke Ferry
Sarah Jane Carter, Daughter, Female, 7, Scholar, Norfolk Stoke Ferry
Ellen Carter, Daughter, Female, 3, Norfolk Stoke Ferry
Charles Carter, Son, Male, 8 Mo, Norfolk Stoke Ferry
Susan Carter, Mother, Widow, Female, 84, Allowed by the Parish, Wretton? Norfolk
____


Below are the GRO indexes for Ellen, Charles, and Susan.

You would have to order the full birth records from the GRO to find out if the parents are Thomas and Maria Carter:


Births Dec 1853

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page

CARTER Sarah Jane Downham 4b 303
____


Births Dec 1857

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page

Carter Ellen Downham 4b 357
____


Births Sep 1860

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page

CARTER Charles D*ham 4b 341
____


By the 1871 census for Stoke Ferry, Thomas is shown to be a widower.

Only three of his and Maria’s children are living in the household by 1871. These are 17 year old Sarah; 13 year old Ellen; and 10 year old Charles.

Also in the household is Thomas’s granddaughter, 3 year old Eliza Dyble.

The census transcription also comes from Ancestry.com


1871 England Census

Civil Parish: Stoke Ferry
County/Island: Norfolk
Country: England

Street Address: Not Given

Registration district: Downham
Sub-registration district: Fincham
ED, institution, or vessel: 1
Household schedule number: 6

Name, Relation to Head of Household, Condition as to Marriage, Sex, Age, Occupation, Where Born

Thomas Carter, Head, Widower, Male, 59, Labourer Lime Burner, Norfolk Stoke Ferry
Sarah Carter, Daughter, Unmarried, Female, 17, Labourer's Daughter, Norfolk Stoke Ferry
Ellen Carter, Daughter, Female, 13, Scholar, Norfolk Stoke Ferry
Charles Carter, Son, Male, 10, Scholar, Norfolk Stoke Ferry
Eliza Dyble, Granddaughter, Female, 3, Visitor, Norfolk Stoke Ferry
____

I located one GRO death index at the FreeBMD site which may pertain to Maria Flatt Carter.

The index shows the death of a Maria Carter was recorded in the Downham Registration District for the September quarter of 1870. The full death record can be found in Volume 4b, Page 249 of the GRO registers:


Deaths Sep 1870

Surname First name(s) Age District Vol Page

Carter Maria 50 Downham 4b 249
____


The full death record should name the informant. If the informant is Thomas Carter, then you’ll know you will have the correct death cert.

Thomas’s granddaughter Eliza Dyble would have been one of his and his wife Maria’s children.

I found Eliza’s GRO birth index at the FreeBMD website. The full birth cert would confirm the name of her parents:


Births Sep 1867

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page

Dyble Eliza Downham 4b 359
____


I may have actually located the names of Eliza Dyble’s parents in the GRO marriage registers.

The index shows two couples, including a Mary Ann Carter and a Mark Philip Dyble. The index also lists him as Philip Mark Dyble, probably because the person who recorded the index wasn’t sure if his first name was Mark or Philip.

The marriage was recorded in the June 1867 quarter in the Downham Registration District. The June quarter includes the months of April, may, and June.

If Mary Ann Carter and Mark Philip Dyble were Eliza’s parents, they would have had to get married for the sake of propriety, as their daughter would have been born only a short while after their marriage.

The marriage index follows:


Marriages Jun 1867

Surname First name(s) Age District Vol Page

CARTER Mary Ann Downham 4b 605
DYBLE Mark Philip Downham 4b 605
DYBLE Philip Mark Downham 4b 605
Riches Ann Elizabeth Downham 4b 605
Whybro John Gitten Downham 4b 605
____


I next looked for Thomas Carter in the 1881 census, but did not find him. I found however, an 1874 GRO death index registered in the Downham district, which may pertain to him.

The index follows:


Deaths Jun 1874

Surname First name(s) Age District Vol Page

CARTER Thomas 64 Downham 4b 253
____


Concerning William and Maria Flatt’s son George, baptized in Feltwell on 1 March 1825, I looked for him in the 1841 census as well as later English census returns but did not find a George Flatt listed as having been born in Feltwell between 1820 and 1830.

I also looked for GRO marriage and death indexes for George registered in the Thetford Registration District, which recorded births, marriages, and deaths in Feltwell, but found no indexes pertaining to George Flatt.

If George had married or died before July of 1837, his marriage or death would not have been recorded in the civil registration scheme. Or if he had married out of the Thetford district or out of the county, I wouldn’t know which George Flatt would be the son of William and Maria.

And if you recall from the 1841 and 1851 census returns for