Genealogy Chat

Have been searching for her for years – and wonder if anyone can help. Her parents were James Howard and Louisa (nee Chipperfield). From census records (1841, 1851) I have her birth as c1840 Marylebone. Emma had an illegitimate son Frederick Rulton Howard ( my grandfather) born 10 Oct 1875. His birth certificate shows father as Stephen Rulton Howard and mother as Emma Howard formerly Morris. Her mother was widowed and then married a Watkin Morris in 1854. Stephen Rulton was not a Howard at all, but was Stephen Rulton and he had a wife Ann. I located the three of them in the 1881 census at the Duke’s Head public house in West Ham. Emma was listed as a Visitor, and Domestic Cook. That is my last sighting of Emma. Her son was brought up by Emma’s brother Thomas William Howard and his wife Harriet Riggs. I have not been able to locate a death record or find her in any later census.

Can anyone help please?

Was Emma married at the time of Frederick Rulton Howard's birth? If not then why does the birth certificate name Emma as "formerly Morris"?

Kath. x

1881 so you are saying this is her

Name: Emma Howard
Age: 38
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1843
Relation: Visitor
Gender: Female
Where born: Paddington, Middlesex, England

Civil parish: East Ham
County/Island: Essex
Country: England

Street Address: Dukes Head Public House Wall End
Education:

Employment status: View image
Occupation: Domestic Cook

Registration district: West Ham
Sub-registration district: West Ham
ED, institution, or vessel: 50
Neighbors: View others on page
Piece: 1724
Folio: 20
Page Number: 19
Household Members: Name Age
Stephen Rulton 39
Ann Rulton 41
Emma Howard 38
Harry Land 19

She may well have / probably lied about her marital status on her son's birth certificate.

Perhaps she married at a later date - that would also help explain why her son was brought up by another member of the family ?

Jill

Am i reading this rite? she had a illegitimate son who's birth cert has Father name on the cert? and mother formaly Morris?

Roy

PM from Penelope,

Hi
Yes, that's correct. I can't even recall now how I looked for and found Stephen Rulton, but I do believe I have the right person. He was born in 1841 at Castle Hedingham in Essex. None of this information is from family, it is all from research but I feel very sure about it. On the birth cert his occupation is shown as 'Traveller' and on my grandfather's marriage certificate his father is shown as Stephen Rulton Howard, retired publican. So Frederick must have known about him.
Penny


I have asked Penelope to reply on her thread

Roy

I think the father's name (down as Howard) was an attempt to legitimised the child's birth so Emma had to put her name down as Formerly Morris to cover the deception up.

Roy

Hi Roy

Yes I'm sure you're right. I wonder what story my grandfather knew about his birth. There is info from the family that he used to receive birthday cards from 'Aunt Emma' and that might or might not mean some other kind of deception. It's a bit of a mystery.

Thank you for your advice on posting replies. I hope I've got it right now.
Penny

Have you looked for a marriage for Emma?



Roy

Hi Roy

I have, but I haven't found one yet, either with the name Howard, or Morris if she took her stepfather's name.

Penny

Their are quite a lot of marriages for Emma Howard's in the London/ Middlesex area so would be difficult to track her down without more info assuming she did get married

Roy

All possible marriages?

Emma Howard Jul-Aug-Sep 1881 Pancras London

Emma Howard Jul-Aug-Sep 1881 St Saviour Southwark London

Emma Howard Oct-Nov-Dec 1881 Wandsworth London

Emma Howard Jul-Aug-Sep 1882 Bethnal Green London

Emma Howard Jul-Aug-Sep 1882 Holbron London

Emma Howard Jul-Aug-Sep 1883 Mile End Old Town London

Emma Howard Jan-Feb-Mar 1885 Mile End Old Town London

Emma Howard Apr-May-Jun 1885 St Saviour Southwark London

Emma Howard Jan-Feb-Mar 1888 Holbron London

Emma Howard Apr-May-Jun 1889 Lambeth London

Emma Howard Jul-Aug-Sep 1889 Shoreditch London

Emma Howard Jul-Aug-Sep 1889 London City London

Emma Howard Jul-Aug-Sep 1889 Holbron London

Emma Howard Oct-Nov-Dec 1889 Lambeth London

Emma Howard Jan-Feb-Mar 1890 Bethnal Green London

Emma Howard Oct-Nov-Dec 1890 Lambeth London

Emma Howard Oct-Nov-Dec 1890 Bethnal Green London


Roy

Hi Roy

Thanks for the list, I think that the fact that there are so many marriages is why I haven't managed to find one for Emma yet, not wanting to spend a lot on possible certificates and getting many wrong. But what I will do is try and locate marriages for her siblings, which might then give me a clue to the most likely area for her marriage to take place and then try and knock one off this list.

Penny