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Can anybody help me please?

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Janet

Janet Report 8 Sep 2003 15:13

My gt grandfather, William Godfrey Foster (born 1828), married Sarah Maria Standing. I have her name on my grandfather's birth certificate - X, her mark. I can find no trace of her birth, or their marriage, nor can I find her on the 1881 census, although William G is shown as Married rather than Widowed. In the 1891 he is Widowed, so I have no other way of finding out where she was born. For several generations the Fosters seemed to live in the village of Bexley Heath in Kent, not moving out until just before my grandfather was born, so I imagine that she must have come from somewhere near there. Can anyone please give me any suggestions, I've tried Family Search and FreeBMD, as well as doing IGI Batch number searches. I did find 40 new Foster relations that way, but not Sarah Maria. In the meantime, I'll keep looking. Many thanks, Jan.

Mystified

Mystified Report 8 Sep 2003 19:56

She is unlikely to be in the GRO for her birth as I assume she was born before 1837. You will have to check Parish records for that. Re her death try 1837 online but that could work out expensive. Work backwards from 1891 for her death. Libraries usually carry these. Another way may be to ask for an 1871 census look up and she may be there with place of birth. John

*ღ*Dee in Bexleyheath*ღ*

*ღ*Dee in Bexleyheath*ღ* Report 8 Sep 2003 20:34

Hi Jan, I actually live in Bexleyheath, Kent....no longer a village I'm sorry to say!!! Bexleyheath is in the Borough of Bexley. Try typing Bexley into Google and go the the library section. The Central Library has a very good Family History centre, If I can help by looking anything up for you, I will give it a go...though I am very much a novice I'm afraid! Dierdre X

Janet

Janet Report 8 Sep 2003 20:55

Thanks for replying, John. I did ask earlier for a 1871 Kent look up, but nobody answered. Strangely, I've just found that a friend has moved to Bexley Heath, and she is going to go to the library for me tomorrow, so fingers crossed I might get some information after all. Diedre, I saw your message after I typed the above, thanks for your offer, if my friend doesn't find anything perhaps I might come back to you? Jan.

Mystified

Mystified Report 8 Sep 2003 20:59

Good luck, let us know how you are getting on John

Janet

Janet Report 9 Sep 2003 13:22

Not only did my friend find my gt grandmother on the 1871 (aged 42, born in Sydenham), but she also discovered a previously unknown eldest son William. So I am feeling very happy today. Jan.

Janet

Janet Report 9 Sep 2003 14:30

STILL can't find a record of her birth! Or their marriage. And to make matters worse, I've now found her son Walter on the 1881 census twice, once shown as age 13 and the other age 24, different addresses. One as son of Sarah and William G, and one as brother of William Jnr. Yet on the 1881 I've only found one, aged 20. I'll have a look and see if I can find the second Walter aged about 34. Jan.