help in researching the familyand life of Alice Barnes(bishop/scammell)1865-1954
By jojo732
@jojo732 (294)
November 14, 2010 8:25am CST
Hi my-lotters
I am doing my family history research and I wonder if any of you can help me? I am trying to find out about the family of Alice Barnes(bishop/Scammell). She was born in 1865, in the 1891 census it says she is living in London and is married(?) to a man called Henry Bishop with a daughter called Alice who is 4 years old, and a daughter called rosina harriet(my great grandmother)who is one year old.
In the 1901 census it shows her living in London with a joseph Barnes husband(?) her daughter Alice who is shown as a 'servant girl',rosina harriet,and a son called henry.They are all shown with the surname of Barnes. However I can not find a marriage of alice scammell to a henry bishop or a marriage of alice bishop to a joseph barnes.
It seems she moved around quite a lot. She died in her eighties in 1954,she was living in London with a family called willis. her daughter alice, who was usingthe surname willis,(but again I can not find a marriage of alice bishop/barnes marrying a willis),registered her mothers death.
I have found out through the bdm records that my great grandmother rosina harriet died in 1916 at the age of 27, She did not marry my grandmothers father and on her death certificate she is shown as living in london and working as a waitress. Her mother alice registered her death.
I do not know what happened to the son henry barnes(bishop).
Rosinas' daughters surname is shown as cameron on my mothers birth certificate,the fathers name is left blank so I know she did notmarry my mothers father. So i
assume my grandmother was adopted into a family called cameron after her mothers death.
My grandmother died at the age of 27, and mymother was brought up by alice barnes senior.
My mother did not know about alice having her three children with henry bishop,my mother always just called her' granny barnes.,'
Okay thats a lot of info but what I am trying to find out about is the life and family of alice barnes(bishop/scammell) 1865-1954
If any mylotters can help, thank you.
jojo732
4 responses
@jwfarrimond (4473)
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14 Nov 10
Have you located Alice in the 1881 and 1871 census's? That should give information about her family. Or located her birth / baptismal record? How about the birth / baptismal records of the children? The Free BMD website can help with locating them. Also you seem to uncertain as to her status in the 1891 and 1901 census. These should give the relationship (if any) to the head of the household. I think that adoption records are also available, though I'm not sure if they are online - Perhaps on Ancestry.
@jojo732 (294)
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14 Nov 10
Hi
Thank you for your response.
I will go online and see if I can find her in either the 1871 or 1881census.
both the 1891 and 1901 census show her as being the wife of both henry bishop 1891, and the wife of joseph bishop in 1901.
I can not find a marriage entry for her to either man. I shall keep looking through records though.
Thank you for your advice.
Have a great day.
jojo732
@jwfarrimond (4473)
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14 Nov 10
Its possible that Henry and Joseph Bishop were one and the same man with a name such as Henry Joseph or Joseph Henry. The census returns quite often did not give the full name. If that's the case, it may explain why you've not been able to find a marriage.
Another thing that you can look for is I think that the 1891 census says how long they were married for. That will give you a small number of years to search for a marriage if there is one. Again, Free BMD is the best place to do a search.
@MAllen400 (829)
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14 Nov 10
Hi I have just found the brilliant site that we used. It is an American site but dont be put off by that. Please try this site first for marriages etc
www.familysearch.org/eng/default.asp
It is a very helpful site. keep me informed as I would love to know how you get on with this site
@jazzsue58 (2666)
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14 Nov 10
As a very last resort, you could try a solicitor who specialises in probate research. A lot of people die intestate and family members have to be tracked down, which is why they exist - but since Heir Hunters made genealogical research fashionable they often research family trees.
They may be a bit expensive, but Fraser and Fraser in London (and people like them) get results where everything else has failed. They actual have freelancers who methodically visit eg town halls, grave yards etc to collect info.
I did it for a while in Horley. Back killing work!
@MAllen400 (829)
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14 Nov 10
Hello JoJo. Have you been to Kew in London to find out anything about your family? You can telephone them and for a small fee ask them if they will have a look at their records for you.
I know you might say this is a daft question but you are sure that you have the correct people? We got side tracked doing our family tree when another family had all the same Christian names and some surnames as ours and it sent us off entirely on the wrong track.
I would love to know how you get on.
@jojo732 (294)
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14 Nov 10
Hi
thanks for your response. My mother always believed that the woman she called granny barnes was only ever married to joseph barnes, I only found out about Alice being married to henry bishop when I asked a researcher at what used to be the family records office in middleton street in London for help in trying to find out about alice and her marriage to joseph barnes.
the researcher came back in five minutes with the surprising details in the 1891 census of alice being married previously to Henry who she had three children with. As i said I have been unable to find her marriage to either man.
Thank you for the suggestion about Kew and paying a fee for their help that's a good idea. I shall contact them to find out the cost.I will definately let you know how the research goes.
It does seem to be taking many twists and turns.
Have a great day.
jojo732
