Genealogy Chat

Hi All

Happy New Year!

I am trying to find some information about the relationship between Walter Eli Bedder and Albert Edward Shear.

Walter was born in 1859 and married Charlotte Shear.

Charlotte was the sister of William Shear who married Mary Jane Bowes.

According to birth records William and Mary had a son called Albert Edward Shear in 1888, who later changed his name to Albert Edward Shear Bedder.

Albert married Lucy Jones at St Michael, Great Lever, Lancashire on 5 August 1911 and in the marriage details he listed Walter Eli Bedder as his father.

Albert was born in 1888 and his mother (Mary Jane) died in 1888. Albert had 2 younger siblings, born 1884 & 1886.

I'm looking for any advice or suggestion on how I might be able to find out more about Albert's name change from Shear to Shear Bedder\Bedder. Would I find any mention of name changes in any official records? Can anyone point me in the direction of where I might find this kind of information?

Thanks in advance

Steve

According to Findmypast birth records Bedder was Albert's middle name:-


Name: SHEAR, Albert Bedder
Registration district: Chorlton
County: Lancashire
Year of registration: 1888
Quarter of registration: Jul-Aug-Sep
Mother's maiden name: Not available before 1911 Q3
Volume no: 8C
Page no: 705

Have you actually got this birth certificate to see who is named as his parents? Could it be that he was illegitimate and he later found that "Bedder" was his father's surname and so decided to use it as his own surname when he was older?

Kath. x

It looks to me that Charlotte Bedder was Albert's mother. There is this 1891 census record:-

1891 census transcription details for: 1, Charnock Street, Preston

National Archive Reference:
RG number: RG12
Piece: 3437
Folio: 99
Page: 19
Reg. District: Preston
Sub District: St Peter
Parish: Preston
Enum. District: 13
Ecclesiastical District: St Thomas
City/Municipal Borough: Preston

Address: 1, Charnock Street, Preston
County: Lancashire

Name Relation Condition Sex Age Birth Year Occupation , Disability Where Born

FAWCITT, Phoebe Head Single F 48 1843 Grocer
Muldom Ireland
FAWCITT, Mary Sister Single F 38 1853 Grocer
Muldom Ireland
HORNBY, Elizabeth Servant Single F 15 1876 Servant
Arken, Cumberland
BEDDER, Charlotte Visitor Married F 39 1852 Confectioner
Barbados, West Indies<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
BEDDER, Albert Visitor M 2 1889<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Manchester

Kath. x

Shown as son in 1901:

BEDDER, Charlotte Head Widow F 49 1852 Confectioner Barbades Indies British Subject
BEDDER, Albert Son Single M 12 1889 Manchester, Lancashire
WILSON, Sarah Servant Married F 25 1876 Assistant Confectioner
Ramsay, Isle of Man
CROPPER, Frances Servant Single F 20 1881 Cook Domestic Manchester, Lancashire

Piece: 3816 Folio: 34 Page: 11
Registration District: Oldham
Civil Parish: Oldham

Address: 192, Union Street, Oldham County: Lancashire

This looks like the same Charlotte and Albert in the 1911 census:-

1911 census transcription details for: 192 Union Street Oldham

National Archive Reference:
RG14PN24443 RG78PN1403 RD469 SD1 ED5 SN104
Reg. District: Oldham
Sub District: Oldham East
Parish: Oldham
Enum. District: 5

Address: 192 Union Street Oldham
County: Lancashire

Name Relation Condition/
Yrs married Sex Age Birth Year Occupation Where Born

BEDDER, Charlotte Head Widow F 59 1852 Confectionery Barbadin Street India (this actually says Barbados, West Indies on the image)
BEDDER, Albert Son Single M 22 1889 Confectioner Assists Lancs Manchester
ATKIN, Maria Frances Servant Single F 68 1843 Cook Lancs Manchester

Kath. x

There was an Albert Edward Bedder born about same time:

England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915
Name: Albert Edward Bedder
Date of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep 1888
Registration district: Hinckley
Inferred County: Leicestershire
Volume: 7a
Page: 69

Have they got commingled?

What makes you think that William Shear and Mary Jane Bowes were Albert's parents?

Do you have any certificates to back up your thinking?

Kath. x

And the marriage for reference:

Marriage: 5 Aug 1911 St Michael, Great Lever, Lancashire, England
Albert Edward Shear Bedder - 23 Grocer Bachelor of 37 Great Jackson Street. St Mark's, West Gorton, Manchester
Lucy Jones - 23 School Teacher Spinster of 328 Crescent Road
Groom's Father: Walter Eli Bedder, Deceased, Baker & Confectioner
Bride's Father: Joseph Jones, Deceased, Chemist
Witness: Joseph Jones; Edward Jones; Alice Higson
Married by Banns by: Mathew Patterson, Rector
Register: Marriages 1907 - 1924, Page 55, Entry 109
Source: LDS Film 2113085

I'm guessing that the 1888 Chorlton birth has an error.

Hi ALl,

Thanks for the responses and information - you guys are great! :-D

I don't have a birth certificate for Albert that ultimatley what I am looking for so I can find out who his mother & father actually are. I've been going off what relatives have told me and from the information that I could find on GR which was that Albert was born 1888 as Albert Edward Shear, and then later changed his name to Albert Edward Shear Bedder, as shown on the marriage certificate to Lucy Jones. They had 5 children, one of whom was my Granddad.

However, I know that the info regarding the parents is not necessarily correct but to date has been the only info I could get my hands on (I'm relatively new to genealogy).

The census detail is very interesting, and also adds more to a piece I got from a relative about someone being born in the West Indies.

Thanks again for your help

Steve

Do you know where the family came from?

If they were from the Lancashire area then I think the birth for Albert Bedder Shear is the correct birth certificate.

If they came from the Leicestershire area then you might have to think about the Leicestershire birth, but personally I think the Lancashire one is the more likely. I don't know where the Edward came from as a middle name on his marriage certificate unless it was a name added at baptism which sometimes happened.

If you are using GR for your research you might be better to use Findmypast as I think you will get better results.

Kath. x

Lancashire Marriage indexes for the years: 1883
Surname Forename(s) Surname Forename(s) Church / Register Office Registers At Reference
BEDDER Walter E SHEAR Charlotte Liverpool, St. Peter Liverpool 2122LP/76/173

Lancashire Birth indexes for the years: 1888
Surname Forename(s) Sub-District Registers At Mother's Maiden Name Reference
SHEAR Albert Bedder Ardwick Manchester ARD/220/90


1881 England Census
Civil parish: Leicester St Mary
County/Island: Leicestershire
Country: England
Street Address: 1 West Bridge Sq
Registration district: Leicester
Sub-registration district: West Leicester
ED, institution, or vessel: 28
Neighbors: View others on page
Source Citation: Class: RG11; Piece: 3176; Folio: 15; Page: 24; GSU roll: 1341758.

George H. Johnson 53 Wigston, Leicestershire, England Head M Confectioner
Maria S. Johnson 43 Litchfield, Staffordshire, England Wife M
Ada M. Johnson 14 Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, England Daughter Scholar
John T. Grove 7 Leicestershire, England Nephew Scholar
Annie E. Atkins 17 Leicestershire, England Assistant U Assistant Confectioner
Margaret Cummings 17 Stanford, Lincoln, England Ser U Servant Dom
Samuel Berridge 24 Dunton Bassett, Leicestershire, England Lodger U Shoe Mans Assistant
Harry Withnale 20 Reading, Berkshire, England Lodger U Pervision Nary Assistant
Walter E. Bedder 22 Bedworth, Warwickshire, England Assistant U Assistant to Con



1891 England Census Transcription
County:Lancashire
Street:28 SOUTH ROAD
Parish:GREAT CROSBY
Town:WATERLOO
Ecclesiastical District:CHRISTCHURCH
Municipal Ward:
Parliamentary Borough:SOUTHPORT
Registration District:WEST DERBY
Registration Sub-District 5A Crosby
Enumeration District:1
Archive Reference:RG12 Piece Number:2982 Folio:7 Page:8

WALTER E BEADES[BEDDER] 1859 32 Bedworth, Warwickshire HEAD M Baker & Confectioner
ELLEN SWEETING 1869 22 Swansea, Glamorganshire SERVANT S General Servant (Domestic)
JOHN E H GILL 1873 18 Waverley, Northants LODGER S Clerk
MARION BOWIE 1866 25 Preston, Lancashire ASSISTANT S Confectioner's Assistant
FREDK R SHEAR 1873 18 Fleetwood, Lancashire CONFECTIONER S Confectioner

Fred is possibly a nephew of Charlotte.
Using http://www.lancashirebmd.org.uk/
Lancashire Marriage indexes for the years: 1871
Surname Forename(s) Surname Forename(s) Church / Register Office Registers At Reference
SHEAR John RODWAY Elizabeth Agnes Old Fylde Register Office or Registrar Attended Blackpool OFY/8/61

Lancashire Birth indexes for the years: 1872
Surname Forename(s) Sub-District Registers At Mother's Maiden Name Reference
SHEAR Frederick Rodway Poulton-le-Fylde Blackpool RODWAY PLF/28/26

Lancashire Birth indexes for the years: 1874
Surname Forename(s) Sub-District Registers At Mother's Maiden Name Reference
SHEAR Charlotte Mary Newchurch Preston RODWAY NEW/55/76

Lancashire Birth indexes for the years: 1875
Surname Forename(s) Sub-District Registers At Mother's Maiden Name Reference
SHEAR Pauline Lilly A Oldham Below Town Oldham RODWAY OBT/108/130


1881 England Census
Civil parish: Salford
County/Island: Lancashire
Country: England
Street Address: 19 Adelphi Pl
Registration district: Salford
Sub-registration district: Greengate
ED, institution, or vessel: 1
Source Citation: Class: RG11; Piece: 3957; Folio: 24; Page: 41; GSU roll: 1341945.

John Shear 32 Gibralter (British Subject) Head
Elizabeth A. Shear 33 Birmingham, Warwickshire, England Wife
Frederick R. Shear 8 Fleetwood, Lancashire, England Son
Pauline L. A. Shear 5 Oldham, Lancashire, England Daughter
Edith M. Shear 4 Salford, Lancashire, England Daughter
Mary E. C. Shear 2 Salford, Lancashire, England Daughter
John L. M. Shear 1 Salford, Lancashire, England Son

Seeing as they've moved to Salford (Greengate), I guess we can add:
Lancashire Birth indexes for the years: 1877
Surname Forename(s) Sub-District Registers At Mother's Maiden Name Reference
SHEAR Edith M Salford Greengate Salford GRE/122/18

Lancashire Birth indexes for the years: 1878
Surname Forename(s) Sub-District Registers At Mother's Maiden Name Reference
SHEAR Mary Ethebreda Clare Salford Greengate Salford GRE/126/76

Lancashire Birth indexes for the years: 1880
Surname Forename(s) Sub-District Registers At Mother's Maiden Name Reference
SHEAR John Aloysius Mark Salford Greengate Salford GRE/130/10

Lancashire Birth indexes for the years: 1881
Surname Forename(s) Sub-District Registers At Mother's Maiden Name Reference
SHEAR James A Salford Greengate Salford GRE/133/82



1901 England Census Transcription
County:Leicestershire
Street:TALBOT STREET
Parish:WHITWICK
Town:WHITWICK
Ecclesiastical District:WHITWICK ST ANDREWS
Municipal Ward:WHITWICK OR NORTH
Parliamentary Borough:MID OR LOUGHBOROUGH
Registration District:ASHBY DE LA ZOUCH
Registration Sub-District: Whitwick
Enumeration District:19
Archive Reference:RG13 Piece Number:2974 Folio:139 Page:35

HANNAH DAWKINS 1831 70 Breedon on Hill, Leicester HEAD M Sweet Shop
WALTER BEDDER 1862 39 Bedworth, Warwick BOARDER M Baker (Bread Mkr)
ARTHUR CROSS 1874 27 Nottingham, Notts BOARDER S Baker (Bread Mkr)


Walter is dec'd by 5/8/1911 per Albert's marr, so maybe this one:
Deaths Sep 1910 (>99%)
Bidder Walter E 51 Peterbro 3b 102

Hi All,

Just got back my parents where they gave me 2 envelopes full of birth, marriage and death certificates, plus lots if other old photos and documents. It's a real treasure trove of information............but unfortunately the info I want to find isn't in there.

What is in there thoughshows.....

Albert E Bedder Shear was born 19th June 1888 and registered in Chorlton with that name with the parents William Shear and Mary Jane Shear nee Bowes

His baptism certificate from Feb 12th 1908 he was baptised Albert E Bedder

His marriage certificate to Lucy Jones shows his name as Albert Edward Shear Bedder and his father as Walter Eli Bedder

There is also a document which says Albert changed his name on Dec 18th 1935 at the Supreme Court and renounced the name Shear

Now, another interesting bit of info is that Alberts mother died the same year as Albert was born, I'm currently trying to see if I can find a death certificate for Mary to see if the dates of Alberts birth and Mary's deat coincide. Did Mary die in child birth and Albert went to live with Charlotte Shear and Walter Eli Bedder?

[Update] Mary's death is registered in Q3 of 1888

?????

Cheers

Steve

Even though Mary's death was in the quarter after Albert's birth she could still have died because of complications following the birth.

My grandmother died 6 weeks after the birth of her last child but the death was as a result of peritonitis caused by childbirth.

Kath. x

I agree Kath, I think the dates are far too close together to be unrelated - Q2 ends in June, Q3 begins in July,

There is very little documentation\evidence that I can find anywhere about Mary, Albert and Walter.

I guess I will keep searching

Thanks

Steve

http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/boards/board/genealogy_chat/thread/1317528