Genealogy Chat

You say you don't know how old your grandfather was when adopted by the Moseleys - have you been able to find him with them in either or both the 1901 and 1911 censuses? Did he change his forenames as well as his surname?

I realise as Kath says that Emily could have come from anywhere, but am just posting this speculative baptism:

Name: Emily Turner
Baptism Date: 25 May 1879
Archive Provided Parish: Farnham, St Andrew
Parish as it Appears: Farnham
Father: William Turner
Mother: Ann Turner
Reference Number: FA/4/4

Father was a labourer. Abode looks something like Factory Gash.

I think this is the same family in 1891. Although the wife is 'Mary', on the actual image it could just as easily be 'Nan', which is interchangeable with Ann.


1891 England, Wales & Scotland Census

Factory Yard, Farnham, Surrey, England

William Turner Head Married Male 59 1832 Labourer Portsmouth, Hampshire, England
Mary Turner Wife Married Female 56 1835 - Surrey, England
William Turner Son Married Male 29 1862 Labourer Farnham, Surrey, England
Emily Turner Daughter Single Female 12 1879 - Farnham, Surrey, England
Elizabeth R Turner Daughter Single Female 9 1882 - Farnham, Surrey, England
Joseph Warner Lodger Widower Male 65 1826 Labourer Farnham, Surrey, England

I think she is the Emilie Turner here with widowed mother Ann in 1901. Interestingly, Emilie is described as 'married' but still has the surname Turner. The L in Elizabeth L Turner could just as easily be read as R on the census image.


1901 England, Wales & Scotland Census

48, East Street, Farnham, Surrey, England

Ann Turner Head Widow Female 64 1837 - Farnham, Surrey, England
Emilie Turner Daughter Married Female 22 1879 - Farnham, Surrey, England
Elizabeth L Turner Daughter Single Female 19 1882 - Farnham, Surrey, England

This is totally speculative though.

The Elwes family own Elsham Hall in Lincolnshire and have these names in their trees.I think they were mainly a Catholic family. My grandad told me he had been adopted and his birth name,which always fascinated me.I never asked how old he was when he was adopted or why. When my grandad married my grandmother,they had one daughter.

Neither of them went to church but for some reason they sent my mother to a convent school in Nottingham.Nobody ever mentioned it and nobody ever asked.

Hello to all of you and Thankyou.It says on birth cert,No.383,twenty fifth January 1898,39,Lysons Road,Aldershot,Hants. Name,Gervase Valentine,Boy. Name of father,Gervase Lincoln. Mother Emily Lincoln,formerly Turner. Occupation of father,General Labourer. Under signature,description,residence of informant,E.Lincoln,Mother,39,Lysons Road,Aldershot. When registered,Nineteenth of February,1898. Registrar,Geo.Klenson.I cannot find a marriage certificate anywhere and phoned the church nearest to Lysons Road but they haven't phoned me back.
I cannot find the father Gervase Lincoln on any census or any military link,so maybe that wasn't his real name. I often wondered if my grandads real mother,got pregnant by a member of the Elwes family,in the army and called the baby Gervase Valentine and used Lincoln as the surname .Possibly ,as from Lincolnshire.He was very happily brought up by the Moseleys and fought in WW1,I have his medals.

Is this the family you mean with Gervase and Valentine in their tree in the 1901 census? :-

1901 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
The Manor House, 7, Bigby Street, Glanford Brigg, Lincolnshire, England

First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status Gender Age Birth year Occupation Birth place

Gervase Cary-Elwes Head Married Male 34 1867 D L J P Living On Own Means Northamptonshire, England
Winefride Cary-Elwes Wife Married Female 32 1869 - Flintshire, Wales
Rudolph Cary-Elwes Son - Male 9 1892 - Lincolnshire, England
Guy Cary-Elwes Son - Male 5 1896 - Belgium
Valentine Cary-Elwes Son - Male 2 1899 - Brigg, Lincolnshire, England
Mary Feilding Niece - Female 13 1888 - Ireland
Dorothy Feilding Niece - Female 11 1890 - Warwickshire, England
Samuel Sproston Servant Single Male 22 1879 Tutor Southampton, Hampshire, England
Terisa Flannery Servant Single Female 26 1875 Cook Domestic Ireland
Emily Brock Servant Single Female 35 1866 Nurse Domestic Lincolnshire, England
Mary Hunt Servant Single Female 32 1869 Housemaid Domestic East Hendred, Berkshire, England
Kate Bones Servant Single Female 25 1876 Laundry Maid Domestic Hull, Yorkshire, England 30 1871 Ladys Maid Domestic Lincolnshire, England
Mary Dornacher Servant Single Female 29 1872 Ladys Maid Domestic France
Mabel Hudson Servant Single Female 18 1883 Parlour Maid Domestic Great Bowden, Leicestershire, England
Ellen Gibbs Servant Single Female 20 1881 Kitchen Maid Domestic Hanley Castle, Worcestershire, England
Mary Jolly Servant Single Female 15 1886 Nursery Maid Domestic Northamptonshire, England

Does Gervase Valentine Lincoln's mother have any connection to this family?

Could she have "made up" a name to hide the true facts of his birth or was his father named on the birth certificate? The fact that he was born in Farnham doesn't mean a lot as his mother could have come from anywhere.

My grandmother came from Lincolnshire and when she was disowned by her family for getting pregnant out of wedlock in 1911 she ended up in Farnham in the workhouse and her baby was born there. My grandmother married my grandfather, who was in the army, the following year and her son was known by his surname all his life.

Kath. x

What does his birth cert say about his mother's name/maiden name, and his father's occupation? Was his father in the military?

Birth Reg. district Farnham covers Aldershot which is in Hampshire

England & Wales births 1837-2006 Transcription

First name(s) GERVASE VALENTINE
Last name LINCOLN
Birth year 1898
Birth quarter 1
Registration month -
Mother's last name -
District FARNHAM
County Surrey
Country England
Volume 2A
Page 117

What is his actual DOB?

My grandfather was born Gervase Valentine Lincoln in Lysons Road,Aldershot.He was given for adoption,I have phoned the councils in that area to see if they had any records of these informal adoptions.They don't hold any records pre 1927.I have his birth certificate.He was adopted by a couple from Nottingham who owned a rope and twine works.
A family here in Lincolnshire had lots of Gervase or Valentine or Valentine Gervase,in their family.(Elwes)
I have looked at all the censuses about his real father who was called Gervase Lincoln but cannot find anything.Anyone any ideas,please.Rita