Genealogy Chat

thanks for that Rebecca have a nice lunch !!!!

dont worry Merry I dont want to hold you on here all day , I cannot find him on any census ever not before or after he married

So, unless he was lying you would expect him to have been born earlier than 1850...... What does he say in 1871 etc? Merry

yes one of the certs is for a mother Sarah keen and father Samuel Keen 1850

I have his marriage cert for 1869 which clearly says John Thomas Keen full age son of John Samuel Keen Machine Ruler which is what he was , the witnesses were Henry Alfred Sigston and a Rebcecca Keen

hi Jim yes I saw that too I did originally have him down as C 23/5/1852 which is on LDS and what a rellie told me . Merry I have that cert its the wrong one I cannot seem to get the right one

According to the IGI the 1850 John Thomas Keen was the son of Samuel and Sarah Keen so not yours at all!!! Is that who was on the birth cert you bought? UPDATE Sorry, I see Jim already said that!! Merry

sorry its nearly lunch time - id best go and get something to eat and some fresh air! R

maybe john thomas wasnt hers? maybe she was looking after him for his mother untill big bad step daddy came along?!?

yes they did get legally adopted but as Merry points out and thanks for that bit of info as I didnt know that, but it was after the 1920's

Yes, I saw the 1843 John putting a spanner in the works! I thought you said you couldn't see a birth cert for John Thomas Keen????? (the Feb 1850 baby) Births Mar 1850 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Keen John Thomas Bethnal Gn 2 70 Or is that the cert you said was the wrong one? Maybe because your John was born in 1843????? How old was he when he married and on later census returns? Merry

I am confused(quite usual). Surely different parents? JOHN THOMAS KEEN Birth: 21 FEB 1850 Christening: 17 MAR 1850 Saint Leonards, Shoreditch, London, England ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Parents: Father: SAMUEL KEEN Family Mother: SARAH

Ive found a john keen'e' with an extra E on the end as below; KEENE, Frances Wife Married F 30 St Marylebone Middlesex KEENE, John Son M 11 Scholar St Pancras Middlesex KEENE, Frances Daughter F 7 Scholar St Pancras Middlesex KEENE, Arthur Son M 4 Surrey Blackfriers Rd Is it possible that with John not being MR Wallace's son he was sent to live with an Aunt or uncle? I've got one in the late 1800s where mum is living in shropshire, dad is living in Lancashire and their only son is staying with one of dads sisters in yorkshire and shows up as son even though he only suddenly appears aged 18 or so and disappears of mums census info? Dunno only a suggestion to confuse you even more - sorry

There was no legal adoption until 1927. I expect when Mary called herself Keen and everyone else called themselves Wallis there could have been a million and one reasons......maybe Mary saw the enumerator, maybe she didn't realise her sister had been a Keen too once, maybe she had had a row with Mr Wallis!! But I think it was quite common for people going by a step-parents surname to marry using their birth surname. Merry

thanks again Merry I wonder if that John born 1843 is my John ???? I shall investigate further I do appreciate your help.

really Rebecca did they get legally adopted then ???

ooh where did you find that Merry thanks so much , yes I agree its a muddle all I want is his birth cert seems impossible.

It's a bit tight isn't it?? Mrs Keen has a baby in Feb 1850 (John Thomas Keen) and then she has another baby, William Wallis, in November or so the same year???? What's going on? 1851 Eliza Wallis abt 1841 Daughter St Luke Old Street Middlesex Elizabeth Wallis abt 1811 Shoreditch, Middlesex, England Wife St Luke Old Street Middlesex John Wallis abt 1843 Bethnal Green, Middlesex, England Son St Luke Old Street Middlesex Mary Wallis abt 1838 Shoreditch, Middlesex, England Daughter St Luke Old Street Middlesex >>>>>>Richard Wallis abt 1847 Daughter St Luke Old Street Middlesex >>>>>William Wallis abt 1811 Shoreditch, Middlesex, England Head St Luke Old Street Middlesex William Wallis abt 1850 St Lukes, Middlesex, England Son St Luke Old Street Middlesex Richard is Rebecca born City and William is aged 5 months. And as you say, John Thomas has been abducted! Merry

Helloooo I dont know what happened with the son but yes a step father could have legally adopted children from his wifes previous marriage, its happened in my tree. Hope this helps? Rebecca

ooh Merry I realise that now I suppose I thought Mr Wallis was maybe his father, but I still cannot understand why I cannot find him on any census at all, where would he be.