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I am trying to trace my fathers side of the family

ProfilePosted byOptionsPost Date

Doreen

Doreen Report 24 Feb 2011 16:28

Henry George Brown was born in 1855 and died in 1916 in South Africa. He was a builer from Frome, Somerset. He went to South Africa in 1880 and was appointed clerk of buplic workds department, Grahamstown. He married Sarah Jane Williamson on 16 April 1883 at Dougla, South Africa. Sarah Jane Williamson was born in 1855 and died 1963. They had 6 children- William, Henry Walter (My grandfather), Maey, Dora, Hetty and Phillip.
Please can anyone help with my search?
Thank you.
Doreen

brummiejan

brummiejan Report 24 Feb 2011 16:33

What is it you are after Doreen, as you seem to have quite a lot of info already?

If looking for South Afriacan records you need to change your heading to say that.

Jan

brummiejan

brummiejan Report 24 Feb 2011 16:38

Might he have been born elsewhere? This one's father is a master builder:

1871 England Census

Name: Henry Geo Brown
Age: 14
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1857
Relation: Son
Father's Name: William Geo Brown
Gender: Male
Where born: Isleworth, Middlesex, England
Civil parish: Frome
Ecclesiastical parish: Frome
Town: Frome
County/Island: Somerset
Country: England
Registration district: Frome
Sub-registration district: Frome

William Geo Brown 43
Mary Jane Brown 16
Henry Geo Brown 14
Emily Dora Brown 10
Herbert Geo Brown 8
Annie Lydia Brown 7
Sophia Gough 28
Priscilla Hall 20


Doreen

Doreen Report 24 Feb 2011 19:53

Hi Jan
Thanks for your information. I am looking for the ancestors of Henry George Brown. This could be his father as Henry was a builder and so was my father, so could be through the generations.
This is great, thanks.
Doreen

brummiejan

brummiejan Report 24 Feb 2011 22:09

As you know the date of his marriage, i wonder if you have more details? I'm thinking father's name!
jan

brummiejan

brummiejan Report 24 Feb 2011 22:12

Looks like the William George above:

881 England Census

Name: William G. Brown
Age: 52
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1829
Relation: Head
Gender: Male
Where born: Frome, Somerset, England

Civil parish: Frome
County/Island: Somerset
Country: England

Street Address: Fromefield
Condition as to marriage: Widow

Occupation: Builder & Surveyor

Registration district: Frome
Sub-registration district: Frome

William G. Brown 52
Herbert G. Brown 18
Anne L. Brown 17
George Jackson 15
Elinor Rodham 40
Caroline Hamblin 20

brummiejan

brummiejan Report 24 Feb 2011 22:14

1861 England Census

Name: Henry George Brown
Age: 4
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1857
Relation: Son
Father's Name: William George Brown
Mother's Name: Jane Clisold Brown
Gender: Male
Where born: Isleworth, Middlesex, England

Civil parish: Frome
Ecclesiastical parish: St John
Town: Frome
County/Island: Somerset
Country: England

Registration district: Frome
Sub-registration district: Frome

William George Brown 33
Jane Clisold Brown 34
Mary Jane Brown 6
Henry George Brown 4
Emily Dora Brown 11 MO

brummiejan

brummiejan Report 24 Feb 2011 22:16

Marriages Jun 1853 (>99%)
Brown William George Frome 5c 974
Daniell Jane Clisold Frome 5c 974

brummiejan

brummiejan Report 24 Feb 2011 22:19

I should show you this one, but for what it's worth I think the other Henry is much more likely to be yours:

1861 England Census

Name: Henry Brown
Age: 4
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1857
Relation: Son
Father's Name: Richard Brown
Mother's Name: Sarah Brown
Gender: Male
Where born: Frome, Somerset, England

Civil parish: Frome
Ecclesiastical parish: Holy Trinity
Town: Frome
County/Island: Somerset

Registration district: Frome
Sub-registration district: Frome

Richard Brown 40
Sarah Brown 32
Thomas Brown 10
Henry Brown 4
George Brown 3 6 MO
George Night 20


This might be the above Henry 1881 which excludes him from the search:

1881 England Census

Name: Henry Brown
Age: 23
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1858
Relation: Soldier
Gender: Male
Where born: Frome, Somerset, England

Civil parish: Colchester St Giles
County/Island: Essex
Country: England

Street Address: Artillery Barracks St Giles
Education:

Employment status:

View image
Occupation: Soldier

Registration district: Colchester
Sub-registration district: Colchester First Ward
ED, institution, or vessel: Artillery Barracks

Doreen

Doreen Report 24 Feb 2011 22:48

Hi Jan
The first 1881 census looks like it could be him. I don't have any details about him apart from what I wrote about Henry George Brown.
So far so good.
That is great. Thanks again for your input = much appreciated.
Doreen

brummiejan

brummiejan Report 24 Feb 2011 22:59

The only way to be 100% certain as always is to obtain a birth or marriage cert. However, there is no Henry George Brown born in Frome around 1857 and along with the occupation common sense says this is the right one.
Not as bad as it should have been with that name - just thankful they weren't labourers!!
Jan

Doreen

Doreen Report 9 Mar 2011 22:05

Thanks. Will look into that.. All on hold for the mo.
Will be in touch
Doreen

David

David Report 1 Feb 2012 03:37

Doreen, I am descended from a brother of Henry George BROWN of Frome. I have quite a bit of family history. Henry was born in Isleworth, as was his oldest sister. It appears that the parents went there for about 3 years, possibly on a building project, before returning to Frome. Henry was baptised in Frome on the 23 Jul 1856. There was an unrelated Henry baptised in 1857 as mentioned above, who became a soldier.
Our Henry disappeared from the records in Frome after 1871. I have speculated that he left with his cousin, who has been traced to South Africa.
Henry George BROWN was definitely in South Africa in 1914, as he is mentioned in the will of his step-mother, and was supposed to be living in Auckland Park, Johannesburg.

I've been looking for Henry for a long time and am happy to share family history.
David

jax

jax Report 1 Feb 2012 03:51

Hi David welcome to the boards

Doreen posted this nearly a year ago so may not be checking for replies

If you click on her name you can send a private message and as long as her email address is the same she will recieve it

jax

David

David Report 1 Feb 2012 07:56

Thanks Jax, have used the email facility now.
A correction to my post, the Will was written in 1912, the step-mother died in 1914. HGBs father had died in 1911 and left everything to his second wife.
The names of HGBs children are similar to his family names, William his father and grandfather, Walter was an uncle, Mary his grandmother, Dora a sister, not sure about the others but it gives a feeling of a connection to the 1856 HGB. The 1857 Henry Brown of Frome, did apparently go to SA as a soldier, I was told there's a reference on another research site, so it is not 100% certain about whether the connection is HGB or HB.
David