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Hi,can anyone help please.
I have just recieved the marriage cert for george thompson m sophia geater cheltenham may 28th 1874.
His occupation says coachman. his age was 22yrs hers was 26yrs.
His father was Robert Thompson-Horse doctor.
Hers was Robert Geater- Malster

I cant find george or robert thompson in any census. I have no idea where they were born.
In the 1871 census there is a george thompson living at sophias address as a visitor but it says aged 14 , but according to his marriage age he would have been 19.

can anyone help please.
many thanks
sue

This looks like Sophia in 1881, but hubby is not there:-

Name: Sophia Thompson
Age: 30
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1851
Relation: Head
Gender: Female
Where born: Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England

Civil Parish: Cheltenham
County/Island: Gloucestershire
Country: England

Street address: 7 Burton Terrace
Condition as to marriage: Married

Occupation: Dressmaker

Registration district: Cheltenham
Sub registration district: Cheltenham
ED, institution, or vessel: 40
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members:
Name Age
Albert T. Thompson 3 born: Cheltenham
Harriot E. Thompson 2 wks born: Cheltenham
Robert G. E. Thompson 5 born: Cheltenham
Sophia Thompson 30

and in 1891 still no hubby?

Name: Sophia Thompson
Age: 48
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1843
Relation: Wife
Gender: Female
Where born: Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England

Civil Parish: Cheltenham
Ecclesiastical parish: St Mary
County/Island: Gloucestershire
Country: England

Occupation: Milk Seller

Registration district: Cheltenham
Sub registration district: Cheltenham
ED, institution, or vessel: 39
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members:
Name Age
Phillip Babbage 48 Boarder
Henry Creese 59 Boarder
Mary Gibble 48 Boarder
Thomas Nookes 74 Boarder
John Ornoby 28 Boarder
Albert T Thompson 13
Harriett E Thompson 10
Sophia Thompson 48
Mary Wood 37 Boarder

Hi catherine,
I have all the census for sophia geater and her husband is on none.

sue

The 1871 census you mentioned:-
Name: Sophia Gater
Age: 26
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1845
Relation: Daughter
Father's Name: Robert
Mother's Name: Elizabeth
Gender: Female
Where born: Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England
Civil Parish: St Mary
Ecclesiastical parish: St Mary
County/Island: Gloucestershire
Country: England
Occupation: Dressmaker

Registration district: Cheltenham
Sub registration district: Cheltenham
ED, institution, or vessel: 40
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 126
Household Members:
Name Age
Joseph Evans 35 - Lodger
Marry Evans 30 - Lodger
Charles Fletcher 19 - Visitor
Elizabeth Gater 50 born: Cheltenham
Robert Gater 60 born: Cheltenham
Sophia Gater 26
George Thompson 14 -1857- Visitor
(Labourer) born: Cheltenham

Maybe with him being so young, they lied about his age?
In 1881 census Harriet is only 2 weeks old, do you have her birth certificate? This will show if George was her father, if so then you know that he was at least still alive in 1880.

I've noticed in census returns if someone is noted as visitor it's usually because they are related in some way. Do you know if this is the case?

Hi catherine,
I have the birth cert for harriets brother albert. and george is his father.

I dont know if they were related or not, its a mystery to me, its like he vanished.
sue

these are the details on albert thomas thompsons birth cert.
twenty seventh october 1877 11 park street cheltenham

albert thomas
boy
father-george thompson- occupation-pork butcher
mother-sophia thompson-formerly geater
registered by mother -11 park street
date tenth december 1777

so that was 3 years after their marriage.

in 3 years hes gone from being a coachman to a pork butcher, and in 1871 was a labourer.

any ideas? please

sue

What we know:-

Marriage:-
Marriages Jun 1874 (>99%)
Geater Sophia Cheltenham 6a 770
Thompson George Cheltenham 6a 770

Birth for Robert:-
Births Jun 1875 (>99%)
THOMPSON Robert George E Cheltenham 6a439

Birth for Albert:-
Births Dec 1877
Thompson Albert Thomas Cheltenham 6a 447

Birth for Emily:-
Births Mar 1881 (>99%)
THOMPSON Harriet Emily Cheltenham 6a 455

George was born between 1852 (according to marriage cert.) and 1857 (according to 1871 census)

Possible births:-
Births Jun 1852 (>99%)
Thompson George Tewkesbury 6a 375

Births Jun 1853 (99%)
Thompson George Winbow Chipping S 6a 133

Births Sep 1854 (>99%)
Thompson George Bedminster 5c 742

Births Dec 1854 (>99%)
Thompson George Ross 6a 377

Births Jun 1856 (98%)
Thompson George Clifton 6a *

Births Jun 1858 (>99%)
Thompson George Bristol 6a 21
Thompson George William Stratford on A. 6d473

If he is the father of Harriett, then he must have been around in 1880.
Possible deaths taking in count age at time of death:-
Deaths Mar 1888 (99%)
THOMPSON George (29) Barton R. 6a 103

Deaths Mar 1889 (>99%)
Thompson George William M (36) Stratford 6d404

Deaths Jun 1890 (>99%)
Thompson George Winbow (37)Chipping S.6a115

I've looked on 1881 census and can find no sign.
Should maybe try finding him in 1861.

catherine,
i have followed several of the above births and its not him.
I have found a george thompson with father robert thompson, in sherston magna, malmesbury wiltshire,in 1861, says george was born in nettleton wilts, however...i cant find this george after, so could it be my george and when he went to cheltenham , on the 1871 he just put birth cheltenham for ease?
still doesnt help find where he was after that,

I have been told that a rumour in the family says that they owned a dairy in the late 1800's and early 1900's. It was called thompson's dairy and was in the lower high street cheltenham. But.. i cant find any record of that either.

sue
sue

In 1891 census Sophia is noted as "Milk Seller", so that would fit in with that!

In 1871 George was just a visitor, so probably didn't get a say in what was noted on the census record. Could be that the family didn't know exactly where he was born and put down what was easiest.
I've had people in my tree that change their birth place from census to census so it's not uncommon.

thats what i was thinking. So why cant i find him in any other census as either born cheltenham or wiltshire?
they seem to change jobs rapidly as well, in 1871 he was a labourer, 1874 a coachman then 1877 a pork butcher??
sue

I thought by following Sophia's family back there may be some kind of link. You probably have all this already but here it is anyway:-

1861
Name: Sophia Geater Age: 18 Birth Year: abt 1843
Relation: Daughter Father's Name: Robt
Mother's Name: Elizabeth Gender: Female
Where born: Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England Civil Parish: Cheltenham Ecclesiastical parish: St Mary County/Island: Gloucestershire Country: England
Registration district: Cheltenham Sub registration district: Cheltenham ED, institution, or vessel: 22 Neighbors:
Household schedule number: 28
Household Members:
Name Age
Charles Fletcher Nephew - born: Mason, Gloucestershire 3
Elizabeth Geater 1815 – Wife - born: Churston, Wiltshire (Dressmaker) 46
Robt Geater 1810 - born: Easington, Gloucestershire (Gardiner) 51
Sophia Geater 18
Susan Harris Boarder - born: Mason, Gloucestershire 79

1851
Name: Sophia Gater Age: 8 Birth Year: abt 1843
Relation: Daughter Father's Name: Robert
Mother's Name: Lizabeth
Gender: Female
Where born: Gloucestershire, England Civil Parish: Cheltenham County/Island: Gloucestershire Country: England
Registration district: Cheltenham Sub registration district: Cheltenham ED, institution, or vessel: 1w Neighbors: Household schedule number: 117 Household Members:
Name Age
Lizabeth Gater – 1815 born: Wiltshire 36
Robert Gater – 1811 born: Gloucestershire 40
Sophia Gater - 8
John Lidarded – 1833 - Relation: Brother-in-law - born: Wiltshire 18
Edwin Skullycomb Lodger 21
Ellena Trigg Lodger 19

Marriage:-
Marriages Jun 1838 (>99%)
GEATER Robert Dursley 11325
LYDIARD Elizabeth Dursley 11325
The district Dursley spans the boundaries of the counties of Gloucestershire and Wiltshire

The only real link with this is the "Wiltshire" link.

I must admit that I am a bit stumped on this one, sorry!

ha ha catherine, your stumped, ive been looking for him for last 6 years. i tell you, if he wasnt already dead, i would kill him if i ever found him lol.

i cant find a thompson link through either geater or lydiard.

ive gone back down the geater and lydiard line but i cant get past this flipping thompson.

thanks for you help tho, at least i know im not going mad................................................yet!
sue

oh oh oh oh i think i may have solved the mystery of the disappearing george thompson. well i think i know where he come from and the link to his wife sophia geater.
i think the one in sherston magna wilts is him, the father is robert and mother hannah.
Robert was in 1851 a coal hauler, 1861 a carrier, 1871 a labourer, 1881 farming 20 acres could this be able to call himself a horse doctor?
mother Hannah married robert thompson in 1840, her maiden name was lidyard born sherston magna wilts.
sophias father robert geater married an elizabeth liddiard from aldbourne wilts.

I have tried tracing the lidyards back and i think i have them linked in aldbourne in the 1730's.

so they were distantly related.
I also think they lied about their ages and when they married George thompson was 17 and sophia geater was 31. their first son robert george e thompson was born 8 months after the marriage.

i still have no idea where he went during the following censeses tho.
sue