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I am new to doing this. trying to find more information about my grand father, Born 7/12/1888. Married Florence Owen 4/4/1915 and had 3 children. this has been confirmed as correct by my father.
I have found records on the cencus about his father John William Dowdell and his family, however my father only remembers one brother and the cencus lists 4 siblings, can anyone help or give me some suggestions to find the correct information.

1901 England Census
about Henry Dowdell
Name: Henry Dowdell
Age: 13
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1888
Relation: Son
Father's Name: John W
Mother's Name: Fanny
Gender: Male
Where born: Hoxton, London, England

Civil parish: Shoreditch
Ecclesiastical parish: St Leonard Shoreditch
County/Island: London
Country: England

Street Address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Education:

Employment status:

View image

Registration district: Shoreditch
Sub-registration district: Shoreditch South
ED, institution, or vessel: 9
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 254
Household Members:
Name Age
John W Dowdell 65
Fanny Dowdell 53
Ada Dowdell 24
Philip Dowdell 20
Ellen Dowdell 15
Henry Dowdell 13
Frederick Dowdell 11

Is this the family?

1891 England Census
about John Dowdell
Name: John Dowdell
Age: 55
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1836
Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Fanny
Gender: Male
Where born: Horton, London, England

Civil parish: Shoreditch
Ecclesiastical parish: St Leonard
County/Island: London
Country: England

Street Address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Education:

Employment status:

View image

Registration district: Shoreditch
Sub-registration district: Shoreditch, South
ED, institution, or vessel: 15
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members:
Name Age
John Dowdell 55
Fanny Dowdell 45
Elizabeth Dowdell 16
Albert Dowdell 11
Phillip Dowdell 9
Ellen Dowdell 5
Henry Dowdell 3
Fredrick Dowdell 8/12
William Riches 78

View Record
Florence Dowdell Jul Aug Sep 1916 Bethnal G Greater London
View Record
Doris J Dowdell Oct Nov Dec 1919 Bethnal G Greater London
View Record
Stanley F Dowdell Apr May Jun 1921 Bethnal G Greater London
View Record
Leslie J Dowdell Jul Aug Sep 1924 Bethnal G Greater London

So Sharon your grandfather had more than 4 silblings, in fact 6. Some may have died young, or as your grandfather was one of the youngest perhaps he didn't mention older siblings. This happened in my husband's father's family. He only ever talked about the youngest 3 siblings, and my husband only ever knew them, but further research found 4 older siblings with whom we are now in touch.

The 1911 has Fanny Dowdell, a 63 year old widow, general help, b St Lukes living with Henry, 23, french polisher, b St Leonards Shoreditch, and Frederick, 20, labourer b St Leonards at 51 Harman Street, Hoxton N.
It states she had 12 children in all but 3 had died.

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1881 census transcription details for: 36, Hoxton Street, Shoreditch
National Archive Reference:
RG number: RG11 Piece: 386 Folio: 37 Page: 5

Reg. District: Shoreditch Sub District: St Leonard
Parish: Shoreditch Enum. District:
Ecclesiastical District: City/Municipal Borough:
Address: 36, Hoxton Street, Shoreditch
County: Middlesex
Name Relation Condition Sex Age Birth
Year Occupation ,
Disability Where Born
DOWDLE, John Head Married M 44 1837 Gas Fitter
Shoreditch
Middlesex
DOWDLE, Fanny Wife Married F 33 1848
St Luke
Middlesex
DOWDLE, Martha Daughter Single F 14 1867 Tie Maker
Shoreditch
Middlesex
DOWDLE, Alice Daughter Single F 12 1869 Scholar
Shoreditch
Middlesex
DOWDLE, John Son Single M 9 1872 Scholar
Shoreditch
Middlesex
DOWDLE, Elizabeth Daughter Single F 7 1874 Scholar
Shoreditch
Middlesex

DOWDLE, Ada Daughter Single F 5 1876 Scholar
Shoreditch
Middlesex
DOWDLE, Percy Son Single M 1 1880
Shoreditch
Middlesex
RICHARDS, William Father In Law Widower M 68 1813 Watch Maker
St Lukes
Middlesex





1871 census transcription details for: East Street, Shoreditch
National Archive Reference:
RG number: RG10 Piece: 453 Folio: 79 Page: 34

Reg. District: Shoreditch Sub District: Hoxton Old Town
Parish: Shoreditch Enum. District: 3
Ecclesiastical District: City/Municipal Borough:
Address: East Street, Shoreditch
County: London, Middlesex
Name Relation Condition Sex Age Birth
Year Occupation Where Born
DOWDELL, Fanny Head F 23 1848 Middlesex
DOWDELL, Martha Daughter F 4 1867 Middlesex
DOWDELL, Alice Daughter F 1 1870 Middlesex

Sharon hasn't replied to this one as yet:
http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/boards.asp?wci=thread&tk=1184600

Maureen

I got this from Sharon today.

Thank you for the information, could you just clarify was there 3 surviving childen or did 3 of the 12 die? Do you know any more information about these children.
From Sharon


Thanks Sharon. If you also just let us know how we're doing on the board as well...if you've seen our messages, if we've got the right family etc, it would be very much appreciated. Just click on the purple REPLY button at the top. :0)


Liz

To confirm Sharon, 9 children were still living in 1911.
These seem to be most of the family but birth certificates are needed to confirm. Not too sure who the other 2 children are though.


1) Births Mar 1867 (>99%)
Dowdell Fanny Martha Shoreditch 1c 152

2) Births Dec 1869 (>99%)
Dowdell Alice Susan Shoreditch 1c 121

3) Births Dec 1872 (>99%)
DOWDELL John William Shoreditch 1c 77

4) Births Sep 1874 (>99%)
Dowdell Elizabeth Emily Shoreditch 1c 67

5) Births Dec 1881
DOWDELL Philip Shoreditch 1c 102

6) Births Jun 1885 (>99%)
Dowdell Eleanor Shoreditch 1c 42

7) Births Mar 1888 (>99%)
DOWDELL Henry Herbert Shoreditch 1c 36

8) Births Sep 1890 (>99%)
Dowdell Frederick James Shoreditch 1c 43

9) Births Dec 1876 (>99%) ????
DOWDELL Florence Ada Holborn 1b 803

10) Births Jun 1879 (>99%) ????
Dowdell Albert Percy Holborn 1b 784 This one is wrong. His father is a plumber.

There are these births and deaths in the area, but again certificates are needed.
This information is easily found on freebmd.

Births Mar 1895 (>99%)
Dowdell Florence Annie Holborn 1b 743

Deaths Sep 1895 (>99%)
Dowdell Florence Annie 0 Holborn 1b 447

Births Dec 1889 (>99%)
Dowdell Nellie Holborn 1b 720

Deaths Dec 1889 (>99%)
Dowdell Nellie 0 Holborn 1b 458

Births Jun 1884 (>99%)
Dowdell Martha Shoreditch 1c 123

Deaths Sep 1884 (>99%)
Dowdell Martha 0 Shoreditch 1c 100


You could maybe narrow things down by finding out when John, the father, died and seeing which children got married.

Liz

I guess the answers were no good the first time around:


http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/boards.asp?wci=thread&tk=1184600


Sharon 21st October 2009 19:41
I am trying to find information about my grand parents - Harry dowdell & Florence Owen.They would have been born around 1890 in the london area, had 3 children, Doris, Stanley & leslie (born 1924). does anyone have any more information on them


Yup, a lot of people had quite a lot of information. When you post a question, it's wise to read and acknowledge the answers you get. And not then start another thread that is about pretty much exactly the same thing, which there is a rule against.


Oops, just noticed that Maureen pointed out the same thing!

Right, here are births on ancestry. Will just check them for you.


Match quality: 2 out of 5 John William Dowdell Baptism 9 Jun 1872 John Dowdell,
Fanny Dowdell Saint Mark, Shoreditch Hackney
View Record

Match quality: 2 out of 5 Elizabeth Emily Dowdell Baptism 23 Aug 1874 John Wm Dowdell,
Fanny Dowdell Saint Mark, Shoreditch Hackney
View Record

Match quality: 2 out of 5 Philip Dowdell Baptism 30 Oct 1881 John William Dowdell,
Fanny Dowdell St Leonard Shoreditch Hackney
View Record

Match quality: 2 out of 5 Martha Dowdell Baptism 4 Mar 1884 John William Dowdell,
Fanny Dowdell Saint Columba, Haggerston Hackney
View Record

Match quality: 2 out of 5 Eleanor Maud Dowdell Baptism 3 Apr 1887 John William Dowdell,
Fanny Dowdell St Leonard Shoreditch Hackney

Match quality: 2 out of 5 Alice Susan Dowdell Baptism 29 Jun 1870 John William Dowdell,
Janny Dowdell Saint Mark, Shoreditch Hackney
View Record

Match quality: 2 out of 5 Janny Martha Dowdell Baptism 29 Jun 1870 John William Dowdell,
Janny Dowdell Saint Mark, Shoreditch Hackney


Father is a gas fitter in all of them so looks like they're all the same family.

Thank you to everyone for their help.
John William Dowdell married Fanny in quarter 4 of 1865, can anyone help me in how i find out her last name and exact date, fathers name.

?

How can you know the exact quarter they married and not know her surname?

http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/cgi/search.pl

I don't see such a marriage. Possibles in Q2 1866 Shoreditch, Q4 1887 Stepney, yes. Nothing Q4 1865.

If you do have the reference for him - quarter, district, volume and page - then you order the marriage certificate in his name to get the exact date, her surname, father's name, etc.

http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/

Name: John Dowdell
Age: 29
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1837
Spouse Name: Fanny Richards
Spouse Age: 19
Record Type: Marriage
Event Date: 17 Apr 1866
Parish: Saint James, Shoreditch
County: Middlesex
Borough: Hackney
Father Name: John Dowdell
Spouse Father Name: William Richards

Maureen

Yup, as I said: second quarter 1866, not "quarter 4 of 1865".

Sharon, you say you are new to this. One thing you might have learnt it by all means listen to living relatives, they can be a great source of infomation, but don't rely entirely on what they say.

First off your said Henry Herbert and Forence had 3 children. They had 4.

Okay, not a worry.

Then you said your dad only remembered one brother of his father, but in fact he had multiple children, I've lost count, but we are up to about 10, even counting for second names being the names they went by.

Don't believe all you are told.

You now need to buy the marriage cert of John william Dowdell to Fanny Richards to determine his dad. Or you cold get the birth cert of John William Dowdell, which will also give his mother's name.

Keep us informed/

Margaret