Genealogy Chat

Seeking Sophia Vowles,36yrs, born in Somerset, may have a 3yr son called Ernest and 4yr old son called Arthur, both children born Clifton,Gloucestershire. Thanks George

Hi, There are 10 Sophia Vowles, but none matches for age. The one aged 35, and the one aged 47 (if you gave the age in 1881 as implied by the boys' ages), do not seem to fit in terms of their children's names. Nor does a search of Arthur Vowles or Edward Vowles give any with mother Sophia, or indeed any of 4 or 14 (Arthur), or 3 or 13 (Edward) who seem to fit for birthplace. Unless you can relate to birth or marriage records rather than the sometimes inaccurate 1881 census I don't think I can find these people. Sorry. Stan Driver

Can you try her under her maiden name of Dawes, also she was a nurse. George

Hi, No luck with Dawes, but I've found a Sophia Vowles I believe could be the right one, mistranscribed as Vowels by Ancestry which is why I missed it before. 7 York Buildings, Clifton, Bristol: Sophia Vowles, head, wid, 29, Greengocer & dairy, born Somerset; George Vowles, son, 5, born Bristol, Clifton; Ernest Vowles, son, 3, born Bristol, Clifton; William Vowles, Stepson, 16, Clerk, born Bristol, Clifton; Albert Vowles, Stepson, 8, Scholar; Julia Derrick, sister, 34, Greengrocer assistant, born Somerset, Portishead; Herbert Brigs, lodger, 30, Decorative artist, born Wilts, Chippenham. Presumably Sophia was the second wife of Mr Vowles. Sophia Ann Derrick married George Vowles Apr-Jun 1885, Bedminster 5c 1251. Deaths of several George Vowles are recorded around 1889 to 1890 in the Bristol area. One aged 39 in Apr-Jun 1889, Barton R 6a 43, is the most likely for age. Barton R is short for Barton Regis, the renaming of the former Clifton District. I hope this could be the right person. Since writing this, I've looked up the 1881 details of the Dawes family in Darlington (Presumably you got your information from the 1881 census, where this is the only Sophia Dawes recorded). The Sophia recorded there, aged 16, seems to be the Sophia Dawes whose birth appears in the records for Jul-Sep 1865, Bedminster 5c 769. Clearly Sophia Dawes is not the same person as Sophia Vowles, nee Derrick, who would be about three years older. I don't think there is any evidence that Sophia Dawes became Sophia Vowles by 1891. There are no entries for Sophia Dawes in 1891, and no Sophia Vowles aged 26. THere is a Sophia Vowles aged 25, but only as a daughter. There is a Sophia Vowles aged 22 according to Ancestry, actually seeming like 28 on the original, married to William T Vowles, carpenter, with daughter Millie M, aged 6 months, but they are all listed as being born in Bristol. I do wonder if you have an incorrect link somewhere. Looking up the marriage records to see marriages of Sophia Dawes 1881 to 1891 might be the best, but FreeBMD has nothing, so it means going through the records at a library, or accessing Family Research Link. Sorry to be a bit of a wet blanket Best wishes, Stan

Hi I did a search on the 1901 using first name,age and birth place and it came back with Sophia Vowles,widow,nurse and living in Bristol. I'll have to have a rethink. Thanks George