Liverpool & South West Lancashire FHS - Forum

I'm from Italy and I'm looking for information on George Henry Thompson from Liverpool. This is what I know: he was a gunsmith, we think he was in the army, and died in India with wife, Sarah, and son. His daughter, Daisy Louise (my great-grandmother) survived and was sent back to England. I have no dates. Presumably she has sent to a boarding school in or around Liverpool. She later became a "typist" and her maiden address was 37 Castor Street, Everton. She was christened in St Peter's in 1881 so George must have married earlier and been born in the 1850's Daisy married Richard Robert Knowles, a police constable in 1912. I would really like to find information on her life and information on her parents. Can anyone help?

Daisy was born on 6 May 1881 and christened 22 May 1881 at St Peter C of E church Liverpool The family are described as living West Derby Road george a gunsmith

1891 census 68 Cambrai St Liverpool
George h Thompson H M 50 gunsmith
Sarah wife 44
Alexander 13
Daisy 9
all born Liverpool

1901 census 99 Paddington Liverpool
Sarah A Thompson H widow 53
Alexander son married 23 barber
Daisy L daur 19 cigarette (something I can't read)
all these bn Liverpool
Lily G daur in law 23 bn Birkenhead Cheshire

I think of a gunsmith as someone selling guns

1871 census 27 Victoria St Everton Liverpool
George H Thompson 32 gunsmith
Sarah A wife 25
both bn Liverpool

Sorry can't find them in 1881 neither can I see evidence of them returning from India

What evidence have you that he was in the Army and in India and died there?

1881 Census living at 7 Wolseley Street, West Derby
George Thompson b abt 1842 Gunsmith & Stocker Finisher
Sarah Thompson b abt 1847
Alexander Thompson son 3
All born Liverpool
RG11 Piece 3711 Folio 51 Page 31

Cheers
Erika

I missed it!!

You need to purchase Daisy's birth certificate to find out her mother's name. Then it would be possible to find her parent's marriage and move further back.

Thank you so much!

I'm sure the parents didn't return from India but died there of some sort of illness.
I'm sure Daisy returned. Her brother died young either in India or soon after his return.
Apparently my great-grandmother never talked much about it.
I'm sure they went to India because she brought back furniture with her that was owned by her family.
Family history says he was in the army but you know how memories get mixed up...

Anyway, thanks so far! I'll get her birth certificate although I was wondering, how can I find out more about Daisy (school, life in India, etc.)?

Other baptisms

Caroline bn 16 Oct 1871 ch 22 oct 1871 at St Peter daur George Henry and Caroline of Victoria St George gunsmith

Alexander bn 3 Jan 1878 ch 20 Jan 1878 at Christ Church kensington father Henry George gunsmith and mother Sarah Ann of 42 Gaerneu (or something like that!) St

Marriage for
Henry George Thompson & Sarah Ann Braithwaite
16th April 1865 at St Nicholas
He was full age and Sarah a minor

Henry's occupation Gunmaker living at Derby Square, father William Thompson, occ Cutler
Sarah's father Thomas Braithwaite a brassfounder

Witnesses Thomas Guiness???? and Elizabeth Johnson

Cheers
Erika

So he was a gunmaker in the end! Amazing!

Thank you ever so much!

I think George probably died in 1901 in West Derby area just before the census was taken and Sarah Ann in West Derby area in 1911

George Henry Thompson March Q 1901 West Derby Reg District vol 8b page 404 aged 62

Sarah Ann Thompson March Q 1911 West Derby Reg District vol 8b page 331

The little girl Caroline died March Q 1872 West Derby Reg District vol 8b page 243

Alexander didn't die young as he is married and living with his mother, wife and sister in the 1901 census

It would be interesting to see what others think as nothing suggest an Army career or living in India to me

.

Considering his age in the 1890s I thought it was unlikely George would have gone to India with the army. There was the Boer War at the turn of the century involving a lot of arms going to South Africa but I think Hilary's probably come up with the best answer with the death index from the West Derby registration district in 1901.

Blue

Thank you both so much!

Can't help feeling I've made a mistake somewhere...maybe there was another Daisy Loiusa Thompson or another Eveline Louisa Knowles (my grandmother, her daughter)...although I have her birth cert. from the registry office.

We still have the Indian dressing tables that presumably were part of the furniture Daisy returned with from India. We had them valued from an antique dealer (black ebony with mother of pearl tops). (Daisy) Louisa was an excellent cook of Indian food everyone remembers that. She used o say how much she had loved the country.

There are many funny things in this story! Firstly we all thought my great-grandmother's name was Louise and not Daisy Louisa (but as I said I have granny's birth certificate), then I found an Alexander Thompson in an orphanage in 1881. Finally...Sarah Ann and George had children very late after their marriage...I wonder why. Could he have been away then? Or maybe...were they adopted?

Furthermore there is a mystery on the other side of the family. I remember cleraly my grandmother Eveline telling me that she named my uncle Richard Robert because her father was Robert Richard (it stuck you see!), but although my uncle is indeed Richard, her father was Richard Robert too (birth certificate). He was a police constable in Liverpool and was originally from the Isle of Man. But the only reference I've found is of a Richard Robert born in Liverpool.

Finally Daisy and Richard married in a Methodist church according to the Wesleyan rite. Now why would they do that if she was a fervent Church of English and she was christened accordingly?

Maybe I'm just not looking facts in their true light. But still I can't help wondering: why would my great-grandmother invent such a fib about India and her being orphaned and sent to school? I believe family histories can be romanticised as generations pass by but not till this extent.

Any advice?

Hi Irene
I looked in India Family History site, nothing for Thompsons.
They only list bmd's etc. If they visited and left before passing away, there would not be any info.

Tina

Thanks. That was really kind!

Does anyone have access to the 1911 census?

In that case could you please look up:

- 10 Credworth Street West Derby (Richard Robert Knowles, Police Constable)

and

- 37 Castor Street Everton (Daisy Louisa Thompson, typist)

This is the address they gave on their marriage certificate in 1912. Knowing who they were living with at the time might give me further confirmation that we are pursuing the right people.

Thanks for your help!

Unfortunately look ups for the 1911 census are not allowed - please see
http://liverpool-genealogy.org.uk/phpBB ... php?t=7035

however the free index is available for you to check http://www.1911census.co.uk/ and you can purchase credits for this.

Hi Irene,
Sorry we can't do third party look-ups in that census... Have sent you a PM to explain.

DS

RE by Erika:

Henry's occupation Gunmaker living at Derby Square, father William Thompson, occ Cutler. Sarah's father Thomas Braithwaite a brassfounder

There was a strong relationship between gunsmiths [aka gun-makers] and brass founders. Lots of the 'bit's' on a gun would be made from brass, such as the base-plate on the stock.

DS

Thank you you have all been priceless!

I'll look up the census and buy credits.

I think we need to start again as your family information doesn't tie in with waht has been found.

Who did Eveline marry? and what is her father's name and occupation on her marriage certificate?

Is this the same as on her birth certificate?

Did dhe have siblings? If so what are their names?