Liverpool & South West Lancashire FHS - Forum

OK here is the other one that drives me mad. I just applied to the GRO last week for his birth certificate and my money has been refunded, yet another man who I have been researching for years and still can get no nearer to the truth. I'd say he is illegitimate as his mother appears on every census (except as a child) as a Widow but accumulating children along the way, however I've recently found a possible baptism for her youngest son James but once again with my common names it's hard to tell. It says parents Martha and John Pritchard (deceased). (Martha is the daughter of John and Maria Pritchard, I can find her in every census from 1841 until she dies in 1911).

John Pritchard, book keeper was the name of the father on John the younger's marriage certificate to Mary Ellen Brown in 1883, however this is the same name and occupation of his grandfather, his mother's father. People on here said that he would have put this name down to save the embarrassment of having a line through where the father's name should be.


Death cert. Dies in 1922, aged 59 (informant is the son)

Marriage Certificate 1883 aged 23

On 1911 census aged 49

On 1901 census aged 38

On 1891 census aged 30

On 1881 census aged 22

On 1871 census aged 10

I asked for a BC for John Pritchard born in Liverpool 1861, knowing they would search one year either side, with mother Martha Pritchard, probably illegitimate.


Birth Certificate: JOHN PRITCHARD born 01-JAN-1861 in LIVERPOOL

We have been unable to process your application, please refer to the paragraph below.

We have searched the indexes for events registered in England and Wales during the years specified (1860-1862). We have been unable to find any entry with the details you provided.

BarbaraW wrote: It says parents Martha and John Pritchard (deceased). (Martha is the daughter of John and Maria Pritchard,

For clarification - If Martha was the daughter of John & Maria Pritchard, would she be unlikely to be the wife of John Pritchard?

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MaryA wrote:

BarbaraW wrote: It says parents Martha and John Pritchard (deceased). (Martha is the daughter of John and Maria Pritchard,

For clarification - If Martha was the daughter of John & Maria Pritchard, would she be unlikely to be the wife of John Pritchard?

I know Mary it gets very confusing with all these common names. John and Maria Pritchard are in the 1841 census with daughter Martha aged 2 living in Feather Street, Martha can be followed every year from then on. This baptism has recently come up since I joined Ancestry and found the Liverpool online parish records. Her youngest son is James or Jim on some censuses born in this same year of 1879. Why couldn't my lot be more original with their names? What is the likelihood of somebody marrying a man with the same name as her father?

Bertieone wrote:Previous,

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Yes Bertie, that's the one and as you can see I sent for his birth certificate last week only for it to be rejected.......which is why I am back like a bad penny.

I was told that although the GRO will search each side of the year, they limit the number of certificates that they search. I think it is about 5 or 6 . So perhaps with a common name they stopped searching before they found it .
Hope this is useful.

Opinions - should the two topics be merged or would it create even more confusion?

lynne99 wrote:I was told that although the GRO will search each side of the year, they limit the number of certificates that they search. I think it is about 5 or 6 . So perhaps with a common name they stopped searching before they found it .
Hope this is useful.

Oh dear I hope not Lynne with all my common names.

I have a similar case in my family tree....baptism of Lilian Osmotherley, parents Joseph and Eleanor Osmotherly. After much digging I came to the conclusion that the mother was the unmarried Eleanor Osmotherley and the father's name was added to save face.

So "John Pritchard" may just be invented.

Another thought.....if John Pritchard does exist is there a potential death registration for him? Also, if there a birth/death registration for James' twin?

Also, if there a birth/death registration for James' twin?

Yes, I see a birth registration on the same page for Richard Pritchard.

if John Pritchard does exist is there a potential death registration for him?

There is the following death in Q3 1879 on FreeBMD:
John Pritchard
West Derby
Vol 8b, p243

The above John Pritchard is buried in Anfield
http://www.toxtethparkcemetery.co.uk/An ... 201879.htm

He died 17 September so he wouldn't have been dead at the point James was baptised.

Alison C wrote:The above John Pritchard is buried in Anfield
http://www.toxtethparkcemetery.co.uk/An ... 201879.htm

He died 17 September so he wouldn't have been dead at the point James was baptised.

Thanks Alison I appreciate all help given.

That link you have given me for Anfield Cemetery, I'd forgotten about this online resource so thank you for that.

I'm wondering if this father was a made up name too. I can't find baptisms for her other 4 children though of course not all are online. Maybe she had James baptised because his twin had died? Or maybe the others simply aren't online yet.......