Find Ancestors

I am just wondering if anyone else is researching this family. My great great grandfather was William Drake born about 1841/42 in London. I have ordered a birth certificate but not got the right one. His father was John Drake and mother possibly Hannah/Anna born 1799 in Dublin, Ireland. He married a Louisa Biss/Bess on 14 April 1861 in Cripplegate, London. I have found this family in the censuses but with so many William Drakes I sometimes wonder if I am checking the right family because there are other families that have a John and a William Drake. Identifying his mother would definitely make things a lot clearer.

To see if anyone is looking at the same family look in secret members trees and put in some of the names from his tree

You can then try to make contact by sending them a message through the find out more box

Is this the family you are looking at - for our info. William is listed as a Painter and all born St Pancras apart from Louisa who is said to be born Bloomsbury

1871 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
Harrison Street, St Pancras, Pancras, London, England

First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status Gender Age Birth year Occupation Birth place
William Drake Head - Male 29 1842 - Middlesex, England
Louisa Drake Wife - Female 31 1840 - Middlesex, England
James Drake Son - Male 7 1864 - Middlesex, England
William Drake Son - Male 4 1867 - Middlesex, England
Ann Drake Daughter - Female 2 1869 - Middlesex, England
Kate Drake Daughter - Female 0 1871 - Middlesex, England

Same family 1861
1861 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
4, Wilson Place, St Pancras, Pancras, London, England

First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status Gender Age Birth year Occupation Birth place
Anna Drake - Widow Female 60 1801 - Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
William Drake Son Married Male 19 1842 Bricklayers Labourer St Pancras, Middlesex, England
Louisa Drake Sons Wife Married Female 21 1840 - Marylebone, Middlesex, England

1851 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
Wilson Place, St Pancras, Saint Pancras, Middlesex, England

First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status Gender Age Birth year Occupation Birth place
Hannah Drake Head Widow Female 52 1799 Nurse Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Thomas Drake Son Unmarried Male 16 1835 Labourer (Bricklayer's) St Andrew's, Middlesex,
Hannah Drake Daughter - Female 14 1837 - St Andrew's, Middlesex, England
William Drake Son - Male 9 1842 - St Pancras, Middlesex, England
Catherine Slack Grand Daughter - Female 0 1851 -

This looks to be the family in1841 - but Sarah not Hannah

1841 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
North Place, Upper Double House Let Out in Tenements, St Pancras, Middlesex, England

First name(s) Last name Gender Age Birth year Birth place
John Drake Male 35 1806 Ireland Upholsterer
Sarah Drake Female 35 1806 Ireland
Catherine Drake Female 12 1829 Middlesex, England
- Drake Male 0 1841 Middlesex, England <<<<<<<<<<
James Drake Male 10 1831 Middlesex, England
Thomas Drake Male 6 1835 Middlesex, England
Hannah Drake Female 4 1837 Middlesex, England
Mary Hannah King Female 20 1821 Middlesex, England
Catherine Mathews Female 64 1777 Middlesex, England
Sarah Price Female 45 1796 Middlesex,


____ Drake is listed as 10 days old on original - could be William? Unfortunately there was no penalty for not registering a birth at the time

Although English & Welsh civil registration began in 1837, there was no penalty if a birth wasn't registered. Fines were only introduced in 1873 or there abouts.

Its entirely possible that William's birth wasn't registered.

Have you looked for his baptism or his parent's marriage?

Thanks for the replies. I am still new to this site, is this the only place you can reply to people, in bulk, not answer each one individually?

I have checked out other members trees and sent messages through the "Find our More" button.

I had found the censuses for 1851, 1861 and 1871 a while ago and thought I was on the right track apart from the Hannah/Anna name and that could have been her Irish accent. Also year of birth different but only by one year. I knew with these she is a widow so I knew John had died earlier than 1851.

Then the last free weekend on Ancestry I located the 1841 census that you have found and I thought this must be them by the children and their year of birth, The name Sarah threw me and the year of birth. This was the first time I had seen John mentioned and I didn't know he was from Ireland, well I didn't know anything about him. I feel this must be them though as the grandchild in the 1851 census was named Catherine Sarah Slack - Catherine after the mother and Sarah after the grandmother - seemed to make sense. Was her accent so strong that she was put down as three different names in the censuses. Once again the year of birth is different again from 1799, 1801 and now 1806. Maybe I will now search for births and marriage of both in Ireland rather than England.

Sue - you're doing ok and yes it is best to reply 'in bulk' on the thread. That way everyone knows what's going on and work together. We tend only to use the message service aka PM if there is sensitive information to exchange. This normally relates to living people.

Don't worry too much about the yob. +/-1 year is quite usual depending on the date of census and date of birth. The 1841 'rounded' the adult ages.

Although Irish Civil Registration started after England and Wales there are now quite a few parish records on line. A starting place would be Dublin as that is mentioned on one census as a pob.

Name: John Drake
Record Type: Burial
Age: 39
Estimated birth year: abt 1802
Death Date: abt 1841
Burial Date: 24 Oct 1841
Burial Place: St Pancras Parish Chapel, England
Parish or Poor Law Union: St Pancras Parish Chapel
Borough: Camden
Register Type: Parish Register


Address North Place which matches 1841 census for family

1871 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
Model Buildings, Pancras, London, England

First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status Gender Age Birth year Occupation Birth place
Hannah Drake Head - Female 67 1804 - Ireland

There are 2 Hannah Drake deaths in 1881, but only 1 on the census. That one is in the St Pancras Workhouse but is born Essex and died Q4, so I believe this to be "yours"

England & Wales deaths 1837-2007 Transcription

First name(s) HANNAH
Last name DRAKE
Gender Female
Birth day -
Birth month -
Birth year 1802
Age 79
Death quarter 1
Death year 1881
District PANCRAS
County London
Volume 1B
Page 49
Country England