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Hi, I have recently ordered a birth cert for a friend that i'm helping with his family tree relating to Jean Elsie Patricia (maiden name - Westwood) b. 1937 in Coventry. Her parents are listed as Sarah Westwood, formerly Richards and Joseph Westwood. The Father is listed as a Collier (Ropeman) below ground of 5 Sandpit Yard, Bulkington, "Rugby, R.D." (Rugby is nowhere near Bulkington but it might mean Rugby Road which would be in Bulkington?).

I've attempted to look up the marriage but I can't find it which led me to believe that perhaps Sarah was married before.

The nearest 1939 census record that I could find has a Joseph and Sarah Westwood living in Bulkington where Joseph's date of birth is 9 April 1908 (he is a "Coal Miner Haulage Below") and Sarah's Date of Birth is 26 June 1897.

Would you concur that this is the same Joseph and Sarah as is listed on Jean Elsie Patricia Westwood's birth cert please?

If you agree with the conclusion that i've come to. The next stage is finding the marriage. No middle names for clues with Sarah Richards or Joseph Westwood unfortunately and i'm stuck fast!

Thanks :)

Use the freebmd site to see which places are covered by the Rugby RD - Registration district! It spans Leics, Warks and Northants and amongst other places covers Bulkington in Warwickshire

Just to say thanks for that greyghost! I've been doing this for over 10 years and I never knew that R.D stood for "Registration District". Just for others, most questions still outstanding. Thanks for everybody's time.

Presume this is the 1939 record you refer to. If so then they are not living in Bulkington but in Bedworth a couple of miles down the road.

It's a Register not a Census and the 2 record different things.

The closed record could well be the daughter but as her birth was less than 100 years ago the record will remain closed until over 100m years have passed or her death id determined. The only way to confirm it is the right people would be the record opening

1939 Register
32 Wootton Street, Bedworth, Bedworth U.D., Warwickshire, England

First name(s) Last name(s) Birth date Sex Occupation Marital status Schedule Schedule sub number
Joseph Westwood 09 Apr 1908 Male Coal Miner Haulage Below Married 159 1
Sarah A Westwood 26 Jun 1897 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties Married 159 2
The record for this person is officially closed.

Bedworth developed into an industrial town in the 18th and 19th Centuries largely due to Coal mining, peaking in 1939 when there were 20 pits in the area.

The people you name are in Bedworth on 1939 Register (it was not a census, so no birthplace info) with one closed record, which may be the child you seek.

If she has died, you could have the record opened if you produce a death certificate.

You can’t actually assume the parents married……….they may not have

Look for them in 1921

The birth registrations that would cover a 26th June 1897 birth for Sarah as Sarah A Richards
The Foleshill RD was abolished in 1932 and divided amongst Nuneaton, Rugby, Meridan and Warwick&Leamington RD's


RICHARDS, SARAH ANN UNSWORTH
GRO Reference: 1897 J Quarter in CHORLTON Volume 08C Page 938
RICHARDS, SARAH ANN RICHARDS
GRO Reference: 1897 S Quarter in ASHBY-DE LAZOUCH Volume 07A Page 114
RICHARDS, SARAH ANN STEVENS
GRO Reference: 1897 S Quarter in FOLESHILL Volume 06D Page 514
RICHARDS, SARAH ANN LLEWELLYN
GRO Reference: 1897 S Quarter in SWANSEA Volume 11A Page 994
RICHARDS, SARAH ANN BARLEY
GRO Reference: 1897 S Quarter in BEVERLEY Volume 09D Page 108
RICHARDS, SARAH CATHERINE HIGGS
GRO Reference: 1897 S Quarter in NEWTOWN Volume 11B Page 176

A possibility - this Sarah was born in Bedworth which comes under Foleshill RD

The birth certificate would confirm DOB of the Foleshill Sarah

1901 England, Wales & Scotland Census
Chapel Street, Bedworth, Foleshill, Warwickshire, England

First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status Sex Age Birth year Occupation Birth place
Joseph H Richards Head Married Male 34 1867 Coal hewer Bedworth, Warwickshire, England
Eliza Richards Wife Married Female 29 1872 - Bedworth, Warwickshire, England
Sarah A Richards Daughter Single Female 3 1898 - Bedworth, Warwickshire, England
Clara Richards Daughter Single Female 2 1899 - Bedworth, Warwickshire, England
William Richards Son Single Male 0 1901 - Bedworth, Warwickshire, England

Same family 1911
1911 Census For England & Wales
10 Chapel St Bedworth, Bedworth, Warwickshire, England

First name(s) Last name Relationship to head Marital status Sex Age Birth year Occupation Birth place
Henry Richards Head Married Male 45 1866 Miner Bedworth Warks
Eliza Richards Wife Married Female 39 1872 - Bedworth Warks
Sarah Ann Richards Daughter - Female 13 1898 - Bedworth Warks
Clara Richards Daugthter - Female 12 1899 - Bedworth Warks
William Richards Son - Male 10 1901 - Bedworth Warks
Joe Henry Richards Son - Male 7 1904 - Bedworth Warks
Oliver Richards Son - Male 5 1906 - Bedworth Warks
Alice Richards Daughter - Female 2 1909 - Bedworth Warks

Same family but not Sarah in 1921 - not finding her

1921 Census Of England & Wales
13, Wootton Street, Bedworth, Warwickshire, England

First name(s) Last name Relationship to head Sex Birth year Age in years Birth place Occupation Employer
J H Richards Head Male 1866 55 Bedworth, Warwickshire, England Miner Stallman Newdigate Colliery Newdigate Colliery
E Richards Wife Female 1873 48 Bedworth, Warwickshire, England - -
W Richards Son Male 1901 20 Bedworth, Warwickshire, England Hatter Preser Manufacture E Wootton & Co Manufacture
J H Richards Son Male 1905 16 Bedworth, Warwickshire, England Miner Gate Minder, Newdigate Colliery Newdigate Colliery
C Richards Son Male 1906 15 Bedworth, Warwickshire, England Miner Gate Minder, Newdigate Colliery Newdigate Colliery
S Richards Son Male 1911 10 Bedworth, Warwickshire, England - -
C Richards Daughter Female 1898 22 Bedworth, Warwickshire, England Last Employer, White A Popper Fitting White A Pope, Out Of Work
A Richards Daughter Female 1909 12 Bedworth, Warwickshire, England - -
H Richards Daughter Female 1915 6 Bedworth, Warwickshire, England - -
S Hannor Daughter Female 1897 24 Bedworth, Warwickshire, England - -

There was a birth in Coventry district in 1934 of a Jean Westwood MMN Richards……she died the same qtr

There was also a Westwood/Richards birth in Coventry district in 1940

Get the birth certificate for the Foleshill Sarah - only £3 for a digital image through the GRO site which if ordered may well be ready to download within minutes

Hopefully the DOB will be the same as that shown on the 1939 register

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

If you haven't used the site before you need to register (free)

Thanks for all of this. I've ended up finding a Sarah Ann Richards (There are two Richards families living on Wooton Street) in 1939:

Sarah A Westwood
Gender Female
Marital Status Married
Birth Date 26 Jun 1897
Residence Date 1939
Address 32 Wootton Street
Residence Place Bedworth, Warwickshire, England
Occupation Unpaid Domestic Duties
Line Number 4
Schedule Number 159
Sub Schedule Number 2
Enumeration District Qeai
Borough Bedworth
Registration District 388-2

Household members
Name Gender
Joseph Westwood Male
Sarah A Westwood Female
This record is officially closed.

-------------------------------
1921 Wales Census
--------------------------------

Name Sarah Ann Richards
Gender Female
Marital Status Single
Age 23 Years 9 Months
Relation to Head Daughter
Estimated Birth Year 1897
Birth Place Caersws, Montgomeryshire, Wales
Residence Date 1921
Residence Street Address 10 Clydach Terrace, Ynysybwl, Pontypridd
Residence Place Llanwonno, Glamorganshire, Wales
Occupation Householder
Inhabited Y
Ward Ynysybwl
Parliamentary Division Merthyr Tydfil Pb, Aberdare Div.
Registration District Pontypridd
Registration District Number 589
Sub registration district Llanwonno
Sub Registration District Number 2
Respondent Mr D D Richards
Enumeration District Name Mountain Ash Ud
Enumeration District 24
Schedule 17
Schedule Type Code W
Household members
Name Age
David Richards 60 Years 1 Month
Mrs Richards 59 Years 8 Months
Thomas A Richards 34 Years 6 Months
Sarah Ann Richards 23 Years 9 Months
Samuel Richards 20 Years 8 Months
Edith Owens 27 Years 5 Months
W Ivor Williams 7 Years 8 Months

--------------

Having tallied up the exact age specified in the 1939 record, compared with the exact age (year and months) in the 1921 census (which was undertaken for the night of 24 April 1921) the only exact match is the Welsh one...

I used Ancestry.

I would ordinarily "stay local" by instinct to! You are of course spot on with Bulkington being nearer to Coventry, I could picture the junction of Bulkington Road and Wooton Street as I was typing but just had "Bulkington" in my head for some reason.

Would you concur?

Thanks.

No, I wouldn't.

The Sarah Ann Richards in the 1921 census which you have posted married Hugh James.

Sarah A Richards
in the England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005
Name Sarah A Richards
Registration Date Jul 1921 [Aug 1921] [Sep 1921]
Registration Quarter Jul-Aug-Sep
Registration District Pontypridd
Inferred County Glamorganshire
Spouse Hugh James
Volume Number 11a
Page number 1257


Sarah James
in the 1939 England and Wales Register
Name Sarah James
Gender Female
Marital Status Married
Birth Date 28 Mar 1898
Residence Date 1939
Address 19 Glancynon Street
Residence Place Mountain Ash, Glamorganshire, Wales
Line Number 16
Schedule Number 89
Sub Schedule Number 2
Enumeration District Xjqv
Borough Mountain Ash
Registration District 589:2
Inferred Spouse
Hugh James
Household Members (Name) Gender Birth Year
Hugh James Male 1892
Sarah James Female 1898
This record is officially closed.
David Richards Male 1861 <<<<<<<<<

Thanks for this - I've ordered it and as per your hunch, the date of birth for Sarah Ann matches.