Genealogy Chat

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I have a rather elusive great-great-grandfather. He rejoices in the common name of WILLIAM GRAY. born October 1811 in Hardley, Norfolk 1831 he married Susan Dunt in Cantley, norfolk. 1841 census Susan and her eldest son - another William - are on the census living in Langley Street, Hardley. No sign of William and although kind people have looked, he is missing. 1844 he is described as a labourer on his son' John's birth cert. 1851 census Susan describes herself as married, head of household and 'railway labourer's wife'. Still in Hardley, with two more children, Robert and Samuel. No sign of William although lots of kind people have looked for him. 1858 July William dies in Limpenhoe, age 46, described as agricultural labourer. 1867 William's son John marries and his father's occupation is fisherman. He is not described as deceased. 1875 Susan dies, her death cert describes her as 'widow of William Gray, seaman'. How do I find out where William was 1841/51? What did he do for a living? Is a seaman the same thing as a fisherman? nell

Hi Helen wondering as you most likely are too 1858 on Death Cert Ag Labourer this has to be the job he was doing when he died YES, So how can his son say dad was a Fisherman in 1867 either he was working the land or the sea. Unless he dabbled in lots of things to make ends meet. Who was with him when he died Susan ?? Colette

Hi on the Genuki site they have the 1841 census for Norfolk looked down the list and saw Susan and young Willy further down was a William Galer aged 30 Ag Labourer maybe this is him mistranscribed hes not with any family just other ag labourers. Just a thourght. sorry tired eyes saying he wasnt with other ag labourers. Colette xx

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. Colette - well spotted, I will check this out. Oddly, William's death was registered by a neighbour, not Susan, but I am sure it is him because it was a small village and he is the only Wm Gray I can find in it, and his age is spot on. nell

Colette Whereabouts on Genuki? I can't find it! nell

In 1871 there's a John Gray, labourer, 26, born Hardley, in Limpenhoe with wife and kids and mother Susan. And another John Gray, seaman, same age and birthplace, on a boat called the Statesman skippered by a William Gray, same birthplace, 6 years older. (The two sailors are easy to find because they're mistranscribed as female. There are only 6 female William Grays in the whole country) Assuming the two Johns are the same, this seems to show that people did double up on the jobs. William and the rest of the crew are all married (female) men. Might shed some more light if their wives and families can be found.

I thought a seaman was someone who was on a merchant ship, as opposed to fisherman, who obviously would be on a fishing vessel? This is the sort of query that may be answered by a Norfolk expert - there is a magazine called Norfolk Roots that comes out monthly in this county. They also have a website forum with expert to answer questions. It may be that his job was dictated by the conditions at the time, and this is what an expert may know. For example, when the railways came to Norfolk, a lot of ag labs would have dumped their poorly paid jobs to get a lot more money as a railway navvy I would have thought. The social circumstances may answer the changes of work - this was also a time when a lot of local men were off to London looking for jobs, perhaps there was little work on the land and your guy managed to get work as a seaman instead.

Robin Thank you. The John in Limpenhoe is my great-grandfather, who was a lovely man, family legend has it. I also found the William and John seamen and am not sure if this John is the same one. The William seaman could be his elder brother, I need to disentangle this lot. Totally confused, thanks for your thoughts. My original thought was that he was a railway labourer away from home building the railway in 1841/51, but I suppose he must have lived at home at some point. The fisherman/seaman bit fits in with a story my dad told me that his grandmother (Ruth, married to John b. 1844, William senior's son) insisted that all her sons didn't become fishermen as it was too dangerous and that she spoke from personal experience of seeing a whole family killed at sea. nell nell