Welsh Roots
Can one use professions, similar names handed down and estimating birth years to trace ancestors?. Find My Past has excellent records. Here is an example:- William Roberts was a Joiner. Married in Liverpool in 1842 then emigrated to SA in 1850. His dad Richard was a Warehouseman in Manchester in 1842. An almanac i found has a William as a joiner in Llanerchymedd, Wales. Fairly certain this is the right William. His date of birth and his dads date of birth is not known, or his mothers name. Williams wife Mary was born in 1821, so estimating Williams dob to be about 1820. Is it fairly safe to use a 20 year age gap between Richard and William? Thanks.
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At the end of the day, it is your judgement call whether you have found the right person. Certainly the methods you are using are legitimate.
My concern is that, in Wales at least, William Roberts must be a common name. How do you link the one from Llanerchymedd to the one in Liverpool? The distance is nearly 60 miles - not impossible for someone moving to "the big city" but still a long way. Does the marriage certificate give his age or does it just say "of full age"? How do you know that Richard was in Manchester in 1842? Any luck searching the 1841 census?
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Morning Graham. Thanks. Marriage certificate says full age. Need to explore the census records more. I found an almanac which has a warehouseman named Richard Roberts in Manchester in 1842. William's marriage cert has his dad Richard as a warehouseman. Have not found a warehouseman named Richard Roberts in the Anglesey area. Will keep you posted on the census findings. Yes, William getting on his horse to visit Mary in Liverpool would take time.
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Whilst the Richard Roberts you have found in Manchester looks plausible and Richard is less common than William I would rate the chances of this being correct as not much better than 50%. Too low in my view to accept without finding further support. In addition to looking on the 1841 census, it will be worth looking on the 1851 census. I know William has gone by then but his dad might still be around. Finding a Richard Roberts in Manchester in 1851 born in the Anglesey area would be a good find. Might even give you William's mother's name.
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