Charles was born out of wedlock to Phoebe Oxborough. His father may have been Thomas Barber. Yet, I have my doubts.  This was because Charles never lived with them.

Charles Alfred Oxborough

Born: 1872 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England

Father: Unknown
Mother: Phoebe Oxborough (1849 to Unknown)

Spouse: Martha Minna Soanes (1878 to 1977)

Married: 1900 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England

Child:

Charles Frederick Oxborough (1901 to 1961)

Died: 1948 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England

Timeline:

1881 Beccles, Suffolk County, England
1891 Beccles, Suffolk County, England
1900 Marriage to Martha
1901 Beccles, Suffolk County, England
1901 Birth of son, Charles
1911 Beccles, Suffolk County, England
1939 Beccles, Suffolk County, England
1948 Death and Burial

Occupation: bootmaker

Records:

1881 to 1911 England Census Records
1939 England and Wales Register
England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915
England & Wales, FreeBMD Marriage Index: 1837-1915
England & Wales, Death Index: 1916-2005

Variations of Surname: none

Spouse:

Martha Minna Soanes:

Martha was born on 1 DEC 1878 in Lowestoft, Suffolk County, England. She died in 1977 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England.

Martha’s father was John Soanes. He was born in 1851 in Lowestoft, Suffolk County, England. He died in 1908 in Lowestoft, Suffolk County, England.

Martha’s mother was Charlotte Woolner. She was born in 1851 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England. She died in 1888 in Lowestoft, Suffolk County, England.

Who was Charles’ father?

Charles was born out of wedlock to Phoebe Oxborough.

His full birth date of 9 APR 1872 appears on the 1939 England and Wales Register.

The 1872 birth record index lists his full name of Charles Alfred Oxborough.

Phoebe Oxborough married Thomas Barber in the last quarter of 1872 in Beccles.

Charles was not baptized until 14 JUL 1874. His full name appears as Charles Barber Oxborough. The document lists his mother as Phoebe Oxborough. No father is listed on this record.

The baptism record is text-only which means that I cannot view the original to verify its accuracy. It could be that the transcriptionist omitted the father’s name.

The 1881 England census shows that Phoebe and Thomas moved to London, England. For some reason, they did not take Charles with them.

In 1881, Charles was living with Phoebe’s sister, Eliza, and her husband, Charles Borrett.

He was still living with his aunt and uncle when the 1891 England census was enumerated.

I could not find Phoebe or Thomas on any England census after 1881 under their birthplaces and birth years. This could indicate that they died before the 1891 England census was enumerated. It could also mean that they left England and immigrated to another country.

The Unanswered Question:

If Thomas was Charles’ father, why did he not go to London with them?

To me, this would indicate that Thomas was not Charles’ biological father.

If any Oxborough or Barber descendants know the answer to this question, please contact me. My email is dlwakenight@yahoo.com. You can also leave a message in the Comments Section of this post.

Charles’ Mother:

Phoebe Oxborough:

Phoebe was born in 1849 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England.

Phoebe’s father was John Oxborough. He was born in 1814 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England. He died in 1889 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England.

Phoebe’s mother was Maria Piper. She was born in 1815 in Heveningham, Suffolk County, England. She died in 1892 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England.

Phoebe’s Husband:

Thomas Barber:

Thomas was born in 1852 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England.

Thomas’ mother was Hannah Boon. She was born in 1818 in Gillingham, Norfolk County, England. She died in 1864 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England.

Thomas’ Mother:

Hannah Boon married Benjamin Barber sometime before 1839. Five known children were born to this marriage. All the children were born in Chelmsford, Essex County, England.

Benjamin Barber (1839)
Isabella Barber (1841)
Sarah Barber (1843)
Frederick Barber (1844)
Alfred Barber (1846)

The family then moved to Beccles, Suffolk County, England.

Benjamin Barber was born in 1821 in Bungay, Suffolk County, England. He died in 1850 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England.

After Benjamin died, the 1851 England census shows that another child was born to Hannah:

William Barber (1815)

The 1881 England census shows that three more children were born to Hannah:

Thomas Barber (1852)
Edward Barber (1855)
Emily Barber (1859)

More Questions Remain:

Benjamin Barber was not the father of at least the three youngest children. One of these children was Phoebe’s husband.

Who was Thomas Barber’s father?

Could it have been Alfred Adams, the 30-year-old lodger, who appears on the 1881 England census?

Notes:

The surname, Oxborough, originated in Norfolk County, England. It appears in church registers as early as the mid-16th century. As the world population grew, these Oxborough ancestors moved to other counties in England. By the late 19th century, some had immigrated to Canada and Australia.

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Look in your photo albums. You may have old pictures that your parents or grandparents gave you. Or, ask them for copies of photos that they have in their possession. Many people will write names and dates on the backs of photographs. Letters, diaries, and family bibles are also excellent sources for vital records.

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