Another family tree member shared a photograph taken in 1916 of Charles, Ada, and their first child, Winifred Cora Aldous. Charles was dressed in the uniform of the Royal Army.

Charles Frederick Aldous

Born: 16 NOV 1894 in Leicester, Leicestershire County, England

Father: William Aldous (1872 to 1929)
Mother: Sarah Annie Rogers (1873 to 1959)

Spouse: Ada Taylor (1895 to 1994)

Married: 1915 in Birmingham, Warwickshire County, England

Children:

Winifred Cora Aldous (7 DEC 1915 to 1999)
Frederick Raymond Aldous (10 MAY 1923 to 7 MAR 2010)
Beryl Audrey Aldous (12 JUL 1928 to 3 SEP 2013)
Patricia Margaret Aldous (12 JAN 1934 to 1995)
Ronald Aldous (12 JAN 1934 to 2001)

Died: 1972 in Birmingham, Warwickshire County, England

Timeline:

1901 Bromsgrove, Worcestershire County, England
1911 Birmingham, Warwickshire, England
1915 Marriage to Ada
1915 Birth of daughter, Winifred
1923 Birth of son, Frederick
1927 Birmingham, Warwickshire, England
1928 Birth of daughter, Beryl
1929 Death of father, William
1934 Birth of twins, Patricia and Ronald
1945 Death of brother, John
1945 Birmingham, Warwickshire, England
1955 Birmingham, Warwickshire, England
1959 Death of mother, Annie
1960 Death of brother, Bertie
1971 Death of sister, Dora
1972 Death and Burial

Occupation: unknown

Records:

1901 and 1911 England Census Records
England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915
England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975
England & Wales, FreeBMD Marriage Index: 1837-1915
Midlands, England, Electoral Registers, 1832-1955
England & Wales, Death Index: 1916-2005

Variations of Surname: none

Spouse:

Charles Frederick Aldous, his wife, Ada Taylor Aldous, and their oldest child, Winifred Cora Aldous. Photo taken in 1916.

Ada Taylor:

Ada was born on 6 MAR 1895 in Smethwick, Staffordshire County, England. She died in 1994 in Birmingham, Warwickshire County, England.

Ada’s father was William Edward Taylor. He was born in 1852 in Smethwick, Staffordshire County, England. Death Date Unknown.

Ada’s mother was Mercy Atkins. She was born in 1856 in Smethwick, Staffordshire County, England. She died in 1914 in Smethwick, Staffordshire County, England.

Ada had six brothers and sisters. The four oldest children were born in Selly Oak, Worcestershire County, England. Ada and the two younger children were born in Smethwick, Staffordshire County, England.

Charles Bertram Taylor (1879)
Elizabeth Jane Taylor (1882)
Francis William Taylor (1887)
Alice Maud Taylor (1890)
Louisa May Taylor (1892)
Agnes Taylor (1898)

And, even though the children were born between 1879 and 1898, I found it interesting that William and Mercy did not appear together on any of the England census records.

In 1881, Mercy and their oldest child were living with her parents, Charles and Elizabeth Atkins, in Harborne, Staffordshire County, England. I could not find William on this census.

In 1891, Mercy and their four oldest children were living in Harborne, Staffordshire County, England. William was also living in Harborne, although he was listed as a boarder of Samuel and Hannah Beniston.

In 1901, Mercy and their six youngest children were living in Smethwick, Staffordshire County, England. William Haynes, age 58, was boarding at her house. William, on the other hand, was listed as an inmate of the Kings Norton Union Workhouse in Northfield, Worcestershire County, England.

In 1911, Mercy and her daughters were living in Smethwick, Staffordshire County, England. Her marital status was still listed as married. I could not find William on this census.

Daughters:

Winifred Cora Aldous:

Winifred was born on 7 DEC 1915 in Smethwick, Warwickshire County, England. She died in 1999 in Birmingham, Warwickshire County, England.

Winifred married John Edward Fitzpatrick in 1934 in Birmingham, Warwickshire County, England. Five known children were born to this marriage:

Maureen J Fitzpatrick (1934)
Ann W Fitzpatrick (1939)
Terance J Fitzpatrick (1945)
Gillian M Fitzpatrick (1947 to 1947)
Jean R Fitzpatrick (1947)

John Edward Fitzpatrick was born on 6 MAR 1912 in Birmingham, Warwickshire County, England. He died on 27 OCT 1999 in Birmingham, Warwickshire County, England.

Beryl Audrey Aldous:

Beryl was born on 12 JUL 1928 in Birmingham, Warwickshire County, England. She died on 3 SEP 2013 in Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire County, England.

Beryl married Leslie G Wheeler in 1949 in Birmingham, Warwickshire County, England. Two known children were born to this marriage:

Lynne S Wheeler (1952)
Lesley J Wheeler (1959)

Leslie G Wheeler was born in 1927 in Birmingham, Warwickshire County, England. I could find no death record. Leslie may still be living.

Patricia Margaret Aldous:

Patricia was born on 12 JAN 1934 in Birmingham, Warwickshire County, England. She died in 1995 in Birmingham, Warwickshire County, England.

Patricia married James R Excell in 1960 in Birmingham, Warwickshire County, England. Three known children were born to this marriage:

Deborah P Excell (1961)
Tracy A Excell (1966)
Richard A J Excell (1968)

James R Excell was born in 1936 in Fulham, Greater London, England.  I could find no death record. James may still be living.

Notes:

Here are some links to websites that helped with my Aldous family research:

Aldous.net (Aldous family history and family tree)
Ancestors of Tim Farr, Descendants of Stephen Farr (family tree)
Reid-Schroeder Genealogies (family tree)
The Tree of Us (family tree)
Family Search (family tree website)
The Internet Surname Database (surname meaning and origins)
House of Names (coat of arms)

Creating Your Family Tree

Interested in building a great family tree? Remember these important steps:

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 an excellent source for vital records.

Talk to your older relatives to find out about your ancestry. They may relate stories about an ancestor that you can add to your family tree. Family history is usually not found in newspapers. It is more of a verbal memory passed down from generation to generation.

Find the right family tree builder that suits your needs. You can choose one that has a paid subscription like Ancestry.com. There are also free sites like FamilySearch.org.

When you start building your family tree, add documentation to your ancestor’s profile. Records should include birth, marriage, death, census, military, city, and county directory listings. Any information that you can find will help create a life story about your ancestor.

If you have a unique surname, you may find databases on the internet that are useful in your search. I use SurnameDB.com for my English surnames. There are other websites on the internet for countries like Italy and Germany.

Genealogy is the study of a person’s “line of descent.” As you create your family tree, you would start with one individual and go “back into time.” You would add their parents, grandparents, and so on. There are also family trees that go “forward into time.” Many of these family trees start with a famous person, such as a president or royalty. They would then move forward into the present time. The purpose of this type of pedigree is to establish a person’s bloodline to that famous person.

There is no limit on how big your family tree can grow. The blank canvas is there for you to use. Cherish your family history, and it will be there for generations to come!