Could a Marshall family historian help solve a mystery? Edna’s maternal grandfather was Henry Marshall. He was born between 1854 and 1857 in Bungay, Suffolk County, England. Was he born under the surname of Marshall or was this an adopted name?

Frank Joshua Oxborough

Born: 1928 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk County, England

Father: Edward Barrington Oxborough (1890 to 1964)
Mother: Emily Edith Lee (1888 to 1973)

Spouse: Edith W J Everson (1931 to Unknown/Still Living)

Married: 1952 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk County, England

Children: Unknown

Died: 16 JUN 2016 in Norwich, Norfolk County, England

Timeline:

1952 Marriage to Edna
1964 Death of father, Edward
1973 Death of mother, Emily
1984 Death of sister, Emily
1986 Death of brother, Edward
1999 Death of brother, Richard
2003 Death of brother, William
2012 Death of sister, Elsie
2016 Death and Burial

Occupation: unknown

Records:

England & Wales, Birth Index: 1916-2005
England & Wales, Marriage Index: 1916-2005
UK, Electoral Registers, 2003-2010
England and Wales, Death Index, 2007-2013

Variations of Surname: none

Spouse:

Edna W J Everson:

Edna was born in 1931 in Norfolk County, England.

Edna’s father was Wilfred Ambrose Everson. He was born on 2 SEP 1892 in Halvergate, Norfolk County, England. He died in 1976 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk County, England.

Edna’s mother was Daisy Marshall. She was born on 27 JUL 1896 in Hoxton, London, England. She died on 6 MAR 1978 in Norwich, Norfolk County, England.

Edna’s maternal grandparents:

Edna’s grandfather was Henry Marshall. He was born in 1857 in Bungay, Suffolk County, England. He died in 1921 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk County, England.

Edna’s grandmother was Maria. I do not know her maiden name. She was born in 1855 in Starston, Norfolk County, England. She died in 1920 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk County, England. The burial record listed her name as Anna Maria Marshall.

Henry and Maria had eight known children. The children were all born in Hoxton New Town, Middlesex County, England.

Alice Marshall (1881)
George Marshall (1882)
Edward Marshall (1886)
Frederick Marshall (1888)
Ada Marshall (1889)
Annie Marshall (1893)
William Marshall (1896)
Daisy Marshall (1897)

The Documents:

Henry, Mary, and the children appear in the England census records for 1891, 1901, and 1911. Their ages and birthplaces were consistent on each of these documents:

The 1911 England census:

The 1901 England census:

The 1891 England census:

The page that listed Henry and his family was not scanned into Ancestry.com’s database. They did transcribe the entries which listed their ages and birthplaces.

The 1901 England census listed Henry’s occupation as a plumber. The 1911 England census listed Henry’s occupation as a painter and plumber.

The 1911 England census shows that Henry and Maria were married for 35 years. That would mean they were married around 1876.

The 1911 England census also shows that Maria gave birth to eleven children during their marriage. Eight of these children were still living when the 1911 England census was enumerated.

The children were born in Hoxton New Town, Middlesex County, England.

The Mystery:

I could not find Henry and Maria on the 1881 England census. I also could find no marriage record.

I then searched the 1861 and 1871 England census for an individual named Henry Marshall. I put in his birth year as 1855 (+/- 2 years) and his birthplace of Bungay, Suffolk County, England.

No results were forthcoming.

Was Henry born under a different surname? Could his mother have married a man with the surname, Marshall, who then adopted Henry as his own child?

The Family Search website explains that people changed their surnames for a variety of reasons:

“When someone wished to escape from a previous background it was not unusual to adopt a new name. Factors would include escaping from creditors, from an upcoming unacceptable arranged marriage, or from an overbearing father. Spouses leaving their partners, deserters from the army or navy, and runaway apprentices have all changed their names. Others were blackballed from work because of involvement in protests or early union-type activities, or perhaps they were evading the authorities after committing a crime.”

This is where a Marshall family historian could help. If you know the answer to this question, please email me at dlwakenight@yahoo.com. You can also leave a message in the Comments Section of this post.

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.

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 excellent sources 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 ancestors.

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 with 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!