I received an email from George’s great-granddaughter. She was able to provide marriage and death details on her grandfather, John Aldous. Thank you, Lydia, for “filling in the blanks”!

George William Aldous

Born: 29 JUN 1901 in Stevenage, Hertfordshire County, England

Father: George Aldous (1877 to 1863)
Mother: Eliza Ann Pratt (1878 to 1945)

Spouse: Alice Agnes Dilley (1901 to 1982)

Married: 1925 in Stotfold, Bedfordshire County, England

Child:

John Aldous (31 AUG 1933 to 2 APR 2009)

Died: 26 JAN 1968 in Barnet, Greater London, England

Probate:

Timeline:

1908 Death of brother, Jeffrey
1911 Stevenage, Hertfordshire County, England
1924 Death of 2nd brother, Jeffrey
1925 Marriage to Alice
1933 Birth of son, John
1939 Stevenage, Hertfordshire County, England
1945 Death of mother, Eliza
1963 Death of father, George
1968 Death and Burial

Occupation: horse-keeper or groom (1939), farmworker (1963)

Records:

1911 England Census Record
1939 England and Wales Register
England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915
England & Wales, Marriage Index: 1916-2005
England, Select Marriages, 1538–1973
England & Wales, Death Index: 1916-2005
England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1861-1941

Variations of Surname: none

Spouse:

Alice Agnes Dilley:

Alice was born on 21 JUN 1901 in Hinxworth, Hertfordshire County, England. She died on 20 JUN 1982 in Stevenage, Hertfordshire County, England.

Alice’s father was Arthur Dilley. He was born on 10 NOV 1878 in Astwick, Bedfordshire County, England. He died on 29 MAR 1958 in Stotfold, Bedfordshire County, England.

Alice’s mother was Agnes Cooper. She was born on 3 AUG 1879 in Stotfold, Bedfordshire County, England. She died on 12 DEC 1950 in Hitchin, Hertfordshire County, England.

Alice had three brothers and sisters, all born in Hinxworth:

Sydney Dilley (1904)
Violet Annie Dilley (1906)
Marjorie May Dilley (1908)

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!