This year I discovered that I had attached the wrong death record to Henry’s profile. He did not die in 1913 at the Blythburgh Union Workhouse. I found that he had moved to London, England.

Henry Aldous

Born: 15 JAN 1875 in Westhall, Suffolk County, England

Father: Leman Aldous (1851 to 1929)

Mother: Ann Moore (1855 to 1917)

Spouse: Frances Amelia Newbury (1882 to 1951)

Married: 15 JAN 1905 in Holy Trinity, Haverstock Hill, England

Child:

Harry Aldous (9 MAR 1905 to 1979)

Died: 1915 in St Pancras, Middlesex County, England

Timeline:

1881 Hedenham, Norfolk County, England
1891 Ditchingham, Norfolk County, England
1905 Marriage to Frances
1905 Birth of son, Harry
1909 Hired by the GPO, Paddington, England
1911 St Pancras, Middlesex County, England
1915 Death and Burial

Occupation: porter for the GPO (General Post Office)

Records:

1881, 1891, and 1911 England Census Records
England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915
British Postal Service Appointment Books, 1737-1969
England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915
London, England, Marriages and Banns, 1754-1921
England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index: 1837-1915

Variations of Surname: none

Spouse:

Frances Amelia Newbury:

Frances was born on 13 MAY 1882 in Hammersmith, Middlesex County, England. She died in 1951 in Wandsworth, London, England.

Frances’ father was John Edward Newbury. He was born in 1847 in Wylye, Wiltshire County, England. He died in 1922 in Richmond, Surrey County, England.

Frances’ mother was Jemima Lavinia Looker. She was born on 18 FEB 1851 in Chertsea, Surrey County, England. She died in 1925 in Richmond, Surrey County, England.

Frances’ had ten known brothers and sisters:

Elizabeth Ann Newbury (1870)
Annie Newbury (1872)
Mary Ann Newbury (1873)
James Henry Newbury (1877)
Jane Newbury (1879)
Arthur William Newbury (1881)
Sophia Charlotte Newbury (1884)
George Robert Newbury (1887)
Rose Harriet Newbury (1889)
Jemima Lavinia Newbury (1892)

Frances gave birth to one child out of wedlock:

Daisy Beatrice Newberry was born on 2 JUN 1903 in Fulham, Middlesex County, England.

Correcting My Error:

In 2010, I had erroneously attached a death record to Henry’s profile for the year 1913. I had ordered a copy of the death certificate from the GRO. It showed that a man named Henry Aldous, age 38, died on 24 FEB 1913 at the Blything Union Workhouse in Bucamp, Suffolk County, England. The cause of death was epilepsy.

If Henry had epilepsy, he may have been committed to an asylum. The fact that I could not find him on any census records after 1891 seemed to confirm this scenario.

Yet, when I revisited Henry’s profile in 2021, I discovered that I had made a mistake. A “hint” on Ancestry.com appeared for a marriage record, dated 15 JAN 1905, in London, England.

This document lists Henry’s father as Leman Aldous, a shepherd. The 1901 England census record for Leman confirms this occupation.

With this new information at hand, I found that Henry had moved to St Pancras, Middlesex County, England. He lived there until he died in 1915.

Henry Versus Harry:

Another issue that I had to deal with was that Henry also went by the name of Harry. This is shown on the 1905 marriage record.

It also appears on his son’s baptism record.

All other documents, including the death record, listed his given name as Henry.

Who was the Other Henry Aldous?

After I corrected Henry’s profile, I searched for the other Henry Aldous who died in 1913. The death certificate shows that he had lived in Leiston, Suffolk County, England.

I then discovered that the “Henry versus Harry” issue also played a part in this individual’s profile. Here is what I found:

This person was Harry Aldous, who was born in 1874 in Leiston, Suffolk County, England. The 1891 to 1911 England census records noted that he suffered from “fits” since the age of 3 or 4 years old. The 1901 census record also noted the word “paralytic” which means that Harry may have been fully or partially paralyzed.

Harry’s mother died in 1910. His father was 63 years old in 1911. If Harry was paralyzed and suffered from epilepsy, it could be that his father could not take care of him. That may be the reason Harry was living at the Blythburgh Union Workhouse in Bulcamp, Suffolk, England.

My Thoughts:

I am extremely happy that I decided to revisit Henry’s profile on my Aldous family tree. Whenever I have trouble finding someone named Henry, I will automatically look for the name Harry, too.

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 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 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!