James lived in Norfolk County, England until the mid-1850s. And, as such, he spoke with their unique Norfolk accent.  That may be the reason his surname sounded more like Aldis than Aldous.

James Aldous

Born: 1832 in Blofield, Norfolk County, England

Father: John Aldous (1799 to 1887)
Mother: Martha Tunmore (1806 to 1881)

First Spouse: Jane Chilvers (1831 to 1870)

Married: 15 OCT 1857 in Lound, Suffolk County, England

Children:

Ann Aldous (1858 to 1862)
Rose Ellen Aldous (1860 to 27 JUL 1943)
John Aldous (1863 to 15 AUG 1934)

Second Spouse: Susanna Pinnock (1841 to 1906)

Married: 26 DEC 1871 in Lound, Suffolk County, England

Child:

Henry Jeffery Aldous (1877 to 26 JAN 1931)

Died: 1885 in Huntingfield, Suffolk County, England

Timeline:

1841 Blofield, Norfolk County, England
1851 Lingwood, Norfolk County, England
1857 Marriage to Jane
1858 Birth of daughter, Ann
1860 Birth of daughter, Rose
1861 Ashby, Suffolk County, England
1862 Death of daughter, Ann
1863 Birth of son, John
1870 Death of wife, Jane
1871 Ashby, Suffolk County, England
1871 Marriage to Susanna
1877 Birth of son, Henry
1881 Huntingfield, Suffolk County, England
1881 Death of mother, Martha
1885 Death and Burial

Occupation: agricultural laborer, farm bailiff (1881)

Records:

1841 to 1881 England Census Records
Norfolk, England, Transcripts of Church of England Baptism, Marriage and Burial Registers, 1600-1935
Norfolk, England, Bishop’s Transcripts, 1685-1941
England & Wales, FreeBMD Marriage Index: 1837-1915
Norfolk, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1940
England, Select Marriages, 1538–1973
England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index: 1837-1915

Variations of Surname: Alders, Aldis

Surname Variations:

James’ surname was written as Alders on the 1851 England Census. It was written as Aldis on the 1871 and 1881 England census records and both of his marriage records.

I almost changed James’ surname to Aldis, but I hesitated. His surname still appeared as Aldous on the baptism record, the 1841 and 1861 England censuses, and his death record.

Whenever I find a variation of surname on my family tree, I look at the vital records. In this case, it was James’ death record that kept me from changing his surname to Aldis.

Norfolk Dialect:

James lived in Norfolk County, England until the mid-1850s. And, as such, he spoke with their unique Norfolk accent. That may be the reason his surname sounded more like Aldis than Aldous.

If you are interested in hearing the Norfolk accent, check out the link on BBC’s “The Way We Speak“. You can also find common phrases used by the Norfolk people on Wikipedia under Norfolk Dialect.

Name Changed to Aldis:

Even though I did not change James’ surname, I did change Henry’s surname to Aldis. In Henry’s case, every record attached to his profile listed his surname as Aldis.

First Spouse:

Jane Chilvers:

Jane was born in 1831 in Burgh St Peter, Norfolk County, England. She died in 1870 in Ashby, Suffolk County, England.

Jane’s father was Samuel Chilvers. He was born on 1 APR 1803 in Dickleburgh, Norfolk County, England. He died in 1843 in Wheatacre, Norfolk County, England.

Jane’s mother was Jane Smith. She was born in 1801 in Lynn, Norfolk County, England. She died in 1882 in Ashby St Mary, Norfolk County, England.

Jane had eight brothers and sisters, all born in Burgh St Peter:

Samuel Chilvers (1826)
Mary Chilvers (1829)
Sarah Chilvers (1833)
Henry Chilvers (1835)
James Chilvers (1837)
Elizabeth Chilvers (1839)
Rose Ellen Chilvers (1841)
Christianna Chilvers (1843)

Daughters:

Ann Aldous:

Ann was born in 1858 in Lound, Suffolk County, England. She died four years later in 1862 in Ashby, Suffolk County, England.

Rose Ellen Aldous:

Rose was born in 1860 in Lound, Suffolk County, England. She died on 27 JUL 1943 in Peasenhall, Suffolk County, England.

Rose married Jonathan Thomas Fozzard in 1887 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk County, England. Two known children were born to this marriage, both born in Beccles, Suffolk County, England:

Thomas Hayhow Fozzard (1888)
Margaret Ellen Fozzard (1889)

Jonathan Thomas Fozzard was born on 5 DEC 1860 in Wells Next The Sea, Norfolk County, England. He died on 30 AUG 1918 in Stratford, Essex County, England.

Second Spouse:

Susanna Pinnock:

Susanna was born in 1841 in Hethersett, Norfolk County, England. She died in 1906 in Hethersett, Norfolk County, England.

Susanna’s father was John Salisbury Pinnock. He was born in 1817 in Swanton Morley, Norfolk County, England. He died in 1890 in Hethersett, Norfolk County, England.

Susanna’s mother was Mary Ann Miller. She was born in 1821 in Hethersett, Norfolk County, England. She died in 1868 in Hethersett, Norfolk County, England.

Susanna had seven brothers and sisters, all born in Hethersett:

Henry Pinnock (1844)
John Pinnock (1848)
William Pinnock (1851)
Robert Pinnock (1854)
Charles Pinnock (1857)
Mary Ann Pinnock (1859)
Walter Pinnock (1863)

After James’ death, Susanna married James Pearson in 1886 in Somerleyton, Suffolk County, England. No known children were born to this marriage.

James Pearson was born in 1841 in Somerleyton, Suffolk County, England. He died in 1922 in Somerleyton, Suffolk County, England.

James had previously married Matilda L Burrage on 2 Nov 1862 in Fritton, Suffolk County, England. Eight known children were born to this marriage, all in Suffolk County, England:

Matilda Pearson (1866 Somerleyton)
Ellen Pearson (1868 Ashby)
Charles Pearson (1871 Ashby)
Albert Pearson (1873 Blundeston)
George Pearson (1875 Herringfleet)
Emma Pearson (1877 Herringfleet)
Margaret Pearson (1879 Blundeston)
Ann Pearson (1881 Blundeston)

Matilda L Burrage was born in 1844 in Fritton, Suffolk County, England. She died in 1882 in Blundeston, Suffolk County, England.

After Susanna died, James married Jane Elizabeth Knights in 1906 in Somerleyton, Suffolk County, England. No known children were born to this marriage.

Jane Elizabeth Knights was born in 1864 in Kessingland, Suffolk County, England. She died in 1938 in Somerleyton, Suffolk County, England.

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!