The 1911 England census record shows that James and Caroline lived on the Stradbroke Town Farm. This property is located 1.3 miles southeast of Westhall, Suffolk, England. You can view a photograph of this farm on the Historic England website.

James Aldous

Born: 1840 in Bedingfield, Suffolk County, England

Father: William Aldous (1796 to 1879)
Mother: Mary Ann Unknown (1795 to 1875)

Spouse: Caroline Smith (1839 to 1919)

Married: 1860 in Bedingfield, Suffolk County, England

Children:

Alice Emma Aldous (22 NOV 1860 to 1947)
Edward Aldous (1863 to 1929)
John Aldous (1865 to 1915)
Anna Aldous (1867 to 1930)
James Aldous (1868 to 14 JAN 1935)
Mary Aldous (1870 to Unknown)
William Aldous (1872 to 1929)
Edith Aldous (1874 to 7 JUL 1945)
Fanny Aldous (1877 to 1894)
Frederick Robert Aldous (21 FEB 1881 to 13 FEB 1965)

Died: 1916 in Westhall, Suffolk County, England

Timeline:

1841 Bedingfield, Suffolk County, England
1851 Bedingfield, Suffolk County, England
1860 Marriage to Caroline
1860 Birth of daughter, Alice
1861 Bedingfield, Suffolk County, England
1863 Birth of son, Edward
1865 Birth of son, John
1867 Birth of daughter, Ann
1868 Birth of son, James
1870 Birth of daughter, Mary
1871 Bedingfield, Suffolk County, England
1872 Birth of son, William
1874 Birth of daughter, Edith
1875 Death of mother, Mary Ann
1877 Birth of daughter, Fanny
1879 Death of father, William
1881 Birth of son, Frederick
1881 Bedingfield, Suffolk County, England
1891 Debenham, Suffolk County, England
1894 Death of daughter, Fanny
1901 Debenham, Suffolk County, England
1911 Westhall, Suffolk County, England
1915 Death of son, John
1916 Death and Burial

Occupation: agricultural laborer, farmer

Records:

1841 to 1911 England Census Records
England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915
England & Wales, FreeBMD Marriage Index: 1837-1915
England & Wales, Death Index: 1916-2005

Variations of Surname: none

Farming Life:

From the England census records for 1861 to 1881, James worked as a farm laborer in Bedingfield, Suffolk County, England.

The 1891 and 1901 England census records show that the family lived on the Malt House Farm near Debenham, Suffolk County, England.

The 1911 England census record shows that James and Caroline lived on the Stradbroke Town Farm. This property is located 1.3 miles southeast of Westhall, Suffolk, England. You can view a photograph of this farm on the Historic England website.

Spouse:

Caroline Smith:

Caroline was born in 1839 in Kenton, Suffolk County, England. She died in 1919 in Westhall, Suffolk County, England.

Caroline’s father was John Smith. He was born in 1809 in Bedingfield, Suffolk County, England. He died in the early 1880s in Kenton, Suffolk County, England.

Caroline’s mother was Mary Emmerson. She was born in 1810 in Monk Soham, Suffolk County, England. She died in 1881 in Kenton, Suffolk County, England.

Caroline had eight brothers and sisters, all born in Kenton:

William Smith (1833)
Mary Smith (1835)
Emma Smith (1837)
Eliza Smith (1841)
James Smith (1844)
Ann Smith (1846)
Sarah Smith (1848)
Henry Smith (1850)

Caroline had one child out of wedlock:

Henry George Smith (1857 Kenton, Suffolk County, England)

Henry appears on the 1861 England census and is described as James’ step-son.

In 1863, Henry was baptized in Bedingfield under the surname of Aldous.

I could find no information on Henry after that date. He may have joined the military or moved from Suffolk County, England.

Daughters:

Alice Emma Aldous:

Alice was born on 22 NOV 1860 in Bedingfield, Suffolk County, England. She died in 1947 in Westhall, Suffolk County, England.

Alice never married. In 1939, she was living with her sister-in-law at Hill Farm in Westhall, Suffolk County, England.

Anna Aldous:

Anna was born in 1867 in Bedingfield, Suffolk County, England. She died in 1930 in Croydon, Surrey County, England.

Anna married Thomas Walter Smith in 1894 in Debenham, Suffolk County, England. Three known children were born to this marriage:

William Ashburn Smith (1898 Brighton, Sussex)
Winifred Anna Smith (1903 Gosport, Hampshire)
Grace Edith Smith (1905 Gosport, Hampshire)

Thomas Walter Smith was born in 1870 in Brighton, Sussex County, England. He died in 1944 in Croydon, Surrey County, England.

Mary Aldous:

Mary was born in 1870 in Bedingfield, Suffolk County, England. I do not know if Mary wed or when she died.

Edith Aldous:

Edith was born in 1874 in Bedingfield, Suffolk County, England. She died on 7 JUL 1945 in Denton, Norfolk County, England.

Edith married Arthur Gower in 1895 in Debenham, Suffolk County, England. The 1911 England census indicates that two children were born to this marriage.

The surviving child was born in Earsham, Norfolk County, England:

Arthur Albert James Gower (1897)

Arthur Gower was born in 1863 in Wortwell, Norfolk County, England. He died on 25 SEP 1939 in Denton, Norfolk County, England.

Fanny Aldous:

Fanny was born in 1877 in Westhall, Suffolk County, England. She died in 1894 in Ipswich, Suffolk County, England. She was 17 years old.

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.

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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.

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