In 1878, John’s surname legally changed from Aldous to Aldiss. This variation may have been caused by their unique Norfolk dialect. To hear how Norfolk natives speak, check out the British Drama League video.

John Aldiss

Born: 1824 in Blofield, Norfolk County, England

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

First Spouse: Matilda Clarke Sandell (1824 to 1876)

Married: 23 OCT 1856 in Blofield, Norfolk County, England

Children: None

Second Spouse: Ann Elizabeth Hooker (1840 to 1914)

Married: 18 JUL 1878 in Suffield, Norfolk County, England

Child:

Arthur Edward Aldous (1878 to 1917)

Died: 1886 in North Walsham, Norfolk County, England

Timeline:

1841 Blofield, Norfolk County, England
1844 Death of sister, Hannah
1851 Blofield, Norfolk County, England
1856 Marriage to Matilda
1861 Cantley, Norfolk County, England
1871 Blofield, Norfolk County, England
1876 Death of wife, Matilda
1878 Marriage to Ann
1878 Birth of son, Arthur
1881 Felmingham, Norfolk County, England
1881 Death of mother, Martha
1885 Death of brother, John
1886 Death and Burial

Occupation: agricultural laborer, farm bailiff

Records:

1841 to 1881 England Census Records
Norfolk, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1915
Norfolk, England, Bishop’s Transcripts, 1685-1941
England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975
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
Norfolk, England, Church of England Deaths and Burials, 1813-1990
Norfolk, England, Transcripts of Church of England Baptism, Marriage and Burial Registers, 1600-1935
England, Select Deaths and Burials, 1538-1991

Variations of Surname: Aldous

This ancestor is one example of the Aldous surname changing to a variation. John’s surname converted to Aldiss after the 1871 England census was enumerated.

John’s second marriage record:

John’s death record:

John’s burial record:

This conversion to Aldiss most likely occurred because of the regional accent. As the family lived in Norfolk County, England, they spoke with their unique accent. To hear how Norfolk natives speak, check out the British Drama League video.

First Spouse:

Matilda Clarke Sandell:

Matilda was born in 1824 in Ludham, Norfolk County, England. She died in 1876 in Suffield, Norfolk County, England.

Matilda’s father was Edward Sandell. He was born in 1794 in Catfield, Norfolk County, England. He died in 1866 in Ludham, Norfolk County, England.

Matilda’s mother was Mary Ann Clarke. She was born in 1788 in Norfolk County, England. She died in 1843 in Ludham, Norfolk County, England.

Matilda had three brothers and sisters. The oldest child was born in Northrepps, the others were born in Ludham:

Robert Clarke Sandell (1820)
Mary Ann Sandell (1825)
Edward Clarke Sandell (1828)

Second Spouse:

Ann Elizabeth Hooker:

Ann was born on 25 JAN 1840 in Suffield, Norfolk County, England. She died in 1914 in Burgh Castle, Suffolk County, England.

Ann was born out of wedlock:

Ann’s mother was:

Elizabeth Hooker was born in 1823 in Erpingham, Norfolk County, England. She died in 1873 in Hanworth, Norfolk County, England.

Elizabeth married Charles Waterson on 7 DEC 1850 in Suffield, Norfolk County, England. No known children were born to this marriage.

Charles Waterson was born in 1821 in Hanworth, Norfolk County, England. He died in 1889 in Hanworth, Norfolk County, England.

After Elizabeth died, Charles married Susan Saul in 1876 in Hanworth, Norfolk County, England. One known child was born to this marriage:

Arthur Waterson (1877)

Susan Saul was born in 1842 in Hanworth, Norfolk County, England. She died in 1918 in Hanworth, Norfolk County, England.

Susan had one illegitimate child before she married:

Henry Saul (1866)

The vicar did not use the term illegitimate. But, he did make it known by using the term “single woman” on this record.

Ann’s father was:

Richard Dyball was born in 1821 in Suffield, Norfolk County, England. Death Date Unknown.

Richard was the illegitimate son of Maria Dyball. She was born in 1799 in Suffield, Norfolk County, England.

The term “single woman” infers that the child is illegitimate.

Richard’s name appears on Ann’s marriage record to William Barney.

Richard Dyball was arrested twice for committing larceny. The first time was in 1842. He was sentenced to six months in prison. The second offense occurred in 1845. Richard was then sentenced to seven years imprisonment and transported to Tasmania, Australia.

Ann’s Marriages:

Ann married James Moy on 7 JAN 1860 in Thorpe Market, Norfolk County, England. Four known children were born to this marriage:

John Moy (1860)
Elizabeth Moy (1861)
Harriet Moy (1863)
James William Moy (1866)

James Moy was born in 1831 in Thorpe Market, Norfolk County, England. He died in 1865 in Thorpe Market, Norfolk County, England.

James was 34 years old when he died. The death certificate listed the cause of death as “skin disease“.

Ann then gave birth to one illegitimate child:

Eleanor Moy (1868 Southepps, Norfolk)

Under the given name, the vicar wrote: “bastard child of”. This term was used to reference an illegitimate child.

Ann did not marry James Aldiss until 1878 in Suffield, Norfolk County, England.

After James died, Ann married William Barney on 29 OCT 1887 in North Walsham, Norfolk County, England. No known children were born to this marriage.

William Barney was born on 13 JUL 1838 in Colby, Norfolk County, England. He died on 27 APR 1916 in Burgh Castle, Suffolk County, England.

William had previously married Sophia Bartram on 24 NOV 1860 in Felmington, Norfolk County, England. One known child was born to this marriage:

Frederick G Barney (1860)

Sophia Bartram was born in 1837 in Felmingham, Norfolk County, England. She died in 1866 in Felmingham, Norfolk County, England. Sophia was 29 years old when she died.

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.

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