In 1852, John lost two people that he cared about on the same day. The death record indexes show that his brother, William, and his housekeeper, Maria Laurence, died in the first quarter (Jan-Feb-Mar) of 1852. Both records show Volume 4a, Page 341.

John Aldous

Born: 1782 in Hoxne, Suffolk County, England

Father: John Aldous (1738 to 1809)
Mother: Hannah Fuller (1745 to 1785)

Spouse: Unknown

Married: Unknown Date

Children: Unknown

Died: 1863 in Stradbroke, Suffolk County, England

Timeline:

1785 Death of mother, Hannah
1809 Death of father, John
1841 Hoxne, Suffolk County, England
1851 Hoxne, Suffolk County, England
1852 Death of brother, William
1852 Death of Maria Laurence
1854 Death of brother, Elisha
1861 Hoxne, Suffolk County, England
1863 Death and Burial

Occupation: agricultural laborer

Records:

1841 to 1861 England Census Records
England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index: 1837-1915

Variations of Surname: none

The 1841 England census gives us very limited information on an individual. It included the person’s name, the estimated age, and whether they were born in the English county that was being enumerated. The census does not include a marital status section.

When I searched the 1841 England census, I found John living in Reading Green, Suffolk County, England. This village lies a half-mile southeast of the parish of Denham St John.

Included in this entry are two women:

Maria Laurence, aged 50, female servant
Mary Ann Laurence, aged 20, no occupation

The 1851 England census expanded its questions to include the person’s address, marital status, and birthplace.

In 1851, John was living on Watering Road. This thoroughfare connects Reading Green to Denham St John. As you can see on the Google Map entry, Reading Green is on the right-hand side and Denham St John lies west of Hoxne Road.

The 1851 England census also shows that John was a widower and was born in Hoxne, Suffolk County, England.

Again, two females were living at this residence:

Maria Laurence, aged 68, housekeeper
Mary Ann Laurence, aged 8, visitor

The reason that I included Maria in this post was curiosity. Maria worked for John as a housekeeper for over 20 years. I know they never got married. Yet, they may have developed a friendship over the years.

Here is the vital information that I found:

Maria Laurence was born in 1782 in Woodbridge, Suffolk County, England. She died in 1852 in Hoxne, Suffolk County, England.

Maria’s father was John Laurence. He was born in 1745 in Shotley, Suffolk County, England to Bartholomew Laurence and Mary. Death Date Unknown.

Maria’s mother was Ann Worlidge. She was born in 1749 in Suffolk County, England. Death Date Unknown.

Maria had three known brothers and sisters:

John Laurence (1778)
Robert Laurence (1786)
Elizabeth Laurence (1789)

Maria had two known children who were born out of wedlock:

John Laurence (1804 Woodbridge, Suffolk)
Mary Ann Laurence (1821 Suffolk County, England)

Mary Ann also had one child before marriage:

Mary Ann Laurence (1843 Hoxne, Suffolk)

After Maria died in 1852, John may not have been able to take care of himself. The 1861 England census shows that he was an inmate of the Stradbroke Union Workhouse.

Unanswered Question:

As I was compiling the Timeline Section, shown above, I try to put the events in the order that they occurred. When I found that Maria Laurence and John’s brother, William, died in 1852, I looked to see who died first. What I discovered was both puzzling and astounding:

Here is Maria’s record for the first quarter (Jan-Feb-Mar) of 1852, Volume 4a, Page 341:

Here is William’s record for the first quarter (Jan-Feb-Mar) of 1852, Volume 4a, Page 341:

As you can see, both individuals have the same page number of 341. This means that their deaths were reported on the same day and in the same jurisdiction or local area.

In 1851, William was living in Denham St John with his daughter, Jane, and her husband, James Hawes. Maria was living in Hoxne with John.

Both people were connected to John Aldous. William was his brother. Maria was his housekeeper. This was a “double whammy” to John. He lost two people that he cared about on the same day.

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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