welcome
Hi this is my first post, so hoping to make some progress and it makes sense.
I am looking for Eli Tompkins/Tomkins/Tomkin (lots of variations)
Born 1845 HORSMONDEN, Kent UK - Parents Samuel and Elizabeth (Nee Martin)
1851 Census Lived with parents in Horsmonden
1861 Census - worked as a boot boy at Camden Inn Tunbridge Wells, Kent
1868 Marries Catherine Spurrier in Lewisham, London.
Then nothing!
Catherine dies in 1879, and in the 1871 census she is listed as married but Eli is not present and there doesn't appear to be any children.
Eli Worked as a Thames Lighterman from 1863 to 1868 training under a Richard Alcock.
I have a letter that suggests he may have gone to New Zealand but have not found any evidence to confirm this to date.
Curiously, a few people on geneology websites have him listed in their trees and say that Eli changed his name to Richard Alcock. When I have contacted them about this they cannot tell me where they got this info from.
I think its just confusion as that was the masters name he served under on the Thames, but equally he could have taken on the name of someone he knew I guess to start a new life!
I am stumped, so any help gratefully received!
Many thanks xxx
Hi this is my first post, so hoping to make some progress and it makes sense.
I am looking for Eli Tompkins/Tomkins/Tomkin (lots of variations)
Born 1845 HORSMONDEN, Kent UK - Parents Samuel and Elizabeth (Nee Martin)
1851 Census Lived with parents in Horsmonden
1861 Census - worked as a boot boy at Camden Inn Tunbridge Wells, Kent
1868 Marries Catherine Spurrier in Lewisham, London.
Then nothing!
Catherine dies in 1879, and in the 1871 census she is listed as married but Eli is not present and there doesn't appear to be any children.
Eli Worked as a Thames Lighterman from 1863 to 1868 training under a Richard Alcock.
I have a letter that suggests he may have gone to New Zealand but have not found any evidence to confirm this to date.
Curiously, a few people on geneology websites have him listed in their trees and say that Eli changed his name to Richard Alcock. When I have contacted them about this they cannot tell me where they got this info from.
I think its just confusion as that was the masters name he served under on the Thames, but equally he could have taken on the name of someone he knew I guess to start a new life!
I am stumped, so any help gratefully received!
Many thanks xxx