Eli Tompkins/Tomkins

[Karenker1]

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

 

[barbarajoh]

Hi Karen,

We he always Eli or was the Eli sometimes Elijah?

Barbara

 

[Karenker1]

Hi Barbara,

on his birth cert he is down as Eli (I do have a copy of that) and on the census and marriage certs I have he is down as Eli too!

Thank you x

 

[davelambert271]

Hi
can you post the details of the 1871 census, so I can identify Catherine, please

dave

 

[Karenker1]

I believe this is her.

Thank you x

Saved to
Spurrier, Catherine in tree "Tompkins/Brown family tree" Remove
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NAME: Catharine Tomkin
AGE: 39
ESTIMATED BIRTH YEAR: abt 1832
RELATION: Head
GENDER: Female
WHERE BORN: London, England
CIVIL PARISH: Woolwich St Mary
ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH: St Mary
TOWN: Woolwich
COUNTY/ISLAND: London
COUNTRY: England
REGISTRATION DISTRICT: Woolwich
SUB-REGISTRATION DISTRICT: Woolwich Arsenal
ED, INSTITUTION, OR VESSEL: 1
HOUSEHOLD SCHEDULE NUMBER: 47
PIECE: 782
FOLIO: 9
PAGE NUMBER: 11
HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS:
NAME AGE
Catharine Tomkin 39
Edward G Mason 22
Mary C Mason 19
John Hughs 23
Joseph Brooks 21
John Brooks 21
Thompson 19

 

[davelambert271]

Hi
thanks for the info. I had found that census return but it does not help and poses some questions

Edward and Marg are recorded as son and daughter to Catherine. If the ages are correct Catherine was 17 when she had Edward. Are Edward and Marg out of wedlock, or was it an error on the census. Edward was a waterman, as was Eli If Catherines father was Spurrier, how are Edward and Marg, Masons

Catherine would have been 34 when she married Eli. so it is possible she was married before, the image is bad, but I think it reads spinster on her mge record

dave

 

[Karenker1]

I guess that it could be the wrong Catherine, but if it is there are no evidence after the wedding of Catherine and Eli.
Looking at the image of the wedding cert in the marriage records it likes it said Widow then someone has written spinster over the top.

 

[barbarajoh]

I am having trouble finding Edward G Mason before the 71 census. Can find him after but can't find him under Mason or Spurrier. Doesn't help find Catherine's husband but might give us a better picture. There are 3births for an Edward George Mason on FreeBMD in the London area.

Barbara

 

[davelambert271]

England & Wales deaths 1837-2007 Transcription

First name(s)
CATHERINE

Last name
TOMKINS

Birth year
1832

Age
47

Death quarter
2

Death year
1879

District
WOOLWICH

County
London

Volume
1D

Page
630

 

[Karenker1]

I started doing a bit more research on Elis wife Catherine, but couldn't find any census records for her at all with the father William Archibald Spurrier as named on her marriage certificate to Eli.

I have noted there is a Catherine Spurrier listed in both 1841,&1851 census in Scotland but I don't have access to those at the moment. If I can find Catherine in a census and fine her place of birth than we will know if the Caherien Tomkin in the 1871 census with the "Mason" children is the correct lady or not? .......I think! X