I am researching a member of the Stacey family who was born in Hampshire around 1846 and lived in Reading about 1881. Places given will generally be the registration district in which the event occurred.
Beginning with a living married couple as a starting point, I have worked back and found ancestors dating to the early 1800s, using the GRO to find a mother’s maiden name (MMN) and FreeBMD to find corresponding marriages. Where there is the possibility of more than one birth or marriage with similar names at similar times, I have checked the families in the censuses to ensure I have the correct lineage. Always confirm data with more than one source.
I have checked the generations back to Thomas Stacey (b 1889) and for confidentiality I will start with him. The table below is a summary of the result of those searches –
|
Surname |
Name |
Middle Name |
Marr (M) Born (B) |
Year |
Surname/ MMN |
Name |
Middle Name |
Reg Dist |
|
Stacey |
Thomas |
H |
M |
1942 |
Harwood |
Joyce |
E |
Reading |
|
Stacey |
Thomas |
H |
B |
1917 |
Withers |
Reading |
||
|
Stacey |
Thomas |
M |
1911 |
Withers |
Jessie |
W A |
Reading |
|
|
Stacey |
Thomas |
B |
1889 |
Goodger |
Reading |
|||
|
Stacey |
Uriah |
M |
1876 |
Goodger |
Mary |
Ann |
Reading |
|
|
Stacey |
Uriah |
B |
1848 |
Wells |
Basingstoke |
I looked in the 1939 Register for Thomas H Stacey b 1917 and unmarried. I found him living with his parents and siblings at 49 Orts Road, Reading –
|
Surname |
Name |
M or F |
Birthday |
M S W |
Occupation |
Other |
|
Stacey Snr |
Thomas |
M |
19 Oct 1889 |
M |
Watchman |
|
|
Stacey |
Winifred |
F |
22 Apr 1888 |
M |
Unpaid domestic duties |
( 1 ) |
|
Stacey |
Frederick |
M |
29 Nov 1912 |
S |
Shop Porter ( Grocery) |
|
|
Stacey |
Louisa |
F |
7 Mar 1915 |
S |
Paper Cutting Machinist |
M Mortimer |
|
Stacey Jnr |
Thomas |
M |
25 Oct 1917 |
S |
?? ( ?? ) |
|
|
Stacey |
Edith |
F |
11 Apr 1920 |
S |
Biscuit Packer |
( 2 ) |
|
CLOSED |
(1) As Jessie W A at marriage to Thomas. As Jessie Winifred Annie at birth.
(2) I checked Ediths birth (Edith A M b 1920 with MMN Withers), the same as Thomas and therefore the correct family.
I looked in the 1911 census for a Thomas Stacey born around 1889 in the Reading area with a mother called Mary. I found one living at 8 Garrard Street, Reading –
|
Surname |
Name |
Middle Name |
Relation |
M S W |
Age |
Occupation |
Birthplace |
||
|
Aldridge |
William |
Thomas |
Head |
M |
34 |
Biscuit Manufactory |
Reading |
||
|
Aldridge |
Kathleen |
Emily |
Wife |
M |
29 |
(M 6 yrs, 2ch, 2 alive) |
Reading |
||
|
Aldridge |
Kathleen |
Annie |
Daur |
2 |
Reading |
||||
|
Aldridge |
Elsie |
Edith May |
Daur |
5 mnth |
Reading |
||||
|
Stacey |
Mary |
Ann |
Mother in Law |
W |
54 |
Tilehurst |
|||
|
Stacey |
Annie |
Emily |
Sister in Law |
S |
25 |
Biscuit Manufactory |
Reading |
||
|
Stacey |
Edith |
Mary |
Sister in Law |
S |
23 |
Biscuit Manufactory |
Reading |
||
|
Stacey |
Thomas |
Brother in Law |
S |
21 |
Biscuit Manufactory |
Reading |
|||
Kathleen Emily Stacey married William Thomas Aldridge in Reading in 1904. I therefore checked the births of the sisters and found Edith Mary b 1887 and Annie b 1886, both with MMN Goodger. This is the correct family.
Because Mary Ann was listed as a widow, I looked for the death of a Uriah Stacey born about 1848. I found a death for a Uriah aged 63 who died in 1910 in Reading. On the Familysearch website he was aged 63 and was buried on 11th January 1910 in the London Road Cemetery (consecrated) and he had been in the infirmary.
I looked for the birth of Mary Ann Goodger in about 1857 in the Tilehurst/Reading area. I found a Mary Goodger born in Bradfield in 1856 with MMN Wate. This is probably correct as Bradfield covered the Tilehurst area of Reading.
I found a marriage of a James Goodger to Sarah Waite in Dec. quarter 1855 in Bradfield.
Looking in the 1901 census for a Mary Stacey aged about 44 in the Reading area, I found at 7 Cheltenham Place, Reading –
|
Surname |
Name |
Middle Name |
Relation |
M S W |
Age |
Occupation |
Birthplace |
|
Stacey |
Mary |
Wife |
M |
44 |
Tilehurst |
||
|
Stacey |
Emily |
A |
Daur |
15 |
Biscuit Makers Assistant |
Reading |
|
|
Stacey |
Edith |
Daur |
14 |
Biscuit Makers Assistant |
Reading |
||
|
Stacey |
Tom |
Son |
11 |
Reading |
|||
|
Nash |
George |
Boarder |
38 |
General Laborer |
Abingdon |
It appears Mary is married, but I could not find Uriah.
I then searched the 1891 census for a Thomas Stacey born about 1889 with a mother Mary born about 1857 and a father Uriah. I found at 107 Friar Street, Reading –
|
Surname |
Name |
Middle Name |
Relation |
M S W |
Age |
Occupation |
Birthplace |
|
Thatcher |
Walter |
Son |
S |
19 |
Cabinet Maker |
Berks, Lower Basildon |
|
|
Thatcher |
Linda |
E |
Daur |
S |
17 |
Shopkeeper |
Berks, Lower Basildon |
|
Stacey |
Henry |
Lodger |
M |
44 |
Platelayer |
Hants, Hartley |
|
|
Stacey |
Mary |
Lodger |
M |
34 |
Berks, Tilehurst |
||
|
Stacey |
Kate |
Lodger |
S |
9 |
Berks, Reading |
||
|
Stacey |
Annie |
Lodger |
S |
5 |
Berks, Reading |
||
|
Stacey |
Edie |
Lodger |
S |
3 |
Berks, Reading |
||
|
Stacey |
Thomas |
Lodger |
S |
1 |
Berks, Reading |
I searched GRO records for MMN of the “lodger children” as a check and found that Catherine, Annie, Edith and Thomas all had a MMN of Goodger. This is the correct family.
So who was Henry? Note that he was born in Hampshire in about 1847 just as Uriah was.
I couldn’t find the birth or death of a Henry that fits and I couldn’t find a Mary marrying a Henry Stacey, or similar, that matches this couple’s details.
I therefore went back to the 1881 census looking for Mary and found at 18 Ball Court, Friar Street, Reading –
|
Surname |
Name |
Middle Name |
Relation |
M S W |
Age |
Occupation |
Birthplace |
|
Stacey |
Henry |
Head |
M |
36 |
Railway Platelayer |
Hants, N.K. |
|
|
Stacey |
Mary |
Wife |
M |
24 |
Railway Platelayer’s wife |
Berks, Tilehurst |
|
|
Stacey |
Arthur |
Son |
3 |
Berks, Reading |
|||
|
Knight |
William |
Lodger |
S |
24 ? |
Carmans laborer |
Wilts, Wilsford |
|
|
Palmer |
Alfred |
Lodger |
S |
17 |
Wood sawyer ( Steam ) |
Berks, Bradfield |
As a check I looked in GRO records and found Arthur Stacey born in 1878 with his mother’s maiden name as Goodger. This is the correct family, but once again, who is Henry?
Uriah and Mary were married in 1876 so I searched the 1871 census for Uriah and Henry Stacey and I could not find either of them.
I did find Mary’s family Goodger in 1871 and 1861 censuses and she was born in Tilehurst about 1857 so her family fits in nicely.
Back to Stacey. I found Uriah’s birth in 1848 in Basingstoke with MMN as Wells. In Familysearch I found the marriage of William Stacey and Mary Wells in Sherfield on Loddon in 1830.
I therefore searched the 1861 census for Uriah Stacey born about 1848 and found in Hartley Westpall (Hampshire) –
|
Surname |
Name |
Mid name |
Relation |
M S W |
Age |
Occupation |
Birthplace |
|
Stacey |
William |
Head |
M |
57 |
Ag Lab |
Hants, Hartley Westpall |
|
|
Stacey |
Mary |
Wife |
M |
51 |
Hants, Sherfield |
||
|
Stacey |
William |
Son |
19 |
Ag Lab |
Hants, Rotherwick |
||
|
Stacey |
John |
Son |
14 |
Carter Boy |
Hants, Hartley Westpall |
||
|
Stacey |
Uriah |
Son |
12 |
Carter Boy |
Hants, Hartley Westpall |
Mary’s birthplace ties in with the marriage at Sherfield.
Going through the 1851 census I also found in Hartley Westpall –
|
Surname |
Name |
Middle Name |
Relation |
M S W |
Age |
Occupation |
Birthplace |
|
Stacey |
William |
Head |
M |
46 |
Ag Lab |
Hants, Hartley Westpall |
|
|
Stacey |
Mary |
Wife |
M |
40 |
Hants, Sherfield |
||
|
Stacey |
Caroline |
12 |
Middx, Hendon |
||||
|
Stacey |
William |
11 |
Hants, Rotherwick |
||||
|
Stacey |
Thomas |
9 |
Hants, Rotherwick |
||||
|
Stacey |
John |
5 |
Hants, Hartley Westpall |
||||
|
Stacey |
Uriah |
2 |
Hants, Hartley Westpall |
Looking at births in the GRO records, all the children have their mother’s maiden name as Wells. Caroline was registered in 1839 in Hendon. William was registered as William Uriah. John was registered as Peter, but christened as John.
In the 1841 census I found in Rotherwick, Light Green (now Lyde Green) –
|
Surname |
Name |
Middle Name |
Relation |
M S W |
Age |
Occupation |
Born in Hants |
|
Stacey |
William |
40 |
Ag Lab |
Y |
|||
|
Stacey |
Mary |
30 |
Y |
||||
|
Stacey |
Arnold |
10 |
Y |
||||
|
Stacey |
Caroline |
2 |
Y |
||||
|
Stacey |
William |
7 wks |
Y |
Arnold Stacey was christened in 1831 in Hartley Westpall with parents William and Mary.
I now have two families that appear to be the same, but the Head in 1881 and 1891 is not Uriah but Henry. They were both born in Hampshire at about the same time. I think that Henry is Uriah, but why the change in name?
This appeared at first to be a dead end.
However, I also subscribe to the British Newspaper Archive, so I entered ‘Uriah Stacey’ in Reading. Three entries were found in the Berkshire Chronicle but I needed to confirm that they were referring to “my” Stacey family. I did not find another Uriah in the Reading area, there were several Henry references but none had the same occupation as “our” Henry.
An article published 26th June 1864 referred to a theft.
Another article published 29th July 1876 told of maintenance of an illegitimate child of Charlotte Stacey of 9 Easton Place, his ‘brother’s widow’. This looked interesting.
Referring to the 1851 census, if this is the same Uriah, there are three brothers – William born about 1840, Thomas about 1842 and John born about 1846. The only one I could find who may have married a Charlotte was John in 1871 in Bradfield. She was either Charlotte Wheeler or Charlotte Carter – but which one?
I found a death for John Stacey aged 28 registered in 1874 in Reading meaning he would have been born about 1846. This looks promising.
Now to find a possible child born to Charlotte Stacey in about 1876. I located an Ellen Stacey whose birth was registered in the September quarter 1876 but the MMN was left blank. I also found an Ellen Stacey baptised in Reading in 1876 with a mother – Charlotte.
Therefore I looked at the 1881 census for Ellen Stacey aged about 4 and found at 3 Easton Place, Brunswick Street –
|
Surname |
Name |
Middle Name |
Relation |
M S W |
Age |
Occupation |
Birthplace |
|
Maynard |
John |
Head |
M |
30 |
Berks, Wokingham |
||
|
Maynard |
Charlotte |
Wife |
M |
32 |
Berks, Bradfield |
||
|
Stacey |
Mary |
A |
Step dr |
6 |
Scholar |
Berks, Reading |
|
|
Stacey |
Ellen |
Step dr |
4 |
Scholar |
Berks, Reading |
||
|
Maynard |
Emily |
Daur |
2 |
Berks, Reading |
Looking at the GRO record for the birth of Mary A Stacey I found that the MMN was Wheeler. This also looks promising because John Stacey therefore married Charlotte Wheeler if this is the correct family.
To prove this, I found that Charlotte Stacey married John Maynard in 1878 in Reading. Charlotte therefore only moved a few houses away in Easton Place when she became married.
Uriah appears to be the one from the family I am researching (he is in Reading in 1876) but I still wasn’t certain that he is also Henry.
The third news item was published on 26th May 1883 –
Uriah Stacey of Ball-court, Friar-street, was fined 2s. 6d. for allowing his chimney to catch fire.
This was my last piece of data about Uriah Stacey, and for me it confirms that he is indeed Henry.
Note where Henry was living in the 1881 census, 2 years earlier – Ball Court, Friar Street.
Luckily Uriah’s wayward ways revealed who he claimed to be – I now know who Henry is.
Sources
Stacey family
General Register Office (GRO)
FreeBMD
Ancestry
Familysearch
Findmypast (FMP)
British Newspaper Archive
