Week 11 (Mar. 12-18) A Turning Point - #52Ancestors

Turning points come about in many ways as we research our family history.  Sometimes it is a breakthrough when new information comes to hand.  Sometimes it is when we revisit our research and uncover a mistake made long ago.  Sometimes it is when we learn new research tricks and methods.  Sometimes it is when fellow researchers reach out a hand to provide help or just a fresh set of eyes.

For some time I had been researching a family history mystery - the fate of my great aunt Alice May Pummeroy.

According to the Victorian Birth Index, Alice May Pummeroy was born in Carlton in 1897 to Alfred Henry Pummeroy and Eliza (Beseler).  Alice was only 3 years old when her father died of pneumonia, leaving his widow destitute with 4 young children -  Edith Margaret (who was a deaf-mute) 4, Alice May 3, Alfred Edward 2 and William Henry 4 months. 
 
After years of struggle Eliza remarried in 1911 to Edward Jennion, with whom she had two more boys, Edwin and Daniel.   All the other siblings can be traced through electoral rolls and other records, but Alice disappears, and for several years I searched for her in vain.

Then came the turning point.  In New Zealand, I found a record for a May Alice Pummeroy marrying David James Moorhead in 1918.  Looking in New Zealand for May Moorhead, I located several electoral roll listings before she disappeared again, reappearing in Australia as May Alice Moorhead in electoral rolls from 1950 to 1980.  David James Moorhead is recorded as dying in Victoria in 1951, age 77.  His death certificate lists him as being born in Christchurch, New Zealand.

The final turning point came with the help of a fellow genealogist who sent me another piece to the puzzle, with a death notice and cemetery record which shows May Alice Moorhead died 1st September 1989, age 92, in Salisbury North, South Australia.  She was cremated at Enfield Memorial Park, SA.

Why she chose to move from Melbourne, Victoria to South Australia I don't know - possibly she had children who settled there and she moved to be closer to them.  All her siblings lived and died in Victoria - she was the one who travelled away.  This just goes to show that people can change their names, move to places you don't expect, and you just need to keep looking and broaden your search if you don't find them where you expect them.  Eventually a turning point in your research will come.

Week 10 (Mar. 5-11) Changed My Thinking - #52Ancestors

So often the details of our family history that we discover change our thinking - about our family, about our lives, about history, about the world we live in.  So many events and details have changed my thinking along my family history journey.

From discovering the fate of orphaned children to witnessing the determination of a newly widowed mother, from discovering a family's immigration tale to reading the World War 1 dossier of a soldier, there is always something new to learn and consider.  I have uncovered tales of divorce, disaster and desperation.  There are also stories of happier times - of social gatherings and sporting achievements, of education and career success, of marriages and growing families.

Family History opened my eyes to how life was lived by my ancestors - where they lived, their occupations, what life was like for them, how hard life was for many.  It all changed my thinking and made history so much more 'real'.

RootTech 2026

RootsTech 2026 is about to begin!   From DNA to the power of family stories and advanced research techniques —RootsTech has sessions on nearly every topic.

The online event includes :

• 200+ new online sessions in over 26 languages
• Join keynote sessions live from the comfort of your own home
• Chat online with other attendees worldwide

Many of the online sessions are presented live, with recordings available for approximately 3 years afterwards.  You can even create your own playlists so you don't miss any of the sessions that interest you.

You can search the schedule and build your own playlist of the sessions you want to view, making sure you don't miss out on anything.  Remember, recordings of the online sessions remain available after the event, so you can view all you want at your leisure.  And it is all free!

Ancestry opens records for International Womens Day

Over four billion family history records, including census and military records, will be free to access on Ancestry to mark International Women’s Day.

In a statement Ancestry said: “International Women’s Day is a time to not only celebrate the achievements of women today but to reflect on the progress made by the women who came before us. Many of the incredible stories of women from history are hard to find because historical documents sometimes exclude women’s occupations, and newspapers often recorded women under their husbands’ names; but our research shows that people have a deep desire to learn about their women ancestors.”

Ancestry is offering free access to 59 record sets from 8 to 18 March.

Key free record sets include:

• The 1881, 1911 and 1921 English and Welsh census records
• The 1939 Register for England and Wales
• Over two million 1833-1956 UK rail employee records
• The 1737-1969 UK postal service appointment books
• The 1898-1968 UK and Ireland nursing registers
• The 1904-59 UK midwives roll
• The 1914-23 UK First World War pension ledgers and index cards
• The Second World War Women’s Land Army index cards
• The First World War Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps service records
• The First World War Women’s Royal Air Force service records
• The First World War Women’s Royal Naval Officers’ service records
• The England and Wales civil registration marriage indexes for 1837-1915 and 1916-2005
• The England and Wales civil birth indexes for 1837-1915 and 1916-2007
• The England and Wales civil death index for 1837-1915

Ancestry will also offer free access to its Newspapers.com historic newspaper website.

 

Week 9 (Feb. 26-Mar. 4) Conflicting Clues - #52Ancestors

So often during our family history research we uncover conflicting clues. Stories that don't add up, records that don't match, timelines that prove impossible, hints that are incorrect.  Any new piece of information needs to be checked and confirmed.  Mistakes WILL be made - by researchers, by transcribers and digitizing projects, even by those who originally created records, and they can lead us badly astray in our research and waste valuable research time trying to untangle the conflicting clues.

In an earlier post I listed some of the things to keep in mind to help spot obvious errors and conflicting clues - and I have seen all of these in records and online trees : 

• Children cannot be born before their parents. 
• Children cannot be born to a mother who is 6 years old.  Or 94 years old.  
• Children are highly unlikely to be born to a father who is 89 years old.  While this MAY be biologically possible, it is unlikely and deserves a bit of fact checking. 
• A child cannot be christened 2 months before they are born. 
• A woman cannot marry 3 years after she has died. 
• A man cannot enlist in the army 5 years after he has died.
  

Recently I discovered a transcribed record in an online database that illustrated the conflicts that can occur.  The record for the baptism of Hannah May below leapt out at me when I first located it.  Why??  Check the birth and baptism dates again.  According to this record Hannah was born 17 August 1796 but baptised 6 weeks earlier on 9 July 1796.

Something has been transcribed incorrectly in this record.  Possibly the dates are transposed and Hannah was born in July and baptised in August.  Possibly one of the months was transcribed incorrectly.  With no original image to check, I will need to dig further to find out.  It is clear, however, that a mistake has been made somewhere and has not been picked up in the transcription process.  Another conflicting clue.

Family Tree US Magazine March/April 2026

The latest issue of Family Tree US magazine is now available free online for Campaspe Library members via our subscription to Libby eMagazines. 

Inside this month's issue : 

• Web Highlight: RootsTech at Home
• Take your research to the next level!
• AI and Ancestry.com
• MyHeritage Adds Languages Support, DNA Traits
• Old Ancestors, New Tools
• Talkin’ ‘Bout a Revolution
• Digital photo frenzy
• Form-Fitting : Record your research 
• Find Your U.S. Ancestors
• Site Savoir Faire : Say bonjour to French ancestors 
• The Secret Garden : the history of Castle Garden
• Institutional Records
• Finding Swedish Records at ArkivDigital 
• Preserving Religious Artifacts
• Finding Irish Censuses Online
• FamilySearch : Searching Records, Building a Family Tree, & More
• And more... 

Who Do You Think You Are Magazine March 2026

The latest issue of Who Do You Think You Are magazine is now available free online for Campaspe Library members via our subscription to Libby eMagazines.

Inside this month's issue : 

• Stoking memories
• RootsTech full online schedule announced
• ‘Extremely rare’ 16th-century Devon map preserved
• Museum buys Oliver Cromwell's watch
• Bona Vacantia back online
• Theresienstadt Ghetto drawings donated to the Wiener Holocaust Library
• Moving Moments : changing address
• Parich Registers online
• Capturing the voices of the past 
• The Gwent Levels
• A hero, a cad and a scoundrel 
• Children's workhouses
• British Army in WW2
• Window-Tax Records 
• Make the most of your research on Findmypast
• Ring in the new : the first telephone call
• And more... 

 

Week 8 (Feb. 19-25) A Big Decision - #52Ancestors

"A Big Decision" made by several of my ancestors was to emigrate to Australia.  What was that journey like for them?  What prompted these families, mostly with young children in tow, to pack up and move halfway around the world?  Two of my immigrant families would settle in one state of Australia, then pack up and move again several years later.  What prompted them to take that leap of faith and travel so far from their homelands, families and friends?  It would have been a huge decision to make.

My immigrant ancestors came from England, Ireland and Germany.  Land in their homelands would have been difficult and costly to acquire, so the prospect of cheap land for farming may have been a big motivator for them.  Many Germans also emigrated for freedom from religious persecution.  Then there are my Irish ancestors, who left Ireland a few years before the potato famine.  Again, I suspect Australia represented the chance for a better life, a chance to own land and improve the family's living conditions.

My great grandfather, James Nicholas Clark, was born in Bristol, England or possibly Launceston, Tasmania around 1856, just as the family emigrated to Australia.  James’s younger sister Annie Amelia Clark was born 31 March 1857 in Port Sorrell, Tasmania, where the family lived for at least 12 years before they traveled across Bass Strait and settled in Victoria.

Carl Friedrich Beseler, known in Australia as Frederick, was born around 1810 in Hanover, Germany.  He was a shoemaker in Germany and a farmer in Australia, arriving in Adelaide on 1 April 1848 on the ship Pauline from Bremen, Germany.  Passengers listed were Frederick Beseler, Shoemaker, Mrs Beseler and 5 children.  The family lived in South Australia for 7 years before travelling overland to Victoria, where they settled near Ercildown.  Several members of the family are buried in Learmonth Cemetery. 

Travel by ship in the mid 1800s from Europe to Australia would have been a long and arduous journey for these families.  Their determination to forge new lives prompted them to travel such distances.  A big decision indeed.

Family Tree UK Magazine

The latest issue of Family Tree UK magazine is now available free online for Campaspe Library members via our subscription to Libby eMagazines.

Inside this month's issue : 

• Suffragette’s chief nurse long-lost medal on display
• New fees introduced at The National Archives, Kew 
• DNA Club news 
• Bona Vacantia reinstated 
• View the RootsTech 2026 class preview
• Back to basics : making the most of the record sets
• Confirmation bias in theory
• Case to prove : George Grindle 
• Faithfully restored : The Dudden Hill School War Memorial project 
• How to trace a Regiment
• The life of Bryan : a Family Perspective 
• Your views on DNA testing
• Which branch of the Houstouns went to Ulster?
• And more... 

 

Relatives at RootsTech

RootsTech 2026 by FamilySearch has opened Relatives at RootsTech, its popular annual online family discovery activity. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to participate globally, with the aim of making new cousin connections. Available through the end of March 2026, anyone can join the experience for free at FamilySearch.org/Connect.

The interactive discovery feature is offered annually as part of the RootsTech conference and enables participants to find and connect with living relatives. Millions have participated since the activity’s inception and have enjoyed how it can strengthen family connections and lead to new discoveries. In 2025, participants discovered nearly 5 million ancestral relationships. 

To join Relatives at RootsTech 2026 online:

• Go to FamilySearch.org/Connect. 
• If you don't have a free FamilySearch account, create one when prompted. 
• Add what you know to the FamilySearch Family Tree. The more relatives you have in your family tree, the greater the probability that cousin connections will be made. 

The feature’s discovery technology will immediately begin using FamilySearch Family Tree information to search for and match any common ancestors with related participants worldwide and show how you are related. If desired, newly connected relatives can message each other through the website. Participants can also see how many relatives have joined the experience and filter them based on location, common ancestor, or family line.

The interactive experience will be available through 31 March 2026. 

Week 7 (Feb. 12-18) What the Census Suggests - #52Ancestors

How accurate are the census records? I'm sure this question has arisen for every genealogist at some point in their research.  We quickly learn that census records cannot be considered the absolute and final authority.  What the census suggests may not be accurate.

Why does someone's age change every census by less (or more!) than the 10 years between censuses? Why is a surname being spelled differently on three different censuses? Why does an ancestor have a different first name in the 1861 census (is it even the right person)?  And why does the census give a different place of birth for great grandma each time?

Consider first what question was actually asked by the census taker. For example with ages - did he ask about how old the person was, or how old they were on their last birthday or.....?  Were the ages of all the adults in an area rounded up (or down) to the closest multiple of five (yes, it happened)?  People may have lied about their ages, or sometimes simply got it wrong. My grandmother always insisted she was born on 30 June 1906.  According to her birth registration, however, she was born on 30 June 1905.

Remember spelling was not exact back in the 1800s and earlier. A census taker wrote what he heard, and whether or not he was a good speller or was familiar with the surname dictated what we see recorded on the census page. You get what I will grumpily refer to as 'some semi-literate clerk's best guess".  Keep in mind that it was not necessarily your ancestor who filled in the census themselves.

Different first names? Children were usually given at least two names at birth and an individual might choose to be known by their middle name, or perhaps a nickname. My ancestor Elizabeth Green (nee May) was always known as Betsy - and that is the name recorded in several censuses.

The next question we need to ask ourselves is - who provided the answers on that census? Was it a parent? Mothers may have had a better idea of their children's birth years and ages than the father. Was it an older child (perhaps the parents were not home), a grandparent or some other person giving the information? Tracing a family through several censuses may have seen a different respondent each time.  All these factors will affect the quality of the census information.

As with many other genealogical records, the census records can contain inaccurate information, mistakes and even outright lies.  What the census suggests is not always the truth.

Week 6 (Feb. 5-11) Favorite Photo - #52Ancestors

The prompt for Week 6 is 'Favorite Photo', a prompt I have answered in previous years,and as always it is hard to choose just one photo from my collection.

Over the years I have been quite fortunate in accumulating old family photographs from a variety of sources.  Many are copies of photos held by family members, while others have come from libraries and archives, local history societies, distant relatives and heritage projects.  While the bulk of my collection are good digital scans I also have a number of original photos that I have inherited.  All my originals have been scanned for future preservation and happily shared with fellow family members.  I have also detailed who, where and when in as much detail as I can for each one - my pet hate is the anonymous photo of nobody-knows-who included in an album of family members.

One of my favourite family photos is the one below of my father Peter with his siblings and their father, Frank Walter Green.  Dad was one of 10 children and to the best of my knowledge it is the only photo of all 10 siblings together, which makes the scanned image I have even more precious.  And yes, one of the brothers does have a beer bottle balanced on his head!  That would be Ernest, known to all as Squib, the second eldest of the Green siblings.  If there are any relatives out there who have another photo of all 10 siblings together, I would love to hear from you and am happy to share copies!

Another favorite is the wedding photo of my great great grandparents James Nicholas Clark and Pricilla Veronica Mulholland.  Dating back to 1898, it is one of the oldest photographs I have from my mother's side of the family, and I am lucky to hold the original of this photo too.

Finally, there is the tinted studio photograph of my mother as a child.  Aged 5 years old, this photograph was taken to be sent to my mothers older brother James, or Jimmy, in 1947.  Jimmy was in the Merchant Navy at the time, and this photo chased him around the world before being delivered to his ship only days after he was killed in an accident in Argentina while they were picking up a load of horses to be taken to Poland.  Jimmy is buried in Argentina, and the photo was returned to his mother in an unopened letter included in his effects, making the photo even more precious.

Website Wednesday - Holocaust Reunion Project

The mission of the Holocaust Reunion Project is to harness the power of commercial DNA testing, combined with expert genealogical research, both to reunite Holocaust survivors and their children with living relatives and to illuminate the family history that has been lost to genocide.

The Holocaust devastated the Jewish community in countless lamentable ways. But its deepest cut was the literal rending of families: the loss of millions of irreplaceable parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins. And while numerous agencies and organizations support survivors and honor the legacy of the Shoah in myriad ways, there is surprisingly very little focus or energy put towards restoring what was actually taken: family.

Genealogical research, and specifically commercial DNA testing, can do precisely this. DNA can unlock mysteries and make crucial connections, often linking survivors to living relatives they did not know they had. DNA matches can also open the door to help survivors reconstruct their shattered trees and reclaim their lost history, often reconnecting lines of communication severed by the Holocaust.

Initially piloted at the Center for Jewish History in November 2022 and launched as an independent non-profit in 2024, the program serves three primary functions:

• To distribute free DNA tests to the survivor community, as well as raise awareness of the potential of testing to reconnect separated family members. 
• To provide free expert genealogical research exclusively to Holocaust survivors and their families. Co-founders Jennifer Mendelsohn and Dr. Adina Newman specialize in solving complex cases, such as hidden children, unknown parentage, or cases where people are first learning of hidden Jewish history from DNA testing. 
• To educate and empower the survivor community – and the greater Jewish community–to investigate their own history by teaching them how to analyze their DNA results and locate pertinent records. Several myths circulate around both DNA testing and the availability of Holocaust records, which thwart would-be researchers from delving into their past, robbing them of the opportunity to reclaim their family history.

 

Week 5 (Jan. 29-Feb. 4) A Breakthrough Moment - #52Ancestors

A breakthrough moment in my research was the mystery of my great-aunt Alice May Pummeroy.  According to the Victorian Birth Index, Alice May Pummeroy was born in Carlton in 1897 to Alfred Henry Pummeroy and Eliza (Beseler).  Alice was only 3 years old when her father died of pneumonia, leaving his widow destitute with 4 young children -  Edith Margaret (who was deaf and mute) 4, Alice May 3, Alfred Edward 2 and William Henry 2 months.  Eliza took in washing to support her family, and the local ladies benevolent society gave her 3 shillings a week in assistance.  All the other siblings can be traced through electoral rolls and other records, but Alice disappears, and for several years I searched for her in vain.

Eventually perseverance paid off.  My breakthrough moment came when I found a record in New Zealand for a May Alice Pummeroy marrying David James Moorhead in 1918.  Looking in New Zealand for May Moorhead, I located several electoral roll listings before she disappeared again, reappearing in Victoria as May Alice Moorhead in electoral rolls from 1950 to 1980.  David James Moorhead is recorded as dying in Victoria in 1951, age 77.  His death certificate lists him as being born in Christchurch, New Zealand. 

There is no death notice for Alice May (or May Alice) Moorhead in the Ryerson Index or in the Victorian Death Index, nor was there a will with the PROV.  A fellow genealogist sent me another piece to the puzzle, with a death notice and cemetery record which shows May Alice Moorhead died 1st September 1989, age 92, in Salisbury North, South Australia.  She was cremated at Enfield Memorial Park, SA.  Her death certificate confirms she is my great aunt.

Why she chose to move from Melbourne, Victoria to South Australia I don't know - possibly she had children or friends who settled there and she moved to be closer to them.  All her siblings lived and died in Victoria - she was the one who travelled away.  This just goes to show that people can change their names, move to places you don't expect, and you just need to keep looking and broaden your search if you don't find them where you expect them.  Your breakthrough moment will come.

Website Wednesday - Accredited Genealogists Ireland

Accredited Genealogists Ireland (AGI) is the accrediting and representative body for professional genealogists on the island of Ireland (Ireland and Northern Ireland). The Association was established in 1986 to set a high standard of work among its members and to protect the interests of its members and their clients.  To qualify for membership, a genealogist’s work is reviewed by an Independent Board of Assessors.

In addition to working as professional genealogists undertaking commissioned research, many members also share their expertise through lectures and courses on genealogy, both in Ireland and internationally. They contribute to the field by publishing books on genealogy and history, and their knowledge is often sought after for appearances on TV and radio programmes. 

Since its foundation, AGI has maintained its position at the forefront of Irish genealogy advocating for the preservation of and maintaining access to records for genealogists and family historians in the future.

Late last year, Accredited Genealogists Ireland (AGI) released two additional free publications in its Irish census records series: “1911 Census of Ireland: a guide for family history researchers” and “Beyond Form A: unlocking the hidden depths of the Irish census“. 

Who Do You Think You Are Magazine Feb 2026

The latest issue of Who Do You Think You Are magazine is now available free online for Campaspe Library members via our subscription to Libby eMagazines.

Inside this month's issue : 

• Illegitimate names
• Historians trace Birmingham almshouse residents
• Ancestry adds UCL records
• University to compile first ancient Celtic languages dictionary of Britain
• Cambridgeshire Archives acquires 18th-century land ownership document
• Become a Pro with Ancestry - is it worth the cost of upgrading?
• Case study : tracing an RAF crew 
• Solving DNA dilemmas 
• ‘My Grandfathers fought on opposite sides in WW2’
• Irish Teaching Records 
• Free British resources 
• Go Further - More free sites worth their weight in gold
• And more...

 

Week 4 (Jan. 22-28) A Theory in Progress - #52Ancestors

Theories about our ancestors' lives are all well and good, until they lead us astray.  Following a theory too closely, however, can mean we don't look for records in the right places. 

One such example was the family of my great grandfather, James Nicholas Clark.  From information in marriage and death records, James was born around 1856, and his family came from Bristol, England and settled in St Kilda, Victoria, Australia.

For years I searched the Victorian immigration records for the family's arrival.  For years I searched for James's birth or baptism in and around Bristol.  My theory in progress was that the family travelled from Bristol to Victoria sometime around 1870, when they first appeared in St Kilda records.  That was my theory in progress.  Of course I was wrong!

After discovering that the German branch of my family had emigrated from Hamburg, Germany to Hahndorf, South Australia before travelling overland into Victoria to settle, it struck me that perhaps my Clark family had also arrived in a different colony in Australia before moving to Victoria, and I began looking further afield.  A new theory in progress!

There I found them, arriving in Launceston, Tasmania in 1855, where the family lived for at least 12 years before they crossed Bass Strait and settled in Victoria.  An unnamed male child, almost certainly my great grandfather James Nicholas, was registered in Launceston in 1856, and James’s younger sister Annie Amelia Clark was born 31 March 1857 in Port Sorrell, Tasmania.  Annie was followed by several other children also born in Port Sorrell.

This prompted me to revisit several other theories about my family and explore possibilities I had not previously considered.  It pays to check your theories and think outside the box. 

Website Wednesday - The Huguenot Society of Great Britain and Ireland

The Huguenots were members of the French Protestant Church, many of whom, in the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, left their homes in France to escape persecution. More than 50,000 of these refugees came to the British Isles and, in 1718, a French Hospital was founded in London. In 1885, the directors of the Hospital created a Society to promote the publication and interchange of knowledge about Huguenot history.

The original ‘Huguenot Society of London’ has since been renamed 'The Huguenot Society of Great Britain and Ireland', and an Irish Section with its own website has been established. Both sections of the Society aim to form a bond of fellowship among those who respect and admire the Huguenots and seek to perpetuate their memory, and membership is open to anyone wishing to join.

The Huguenot Society provides a variety of resources that can help those searching for their ancestors: its own publications, substantial collections of family history material in the Huguenot Library and leaflets providing guidance. Further support and information is available for the Society’s members. 

FamilySearch

Last year FamilySearch announced that Full-Text Search is now part of its standard search tools. Since its initial release in FamilySearch Labs during RootsTech 2024, the feature has undergone numerous enhancements to improve its power and usability. 

The number of record collections available on this free database is enormous.  As of 16 January 2026, FamilySearch includes the following :

6,652 searchable and full-text transcribed image collections. There are over 2.403 BILLION "results" in these collections.  

24,568 browsable (some indexed, none transcribed) image collections. There are over 5.894 BILLION images in these collections.  There are 2,101 collections from the United States and 6,968 from Europe.  

3,429 Historical Record Collections (many indexed, browsable).

You do need to sign up to use FamilySearch, but you can authenticate using Google, Facebook or Apple or create your own sign in by providing your name, date of birth and email, and choosing a username and password.

So if you haven't visited the FamilySearch website for a while, take a look and see if they have new information for you to help in your family history research. 

Week 3 (Jan. 15-21) What This Story Means to Me - #52Ancestors

There are many family stories I have uncovered over the years which have made clear how fortunate I am to live in a time when, in most countries, there are safety nets to help those who fall on hard times.  For some ancestors, finding help during times of trouble was difficult, and few social services existed.  

One such family I have followed through the census is my Hines branch of the family tree.  In the 1841 census (below) parents James and Susan are alive and children John, Samuel, Albert and Hannah are listed with them.  Eldest daughter Susannah is not home on census night and so not listed here.

 

By the time of the next census in 1851, circumstances have changed for the family.  Both parents have died, and the five siblings have been split up.  The two eldest children, Susannah and John, now aged 18 and 16, are living with their maternal grandparents and are listed below as house servant and farm servant respectively.

Middle child Samuel, age 14, has been found a home with relatives, and is listed as a lodger in the house of James Prentice.  His maternal grandmother Susannah's maiden name was Prentice (she is the Susannah Woollard listed above, who took in the two eldest children), and James Prentice is her nephew.

The two youngest children, Albert, now age 12 and Hannah, age 10, have been less fortunate.  Apparently there were no relatives willing and able to take these youngest children, and they are listed in the census as paupers in the Cosford Union Workhouse.

So not only have these children lost their parents, they have also been split up, the ones old enough taken by relatives and put to work.  The two youngest, not yet old enough to perform sufficient useful labour, are sent to the workhouse.

#52Ancestors