Wrong Ones!
Presented here are the birth, death and marriage certificates that I thought were for members of my family only to find out that they were not, or at least in one case not the family member I was expecting.  Of no relevance to my family, but maybe they might be to yours.
Birth   ¦   Marriage   ¦   Death
     
Birth    
1841 Ann Barnes birth
 		 1854 Alice Louise Martin birth 1st Attempt
Alice Martin is my maternal great grandmother.  Alice was married in October 1872 aged 18. This birth certificate for Bermondsey seemed to fit the known facts - only to find that it didn't.  		1854 Alice Martin birth 2nd Attempt
Looked at Alice again and decided that as she was living in Bethnal Green at the time of her marriage she born in neighbouring Shoreditch. Unfortunately that wasn't right either.
1854 Alice Mary Martin 3rd Attempt
Finally found Alice and husband John Schulpher - name spelt wrongly on the 1881 census. The birthplace for Alice was given as Chatham, Kent.  FreeBMD shows entry for Alice Mary Martin, Gravesend, Kent - seemed like a good match so certificate ordered. However, a later search on the 1881 census for father John brings up an entry for Milton-By-Gravesend which includes a Alice Mary Martin, aged 26 and single.  Wrong again! (Actual place of birth was Hatcham, London).		 1862 John Sculpher birth
Thought to be the birth certificate for my great grandfather but turned out to be my first cousin twice removed! So I suppose not that much of a wrong 'un.		 1865 George Barnes birth
Originally thought that George was the son of Thomas and Jane and the brother of Thomas and William. Found that son Thomas was actually Thomas George!
   
1872 Ann Elizabeth Holloway birth
Who is this Ann Elizabeth Holloway? Not a daughter of George and Elizabeth - her parents are Edward and Mary Ann Holloway. Is Edward an uncle to George and Mary Ann a sister to his wife Elizabeth. (An Edward and M A Holloway witnessed the marriage of George and Elizabeth).		    
1876 Elizabeth Barnes birth
Elizabeth is my great grandaunt, but sadly this is not her birth certificate. Elizabeth appears on the 1881 with Thomas and Jane Barnes and recorded as their daughter but I have yet to find her actual birth certificate - even searching the GRO index hasn't produced a child born to Thomas and Jane with that name or any daughter born that year.		 1879 Ernest John Barnes birth
Thought to have been the birth certificate of my great granduncle (Elizabeth's younger brother). His actual birth certificate was found - he was born in 1878, but sadly died in 1882 of measles.		 Thought to be the son of Thomas George Barnes and his wife. A letter in the family states that one of the son of Thomas and Annie died in the 1st World War. A Robert Harry Barnes died on the Somme in 1917 - and although not part of our Barnes family this may well be his birth certificate. Robert Harry didn't enlist until after 1915 and a birth date in 1899 would fit with someone not old enough to join in 1914 or 1915.
   
1916 John William Barnes birth. As his mothers maiden name was Clayton, I thought John William may be a brother to Lilian Grace. Sadly this was not the case. Note fathers occupation - private in the 24th County of London Regiment. A Territorial Army regiment - the same regiment that Herbert Albert Robert joined in 1916.    
     
Marriage    
1863 Edward Barnes, occupation tailor and Catherine Willis. Father of the groom was a Francis Barnes, also a tailor. Brides father was William Willis, a wheelwright. 1909 Thomas Wilkins/Ellen O'Shea. Thought to be Ellen's first marriage because of a story in the family of her husband dying in 1912.  Ellen was actually married in 1918 to William Leech, a soldier in the Royal Fusiliers. 1911 Ernest Barnes marriage. Before I found that Ernest died in 1882, I thought this to be his marriage.
     
     
Death    
1900 Ellen McCarthy death
I did think this could be a great great great grandparent, but turned out not to be. Ellen was the widow of a Daniel McCarthy. Her son J. McCarthy of 6 Farnham Place, Southwark was present at the death. My McCarthy lived in the same area, so maybe there is a family connection. 		1915 Thomas Barnes death
This was thought to be the death certificate for my great great grandfather Thomas Barnes born 1838. He appears in the 1901 census for Wandsworth and his family continued to live in the Wandsworth district after 1901. The correct death certificate has been found, Thomas died in 1917.  		1918 Laura Barnes death. Thought to be the death certificate of Lizzie Laura Blanch Barnes. Not the case. 
     
Last updated: 2023