Answers to Questions

 

REYNOLDS, Ridge & Colney Heath, 19th Century

October, 2011

 

Places

Ridge

Colney Heath

Anne Roberts (a.c.roberts @t blueyonder.co.uk) of Tyne and Wear writes: My grandfather was William George Reynolds. He married my grandmother in July 1917 in Hornsey, London. William's age was given as 26, occupation soldier. From their marriage certificate I know that his father was called Edward George Reynolds and was deceased. There was also a witness at the wedding -- Edward James Reynolds- -- older brother/cousin? in copy of marriage banns William is described as of this parish (Hornsey) If age at wedding is correct then he would have been born in 1890/1891. I have obtained his death certificate died Aug 1957) my mother registered death. His age is given as 66 which correlates with a birth in 1890/1891. I have located a birth certificate for a William George Reynolds  born in November 1890 in Holloway, London (not far from where my gran would have been living). I have also located one for an Edward James Reynolds (possible witness at William George's marriage?) for 1893. Both born at same address and father given as Edward George Reynolds, omnibus driver and mother Henrietta Ellen Ledger. Edward George and Henrietta's marriage certificate from June 1879 gives Edward's age as 25, occupation is carman, his father's name as William and  father's occupation as butcher. I have obtained a death certificate for Edward who died in 1893. Age given as 37 and death registered by his brother Samuel who was living in Edgware. I've yet to follow up on Samuel.

Anne then summarised the information she had gathered from census returns and to simplify my comments I have downloaded the actual information below She then continues : I hope I am on the right track with all this --- any advice would be appreciated. If you have any further info/advice re Reynolds family from Colney Heath especially those with a William Reynolds butcher I'd be very grateful. I would like to come down to that neck of the woods at some point to do some searching in situ ... . Any suggestions that you might also be able to offer that would help me focus my efforts and make the best use of time would be great.

I must congratulate you on the thorough way in which you are exploring the family tree, including getting certificates to confirm details. I wish all my correspondents were as careful as you are. You are definitely on the right track despite the fact that the censuses describe Edward George Reynolds' place of birth as successively St Peters (1861), St Albans (1871), Colney Heath (1881) and Colney Hatch (1891).

This highlights a common problem which is not always understood, and one must always be on one's guard when looking a documents such as census returns. Householders were asked to fill in a form which asked for the place of birth, and in practice the place name recorded can be anything from the name of a house to the name of a county. If you were living some way from your birth place you were more likely to record where you were born as the nearest town, rather than the small village or hamlet on its outskirts. and there were many stages at which errors could occur in recording the census. There were particular problems in the St Albans area. Historically St Albans was a borough which included the Abbey parish and the urban parts of parishes of St Michael, St Peter and St Stephen. St Peter's parish included a very big rural area with many hamlets and the parish was broken up into separate parishes in the Victorian period. Toward the end of the 19th century St Albans became a city and steadily expanded swallowing up adjacent rural areas and founding new parishes. The Colney Hatch error may be because the the handwriting on the household census form (which has not survived) and probably said "Colney Heath" and was misread by someone who knew of Colney Hatch (which is in Middlesex).

As to giving advice on your proposed visit I first downloaded the relevant census returns and added a few notes from other sources in the following box, with specific comments on your visit after that. Text in italics relates to records I know you have already seen.

I should also point out that although my surname is Reynolds, my great grandfather, Jacob Reynolds only moved to the St Albans area in about 1860 and there appears to be no connection with your relatives.

1821 Ridge Registers (familysearch)

William Reynolds, son of William & Sarah Reynolds, baptised on 10th June

 

William Reynolds marries Mary Elizabeth Buckingham June Quarter 1850 registered at Bethnal Green

 

1851 Census   Powder Beech Lane, North Mymms

REYNOLDS, William

Head

Married

M

29

1822

Butcher

Ridge

REYNOLDS, Mary Elizth

Wife

Married

F

22

1829

Butchers Wife

Hemel Hempstead

 

William John Reynolds born March quarter 1852 registered in St Albans

Mary Elizabeth Reynolds died Dec quarter 1852, registered in St Albans

William Reynolds married Jane Tomlin Dec quarter 1853 registered in Clerkenwell

Edward George Reynolds born March Quarter 1856, registered in St Albans

Edward George Reynolds baptised 24 Feb 1856 in Colney Heath.

In 1858 the election of parish officers in St Peters Parish included a William Reynolds as one of two parish constables. Note taken from Herts Advertiser. [But see Danger Area]

1861 Census   Colney Heath, St Peters

REYNOLDS, William

Head

Married

M

39

1822

Butcher

Ridge

REYNOLDS, Jane

Wife

Married

F

37

1824

Butchers Wife

Kimpton

REYNOLDS, William John

Son

Unmarried

M

9

1852

Scholar

St Peters

REYNOLDS, Edward Geo

Son

Unmarried

M

5

1856

Scholar

St Peters

REYNOLDS, Robert

Son

Unmarried

M

2

1859

 

St Peters

TOMLIN, Edward

Visitor

Unmarried

M

29

1832

Grocers Assistant

Kimpton

FRANKLIN, Sarah R

Servant

Unmarried

F

15

1846

General Servant

St Peters

 

1866 Post Office Directory:  William Reynolds, Butcher, Colney Heath, London Colney, St Albans

 

1871 Census    Puckeridge

REYNOLDS, William

Head

 

M

49

1822

Butcher

Ridge

REYNOLDS, Jane

Wife

 

F

47

1824

 

Kimpton

REYNOLDS, Edward G

Son

 

M

15

1856

Assistant Butcher

St Albans

REYNOLDS, Robert

Son

 

M

12

1859

Scholar

St Albans

REYNOLDS, Samuel

Son

 

M

7

1864

Scholar

St Albans

REYNOLDS, George J

Son

 

M

5

1866

Scholar

St Albans

BYE, Emily

Servant

 

F

13

1858

Domestic Servant

Anstey

 

1876 Post Office Directory   William Reynolds, shopkeeper, Puckeridge

 

1881 Census   Puckeridge

REYNOLDS, Jane

Head

Widow

F

57

1824

Sausage Maker (Provision Curer)

Kimpton

REYNOLDS, Samuel

Son

Single

M

17

1864

Sausage Maker (Provision Curer)

Colney Heath

REYNOLDS, George J

Son

Single

M

15

1866

Grocers Assistant

Colney Heath

 

1881 Census   1 Candler Street, Tottenham, Middlesex

REYNOLDS, Edward G Head Married M 27 1854 Conductor (Omnibus) Colney Heath
REYNOLDS, Ellen P Wife Married F 28 1853   Henley, Oxfordshire
REYNOLDS, Ellen E Daughter Single F 0 1881   Tottenham, Middlesex

1882 Kelly's Directory   Mrs Ann Reynolds, Shopkeeper, Puckeridge

 

1891 Census   39 Grove Road, Islington

REYNOLDS, Edward G Head Married M 35 1856 Omnibus Driver Colney Hatch
REYNOLDS, Ellen Wife Married F 35 1856   Henley on Thames
REYNOLDS, Ellen E Daughter   F 10 1881 Scholar Stamford Hill
REYNOLDS, Rose H Daughter   F 8 1883 Scholar Stamford Hill
REYNOLDS, Florence M Daughter   F 3 1888   Holloway
REYNOLDS, William G Son   M 0 (4M) 1891   Holloway

 

1901 Census   212 Fairbridge Road, Islington

REYNOLDS, Ellen Head Widow F 47 1854 House Work Charing Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire
REYNOLDS, Ellen E Daughter Single F 20 1881 Manufacturing Chemist Tottenham, London
REYNOLDS, Rose H Daughter Single F 18 1883 Housework Domestic Tottenham, London
REYNOLDS, Florence M Daughter   F 13 1888   Holloway, London
REYNOLDS, William G Son   M 10 1891   Holloway, London
REYNOLDS, Edward J Son   M 7 1894   Holloway, London

 

Before I go any further I should warn you of the following

Danger Area

A search using familysearch for William Reynolds born around the St Albns area within a few years of 1820 shows a number and you may find it useful to look at Right Name, Wrong Body?  In including a press reference above I cannot be certain that it refers to the right William Reynolds without more investigations - and in any further research you do in this area you will always have to be on your guard. For example if you look in the 1841 census you find a William Reynolds living in the St Albans area of the correct age and it would be easy to think he was your William Reynolds. In fact a quick search provides the following information about him - and he is not your William. The matter is confused because William (and his brother George) appear to have been listed twice - a mistake that occurs occasionally in census returns.

 

1819 (7th March) William Reynolds, son of George & Ann Reynolds was baptised at St Stephens. Familysearch

1841   Tyttenhanger Green Farm, St Stephens

REYNOLDS, George

M

50

1791

Farmer

Hertfordshire

REYNOLDS, Ann

F

50

1791

 

Hertfordshire

REYNOLDS, George

M

23

1818

 

Hertfordshire

REYNOLDS, William

M

20

1821

 

Hertfordshire

REYNOLDS, Ann

F

17

1824

 

Hertfordshire

HOWELL, Ephram

M

15

1826

 

Hertfordshire

SUDELL, John

M

13

1828

 

Hertfordshire

 

1841   New Barns Farm, Tittenhanger, St Peters

STUCKEY, Elizabeth F 60 1781    
REYNOLDS, George M 29 1812   Hertfordshire
REYNOLDS, William M 25 1816   Hertfordshire
MUNT, William M 15 1826   Hertfordshire
HINTON, Jacob M 16 1825   Hertfordshire

 

1851 Census, Tittenhanger Green, St Stephens

REYNOLDS, George Head Married M 62 1789 Farmer Of 60 Acres 2 Men & 2 Boys St Stephens
REYNOLDS, Ann Wife Married F 65 1786 Farmers Wife St Albans
REYNOLDS, William Son Unmarried M 32 1819   St Stephens
REYNOLDS, Ann E Daughter Unmarried F 21 1830   St Stephens
DOCKERY, Caleb Servant Unmarried M 13 1838 Ag Lab St Peters

ALLEN, Henry

Servant

Unmarried

M

13

1838

Ag Lab

St Peters

 

1871 Census   The Plough, Tittenhanger Green, St Stephen

HOWE, George Head Widower M 43 1828 Baker & Beer Seller Hertfordshire
DELL, Caroline Daughter-In-Law Unmarried F 22 1849 Domestic Hertfordshire
HOWE, Mary Daughter Unmarried F 18 1853 Domestic Hertfordshire
HOWE, Phillip Brother Unmarried M 40 1831 Ag Lab Hertfordshire
REYNOLDS, William Lodger Unmarried M 53 1818 Ag Lab Hertfordshire
BECKLEY, George Lodger Unmarried M 55 1816 Ag Lab Surrey

Other William Reynolds born in or near St Albans circa 1822 (some of whom may have died as infants) are: William Reynolds, son of Joseph & Elisabeth at St Peters, 14 April 1822 and William Reynolds, son of John & Dinah Reynolds, at Hatfield, 19 May 1822.

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In preparing for a visit to the area you may find Visiting Hertfordshire to look for Ancestors useful. Do as much as you can online (including purchasing certificates) beforehand. This includes looking at both old maps and modern maps (Google Street view may show surviving buildings). A lot depends on how much time you want to spend seeing the area where your ancestors lived and how much time you want to spend looking at old documents which are note available online (which will probably mainly be at HALS. HALS no longer allow people to handle the original parish registers and you could end up spending time going through microfilms in Hertford when you might be able to arrange to see the same microfilms at the L.D.S. Family History Centre nearest you (see familysearch for address). HALS could also have manuscript maps, including tithe maps, which could show where your ancestors lived.

One important document would be the Ridge baptismal register for 1821 it that it should give the occupation of William Reynolds senior's occupation, which might well be butcher. Sometimes the register also gives an address within the parish. While the poorer folk are not well recorded in other types of parish records, farmers and tradesmen are more likely to turn up in any documents that survive from that period. I cannot advise on individual parish holdings, as it varies very widely but there will be a document index at HALS available online. The important thing to realise that many of the key documents will not be indexed by the names of the people mentioned in them. The National Archives web site had an index that could reveal documents about places such as Colney Heath, Ridge, etc, which are not held at HALS.

My suggestion is that if you are only making a short visit half a day at HALS would allow you to look at a few key documents (or their microfilms) and find out about the other kinds of documents they have on Ridge and other parishes you wish to research. Unless you are used to going into Records Offices and spending hours looking at hard to read documents that might mention your ancestor I would not commit yourself to spending all your time looking at dusty old manuscripts.

For possibly related individuals see REYNOLDS, St Albans area, 19th century and REYNOLDS, Tyttenhanger Green, Prior  to 1916 

Ann replied expanding on the the information she had originally provided: William Reynolds butcher marriage details to Jane Tomlin in 1853 --- William's father was also called William and was a victualler. Is that what we would call a publican? Or is it a grocer? Doing a Google Search have come across a reference in someone else's research to a William Reynolds who owned the Boot pub in Hertfordshire. Obviously, need to be careful as don't know how valid info is and may not be the William I'm looking for anyway. On looking at pubs called the Boot in Hertfordshire there are at least 3 that I've found so far --- one in St Albans, one in Kimpton and can't recall exactly where the others were. Was quite excited by finding this given Jane Tomlin was born in Kimpton and wondered if that could be how she met William Reynolds butcher, as his father ran the local pub? Obviously need to exercise some caution and not  jump too quickly to too many conclusions.

Just as a further update in 1851 Post Office directory for Colney Heath there is a William Reynolds at the Queen's Head. In 1861 census William Reynolds the butcher was living next door to the Queen's Head. Is this more than just coincidence? Think I need to sit down with a map now and do a timeline of all these William Reynolds to get my head

The pub name "The Boot" is remarkably common. The index of Brewers in Hertfordshire lists the following (Bold names also listed in the 1866 Post Office Directory):

I suspect that the Google reference you found was in the Lines data base and reads: 1791-1798 Universal British Directory (Hertford) for Hempsted or Hemel Hempsted Lines Abel Victualler (Boot-name of pub) brought by William Reynolds by 1839. The reference to the Directory is correct in that it records that Abel Lines was victualler at the Boot, Hemel Hempstead. However the entry in the data gives no information about the reference to William Reynolds - and I can find no reference to the William Reynolds referred to in the 1839 Pigot's Directory entry for Hemel Hempstead, which lists a Martha Durrant as the publican in the Boot, Hemel Hempstead. The data base seems a little uncertain about the reference recording "believed to be the Abel as Birth date is correct"  as of course the directory does not record the age or date of birth. However it is interesting that an Andrew Lines is listed as the landlord of the Boot, Kimpton, in the 1866 Post Office Directory. In the circumstances I would treat the reference with great caution (see The Dangers of Internet Genealogy) but it might be worth trying to trace the creator of the Lines data base to ask where they got the William Reynolds information.

More directly, in my first reply I did not look for all William Reynolds - and the following from the 1851 census is very obviously relevant.

1851 \Census   Licensed House, Colney Heath, St Peters
REYNOLDS, William Head Married M 63  1788 Victualler St Stephens
REYNOLDS, Sarah Wife Married F 51  1800   St Michaels
HAYWARD, Sarah Daughter Married F 34  1817   Ridge
HAYWARD, Samuel G Grand Son   M 11  1840 Scholar Soho, Middlesex
SMITH, Joseph   Unmarried M 20  1831 Ag Lab St Peters
CARVINTON, Richard   Unmarried M 46  1805 Bricklayer Derbyshire
SAUNDERS, Marbet   Unmarried M 31  1820 Ag Lab Bengeo

While the public house is not named it must be the Queen's Head - and the three men listed were probably lodging there.

If you can add to the information given above tell me.

October 2011   Page created