Lies. Damn Lies And Family History

[Chris1943]

I have been doing my family history for some years now, but always failed to find my maternal great grandfather, born 1842.My mother,born 1909, always told me he died before she was born. Her father died when she was two and her mother in 1934. so there was really nobody to ask. I spent some time looking for him and then sidelined him, thinking, well,something will turn up eventually.

It just has. Tracking a distant relative's line as a favour, I came across an entry for a James Suckley in 1901 who seemed to be the correct one. Oh good, I thought I should be able to find him in the deaths, but i checked the 1911 census and he was still alive and kicking, but in the workhouse. So I started looking at deaths from that date on. He did not die until 1931 at the age of 89, which for a pen blade grinder must be a flipping record! But why did my mother lie, or did she not know? The family is absolutely rampant with scandal. One side appears to have been well educated (one was an composer and organist at Sheffield Parish Church as it then was) The other side is a tale of drink, prison, marriage break-up and living in sin. My g/grandfather was illegitimate as were 3 of his brother and sisters. Eventually his father and his natural mother married after the first wife died in 1851. The two families appeared to have got on very well, so i just don't know how it came about unless my mother knew about the illegitimacy, which was frowned on in those days. Either way it is a fascinating story.

[History dude]

Found this:

Index to Registers of General Admission South Yorkshire Lunatic Asylum (Later Middlewood Hospital), 1872 - 1910 : Surnames S-Z

Surname First names Date of admission Age Occupation Abode Cause of insanity Date of discharge, death, etc No. Ref No.

Suckley Thomas Arthur 02 August 1898 39 Pen blade grinder Sheffield Not Known 20 May 1900 5107 NHS3/5/1/12

[History dude]

Also found an entry for your James in the Index to Sheffield Archives Index to Register of Inmates, Ecclesall Bierlow Workhouse, 1883 - 1907 (Surnames S - Z)

He was admitted 21 Jan 1902. He did not give his age or trade. The page number is 182.

[Chris1943]

Hi History Dude,

Thankyou for the information. I knew about Thomas, there was a Willie Suckley who died in there, as well as one of the other side of the family.. They must have all been in there at the same time.

James could not have stayed in the workhouse, as death certificate says Court 1 Sudbury Street, Netherthorpe. trade pen blade grinder. Death caused by hardening of the arteries. Hardly surprising at 89.They seem a long lived family if they left the drink alone. my mother and her two siblings all in their 90s, and a cousin still living at 98.

[Guest Scabbydog1]

I am having similar problems with my G Grandfather so I understand the frustration

I hope one day I will be able to say I have cracked mine as well

[Guest lebourg]

Hi Guys

Couple of questions please from a complete novice.

Is Eccleshall Bierlow the registration district for all Sheffield?

Secondly I am searching for a relative who on the 1881 census was born in Retford Notts in 1851also perhaps a brother born 1857 Retford Notts.

Would the registration district be East Retford? as I cant find them on BMD birth records or the 1861 census.

Thanks for any help :rolleyes:

[Guest Barbara M]

Try the Sheffield Indexers website , they have lots of info under " getting started " that helped me when I was first starting out on the rocky road of Family History.

Also Free BMD should give you the info about the registration areas of Sheffield & Retford but I do know that the part of my family that were born in the Norton/ Woodseats / Heeley & Ecclesall areas , their details said Ecclesall Bierlow.

Good Luck ....you will need it but be careful , it's addictive !!

Sorry, forgot to mention Sheffield Records Website.

[Guest lebourg]

Thanks for the pointers Barbara M

Much appreciated