Is this George Hunt, soldier? (I just looked at Rootsweb)

I think the crossed through G on the baptism entry is very significant as it suggested the father's first name began with G and so matches with Louisa Mary's marriage certificate. I would hope she therefore does indeed know the name of her father (if you were making up a name as so many did, it would be usual to use your own surname for obvious reasons!), though whether his occupation of soldier is correct is perhaps a little more troublesome. If you wanted your daughter to think there was a good reason her father was not around, then this occupation would work as a reason even if it wasn't the truth.

Here's a link to the Rootsweb thread in case anyone else wants to read it (I hope it's the right one lol)

https://www.rootschat.com/forum/inde...topic=813271.0

Have you ordered a copy of Louisa Mary's second marriage certificate?

You may like to know that one of the things I have found out as a result of my Ancestry DNA test is that my 2xg-grandfather John Galway (also a soldier) had an illegitimate son before his marriage to my 2xg-grandmother. The son emigrated to the US and several of his descendants came up in my DNA match list.

Thanks Merry,

Haven't given up all hope of tracing my ancestors on my father's side, I have indeed ordered the marriage certificate & will let you know what it says :)

Thanks. Am totally amazed by this :-o Some of the reviews of dna testing I googled were lukewarm. Can't wait to try this.

One of my lines - paternal grandmother's father - is the mystery INNELL surname, no-one knows what it means or where it comes from. I guesstimate it to an anglicized O'NEILL & would be hoping the dna testing might shed some light on this theory?

Yes, George HUNT.

Wondered if the family had Traveller associations because (I worked in education & learnt that) Traveller womenfolk often took up casual labour such as laundry work while the men were often found working with horses - before the automobile trade of course. There are several census mentions of female (and indeed male) members of the family working in the laundry trade while my great gt grandfather was an 'ostler' or horse-keeper. Grandma's movements are also a complete mystery, she is born and raised in Hampstead then moves to Bromley, Kent. Her spouse is born in Hammersmith. Possibly his barracks were in Kent which may explain the move? There are so many mysteries.

The best help I have found for tracing 19th century Londoners is Ancestry where they have the London Metropolitan Archives baptism, marriage and burial records plus quite a lot of London workhouse records. You can view the actual images of the parish registers and they were a treasure trove for me when I was looking for my Londoners because they often give you additional information about the family like dates of birth, addresses, occupations and, for marriage records, the names of witnesses which can sometimes help in breaking down brickwalls.

Casual work in the laundry trade and working as an ostler or similar are such commonplace occupations I think it would be hard to say there was any connection to travellers etc from that alone, but can't be ruled out I suppose. I have many of both in my tree, but haven't found any travelling family as yet!

Is that the next generation forward? The husband of a daughter of John Innell and Louisa Mary Powell? People moved a lot, usually for work or to be near relations or whatever, just like today.

Are you referring to Arthur Kemp b 14 Apr 1867? I'm guessing, just because I see he and his wife are in Kent in 1939!

Thanks, yes, but Ancestry isn't as accessible as FMP for library work, I'd need to have something more substantial to search for in my family to warrant taking out a subscription to Ancestry I feel.

Was hoping incidental things like witness names might yield much, but have only found several incidences of witness names and they are just perplexing, I followed some of them up & they just vanish.

Quite a few census returns are blank for occupation - I found that potentially of interest, but it leads nowhere of course.

Indeed thanks, I agree.

My father overheard someone reproving my grandma (must have been a brave soul) when he was a child, his mother was told that she 'was not following her true religion'. My father never understood what was meant by this, it stayed with him all his life. I am wondering if the dna test may shed any light upon this strange statement?

Yes, John Innell, descended from the Innell varnish family of Victorian London, they used to varnish hansom cabs. There is no family history connecting the Kemps with Bromley, Kent, before my grandma suddenly appears there at the time of her marriage to Arthur; nor the Innells. The Powell surname (grandma's mother's maiden name) was extensively documented in Southwark during the 18th century, which connects to Bromley by way of the Old Kent Road of course. So I also wondered if there was a Powell connection concerning the move from Hampstead in North London to Bromley Kent?

Yes, Arthur Kemp, 1867-1944, I found what may or may not be his service record last night - dates do not tally:

Kemp Arthur 1870 — 1888 British Army Service Records Hythe, Kent, England


Kemp Arthur 1873 — 1900 British Army Service Records St Mary's, Chatham, Kent, England