Sheffield Indexers
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I wonder if anyone could try and help me to find my great grandfather's birth and parentage.
I can only verify his details from 1860 in Ireland when he married and then in Cheriton/Dover Kent from 1871. From 1891 he lived in Sheffield and died in Sheffield in 1918. On his death cert it says he was 89 which give his birth date as about 1829!!
Buriel Details from this site.
City Road Cemetery, Sheffield Woodruff, William (Labourer, age 89). Died at 58 Spencer Rd; Buried on September 9, 1918 in Consecrated ground; Grave Number 9350, Section T of City Road Cemetery, Sheffield
On his marriage certificate it says his father was Edward Woodroofe but I can only find a marriage for an Edward to Mary Meal in Chesterfield on IGI, and then the search runs out!!
He was a regular soldier, joining the HEIC in 1857 and serving in the Indian Mutiny. From 1859 he transferred to the 3rd Batt 2nd Reg (The Buffs). He then appears in Limerick, where he married Mary Brown in 1860.
From 1871 (where he says he is 37) he was in Cheriton in barracks with family of Mary his wife and children John William born Gibraltar in 1862, Ravina born Dublin 1868 and Frederick Woodruff (my grandfather) born Aldershott in 1870. There may be a daughhter Elizabeth borbn 1861 in Ireland, but can't find her after that time.
I have been searching this info for about 15 years now and would love to find the answer.
Any help for birth/parentage would be VERY welcome.
Kind regards,
Calmar
Someone on Ancestry has Edward Woodruff born 1797 Long Sutton, Lincolnshire marrying Mary Winters. They also show William Woodruff and Mary Browne having 7 children.
John W Woodruff
1864 –
Ravina Woodruff
1868 –
frederick woodruff
1870 – 1921
Henry Woodruff
1871 –
Edith Kathleen Woodruff
1874 –
Loftus Woodruff
1878 – 1911
George Woodruff
1880 – 1928
Sue. Yes, that will be a cousin. I disagree with that finding in Lincs tho as the occupation of Edward the father is not the same as William has on his marriage cert of Stove Grate Setter (Fitter).
Also that John Woodruff, the son, is still in England in 1861, so not the one I am looking for.
William never varies in his place of birth as Glossop, never Lincolnshire. My father always said his grandfather came from 'round here' when we travelled to Sheffield on the bus and went through Chapel-en-le-Frith and other villages, so another reason to discount that entry.
His Attestation Papers just said he was 'A navtive of Glossop, Derbyshire', so no help there!!
Phillip. Thanks for that but I have searched through all the records on tha Derbyshire sites!! Just thought perhaps someone might be able to have a look in Derbyshire records other than those on line. I actually spoke to the resident vicar at the time for the CofE but he did not have them at the church any more.
My thanks to you both.
I am confused now! are the children he has listed correct - born in Dublin, Gibraltor etc. and he has John William Woodruff born Derbyshire but I am right in thinking he has the wrong parents Edward Woodruff and Mary Winters!!
Hi Sue,
The children listed are correct for William Woodruff born Glossop and Mary. He has also said his name is John William Woodruff on 2 of his children's birth certs. But I have only found him calling himself William Woodruff on any census in England from 1871 to his death.
The parents of Edward and Mary in Lincolnshire I think are not correct, and they have a child called John Woodruff born about the same age. Confusion. but guess work by others I think in the tree you mention!
I have just seen a William Woodruff on the 1841 census living Tideswell which is very close to Glossop. There are brothers Samuel and Robert - the mother is Martha but no husband. His birth is given as 1833 and he seems to be the only William in Derbyshire.
I have followed that chap through and he is not a soldier in 1861. He and his brother are working in the mills. Nor is he married to Mary Brown from Limerick. Martha's husband was a Samuel.
The entry I found for Edward married to Mary Neal was in Chesterfield in 1831.
None of the William's on the census for 1841 to 1861 seem to go into the army.
It has been suggested that he changed his name, but to what from what I cannot fathom out, may be through his mother marrying again, hence my frustration at not being able to pin him down in early years.
Hi Sue S,
I had been following him and he seemed to go into Wales and had another marriage there, but eventually decided he is not my man!!!
I have looked again at the Tideswell census with Martha Yates but he is still in Derbyshire in 1861 when my William was in the army, so I think I can eliminate him now.
I thought that another pair of eyes on this might show me something I had missed, even after all these years of searching for him, but I suspect that there had been a change of name of either him or his parent Edward. Or he hadn't been born in Glossop at all, just been living there before joining the HEIC.
It has to be something like that as the trail goes icy before 1857 when he joined the HEIC in Liverpool. Thought there might be connections there but haven't found any Edward so far that fits.
I appreciate your input for me. Perhaps I will just have to leave his birth and parents as a 'no show'
Just having a chuckle to myself - on the 1871 census Anthony Hall has been busy - he has about 15 or so spouses listed. All the children Woodruffs included have Anthony Hall as father!!!
Do you think the enumerator was having a bad day!!