Answers to Questions

 

DELDERFIELD [DORATHALL?], Aldbury, mid 19th century

June 2001

 

Places

Aldbury

Michael Woodwards (MJWOOD565 @t aol.com) of Leighton Buzzard, Beds, says Elizabeth Woodward was married 8 March 1809 in Mentmore, Bucks, to Thomas Dorathall of Aldbury, Herts according to transcribed Mentmore parish records and the IGI, but I can find no trace of any other person by the name of Dorathall in any records including the IGI, could someone check in Aldbury parish records for the name Dorathall or something close as I think the name has been written down wrong in the Mentmore parish records.

What does the original register actually say? It should be available on microfilm in the Bedfordshire Records Office - and perhaps also in Luton Central Library. Some of the transcriptions I have seen from Bedfordshire were pretty rough in places - and the IGI may simply have input the transcript rather than go back to the original register - thus repeating the original misreads. This is one of the reasons you should always check sources and not rely on indexes and transcripts.

The surname name Delderfield is common in Berkhamsted area on the 1851 census, and occurs about 45 times in the index. The following entry from the village of Aldbury is possibly the couple you seek:

Delderfield

Thomas

Head

Mar

65

M

Hay Binder

Aldbury

Delderfield

Elizabeth

Wife

Mar

59

F

 

Mentmore, Bucks

Delderfield

Joseph

Son

Unm

23

M

Hay Binder

Aldbury

Delderfield

Edward

Son

Unm

18

M

Hay Binder

Aldbury

"Next door but one" on the census return were

Dorrifield

Thomas

Head

Mar

24

M

Hay Binder

Aldbury

Dorrifield

Elizabeth

Wife

Mar

19

F

Straw Plaiter

Aldbury

which might be an older son and his wife. Some of the many other Delderfields on the census transcript may well be relatives.

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

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