I assume that you already know (at least via the IGI/familysearch) that a John Warren was baptised in Hitchin on 23rd January, 1833, the son of John and Ann Warren. The baptismal register will give the father's occupation, and may give an address within Hitchin. There may well be siblings recorded as well but I haven't checked for this.

The 1881 census CD records the family as living at 15 Perth Road, Hornsey, Middlesex as follows:

John WARREN	M	48	Hitchin, Herts	Head	Meat Salesman
Annie WARREN	M	48	Lemsford, Wiltshire	Wife
Eleanor WARREN	U	24	Hitchin, Herts	Daur
Charles WARREN		13	London City	Son	Scholar
Charles WARREN		12	London City	Son	Scholar

A number of comments.  John and Annie were presumably living in Hitchin in about 1856/7 - when Eleanor was born, but had left by about 1867/8 when a son was born. (There may well have been other children born in between.)

Annie is described as of "Lemsford, Wiltshire". This is almost certainly an error. The surname Munt, and the placename "Lemsford" are unrecorded in Wiltshire on the 1881 census CD. However there is a Lemsford in Hertfordshire - just outside Hatfield, near Brocket Hall - and the surname Munt is well known in the surrounding villages. The following entry from the 1881 census CD describes a family living in Brocket Park Lodge, Hatfield, Herts, which might well be a relative.

William MUNT	W	56	Hatfield	Head	Shepherd
Lucy MUNT	U	24	Lemsford	Daur
Isabella MUNT	U	17	Lemsford	Daur	Pupil Teacher (Sch)
Walter MUNT		15	Lemsford	Son

The two sons called Charles is almost certainly a transcription error - either when the census enumerator copied the data into the book, or when the census was indexed to make the CD. Errors like this (and the apparent "Wiltshire" error) are why you should always check the microfilm of the original.

Because of the apparent error in Annie Warren (nee Munt)'s birthplace in the 1881 census, and because you are probably not aware of the names of the small villages in the area around Lemsford, you might easily miss the entry on familysearch which shows that an Anne Munt was christened at Ayot St Peter on 3rd February, 1833, the daughter of Thomas and Wilhelmina Munt - and this may well be your Annie. If you have not already done so you should get a copy of John Warren and Annie Munt's marriage certificate from HALS to confirm their father's names - and provide other vital information.

A check in some of the Post Office Directories showed that the only Warren listed in Hitchin in 1850 was a John Warren, stone and marble mason of Dead Street. A directory supposedly from 1859 shows the following Hitchin entries:

• Warren, Henry, grocer, Railway Street
• Warren, John, jun., butcher, Market Place
• Warren, John, sen., stone & marble mason, Queen Street

You can't assume in this context that "senior" and "junior" mean father and son. It may do but it may only indicate older and younger. However your John's marriage certificate should give his father's occupation - which could clinch the matter.

Dank's 1863 directory lists ten butcher in Hitchin - none called Warren.

The directory entries are compatible with the earlier information I gave, as your John Warren was too young to be likely to be listed in the 1850 directory, while he may well have moved to the City of London by 1863. 

March 2010

Michelle Meadow (maad_family @t yahoo.co.uk) from Wiltshire writes: The John Warren you are talking about is also listed in my tree.  I have a John Warren christened on 23 Jan 1833,  is the son of John warren b 1807 (the stonemason)  senior and junior are father and Son.  I have more info if you would like it.

Unfortunately the email address I have for Ann Holland, who was researching the Warren family, is no longer valid - so I am posting your message here in the hope that she will see it.

March 2010

Michelle's message