Marjorie Cameron (nee Palin) (marjorie @t gopress.com.au) of Australia writes: Thomas Douglas Palin born 1864, was a choir boy in the abbey. The family home at that time was Verulum House, St Albans. Can you give me any information about his parents.

A quick check of the 1851 and 1881 census returns for St Albans for the name Palin proved negative but a search under St Albans of the Post Office/Kelly's Directories was more helpful.

• 1855 [none]
• 1862 Private: Palin, Mr Edward, London Road
• 1866? & 1870 Private: Palin, Mr Edward, Verulam Road
•           Palin, Mrs, London Road
• 1877 (Langley's Directory of St Albans): Verulam Road: Palin, Mr, Verulam House
• 1878 Private: Palin, Mr Edward, Verulam House, Verulam Road
• 1882 [none]

In addition I noted that 1868 in Mr Edward Palin was elected to the St Albans Borough Council. He only stood for one term so retired in 1871. He is mentioned on a number of lists in my Bernards Heath/St Albans press files He was on a committee to set up the Rifle Corps in 1859 and was a vice president of the St Albans Cricket Club in 1866, retiring as their treasurer in 1868. He was a director of the St Albans Gas Company in 1870, and chairman in 1875. He became a director of the financially unsuccessful St Albans Public Baths Company in 1876

A junior E. Palin played in a cricket match on Bernards Heath in August 1866 between five of the senior and twenty-two of the junior pupils of Claremount House School, St Albans, the former being victorious by 50 runs. He was still playing for the juniors in another school match in 1868. In May 1876 the St Albans Cricket Club held its annual sports on a meadow belonging to my great grandfather, Jacob Reynolds, on Bernards Heath. "... 100 Yards Boys’ Race: two prizes. E. Palin, scratch; E Gentle, 7 yards; S Clark, 8; Johnson 16; Baldwin 16; and F Reynolds [one of my great-uncles], 25; started. They got of well, and little Reynolds was able to maintain his position for a time., but the superior running of Gentle and Palin enabled them to come in first and second, and S Clarke third. Objection was, however, immediately taken to the winner on the grounds that he was over fourteen years of age; and pending enquiries the committee withheld the prizes. The kids managed to get over the ground in 13 and 4-5ths seconds. … [If this is the same E. Palin throughout this would suggest he was born after May 1861 to be under 15 at the time.]

Someone called C. Palin played cricket of Messrs Vyse's team in 1873, Vyse being a large straw hat manufacturer.

While my press files only represent a small fraction of the articles in the Herts Advertiser of the period, the above information suggests that the family was in the area from at least 1859 to about 1877. [Trade directories may already be out of date when they were printed.]

None of the above records prove a link to your grandfather, Thomas Douglas Palin and, as the 1881 census can be searched nationwide I decided to look to see if I could find him. The following family was living at 25 Osbourne Villas, Hornsey, Middlesex [Source FHL Film 1341335, PRO Ref RG11, Piece 1376, Folio 50, Page 93]

Victoria PALIN	Head	W	45	Annuitant	Forest Hill, Surrey
Charles PALIN	Son	U	19	Straw Manufacturer	St Albans, Herts
Henry PALIN	Son	U	18	Straw Manufacturer	St Albans, Herts
Francis PALIN	Son	U	17	Clerk For Warehouse	St Albans, Herts
Thos. PALIN	Son	U	16	Clerk Wholesale Druggist	St Albans, Herts
Herbert PALIN	Son	U	16	Clerk Linen Warehouse	St Albans, Herts
Florence PALIN	Daur		13	Scholar	St Albans, Herts
Mitilda PALIN	Daur		12	Scholar	St Albans, Herts
Eliz. LOGAN	Lady Help	U	43	Lady Help Dom Serv	Berkshire
Elizth. LEONARD	Servant	U	20	Domestic Servant	Hatfield, Herts

Clearly I haven't proved that Edward Palin was your grandfather but it is possible to suggest some things to do that could take you back to your great great grandfather.

• Palin family events: Check the online IGI at familysearch, the British Vital Records Index CD, and the RootsWEB's online FreeBMD. None of these indexes are complete so a negative search does not mean an absence of relevant records.
• Thomas Douglas Palin's birth certificate - give parent's names and mother's maiden name.
• Edward Palin's marriage certificate (to Victoria ???) - circa 1860. will name their father's = your great great grandfathers.
• Palin in London Road, St Albans on 1861 census microfilm. Will give you Edward's age and place of birth, and possibly that of his mother and wife.
• Palin in Verulam Road, St Albans on 1871 census. Thomas with both his parents.
• Edward Palin's will. Index will give information about his death and the will itself could have a lot of other information. [If you get his date of death I could possibly see if there is an obituary in the Herts Advertiser - although I can't guarantee a fast reply as I only go to St Albans about every other month.]
• Palin in 1901 census: worth checking once the PRO system is up and running.

If you live in one of Australia's bigger cities it should be possible to follow through the above using a good genealogical library and/or an LDS Family History Centre (address on familysearch). They should at least have the relevant indexes and could help with ordering copies, and may hold some relevant microfilms.

January 2003

Marjorie Cameron writes: Over a year ago as an absolute novice I asked a question.  I didn't see a reply until a Vyse descendant who is an approximate 4th cousin who I found on the internet and who lives in America alerted me to the answer about a week ago.  It is so comprehensive about my Palin greatgrandfather Edward Palin and my Grandfather Thomas Douglas Palin who was born and bred in Verulum House, St.Albans.   I am so grateful for all the work this must have entailed on your part.   Better late than never to say Thank you so much I suppose.  Marjorie.

Thanks for you reply - since your original query I became aware that some people were not revisiting the site to see their replies and now when I do an update I notify all people linked to the update.

January 2014

Lorna Cowan (lornapcowan @t yahoo.co.uk) of Thurlaston, Leicestershire, writes: I was looking for a Mr. Palin of Verulam House and discovered your wonderful site. I have inherited a piece of paper ripped out of my gt grandfather's book which says "On the 24th of May 1878 I, Walter Howard the owner of this book went to work for my first day @ Mr. Palin Verulam House Verulam Road St Albans Herts. Your website said that Directories did not show if the Palins were here after 1877. Now we have more proof. Walter then joined the Railways in Feb. 1880, eventually becoming a clerk. His grandmother was a Jane Reynolds who married Thomas Howard.

In the 12 years since the original post there have been significant changes and the following additional information, not easily available 10 years ago, is rapidly available from records which are now online.

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

January 2014

Page updated