Michele Laurie nee Lasenby, of Te Aroha, New Zealand, writes: My great grandfather was Jonathan Pickering Lasenby, born 1879 Registered birth at St Albans 3a 421. The 1881 census lists a Henry R. Lasenby, age40, born1841 in Chesham, Bucks, Occupation, Sergeant of Police. Married to Charlotte Lasenby, age 30, born1851 Children, H.R.R., Jonathan. There is also a Robert Lasenby age 69 born1812. All living in High Street, Redbourn. I want to know if he is the same Jonathan as the one mentioned above.

He had siblings, a Harry maybe a year older than Jonathan. I have found a Harry Robert Lasenby in the births index also registered at St Albans 1878 3a 414.  There was a Stanley Lasenby. I have found one of those in the 1901 census index online, age 14, living in Paddington London, a Grocers Errand Boy. Harry a Grocers Packer, and 21 yr old Jonathan a Groom Dom living in Hendon, Middlesex. My Grand dad once told me he was a Packer for the Queen.

You already have enough information to purchase Jonathan's birth certificate from HALS - which would provide the linkage you want. In addition the British Vital Records Index shows that Jonathan Pickering Lazenby was christened at Harpenden on 27 Jan 1880, the son of Henry Rogers and Charlotte Lazenby. His brother Harry Robert Rogers Lazenby was christened at Harpenden on 13 Apr 1879. This clearly fits in with the 1881 census record, which also gives details of Jonathan's grandfather:

Dwelling: High St     Census Place: Redbourn, Hertford, England

Henry R. LASENBY	Head	Sergeant of Police	40	Chesham, Bucks
Charlotte LASENBY	Wife	Wife	30	Corby, Lincs
H.R.R. LASENBY	Son	Scholar	2	Harpenden, Herts
Jonathan LASENBY	Son		1	Harpenden, Herts
Robert LASENBY	Father, widower	Dividends	69	Chartridge, Bucks

On the 20th November 1875 the Herts Advertiser published a news item referring to a horse being found, and mentions P.C. Lasenby, Harpenden. I don't have details but it suggests he had moved to the area by this date. This makes it likely that he married in Herts and that you could probably get a copy of Henry and Charlotte's marriage certificate from HALS.

November 2002

Barbara Chapman writes:  I have no direct information concerning the Lazenby's of Redbourne in the 19th century, however on reading your list and information it struck me that there might possibly be a connection with the Lazeby or Laseby family who for over a century were important landholders in Leverstock Green, owning much of the land adjacent to Westwick Row. They were in the late 16th and 17th centuries important Yeoman farmers, and may well have owend land in Redbourne itself. (HALS should be quite helpful on this as I seem to remember from when I researched this over 7 years ago now that there were many entries concerning the family in their catalogue, other than those directly relating to Leverstock Green/Westwick.) The last information I have on the family (other details can be found in the Leverstock Green Chronicle) was that on 16th October 1668 - Robert Lazeby and his wife Katherine sold to Peter Bennett for £450 their messuage and lands in Westwick.  This referred to Westwick Row Farm and the various lands attached to it at that time. [HALS 1M40 & 1M44]

I know the link may well be somewhat tenuous, but for the lady tracing her family history might be worth putting on the back burner in case she can establish a link at a later stage. Prior to the building of the M1, Leverstock Green and Redbourne were not all that far apart in terms of time taken to walk between the two. Indeed Redbourne shared a parish boundary with Hemel/St. Michaels, and after its creation the parish of Leverstock Green.  One of the principle routes to/from Redbourne was via Green Lane Leverstock Green.  One of the old postcards of the village taken about 1900 (on my website in the just graphics section) shows a traditional signpost pointing up Green Lane and saying Redbourne.  I have also found with many of the old LG families that they migrated backwards and forwards to Redbourne. Certainly until the 20th century although long established families moved around the general district of this part of Hertfordshire, many didnot travel that far afield, and spellings of names has often varied.

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