QUICK, Redbourn area, 19th century April, 2003	Answers Straw Plait St Michaels Redbourn
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Karen Alford (alford @t csi.com) of Glasgow is struggling to find the birth certificate of William Quick. He was a Baker, (b. 22.11.1849) and married Caroline Howard, a Silk Throwster, on 16.4.1870 at Redbourn Church. He was 20 at the time of his marriage making the birth date taken from the family bible correct. His father (as per the marriage cert.) was a James Quick, Labourer. James Quick married 22.1.1848 in the 'Church in the Parish of Redbourn'. So I am guessing William was born in Redbourn given that he was still there when he married. However he does not show on the BMD records, and they don't seem to be able to search on this information.

The reason I need William's birth cert. is that I want to 'prove' that the marriage cert. I have for James Quick is the correct body. James is married to Emma Hoddesden both aged 22 putting birth years at 1825/6. On both his marriage certificate and Williams he is listed as a labourer. The only census entry I can find for a James Quick is the 1881 where a James Quick born Redbourn is married to a Sarah 5 years younger than him. I need to find out if this is a second marriage or a different James Quick. I can find no death for Emma Hoddesden between 1850 and 1881. I thought perhaps an earlier census entry might put the whole family together (ever the optimist!) but can't find them on my CD of 1851. The other alternative is that the James married to Emma is not the father of William - hence my need for William's birth cert. Assuming all the above is correct, James Quick's father is Thomas Quick, I am unsure as to where to find the birth records for James Quick c.1825/6, again presuming Redbourn area.

I have looked up the 1901, 1851, and 1881 census records, used Free BMD, IGI and English Origins. Also luckily have notes from a family bible. 

The information you have about William is such that if you have requested a birth certificate for him from HALS (or the Family Records Centre) and they have not found one, his birth may well not have been registered or lost in the indexing (see A Comedy of Errors). At the time William was born Redbourn had the parish church, an Independent Church (perhaps later a Congregational/United Reform Church), a Baptist Chapel and a Wesleyan Chapel. (Source Religion in Hertfordshire 1847-1851) Only the parish church baptismal records were at HALS in 1999 (you can check online for present holdings), and any other records may still be with the relevant church/chapel or lost.

Fortunately William appears as a 1 year old child in the transcript of the 1851 census for Redbourn. (If you missed him while looking at the original it may be that the enumerator used a particularly unlikely form for a capital Q.) He was at Church End, Redbourn. His father was James Quick (25, agricultural labourer, born Redborn) and his mother was Emma (25, plaiter, born Redbourn). He had a three year old brother, George, also born at Redbourn. A look at the 1861 and 1871 census at your local LDS Family History Centre (see familysearch for the address) could provide more information about siblings and any change of wife.

The 1851 census transcript also shows the following family living on the Common, Redbourn.

A check of the 1841 census should show this family - almost certainly including James.

Karen is also looking for any descendants of William and Emma and provided the following information about their children: Ellen Libra Quick born 18.7.1871/70 married George Johnson born 13.11.1872. She had two brothers Arthur Edward Quick (b.21.6.1873/m.25.9.1901) and Thomas George Quick (b.15.1.1878, m.14.8.1905). Ellen's christening was recorded in Redbourn and her brothers were recorded in Saint Michaels. The family were living in Saint Michaels in the 1901 census. Ellen was my great grandmother and I have the info on her family onwards but not her brothers other than that they married and one of them had a Harold Quick on 6.12.1907 he died 10.12.1969. Also family notes mention a Joan Quick b.1936 but not sure how that ties in - realise that you can't help with living people but thought it might ring bells with someone.