When & why did they move from Kent to East Lothian?

[alysone]

One of my biggest longstanding conundrums is how my great great grandfather, Thomas Bird ended up in East Lothian. I come back to this puzzle time after time & just can’t crack it.
Here is what I do know:
He was born in St Mary’s Cray, Kent in 1835.
Thomas' parents were James Bird, (Gunsmith) b. 1797 in St Mary’s Cray & Susan Quick. They were married in Stoke Damerel on the 12th of June, 1830.
I know he had a sister, Sophia Letitia, b. in 1838. She married James Beck in Aberlady in 1864 & died in Leith in 1875.
There may have been 2 brothers, James & Edward christened in 1826 in Dover (if the IGI entries are accurate).
Thomas first appears in Tranent in 1851 as an apprentice tailor.
He married Ann Crookston in 1858 in Prestonpans & lived there until his death in 1902.
Sorry to take so long setting this up, but now to my plea for help. I have tried & tried again to find any of them in the 1841 Census, either in England or in Scotland.
I know sometimes people are just missing from census. However, I can find not one of them, James & Susan, Thomas or Sophia in1841 & only Thomas in 1851. (In fact, there is no sign of James and Susan, whatsoever.) Where were they all? I know I don’t have all the tricks for searching, wildcards, etc? I sure would like to know were they all were & why some of them went to Scotland?
A possible clue came to light today. On the DC for Sophia L. Beck in 1874 her father’s occupation was “armourer”, not the usual gun maker or gunsmith. I looked up what exactly that was: "Maker of armour; official in charge of a regiment's or ship's arms." Could that have something to do with their invisibility? Please, oh please, suggestions on where I might turn on this?!
Thanks, alysone

[ellenavon]

Hi Alysone

Although the surname is badly mistranscribed, and James' occupation is Labourer, this just has to be them on the 1841 Scotland:

Name: James Bend
Age: 40
Estimated birth year: abt 1801
Gender: Male
Where born: England

Civil parish: Edinburgh Tolbooth
County: Midlothian
Address: Castle Hill Peper Close
Occupation: Labourer
Parish Number: 685/1
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Eliza Bend 1 Mo
James Bend 40
Sophia Bend 5
Susannah Bend 30
Thomas Bend 6
Charlotte Murphy 30
Joseph Murphy 30


James, Susannah, Thomas and Sophia are all born England, as is Charlotte Murphy. Little Eliza is born Midlothian. Joseph Murphy is born Ireland, and his occupation is "Army".

Has to be them!!

Cheers

Ellen.

[Russell]

Brilliant Ellen =D> =D>

The address fits perfectly for an armourer at Edinburgh castle. Just down the Royal mile amongst the tenements of old Edinburgh.

Russell

[alysone]

Hi Ellen & Russell,
Oh, I do so hope this is them! How could it not be, even with his age out a a little bit, etc? I just tried to get the original on SP & can't find it? Can anyone point me, please? alysone

[AndrewP]

Hi Alysone,

It is there on SP. Search for Sophia Bend, age 5 and you will find the family. Having taken a peek at the image, I can see why it was indexed by SP as Bend, as well as transcribed as Bend by Ancestry. With a bit of imagination, you can read it as Bird. I would say the address is more likely Piper's Close, Castlehill rather than Ancestry's interpretation as Peper Close.

All the best,

AndrewP

[alysone]

Thanks Andrew,
There can be no doubt that this is my family now that I see the original. Oddly, I see "Bird" clearly not Bend at all. You have no idea how much this means to me. Not knowing left such a gap in my sense of who I am. Am I Scottish or English or what %-age of each? When I think how long I have blundered around trying to get a sense of their movements and all I had to do was ask you clever lot!
I had no knowledge of Eliza, b 1840.
There is undoubtedly an army connection. If you look at the neighbours in Piper's Close, army is a frequent occupation. Am I right that the Murphys are a separate household from the Birds on the original?
Now, what should be my next step, I wonder? I know that James died before 1858 because the marriage certificate of my ancestor, Thomas (6 in 1841) in 1858 lists him as "deceased gunsmith". I believe Susan died between 1858 & 1864 because she is "deceased" on the 1864 marriage certificate for Sophia. Perhaps, I should look for their deaths in Scotland & hope they didn't go back to England first? Any other ideas most gratefully accepted.
Just out of curiosity & so I can learn by it, Ellen, how did you search them out in the first place? Ever so appreciatively, alysone

[AndrewP]

Am I right that the Murphys are a separate household from the Birds on the original?

Yes. The entry at the foot of the previous column is followed by // (end of household). The same mark can be found at the end of the Bird family. Another person or family in the same household is separated by a single /, as can be seen at the end of the household below the Birds.

All the best,

AndrewP

[alysone]

Hi Andrew,
I didn't know the bit about the single line within a household, thanks.
I have been looking for a death for either James or Susan at SP in the census? I don't understand why you found Sophia but I couldn't find James or Susan when I looked? Is there a trick about that? I don't think I fully understand how to search on SP by any means? alysone

[AndrewP]

Hi Alysone,

They are indexed on SP (1841 census) as follows

• BEND JAMES 40
  BEND SUSANNAH 30
  BEND THOMAS 6
  BEND SOPHIA 5
  BEND ELIZA 0

So Susannah should have shown up if you searched for Susan, so long as the Return all forenames that begin with these characters box was ticked.

I don't see any obvious sign of a death for either of them in Scotland. Could they have returned to Kent? Or could they have died young - before 1855, the start of statutory registration in Scotland.

All the best,

AndrewP

[alysone]

Hi Andrew,
Ah, that may be what I didn't do properly, return all forenames that begin with these characters box! James was dead before my great grandfather married Ann Crookston in Prestonpans in 1858, but exactly when & where I know not? Susan was dead before Sophia married in 1864. It would seem likely that since Thomas and Sophia stayed on in Scotland the parents might have, as well?
I suppose I wouldn't learn much if I could find the OPR for Eliza's birth?
If they were in Scotland, then they should turn up in the '51 census. I haven't found any of them in it but Thomas in Tranent?
In any case, a marvellous sense of progress! Thanks again, alysone