Thread: Dorothy Victoria Colbourne Pratt.

Oh which brick wall to pick!
My grandmother was Dorothy Victoria Colbourne Pratt. Her mother was Alice Pratt nee Terry. We are fairly certain that her father was not Alice's husband William Pratt but was Henry Colbourne with whom Alice and children were lodging in 1901. Henry died in 1902 before Dorothy was born. The big question is where was William Pratt? Did he die before 1901? From the 1891 census William was 'born at sea' (the image is very poor so it could be somewhere on sea, by sea etc) in 1864. They were married 1888 when he was 25 (1863), father James. Secondary to this, technically maybe another question (sorry!) - where was Henry Colbourne's wife Ellen? Her maiden name was Bridger, she was born Emsworth, Hants in 1851. She was with Henry in 1891 but not 1901.
In 1901 both Henry and Alice were described as 'married' - although they could have stated that for appearance sake rather than actual accuracy.
many thanks in advance,
Anne

1901 census
RG13 939 47 34

Shows that Henry COLEBOURNE desc himself as married as does Alice PRATT his boarder

Can you give the places the vents may have occurred in!

elsabels

Hi noggin28,
I had seen that William but do not have any other evidence to support William being born in Portchester, being a cook or being in the Navy. I have also found another William Pratt of similar age in previous censuses but as far as I remember only 1 in 1901. I no longer have access to Ancestry so I can't check at the moment.
I have checked National Archives (but not actual documents) and the William born in Portchester may well have joined in 1887 - but 'my' William is a labourer in 1891 with no mention of navy etc.

Hi elsabels,
Sorry - not sure which events you mean?
Alice was born in Worth, Sussex. I don't know where William Pratt was born. Henry Colebourne was born in Finchdean, Hants. His wife Ellen was born in Emsworth, Hants.
Henry Colebourne died at the address he lived at in 1901 and Alice registered the death - I have the cert. Dorothy was born 6 months later so Alice was already pregnant when Henry died. Alice did not record the father's name on Dorothy's birth cert. Alice was still at this address when Dorothy was born because her son William joined the army in November 1902 and gave his next of kin as Alice at 23 Suffolk Street. She had moved round the corner by 1911.
I have the 1901 census image where they both describe them selves as 'married' but presumably to other people. I have all censuses before this date too. What I don't have is a whereabouts for William Pratt or Ellen Colebourne in 1901, or any census afterwards. Alice is 'widowed' in 1911 so the assumption is that William Pratt died between 1901 and 1911 - but I have not yet traced a death. Nor one between 1891 and 1901 if she was lying in 1901. Nor have I traced a death for Ellen in the same period.

Hello

Strruggling a bit with your PRATT's
1901 census shows
PRATT Alice b 1863 Worth Sussex
PRATT John b 1883
PRATT William b 1885 whose children are these?
PRATT Florence 1887
MARRIAGE Alice TERRY = William PRATT q2 1888 Steyning 2b 502
PRATT Hubert 1893
PRATT Percy 1899 Both children of the marriage?

Can you show the 1881 / 1891 census references please

IS THIS THE DEATH
William Frederick Pratt
Estimated birth year:abt 1867
Year of Registration:1901
Quarter of Registration:Oct-Nov-Dec
Age at Death:34
District:SteyningCounty:Sussex
Volume:2bPage:173

Ellen Jane Colbourne
Estimated birth year:abt 1844
Year of Registration:1905
Quarter of Registration:Apr-May-Jun
Age at Death:61
District:SteyningCounty:Sussex
Volume:2bPage:162

The only likely candidate i can find

Hi everyone,
Thanks for everyone's help on this but I think it is confirming what I already thought - basically it is going to cost some money to work this out!
I already have William Frederick's death cert and it wasn't him. I don't know if John, William and Florence were William Pratt's. I also have a sneaking suspicion that Percy might have been a Colebourne as he also has 3 names - Percy Robert C Pratt.
I haven't tried that Ellen's death cert - although it would make her at least 10 years older than the censuses.
Alice married again in 1913 to George Hills - so I guess she really was a widow by then.
GRO here I come!
all the best, Anne