Was my great great grandfatherfh a petty criminal? i i l?

QMy great grandfather John George/ Louis Palmer (died 1939) was born in Hendon, Middlesex, between 1867 and 1870. His father was George Palmer, a carpenter. In the 1891 census, John was in Hackney with his widowed mother Annie (born in Shepherd’s Bush) and sister Amelia, 24. I can find no marriage for George and Annie, and no birth records for Amelia and John. On 20 August 1870, the West

Middlesex Herald has a report about a “George Palmer (alias Tame)” who was accused of stealing a large quantity of paper bags ( pictured above). There was a Tame family living in Hendon matching closely what I know about the Palmers. There’s a death registration for a George Tame in Hendon in 1885. Was he my great great grandfather?

Anne Balfour

AThe reference to “George Palmer (alias Tame)” that you found in an 1870 edition of the West Middlesex Herald newspaper on Findmypast ( findmypast.co.uk) does appear to have solved your family mystery. Nevertheless, it is important to support this theory with as much evidence as possible.

According to the variety of evidence you have collected, John Palmer’s birth should have been recorded as John George/Louis in Hendon Registration District between 1867 and 1870. His father should have been recorded as George, possibly with Palmer as the surname, and with an occupation of (or connected to) carpenter. His mother should be an Annie (born in Shepherd’s Bush).

Unfortunately, your John died a few months before the 1939 Register was taken on 29 September. Although the birthdates on the register are not always accurate, this could have been a useful way to check that your John’s birthdate matched that of John George/Louis Tame.

As an alternative, you could trace John’s sister Amelia forward and see if she was still alive and recorded on the 1939 Register. The 1891 census details indicate that Amelia was born c1867. However, the General Register Office (GRO) index at https://www.gro.gov.uk reveals the birth of an Amelia Tame (mother’s maiden name Martin) registered in the March quarter of 1865 in Hendon district. This will give a date to search the 1939 Register.

Using the details you have identified, you should also order the 1885 death certificate of George Tame in order to check whether this is the correct person. There may be clues in the cause of death, George’s residence or the details of the informant that you can use to explore more records.

Ideally, you should check as many original records as you can relating to the Tame and Palmer families and compare details.

Emma Jolly