The difficult trail of Henry Cade

Fleshing out information about my great-uncle Albert Victor FAGE posed the question of whether his wife, Louie (Mary Louisa CADE) was the daughter of his mother's brother (ie his own cousin). There are various twists and turns to following this trail.

Albert FAGE married Louie in 1921, when her age is given as 21 (born around 1900), her father is named as Henry CADE, Labourer in the Cement Works, and her residence 7 Longfield Road, Sandy (the same as the groom). 

William John FAGE, Albert's father, married Alice CADE on 3 November 1893 in Sandy parish church. Alice is a 21 year old spinster living in Sandy like her groom, and described as the daughter of Jonathan CADE, Labourer. A birth certificate for Alice CADE on 3 September 1872 Gamlingay (Caxton district) shows her father as Jonathan CADE, Farm Labourer, and her mother as Anna CADE, formerly HEAD. A marriage certificate for Jonathan CADE and Anna HEAD on June 16th 1862 in Gamlingay gives Jonathan's father as Reuben CADE and Anna's as Samuel HEAD.

The censuses show Jonathan and Anna living in Gamlingay with their young family in 1871: Jonathan is 31, a Labourer, his wife Anna is 29, a straw plaiter, and their children are Arthur (8), Susan (4) and Harry (1), all born in Gamlingay. Ann (or Anna) died in 1880, and Jonathan is shown as a widower on the 1881 census, living at Everton Road, Heath, Gamlingay with Arthur (18), Susan (15), Harry (11) and Walter (6). Alice is living or staying with her uncle Samuel HEAD (her mother's brother and wife) in Fen Stanton. By 1891 Alice is living with her blind grandmother Matilda and her second husband John WESTROPE in Gamlingay. So what about Harry and the rest of the family?

By 1891, Jonathan CADE has moved in with his daughter Susan HILLS and her family in Potton, Bedfordshire (so presumably Alice visited, and met her future husband William John FAGE in Sandy). Her brother Arthur CADE now appears to be living in Thurrock, Essex, working as a Bricklayer's Labourer. Also in the household are Arthur's wife Lucy (born in Orsett), their one-year old son Berty, and Arthur's brother Walter, 15 years old and a farm labourer.  Both brothers' birthplaces are interestingly transcribed as 'Goomley' Cambridgeshire. Brother Harry, who would be 22 at this time, may be identified as the young patient Private (Infantryman) at Stoke Damerel Military Hospital in Devon. His birthplace is given as Potten, Bedfordshire, rather than Gamlingay. However, this may just be a link to where his father (and perhaps he, prior to his military service) is living. 

The only Henry/Harry CADE born in Gamlingay who is shown in the 1891 census is a 30-year old Coal Merchant's Labourer, with wife Matilda and several children, all still living in Gamlingay. Until Merv's prompting, I had thought that this was Alice's brother given the 'leeway' that often occurs around birth dates in census returns. However, it now looks as though Harry became confused about his birthplace rather than his age! 

By 1901, Harry appears to be living in Grays, Essex (not far from his brothers' residence in 1891). He has married Louisa, working as a laundress 'on own account at home', and they have three children, Harry (4),Edward (3) and Louisa (1).This could well be the Louisa who married Harry's nephew Albert FAGE! Thanks to Merv for correcting my earlier mistaken trail!