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Great-grandfather: Thomas James Kensit

Patsy was delighted and relieved to know that her great-grandfather had an honourable trade as a walking stick finisher. She wanted to know more about him. The only information we had to go on was the birth certificate of his son (Patsy’s grandfather) which established that he was living in the East End in 1893.

Step 1

To try to piece together more information about Patsy's great-grandfather we searched through census records which can be accessed online. These are used time and time again in genealogical research to trace further back. Census records provide information about a person's place of birth, profession, age, marital status, where he/she was living at the time and with whom, for example with family or perhaps as a lodger.

We decided the best census year to take as our starting point was 1901, because we knew Patsy's great-grandfather was living in the East End in 1893, so it was likely he was still living there, or at least in the area, in 1901. There are often many people listed with the same name, so it's best to cross reference with information that is already known to ensure a correct match. In this case we knew that Patsy's great-grandfather was a walking stick finisher and that her grandfather's name would be listed as one of his children. We were also able to work out the age of his son, as we had his date of birth from the earlier birth certificate.

Interestingly, this search revealed that her great-grandfather was called James Kensit and he was born in Beckenham, Kent. It also gave his age in 1901, which gave an indication as to the approximate year he was born.

Step 2

Knowing the area and approximate date of Patsy's great-grandfather's birth from the census record gave us enough information to order a birth certificate. But the birth certificate itself presented a mystery. The name listed on the census record was James Kensit, whereas the name on the birth certificate was Thomas James Kensit. Furthermore, the father was listed as James Dennis and the mother as Sarah Ann Kensit. It became clear that Thomas James Kensit was illegitimate and that the surname Kensit had been passed down through the maternal line. Patsy should actually be a Dennis!

Step 3

Many questions arise when an illegitimate birth is found. Did the couple ever marry? Did they live near each other? Again, the census records are a good way to try to solve such a mystery. Patsy's great-grandfather was born on 3 January 1868, so the best starting point was to look at the census year of 1871.

There were two households to check: the Kensits and the Dennises. The Kensit household revealed Sarah Ann, aged 22, living with her son Thomas James, aged 3, in her father's household. Coincidentally her father's name was also Thomas and he too was in the walking stick trade. Cross referenced with the information that was already known, it appeared to be a match.

Next: Walking Stick Maker