Can anyone please help with information re George Bayliss Dean bap 1834 in Kingswinford, Staffs. George was one of 7 children bn to Timothy Dean and Sarah Hall. George m Mary Ann Baker in Westbury on Severn in 1859; witnesses were Joseph Grindon and Hannah Martin. George and Mary Ann had a dtr - Florence Elizabeth bn 1860 in Bilstree Green, Glos but I can't find Bilstree Green or any record of the birth of Florence anywhere in England. Family rumour has it that Florence went back to the Forest of Dean from Kingswinford and later had a son, Alfred Wooldridge Dean, who then took the surname of Ennis when Florence m Horace Ennis. Rumour also indicates a connection with Westbury Court. maybe Florence, George or Mary Ann worked on the estate. I also wondered if George worked for or with Joseph Grindon?

I have really hit the "brick wall" and would be so pleased to hear if any of these names rings a bell. Thank you, Jan Coleman.

Here’s her baptism from LDS,

Name: Florance Elizabeth DEAN
Gender: Female
Christening Date: 03 Nov 1861
Christening Place: Brierley Hill, Stafford, England
Birth Date: 14 May 1860
Birthplace:
Death Date:
Name Note:
Race:
Father's Name: George Baylis DEAN
Father's Birthplace:
Father's Age:
Mother's Name: Mary Ann DEAN
Mother's Birthplace:
Mother's Age:
Indexing Project (Batch) Number: C01030-1
System Origin: England-EASy
GS Film number: 1470583
Reference ID: item 2 p 393

"England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/N62Y-JQ8 : accessed 8 February 2015), Florance Elizabeth Dean, 03 Nov 1861; citing , reference item 2 p 393; FHL microfilm 1,470,583.

Thank you so much for this info. I did have a look at the LDS site but obviously not in the right place, however, after struggling with the revised format I gave up. I can't find her on the BMD though which is strange. At least that is one more box ticked! Thanks again, Jan

Hi Jan

There were no penalties for the non-registration of births until 1875 (or thereabouts!)

Some people just did not bother to do it.

Regards
Chris

The birth of Florence Elizabeth is registered. This entry from Glos BMD:
Child Surname Child Forename Father Surname Mother Surname Mother's Former Name Year District Office Register Entry
DEAN Florence Elizabeth DEAN DEAN BAKER 1860 Forest of Dean Westbury on Severn, Newnham 20 357

It would appear that it has been indexed incorrectly in the GRO Index. I suspect that this is the one being sought.
Births Jun 1860
Green Florence Elizabeth Westbury on S 6a 184

This is from the 1861 Census:
Household Number Given Name Surname Relationship Age Estimated Birth Year Gender Birth City Birth County Birth Country
91 George B Dean Head 26 1835 Male Kingsinford Staffordshire England
91 Mary A Dean Wife 26 1835 Female Kingsinford Staffordshire England
91 Florance E Dean Daughter 11/12 1860 Female Kingsinford Staffordshire England

It would appear that George Bayliss Dean died in 1867:
Deaths Jun 1867
Dean George Bayliss 33 Stourbridge 6c 108

and Mary Ann remarried:
Marriages Mar 1870
DEAN Mary Ann Stourbridge 6c 204
VALLANCE Joseph Stourbridge 6c 204

Not found them in the 1871 Census. This is the 1881:

Address Given Name Surname Relationship to Head Marital Status Age Estimated Birth Year Gender Occupation Birth City Birth County Birth Country
79 Hall St Mary A. Vallance Head Married 44 1837 Female Fruiterer Kingswinford Staffordshire England
79 Hall St Florence E. Dean Daughter 20 1861 Female Fruiterer Bilstree Green Gloucestershire England
79 Hall St Alfred W. Dean Son 2 1879 Male Scholar Dudley Worcestershire England
79 Hall St George B. Dean Son 19 1862 Male Carter Out Of Employ Kingswinford Staffordshire

This is the birth registration of Alfred Wooldridge Dean:
Births Mar 1879
Dean Alfred Wooldridge Dudley 6c 133

Florence's marriage in 1884:
Marriages Mar 1884
Dean Florence Elizabeth Dudley 6c 18
Ennis Horace Dudley 6c 18

The Ennis family in 1891:
Given Name Surname Relationship Gender Age Estimated Birth Year Birth City or District Birth County Birth Country
Horace Ennis Head Male 30 1861 Dudley Worcestershire England
Florrie E Ennis Wife Female 30 1861 Forest of Dean Gloucestershire England
Alfred Ennis Son Male 12 1879 Dudley Gloucestershire England
Florence Ennis Daughter Female 4 1887 Dudley Gloucestershire England
Minnie Ennis Daughter Female 6 1885 Dudley Gloucestershire England
Joseph Valance Stepfather Male 56 1835 Coventry

and Alfred in 1911:
1911 Census:
Name Relation to Head Birth Date Age Gender Marital Status Years Married Occupation Birth Place Address
Alfred Ennis Head 1880 31 Male Married Drayman Dudley, Worcestershire
Florrie Ennis Wife 1883 28 Female Married 10 Worcestershire
Horace Ennis Son 1903 8 Male scholar Worcestershire
Joseph Ennis Son 1904 7 Male scholar Worcestershire
Minnie Ennis Daughter 1908 3 Female Worcestershire
William Ennis Son 1910 9/12 Male Worcestershire
Laura Finch Sister-in-law 1890 21 Female Single Worcestershire

Mike

GR 1871 Census, Kingswinford, 7 Stars Inn

Hannah BAKER, Head, Widow, 52, Publican, b. Bromley, Worcs
John Henry BAKER, Son, Un, 15, b. Kingswinford, Staffs
Mary A.D. VALLANCE, Dau, Mar, 34, b.
Joseph VALLANCE, Son-in-Law, Mar, 32, Shoemaker, b. Coventry
Florence E. DEAN, Dau, 10, b. Forest of Dean
George B. DEAN, Son, 9, b. Kingswinford, Staffs
Jane WARRALL, Dau, Mar, 21, b. Kingswinford, Staffs
Wm WARRALL, Son-in-Law, Mar, 22, Butcher, b. Kingswinford, Staffs

Florence Elizabeth was probably born in Bilson Green, Cinderford.

Burial entry for Joseph Grindon (22 November 1889) tells us that he was Parish Clerk for 46 years and this is the most likely reason he was a witness at the wedding of George and Mary Ann.
In the 1851 Census Joseph Grindon is described as an Assistant Overseer and Parish Clerk which indicates an involvement with the running of the Workhouse at Westbury on Severn. http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/glos/vol10/pp97-98

Mike

Wow, what amazingly kind people you all are. Your info confirms what it has taken me 3 months to discover!!! I did find Joseph Grindon on the Westbury site but had hoped that there might have been a work connection as he was also a cordwainer as well as Parish factotum. Two things puzzle me though - a) George Dean was a clerk, and without wishing to be unkind, I can't think what would have prompted him to choose Westbury as a place to find work as there can't have been many opportunities in the area - as a clerk he would have been literate so maybe Mary went into service after George found her the position in a newspaper (wild speculation) and then went with her, but they weren't married which was a bit daring at that time, and b) I haven't found any other connection with the area, so what took Florence back only to return to Kingswinford several months later with a cloud hanging over her head!

So many questions, maybe we shall never know, but I shall still keep on delving and who knows? My thanks to you all and any further thoughts/hints/guesses much appreciated. Jan

P.S. The Westbury Court connection is pure speculation because family gossip has it that Florence worked at the "big house" and from the description she gave, Westbury Court fits the bill, although there are presumably other "big houses" in the area, however, the Wooldridge name must surely tell a story as there is no father shown on Alfred's birth certificate, or is it a red herring?