Finding my great-great-grandfather

Originally published 27 Nov 2022

My great-great-grandmother Ellen Miller had 4 children between 1872 and 1879, including my great-grandmother Alice, before she married William Brown in 1880. There is no father named on Alice's birth certificate. In May 1878, Ellen settled an affiliation case against George Beach out of court, as reported in the Tamworth Herald. Affiliation orders were how a single mother could compel the alleged father of her child to pay support. Alice wasn't born until 1879, but Ellen had 2 other living children who could have been the subjects of the affiliation case. Perhaps George Beach was Alice's father too?

In the past, I've tried to find a George Beach or Beech in the Tamworth area (which is where Ellen was living), but have been unsuccessful. Recently I tried again, looking for any Beaches or Beeches who were married in the area around the time Ellen was there. I found an Elizabeth Beech marrying Henry Gee in 1879 at St Paul's, Fazeley. I located Elizabeth and Henry on the 1881 census, living in Tamworth. Elizabeth's birthplace was shown as Pillerton Priors, Warwickshire. I traced her family, and found she had 5 siblings, one of whom was called George! George was born in Pillerton Priors around 1847, and appears on the census there, living with his parents, until 1871. In 1879, a George Beech aged 32 was buried in Pillerton Priors. I believe this George Beech was Alice Miller's father, and my great-great-grandfather. I have DNA matches who are descendants of 2 of George's siblings (59cM and 61cM) and more matches who are descendants of George's aunts and uncles, so I am reasonably confident in my conclusion.

Elizabeth and Henry Gee left Tamworth for Yorkshire before 1891. Her sister Susanna married William Baylis, and they lived in Tamworth and later Polesworth. What brought the Beech siblings to Tamworth from Pillerton Priors is unclear.