I've been researching my family for a while now and wanted to share what I knew about the Carey family from Kent.

I say Kent, but they also travelled within the rest of the home counties. If you look at census records they can be found in numerous areas from Kent, Surrey and Sussex to Buckinghamshire to Berkshire.

Starting at the bottom is always the easier way to go so I hope this helps:

My Nan is Elizabeth Carey b. 1927 on Green St Green Darenth. Her christening certificate lists the families as living in gypsy tents. 3 Children with Robert Cumberland, Robert b 1951, David b. 1952 and Dawn b. 1954.

Siblings:
1. Dangerfield Carey b. 1912 in Surrey, d. 1944 in Burma. Had 4 children with Elizabeth Caple. Mary Rose b.1936 d.2001, William Dangerfield b. 1938 d.2010, Kathleen b. 1939 and Betty b. 1942. Elizabeth Caple had 2 other daughters (one outside of marriage who is named Carey but has no Carey blood) Janet V A Carey and Lily N Marshall with her 2nd husband. All the children were born at Darenth except Lily. Mary Rose moved to Australia and had 4 children. Kathy and Betty remained travelling around the home counties, mainly around London Colney, Hemel Hempstead and Watford. Kathy has 4 children. Betty has children but I don't know their details. William married a lady called Anne and they fostered children with learning disabilities and later adopted them. No-one can trace the boys after their mother and father died.

2: Joseph Carey b. 1914 - we have been unable to trace a birth record for Joseph but an O'Connor had a Joseph in Darenth at the same time. We know his parents were not married so that is probably him. Do not confuse with Joseph b.1921 in Darenth as he is a cousin. Joseph married Phyllis Bassett and they had 2 girls Pauline b. 1944 in Darenth and Janet b. 1948 in Bethnal Green. Joseph and Phyllis lived more in the London areas. I don't have any information about Pauline and Janet and would love to hear from them.

3. William Carey b. 1917 at St Margarets Farm Darenth. Died in 1942 at El Alamein. No spouse or children but was bequeathed to a lovely young lady.

4. Lawrence Carey b.1919 also known as Laurence. Died 1994. Married Lilian Eccleston who was from Lancashire in Darenth. Children Carol b. 1948 and Trevor b. 1949. They are still in the Darenth area. Nickname was either Punch or Knobby but I can't remember which.

5. Jane Catherine Carey b. 1922 known as Kit. Married Alfred H Eccleston (brother of Lilian married to Lawrence) in Darenth. Children Maureen b. 1947 and June b.1948. Maureen lives in Cornwall and June is still in the Dartford area.

6. Levi Carey b. 1924 died 1991. Married Doreen Yates. Children, Doreen b. 1954 and Susan b. 1956. The girls are still in the Dartford area.

7. Julia Carey known as Julie. b. 1930. Married John Williams. Children John Roger Williams b. 1952 d. 1968 motorcycle accident and Keith b. 1954. Keith had 2 children, Martin and Lucie who I went to school with.

8. James Carey b. 1932 married Jacqueline Woollven. Children, Stanley Woollven known as Carey b. 1953, Steven b. 1956 and Lawrence (Laurence) known as Alan b. 1960. Jimmy and Jackie moved to Cornwall in the 1980's and Steven and Lawrence followed them down. Steven had 2 girls. Lawrence has 3 children from his 1st marriage and I think 3 from his 2nd. Stanley lives in Medway and has 2 children.

The Parents of this unruley lot were:
Dangerfield Carey b. 1888 in Huts and Tents Sidcup Kent. 1901 in Orpington Lone Barn East Hall. His father is listed as a Hawker. 1911 living on Chobham Common in huts and tents with family members I haven't yet been able to identify except for one. Rose-Hannah O'Connor b. 1891 was living with them. This is the lady that later became his wife. Rose-Hannah can be found listed at Rose, Rose-Anne and Rose-Anna. I'm not sure if her family were gypsies or travellers but I know they were Irish. Her father died in Dartford in 1908 leaving the family destitute. Rose was then found living with the Carey's in 1911. The rest of her family were in the Workhouse in Dartford.

It seems she probably introduced her sister Julia b. 1894 to the Carey family as she married Samson Carey b. 1885. He is the cousin of Dangerfield senior. Samson's father also Samson was brother of Levi, Dangerfield's father.

Julia and Samson Carey's family had a lot of similar names:
Children:
Samson b. 1916
Charles b. 1919
Joseph b. 1921
William J. b 1922
Julia b. 1924
Mary J b. 1926
Elizabeth b. 1928
Henry b. 1931

I'm not entirely sure who married who from this lot but I am pretty sure one married a Greig and owned the post office at Darenth.

Siblings of Dangerfield Carey b. 1888

His siblings were:

1. Richelda Carey b. 1884 Brentford Middlesex d. 1939 in Windsor. She lived on Chobham common in 1911 as well but had the name of Bagley. She was living with John. It seems they eventually married.

Children:

Dangerfield Bagley b. 1903,
Florence b. 1906
Mary Anne b.1907
John b. 1910 m Marion Ironside - children Ernest, Kathleen, Stella and Sheena
Richelda b 1912
Isabella b. 1915
Levi b. 1918
Emma b. 1920
Elizabeth b. 1923
Dahlia b. 1926
Joseph b. 1927

2. John Carey b. 1889 in Sidcup Kent. Married Beatrice May Bailey. All children were born in Darenth and christened at St Lukes Church.

Children:

Beatrice May b. 1917 John J b. 1919 Alice G b. 1921 Barbara b. 1924 Hilda M b. 1927 Ivy E b. 1929

3. Louisa Carey b. 1891 in Newell Surrey. I don't have any information on her. Not to be confused with Louise Carey b. 1896 who married Belcher Sines. This is a cousin.

4. Anna Maria Carey b. 1895 Addleston Surrey. Married Ernest George Seager from the Darenth area and they stayed in the area too.

Children;

Ernest W Seager b. 1923,
Eileen Joan Seager b. 1925 d. 1926,
Bernard John Seager b. 1927,
Iris Isabelle Seager b. 1931
Daphne Violet Seager b. 1934.

4. Levi Carey b. 1897 in Purfleet d. 1968 in Brent. Think he married a Smith. He got a gun shot wound in WW1 and consequently lost a leg. Would love to hear from anyone connected to him.

5. Joseph Carey b.1899 Purfleet- the information I have about this man is confusing. He seems to be a Carey but was adopted by the Scott family who lived in the same area in the 1901 census.

6. James Carey b. 1906 Purfleet - no information.

7. Isabel Carey b. 19o9 - recently found this name and think that she is probably related but have yet to confirm it.

In the 1911 census Dangerfield b. 1888 is recorded as living with the following : Sampson Carey aged 27, Esther Carey aged 25. I initially thought these 2 were his cousin and wife but cannot yet link Sampson in. Esther is listed as single so is actually not a wife but a Carey from birth. Annie Maud aged 17 - no link, Levi aged 15 definately a brother of Dangerfield. Sophia aged 7, no link, Annie aged 5 no link, James aged 5 brother of Dangerfield, Isabel aged 2 sister of Dangerfield ?? and Rose Hannah O'Connor who later became his wife. I would like to contact anyone who has Sampson Esther, Annie Maud, Sophia and Annie in their history. Looking at the census, it could be that Annie Maud is actually Annie Maria or Anne Maria/Anna Maria which would fit to being one of Dangerfield's sisters. James and Annie both aged 5 were listed as both being born in the same place ? they are twins. I have added both to my family tree to see if anything picks up, however I am starting to wonder if they are actually siblings of Sampson and Esther or children of one of them.

Moving onto the next generation:

Dangerfield's father is Levi Carey (g.g. grandfather)b. 1853 in Iver Buckinghamshire. He Married Mary Ann Harris b. 1866 in Surrey.
1861 - Walton on Thames Surrey with his father named as Richard a Tinman and his brother Joseph aged 14.
1871 - Malden Surrey living with Father Levi, mother Naomi, brother Samson aged 20, sister Anna Maria aged 15, Rebecca 10, Patience 8 and Henry 6. Also Druscilla 58 possibly a relative. ? Is she related to Sampson and Esther?
1881 - Cant7't find Levi b. 1853 but have got his mother and father Levi & Naomi. Hawker living in Sandy Lane Chobham in Tents. Registered as Leve Karey, aged 58, Naomi 58, Henry 15, another Henry 4 grandson Druscilla 1 granddaughter, Thomas 47 nephew, Mary Ann 37 neice, Julia 14 neice and Rebecca 6 neice. Not sure who Henry and Druscilla belong to, or which brother (has to be a brother for them to have the Carey name) Thomas et al belong to.
1891 -
1901 - with his wife and Children & Charles Smith aged 20 in Orpington. Hawker/Farm labourer.

See the information posted by Sandeyb on the census records. I have heard the family were occasionally registered as Karey and Gregory so my next step is to search that line.

Siblings of Levi Carey b. 1853.
1. Recevvi Carey b. 1844 Emmington Oxfordshire- unsure whether this is a boy or girl. Found once but no mention again in any other records.
2. Elizabeth Carey b. 1844 Penn Buckinghamshire -
3. Risoisi Carey b. 1845 - unsure whether boy or girl. ? The same person as Recevvi. No further records
4. Joseph Carey b. 1847. No further records
5. Rody Carey b. 1851 No further records
6. Samson Carey b. 1852 d. 1925 (father of Samson who married Julia O'Connor)
7. Anne Maria Carey b. 1856. No further records.
8. Naomi Carey b. 1856. No further records.
9. Patience Carey b. 1862
10. Rebecca Carey b. 1862. No further records.
11. Henry Carey b. 1865 d. 1936
12. Rebecca Carey b. 1881. No further records.
13. Patrice Carey b. 1883 ? Patrick or Patricia or even Patience again or something else. No further records.

Different records say different things. Some have the family as Carey or Karey or even Cary. Some list some children but not the others. Some have a different mother but I think they are all the same people. Dangerfield & Levi''s father was also Levi but is recorded as Levey, Len, Sarey, Sevey etc and his wife Naomi is listed at times as Elizabeth. I wonder if they used aliases.

So now it starts to get complicated. I am going to go through the families of Dangerfield's brothers and sisters. I will use the numbering system so you can relate back to who they are.

2. Elizabeth Carey b. 1844 married William Dighton or Deighton b. 1839. They lived in Preston Sussex and then in the Bexley and Orpington areas of Kent. Children are:

1. Lauraine Dighton b. 1864 Bexley
2. Richard Dighton b. 1866 Ham Green Surrey. Sometimes registered as Richalda. ? whether 2 seperate people.
3. Dinah F Dighton b. 1869 Lutton Surrey
4. Dimeford Dighton b. 1869 Manstead Surrey - not sure how 2 can be born in different places. ? same person
5. Levi Dighton b. 1871 Plumstead. Had 2 wives Angelina and Eliza b. 1875
6. Alice Dighton b. 1874 Nutley, Sussex
7. Elizabeth Dighton b. 1895 Bexley
8. John Dighton b. 1893 Manstead Surrey, d. 1975 Dartford.

I have no information about any of their spouses or children.

6. Samson Carey b. 1852 died 1925. Married Mary Jane Smith b. 1854 from Newport and Louisa Ferries b. 1878 Plumstead. Not entirely sure which children belong to which mother but assume the younger ones are Louisa's. The family have been remembered on Belvedere Marshes.

1. Anne Maria Carey b.1876 St Paul's Cray Kent. No further records.
2. Catherine Carey b. 1879 Chertsey Surrey. Married Lawrence Dighton b. 1873.Interchanged name between Dighton and Deighton. Had the following children:

1. Catherine Dighton b. 1989 Leysdown Kent
2. Lawrence Dighton b. 1900 Leysdown Kent.
3. Mary Ann Dighton b. 1903 Middlesex
4. Elizabeth Dighton b. 1906 Leysdown Kent
5. Andrew Dighton b. 1908 Unknown
6. Jeanette Dighton b. 1909 Middlesex, d. 1999 Maidstone Kent.

3. Mary Jane Carey b. 1881 Eastbourne Sussex. No further records.
4. Lizzie Carey b. 1883 Unknown. Also called Elizabeth. Died 1934.
5. Samuel Carey 1885. Unknown.
6. Samson Carey b. 1885 Plumstead Kent - ?Same person as Samuel. Married Julia O'Connor. Listed earlier.
7. Charley Carey b. 1887 - Unknown
8. Alice Carey b. 1890 Eastbourne Sussex
9. Ellen Carey b. 1907 Mitcham Surrey.

9. Patience Carey b. 1862 Binfield Berkshire, d. 1954 Aldershot Hampshire. Married John Harris (brother of Mary Ann who was married to Levi) Children:

1. John Harris 1882 Yately Hampshire
2. James Harris 1884 Yately Hampshire
3. Annie Harris 1886 Yately Hampshire
4. Sarah Anne Harris 1887 Yately Hampshire
5. Arthur Harris 1890 Yately Hampshire
6. Albert Harris 1898 Yately Hampshire

No further records on this family. I am assuming that they stayed with the Harris Family rather than the Carey's.

11. Henry Carey b. 1865 Great Marlow Buckinghamshire, d. 1936. Married Cinamerity Buckland known as Minnie b. 1871 Uxbridge d. 1955 Barnet. Children:

1. Sidney Carey b. 1889
2. Polly Carey b. 1891 Wooburn Bucks
3. Leanor Carey b. 1894 St Pauls Cray Kent
4. Sophia Carey b. 1895 Spitalfields London
5. Louise Carey b. 1896 Hendon d. 1976 Surrey - married Belcher Sines b. 1895 d. 1927 Windsor. Children:

1. Belcher Sines b. 1918 Farnham Kent, d. 1995 Surrey. Married Maisie Sparkles.
2. Louisa Sines b. 1920 d. 1965 Surrey. Married James Brazil.
3. Matilda Sines b. 1923 d. 1973 Surrey.
4. Mary Sines b. 1925 d. 1994. Married William Frank Hames and Richard Roberts. Children: Richard Roberts b. 1948 and Dennis Roberts b. 1950
5. Rebecca Sines b. 1928 d. 1928 Chertsey Surrey

I will add the next generation back asap.