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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Staffordshire => Topic started by: Vicki Morley on Thursday 07 November 13 13:45 GMT (UK)
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Hi guys, Im a bit stuck with this lady.
The story as much as I know :
Annie Badger was born in Walsall in abt 1887. She ran away from home and ended up in Hay on Wye, Wales, in 1906 where she met Harry Campion. Harry was in the army, and in 1907 he came back to Hay to find Annie was in the Hay workhouse with a baby boy. On admittance to the workhouse Annie had changed her name to Polly Johnson. She did so because she didnt want her parents to be found. A marriage was arranged in 1909, and further children were born, including my grandfather in 1919 (who I cant name as he is still alive). She was in the 1911 census living in Hay with Harry and children.
The above information came from Harry Campion's WW1 army records, it was quite fascinating as I knew nothing about my gt grandparents.
Im trying to trace Annie back but seem to be struggling. There are a few Annie Badgers born around 1887, none in Walsall, but one in Wolverhampton seems to be the most promising.
I have discounted these (all info from the 1911 census):
Annie Badger b 1888 Wolverhampton. In 1911 she was living with her parents.
Annie Badger b 1885 Gnosall. 1911 seems to be a nurse in London.
Annie Badger b 1890 Wolverhamption. Also known as Ann, living with parents in 1911.
So, the one I think is my Annie :
1891 census b 1887 Wednesfield
1901 census b 1887 Wolverhampton
Mother - Martha Badger
However, in 1911 census (when we know she was living with Harry Campion), Martha's census has Martha living with her son in law Charles Tomlinson and daughter Ann (not Annie). The ages of Ann and Annie match.
So is my Annie not in fact Martha's daughter? And how do I find my Annie. The marriage certificate is no use as she called herself Polly Johnson and father's name was John Johnson, and I cant order a birth certificate until I know which Annie she really is!
I know you may say ask my grandfather, but he is 94, hard of hearing and has selective memory loss. He has always thought he was Welsh through and through but Ive since discovered his father Harry is in fact from Birmingham, so I dont think he knows much about his past.
Can anyone offer any guidance as to where I go from here please.
Thanks
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So, the one I think is my Annie :
1891 census b 1887 Wednesfield
1901 census b 1887 Wolverhampton
Mother - Martha Badger
However, in 1911 census (when we know she was living with Harry Campion), Martha's census has Martha living with her son in law Charles Tomlinson and daughter Ann (not Annie). The ages of Ann and Annie match.
Hi
There's a marriage Mar qtr 1905 - Charles Tomlinson & Annie Badger on the same page, Wolverhampton 6b 707.
Given that Martha's daughter is Ann(ie) Tomlinson in 1911 it does rather seem to rule her out from also being Annie Campion at the same time :)
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That's quite a story isn't it.
What proof is there that Polly Johnson is the same person who was born Annie Badger?
I think I see her with Harry in 1911 and she is back to Annie (not Polly) so did she just use Polly when she got married? How confusing!
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The letters and statements explaining the Annie Badger/Polly Johnson dichotomy are indeed on Harry's WW1 Army file - extraordinary!
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There's an Ann Badger born Wolverhampton in Sep 1886.
What about the little boy George Henry born in 1908 - would his birth certificate give any clues?
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Good Afternoon
There are two baptisms for an Ann Badger
Ann Badger 14.7.1886 George and Martha Graisley Lane trapmaker Wednesfield
Ann Badger 12.12.1888 to Thomas and Mary Ann Wood End miner at Wednesfield
So if she's not the daughter of George and Martha maybe Thomas and Mary.
1891 Wood end
Thomas Badger 43 coal miner Perry Hall Staffordshire
Mary A 44 Bilston
Samuel 13 coal miner Wood End
John 10
Mary A 6
Albert 4
Annie 2
Ciderdrinker
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I noticed she married in the name Polly Johnson. What does she give as her fathers name on the marriage certificate?
Willow x
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The marriage of Harry Campion and Polly Johnson and the banns are in the Brecknockshire parish records on Family Search and indicates that the actual images are available on Find My Past.
William
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Banns were called for Harry Campion (bachelor of the parish of Hay Mills Birmingham) and Polly Johnson (spinster of this parish) at St Mary's Hay, Brecknock on 20 & 27 Dec 1908 and 3 Jan 1909.
When they married in the same parish on 6 Feb 1909 Polly Johnson was said to be 22, a spinster, of Bear St (same address as Harry). Her father John Johnson, labourer.
Witnesses: Joseph Jay (signed); Sarah Ann Hopkins (made her mark).
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I noticed she married in the name Polly Johnson. What does she give as her fathers name on the marriage certificate?
Willow x
John Johnson, not very imaginative of her!
The marriage of Harry Campion and Polly Johnson and the banns are in the Brecknockshire parish records on Family Search and indicates that the actual images are available on Find My Past.
William
Yes I saw them, I bought some credits and have a copy of it. Originally I thought she was Polly Johnson so started tracing back her via her father John. Im glad I didnt go too far!
There's an Ann Badger born Wolverhampton in Sep 1886.
What about the little boy George Henry born in 1908 - would his birth certificate give any clues?
I have my grandad's certificate (George's brother), so I wasnt sure whether that would have more information? But its worth £9 to find out I guess.
As for proof of Annie and Polly being the same person, I can only go by Harry's war record. Yes, its definitely an interesting read. I was quite stunned when I saw it.
Its quite interesting, because as the story goes, my grandad married a lady in Birmingham and came back from WW2 to find she had given birth to a child very clearly not grandads. He left her, moved to Suffolk (no idea how or why) and met my nan and had mum in 1946, but didnt marry nan til 1948.
My family history is quite dull from there on in!
Thanks for all the replies.
I guess that Walsall/Wolverhampton are fairly interchangeable when it comes to older records? I dont know the area (Im Leicester), so I wasnt sure. The two Anns that Ciderdrinker has found, is there any way of positively tieing them to my family? I cant think of a way to check for certain.
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Ive just read Ciderdrinker's post properly now, but I think my question remains. How do I tie Ann of Thomas and Mary to me?
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The marriage of Harry Campion and Polly Johnson and the banns are in the Brecknockshire parish records on Family Search and indicates that the actual images are available on Find My Past.
William
Not much help if you dont subscribe to FindMyPast ;D
I'm wondering if she gave her actual fathers first name so it might be worth searching for a John Badger
Willow x
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Ive just read Ciderdrinker's post properly now, but I think my question remains. How do I tie Ann of Thomas and Mary to me?
It may be that you can eliminate her by tracing her forwards from the 1891 census (in which she's with her family aged 2, as we've seen) and finding her death or marriage etc. Her parents are still in Wood End in 1901, but she's not with them.
One thing which concerns me about her is that Thomas seems to die in 1903. In the letter on the Army file from Annie Campion explaining the "Polly" situation she said she had lied about her name on entering the workhouse because she feared her "parents" would be contacted. Would she have said that if her father was dead?
She's also a bit young to be your Annie; based on Polly Johnson's age at marriage and Annie Campion's age in 1911 she ought to have been born in 1886-7 rather than later.
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Incidentally the timings are a bit odd.
According to one of the statements Harry and Annie had met in 1906 and when he was invalided and returned to Hay "in the early part of 1907" he found Annie, now called Polly Johnson, had had a child by him and was in the workhouse.
In fact the first child we see of theirs, George Henry, was born on 21 December 1907 in Worcester.
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Yes I suggested the birth certificate for that child specifically because he was born before she married Mr Campion. He may well have been his child but what was on the birth certificate.
Are there any other little Badgers born before him this workhouse child :-\
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When did Annie die? and you dont happen to have her date of birth do you?
Willow x
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No idea when or where to be honest. I can ask mum to ask grandad if he can remember when he lost his mother.
As for George's birth certificate, yes that would be quite interesting as they werent married. I will get that ordered.
I had noticed about the timings, and really am not sure what to make of it.
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Harry seems to have died in Hay in 1960, but I can't easily see an obvious remarriage or death for Annie.
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The reason I asked is there is a baptism of a Mary Jane Badger (Polly is sometimes a corruption of Mary) born 10.7.1886 baptised 11.8.1886 Caledon Street Primative Methodist Walsall parents John and Elizabeth of Pleck, Walsall and John is down as a labourer
Bit of a long shot I know :D
Willow x
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The reason I asked is there is a baptism of a Mary Jane Badger (Polly is sometimes a corruption of Mary) born 10.7.1886 baptised 11.8.1886 Caledon Street Primative Methodist Walsall parents John and Elizabeth of Pleck, Walsall and John is down as a labourer
Bit of a long shot I know :D
Willow x
This young lady is Mary J (4) with parents in Pleck in 1891: RG12/2250/96/33
... and Mary (14) with widowed father John in Pleck in 1901: RG13/2703/15/22.
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Well thats one up on Annie/Polly because we havent found her in either of those census
There is a Polly Johnson servant in 1901 the right age in Smallthorne, Staffordshire
Willow x
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She is one heck of an enigma.
I may have to get Harry's death certificate to see if there is anything interesting on that.
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It might be worth buying the certificate to see what it says
As you say she is very elusive and if you think about it she got around a bit too. She was born in Walsall met Harry who was born in Birmingham had a child in Worcester and ended up in Hay
I cant quite grasp why when she is called Annie Badger she would marry in the name of Polly Johnson either!
Willow x
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Right, we have certificates that prove no use at all!!
George's birth 21st December 1907, registered on 30th January 1908. Father Henry/Harry Campion occ General Labourer. Mother Annie Campion (formerly Badger). Born 22 Dolday, I think this was the workhouse.
Harry and Annie didnt marry until 6th Feb 1909, so she was already using Harry's name before marriage to register baby George.
Harry's death certificate
died 10th August 1960 (exactly 1 day and 16 years before I was born). Died at Cockcroft House, Hay on Wye (which is a workhouse). Occupation was a general labourer at Erdington House, Birmingham. Informant was A H James who was an occupier of Cockcroft House.
So no mention of Annie. Its possible she had passed away by then. I wonder though, as his occupation was listed in Birmingham, perhaps they had lived there, Annie may have died in Birmingham and he moved back to Hay when Annie died.
The search continues! I do need to visit my uncle as I believe grandad has told him stories of his younger days so maybe something will be in his notes.
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I think deaths in the workhouse were registered by one of the staff I have several certificates where relatives have died there and it is always someone totally unrelated on the certificates
Annie doesnt appear on the deaths for Hay so maybe she died in Birmingham
Willow x
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Ive managed to get in touch with a grandson of Annie/Harry. Sadly this man's father told him that he was orphaned, when he wasnt. Because of this he knows very little about Annie and Harry. He doesnt know where Annie died or was buried, and he doesnt know where Harry was buried - obviously we both know where he died. We wonder whether Harry was brought back to Birmingham to be buried.
I know my grandad had issues with his father, Harry, so I am quite curious to know what this man did to upset his children to the point of effectively disowning him.
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He obviously had issues poor man
We'll keep looking something will pop up x
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To resurrect a very old thread, but I've found her!
I knew George Campion, son of Annie and Harry, eldest brother of my grandad died in Ludgershall, Wiltshire. I since found out after Harry died, Annie went to live with George (grandad told me the other day).
I know Annie Badger called herself Polly Johnson on her marriage certificate.
So, once I found Annie died in Wiltshire I searched for her death. No deaths for Annie Campion, but there was one in 1963 for Mary J Campion. A litle bell rang, weren't the names Ann and Mary fairly interchangeable? I Googled that, and my search confirmed my thought. It also suggested Polly and Mary could be swapped. Thats 2 coincidences.
On the marriage certificate Polly's father was John Johnson.
I checked the 1891 census for Mary. I found Mary J with a father called John. Another coincidence?
I ordered the death certificate. It came today, Mary J Campion, widow of Harry Campion, death registered by George Campion. It's her, I found her and I finally know her real name. I feel quite teary. It's taken nearly 2 years to find this.
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The reason I asked is there is a baptism of a Mary Jane Badger (Polly is sometimes a corruption of Mary) born 10.7.1886 baptised 11.8.1886 Caledon Street Primative Methodist Walsall parents John and Elizabeth of Pleck, Walsall and John is down as a labourer
Bit of a long shot I know :D
Willow x
Willow, I wish I'd remembered this earlier!!
Actually what you say there about Methodist, grandad said the other day his dad, Harry, was buried in non conformist ground. Gosh, it's all tying together.
My dad has told me to write this up as a story.
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Hi Vicki, thanks for updating us on your success, that's great news. Isn't it amazing how we can struggle to find information with all the resources available, then a family member casually drops out a remark which opens up new leads (well done Grandad ;D)
I do love a success story, well done for persevering!
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I've never wanted to ask grandad as I know he had issues with his father and didn't want to bring it up, but we were chatting in hospital. Grandad was winding mum up so I turned the conversation to Hay on Wye, he always has fond memories of there so he was happily chatting away. He mentioned about his father's funeral so I asked what happened to his mum, and you know the rest.
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I love when you finally get to the bottom of a mystery! thank you for updating us and happy hunting on the rest of the ancestors and get writing that story!
Willow x
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Fascinating story and well done Vicki and everyone else who contributed ;D