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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Warwickshire => Topic started by: littleem1906 on Friday 12 May 23 19:21 BST (UK)

Title: Who was the mother?
Post by: littleem1906 on Friday 12 May 23 19:21 BST (UK)
I'm looking into the mother of ELIZABETH ONIONS (1847-1906),who was born in Birmingham.

Elizabeth appears in the 1871 census with her husband Charles Edward Roath in 1871. In 1881 and 1891 she lives with some of her children (as her husband was living with another woman). I've not found her in 1901, and she died in 1906.

I know from Elizabeth's marriage record (from 1868) that her father's name was SAMUEL ONIONS and his occupation was listed as 'servant'. According to GRO, Elizabeth's mother's maiden name was HUGHES.

When looking for Elizabeth prior to 1871, I found an Elizabeth Onions in the 1851 and 1861 census living with a PRISCILLA RICHARDS (listed as mother). If this is my Elizabeth, this would be plausible, as her father Samuel Onions had died in 1850.

I thought if this was my Elizabeth it could be possible that Priscilla re-married to JOHN RICHARDS. However, on the marriage Banns, Priscilla lists herself as Priscilla Onions - Spinster - and her father's name is listed and Samuel Onions (ivory turner). Therefore my theory seems to not hold water.

However, when looking at the children Priscilla had with John Richards, all on GRO are listed as having mother's maiden name HUGHES. Why then did Priscilla say her father was Samuel Onions on her marriage certificate?

I have a feeling this one will require a birth certificate for Elizabeth to confirm her mother's name, but is Priscilla plausible? I can find no marriage between Samuel Onions and Priscilla Hughes.

Title: Re: Who was the mother?
Post by: hanes teulu on Friday 12 May 23 20:08 BST (UK)
Recheck Priscilla's surname on the 1851 Census.-
Title: Re: Who was the mother?
Post by: littleem1906 on Saturday 13 May 23 09:24 BST (UK)
Ah yes. Sorry, in my haste I'd not spotted this. Still doesn't explain why Priscilla didn't give her father's name at time of new marriage to John  Richards. She had 'Samuel Onions' listed, but her maiden name was Hughes. Could it be she never knew her father? Or was perhaps trying to pass herself off as a spinster and not a widow?
Title: Re: Who was the mother?
Post by: ColC on Saturday 13 May 23 09:45 BST (UK)
There was a second Onions birth mother Hughes, maybe related given the name. However no registration of marriage for those names?

ONIONS, ELIZABETH       HUGHES 
GRO Reference: 1847  S Quarter in BIRMINGHAM  Volume 16  Page 328

ONIONS, SAMUEL       HUGHES 
GRO Reference: 1850  D Quarter in BIRMINGHAM  Volume 16  Page 389

Colin
Title: Re: Who was the mother?
Post by: littleem1906 on Saturday 13 May 23 09:46 BST (UK)
Yes I spotted this. Sadly Samuel also died not long after. So Priscilla lost both her husband and son in the same year.
Title: Re: Who was the mother?
Post by: ColC on Saturday 13 May 23 09:55 BST (UK)


   ONIONS, SAMUEL       36 
GRO Reference: 1850  J Quarter in BIRMINGHAM  Volume 16  Page 244
   ONIONS, SAMUEL       0 
GRO Reference: 1850  D Quarter in BIRMINGHAM  Volume 16  Page 267

Colin
Title: Re: Who was the mother?
Post by: amondg on Saturday 13 May 23 09:58 BST (UK)
Son Samuel was buried St Phillip's Birmingham 30 December 1850 aged 7 weeks son of Samuel and Priscilla address Moor Street.

Ref: ancestry image
Title: Re: Who was the mother?
Post by: ColC on Saturday 13 May 23 11:09 BST (UK)
I wonder, Northfield became part of Birmingham in 1911.

Priscilla HUGHES   Born 1 Jun 1827   Baptism 29 Jul 1827   Worcestershire   Northfield : St Laurence : Parish Register Father forename   William Mother forename   Hannah

Person abode   Northfield
Father occupation   Nailor

Colin
Title: Re: Who was the mother?
Post by: ColC on Saturday 13 May 23 11:27 BST (UK)
Maybe not the above?

1881 - 10, Rose Terrace, Birmingham, Warwickshire

John   Richards   Head   Married   Male   57   1824   Stoker in tube works   -
Priscilla   Richards   Wife   Married   Female   60   1821   -   Birmingham, Warwickshire
Albert   Richards   Son   Single Male 16   1865   Wood turner   Birmingham, Warwickshire
Elizabeth   Noath Grand daughter      13   1868   Scholar   Birmingham, Warwickshire


RICHARDS, PRISCILLA       61 
GRO Reference: 1881  D Quarter in BIRMINGHAM  Volume 06D  Page 21

Burial Key Hill cemetery 28839 KH G 12

Colin
Title: Re: Who was the mother?
Post by: littleem1906 on Saturday 13 May 23 11:37 BST (UK)
Something to look into - thank you!

Title: Re: Who was the mother?
Post by: ColC on Saturday 13 May 23 11:39 BST (UK)
Looking at the 1861 census below, the birth in Northfield seems a possiblity despite the 1871 also below.

1861
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M7JK-JFR

1871
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KDDW-ZTW

Colin
Title: Re: Who was the mother?
Post by: littleem1906 on Saturday 13 May 23 12:12 BST (UK)
Is the birth in Northfield not 1827 and not 1820/21?
Title: Re: Who was the mother?
Post by: ColC on Saturday 13 May 23 12:32 BST (UK)
The record on freereg is birth & baptism 1827, however death & census 1820/21.

Most census returns shows birth as Birmingham except the 1861 which is Worcestershire, at that time dates were not so important as today, so maybe when asked the question she was wrong.

Northfield is about 6 miles south west of Birmingham.

Colin
Title: Re: Who was the mother?
Post by: ColC on Saturday 13 May 23 12:39 BST (UK)
I note the baptism OPR is on Ancestry, maybe someone could check, my membership has expired.

Colin

Title: Re: Who was the mother?
Post by: wivenhoe on Saturday 13 May 23 13:32 BST (UK)


" In 1881 and 1891 she lives with some of her children "

What names and ages for the children living with her?

What names and ages for children not living with her?  Where are they?

What other information do you see on the marriage certificate?

What names for witnesses?  What church are they married in?  Any addresses?
Title: Re: Who was the mother?
Post by: hanes teulu on Saturday 13 May 23 13:41 BST (UK)
Son Samuel was buried St Phillip's Birmingham 30 December 1850 aged 7 weeks son of Samuel and Priscilla address Moor Street.

Ref: ancestry image

FindMyPast burials
Samuel Onions, age 36 (b. circa 1814), 15 May 1850, cemetery - Parish of St Philip

1841 Census - at the moment only found a Samuel Onions, age 25, occpn. Groom, not born in County. He's in Woodsides Township, Shifnal Parish.

"Groom" falls in the category of servant. Yet to spot this Samuel in 1851.
Title: Re: Who was the mother?
Post by: hanes teulu on Saturday 13 May 23 13:52 BST (UK)
FindMyPast baptisms (image/transcript)

Samuel Onions, base son of Elizabeth Onions, bap 20 Nov 1814, place Weston, Parish of Weston under Lizard (Stafford). This is within spitting distance of Shifnal.

So, how to (a) rule him out or, better still (b) establish link to Priscilla?

Note that naming "convention" links his mother to Priscilla's daughter.

 
Title: Re: Who was the mother?
Post by: hanes teulu on Saturday 13 May 23 14:02 BST (UK)
Doesn't a death cert include "Occupation" - tho' no guarantee it will be completed/entered?
Title: Re: Who was the mother?
Post by: littleem1906 on Saturday 13 May 23 16:11 BST (UK)
FindMyPast baptisms (image/transcript)

Samuel Onions, base son of Elizabeth Onions, bap 20 Nov 1814, place Weston, Parish of Weston under Lizard (Stafford). This is within spitting distance of Shifnal.

So, how to (a) rule him out or, better still (b) establish link to Priscilla?

Note that naming "convention" links his mother to Priscilla's daughter.

This is great - thank you!

I wonder if Samuel and Priscilla never actually married, despite her being listed as a widow in 1851. I wonder if it's also possible that she did not know her father, hence using the name Samuel Onions.
Title: Re: Who was the mother?
Post by: littleem1906 on Saturday 21 June 25 10:43 BST (UK)
I'm coming back to this person to tie up some loose ends.

The Priscilla Hughes baptised in 1827 was an interesting possibility, despite the age not tallying with the age given on census. However, is it likely that the Priscilla Hughes born in 1827 married William Hancocks in Worcester in 1846? She is listed as a minor, and father's name William Hughes (a nailer). Was age 19 classed as a minor?

The baptism record is interesting because the date of birth is listed, when the majority of others on the page (and many other pages in that record) do not have this listed. Could the 'Born 1st June 1827' actually be 'Born 1st June 1821'? I've looked at it but it does still look a little like a 7. Which doesn't fully explain why the birth date would need to be listed.

I had got Priscilla in the 1841 census (given to me by someone else - I've not actually seen the census image) as follows:

Navigation Street, Birmingham
Willm Richards, 43 - Shop Keeper,  Warwickshire
Mary Richards, 40 - Warwickshire
Sarah Richards, 7 - Warwickshire
Susana Richards,  3 - Warwickshire
Eliza Richards, 1 - Warwickshire
Prisc Hughes, 20 - Warwickshire

It's interesting because Priscilla later married a John Richards, though his father was James Richards.

I've also found today another Priscilla Hughes (spelt Precella) in 1841 in Birmingham as follows:
New Canal St, Birmingham
Charles Hughes 20 - shoe maker
Precella Hughes 20
Catherine Hughes 1
Edwards Letts 20 - show maker (not born in county)
All Hughes's born in county.

Assuming Priscilla and Charles are married and Catherine is their daughter, I looked for them in 1851. No sign of them.

I did find their daughter's baptism though - Catherine Priscilla Hughes born 26 Jul 1840 and baptised 19 Jan 1841. There are no other children of this couple that I have found.

Any ideas if the Priscilla in Birmingham in 1841 (with Charles Hughes and daughter Catherine) could be mine? I know my Priscilla had her first child (Elizabeth Onions) in 1847 with Samuel Onions (who she appears to have never married). I think IF I could find out more information about this family it would at least help to rule them out.

Or is my Priscilla the one living with the Richards family in 1841? If so, is that family somehow connected to the man she would later marry - John Richards (father James).
Title: Re: Who was the mother?
Post by: hanes teulu on Saturday 21 June 25 13:13 BST (UK)
You have been advised of 1850 deaths, Brum, for 2 Samuel Onions (ages 36 and 7 weeks). Have you obtained either to identify who reported the death?
Title: Re: Who was the mother?
Post by: littleem1906 on Saturday 21 June 25 13:54 BST (UK)
Yes, the child Samuel Onions's death was reported by a Catherine Yates of 8 Court Moor Street. She is presumably a neighbour. The father, Samuel Onions's death was informed by a surgeon of Queen's Hospital.
Title: Re: Who was the mother?
Post by: hanes teulu on Saturday 21 June 25 14:02 BST (UK)
Thanks for clarifying