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« on: Sunday 29 January 12 05:10 GMT (UK) »
What became of Elizabeth Thornton Shaw?
Elizabeth Thornton was born July-Sep 1890 in Leicester.
Elizabeth’s father was Arthur Thornton, born Oct-Dec 1866 in Blaby, Leicestershire.
His parents were James Thornton and Lois Vann.
Elizabeth’s mother was Elizabeth Chamberlain, born about 1865 in Rearsby, Leicestershire.
(Her parents were Thomas Chamberlain and Sarah Lockton.)
The 1891 England Census shows one-year-old Elizabeth residing with her parents Arthur and Elizabeth Thornton at 145 Glen Gate, Blaby, Wigston Magna, Leicestershire.
On 19 July 1908, Elizabeth Thornton and John William Frederick Shaw married.
in Ebenezer Chapel, St. Peters Lane, Leicester, Leicester, England.
John is a grocer and residing at 16 South Albion Street, Leicester. [This is the address at which their precious daughter Gertrude Margaret died 1 July 1912 when she was only 18 months old.]
The marriage certificate shows John’s father as Rabbi Shaw (Rabbi is his first name, it is not a religious title.) Rabbi is a Midland Railway Inspector.
Elizabeth is residing at 211 Albion Hill, Leicester, at the time of the marriage.
Her parents Arthur and Elizabeth Thornton were witnesses to the marriage.
John and Elizabeth’s wedding was officiated by Rev. George Ball.
John and Elizabeth had three children:
1. John Arthur F. Thomas “Jack” Shaw
Born 18 October 1908, Leicester
Died 2 January 1992, Moreno Valley, Riverside County, California, USA.
2. Gertrude Margaret Shaw
Born January-March, 1911, Leicester
Died 1 July, 1912 Leicester
3. Philip Leon Glendon Shaw
Born 21 January 1913, Leicester
Died 31 July 1985, El Cerrito, Riverside County, California, USA.
Their father, John William Frederick Shaw, served in the British Army during World War I:
He enlisted in 1916.
At that time, his residence was 11 Buckenham St., Leicester.
While John was serving in Europe during World War I, his wife Elizabeth left her husband and children.
The family story is that Elizabeth left a note which said that she was leaving the family.
To date we cannot confirm nor disprove this.
Jack and Phil went to live with their grandparents Rabbi Shaw (1857-1941) and Eleanor Moore Shaw (1856-1925) in Leicester.
In 1923 John immigrated to Canada and then to Detroit, Michigan USA. He then brought to the USA his bride Therese Foune (1902-1946) from Vienna, Austria .(I don’t find a record of their marriage; perhaps they earlier married in Vienna. They met when John was stationed in Europe.) Next, John brought his and Elizabeth’s son Jack from Leicester to Detroit. In 1926 John brought his and Elizabeth’s son Phil from Leicester to Detroit.
Elizabeth might have remarried and had a whole new family. As my children (her grandchildren) say, “We might have relatives in England--cousins we don’t even know about yet, from Elizabeth’s next marriage.”
A factor making my research difficult is, that if she married again, she would have a new surname.
Also, we wonder whether after she left John and her children, she might have gone to live with relatives. I don’t yet find record of this. Elizabeth might have kept the surname Shaw. Or, she might have used her maiden name, Thornton.
It would mean so much to our family if someone can please help us learn what happened to Elizabeth.
Thank you for your kind help..
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