Symonds Yat

[midlandsmix]

Hi,

My Great Grandmother, Annie Greenway appears on the 1901 census in Birmingham (aged 32 married and now Annie Hunt) with the birthplace as Hereford, Symonds Yat.

I have tried to trace her back into herefordshire, but can only find a Annie Greenway born in Cusop, which from a map is near Hay-on-Wye living in Little Dewchurch in the 1881 census.

I've done some internet history searches and it says that S.Yat came under English Bicknor (?).

Does anyone know what parish/district Symonds Yat would have been under at that time?

many thanks.

[Yorkslass]

Hello Midlandsmix,

Welcome to Rootschat - it's a great site!

Symonds Yat is a gorgeous little place - it's strange in that Symonds Yat West is on the Herefordshire side and Symonds Yat East on the Gloucestershire side.  There's a little "pull along ferry" there that takes you over the river from one county to the other.

I'm pretty sure Symonds Yat and Cusop would come under the Parish of English Bicknor - there's a link here describing it - http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=23254

I've had a look on the 1871 census, and found an Anne Greenway aged 7, living with her parents Charles and Sarah in English Bicknor.
The ref is RG10/5300 Folio 129 page 9.
If you can't get it, I can give you the details.

Yorkslass

[midlandsmix]

Thanks Yorkslass,

If you could give me the info that would be great.

On the 1901 census, Annie was down as 32 so DOB would be 1868 or 1869, so in 1871 she would have been 11 or 12.

I understand that errors occur, ages can change, names have different spellings etc.

Trying to work out when she moved to Brum, this is so addictive!

[midlandsmix]

Can't add up - I mean she would have been 2 or 3 years old in 1871

[Yorkslass]

Hi

Yes I agree - I'll have another look on the 1871 with some variations on the surname

Yorkslass

[Yorkslass]

Hello again,

I've looked for every permutation of the names on the 1871 England census, but couldn't find Annie and her parents.

I looked again at the 1881 which you mentioned, - it's very odd - the children William and Annie are both shown as aged 12, and Henry in the middle has his age crossed out!  Then I noticed the last two children were born in Wales...

So I looked at the Welsh 1871 census, and found somethone who may or may not be your Annie Greenway....
it's at RG10/5582 Folio 27, Page 6

Brecknock, Breconshire, Wales,
William Greenway, 25, Farm labourer, born Radnorshire, Wales
Elizabeth, 22, wife, born Radnorshire,
Ann daughter, aged 18 months, born Cusop, Breconshire
Ann Prosser, 26, sister in law, domestic servant, born Radnorshire.

I'm pretty sure there is no Cusop in Wales - though it is pretty near to Wales.
I do hope this is the right one, because it'll be handy to have an unmarried sister in law called Ann Prosser living with them - as that would be Elizabeth's maiden name.

And hey presto, on Free BMD, there is a William Greenway marrying an Elizabeth Prosser - December quarter, Hay, 11b 289.

Hope they're the right ones.

Yorkslass

[midlandsmix]

Hi,

many thanks for your time and help, very interesting and really helpful.

I couldn't find any trace of Annie before 1901, even in Birmingham.  I didn't even think of looking at the Welsh census.

My grandad (her son) died 25 years ago but he always said his mother was born in Symonds Yat.

Also interesting is that my grandad was named after his dad, and his younger brother was called William Charles (after Annie's dad perhaps?)
All matches well except for Annie's birthplace of Symonds Yat on the 1901 B'ham census.  But I suppose I would have to get Annie's birth certificate to prove this?

Thanks again, you've really helped!!

MidlandsMix

[beattie1]

Hi,

Have you tried the Forest of Dean website www.forest-of-dean.net.

They have most of the parish records for the Forest. My Great Grandmother was Dorothy Greenway and her parents were born in the Forest and moved to Harbourne, Birmingham but not sure why. I wonder if they were from the same family.

Emma

[Puffcat]

Cusop is in Herefordshire - just.  It is right next to Hay on Wye, and that is in Breconshire. As the two places run into one another it would seem a natural mistake to put Cusop in Breconshire