John Mills of Hulme

[helen_w]

John Mills is listed in the 1871 census as aged 14,  born in Manchester and occupation a hooker. He is living in Dyers Lane. He is listed as a lodger but the rest of the family are Mills - so I suspect he is a relative of them.  The Mills family was large and I can trace many of them in later census but never John. At the same time Emily Fletcher is listed as living in Dyers Court aged 12.

Next we hear of them they are married. In 1878 John Mills aged 21, hooker, of 78 Juniper Street marries Emily Fletcher aged 19 of 78 Juniper Street. His father is William Mills a fustian cutter and her father is Joseph Fletcher a baker.

By 1881 Emily Fletcher is listed as living at home with her widowed father in Bells Buildings in Hulme. Interestingly she is listed as a Fletcher but noted as  married.

In 1884 Emily Fletcher  now known as Emily Holland  has her first child to William Holland. William has been discharged from the army in April 1881. The baby, Samuel Holland, is born at 30 Crown Street and the informant was Mary Ann Holland -his stepmother.

The common thread is Emily Fletcher's father Joseph fletcher who is a baker.

In 1911 Emily Fletcher /Holland /Bridge says on the census that she has been married for 30 years and that takes us back to her John Mills marriage. I cannot find a marriage to William Holland.


Can anyone find any trace of John Mills and tell me what happened to him. 

[Barbara.H]

Possibly the one in prison in 1881?

HM Prison, Hyde Rd Gorton
John Mills, born Manchester c. 1858, occ Carter, Married
RG11/3912/132    Page 20

  Barbara

added later:
Then again possibly not. There is a John Mills of Lyceum St who got 10 years in  January 1878 for throwing vitriol in his wife Ellen's face (in the Criminal Record index on Ancestry, and the newspaper index at Lancs Library) so the prisoner John Mills might be that one.

[heywood]

Hello 

there is a marriage for a John Mills to Ellen Burke 1876 (Lancashire BMD) at St Luke's Chorlton
I am wondering if that is the John you refer to re the court case. He was a plasterer aged 31 yrs on his marriage. If this is the same chap, he is too old to be the one in prison who is 23 yrs.

heywood

[helen_w]

Wouldn't it solve all my problems if the 1881 John Mills occupation was listed as hooker. The date of birth is just perfect. But as you say there are still many questions. The only thing I would say is that the prison he was in supposedly only took people for short sentences. Ten years is not a short sentence.

Thank you for helping me- I won't stop looking.

Can you tell me how did you access the Lancashire papers? 

[heywood]

The one who got 10 yrs was married to  Ellen - so is not yours.

The prison that John Mills 23 yrs was in, is Hyde Road Manchester - Belle Vue Prison -for short term prison sentences.

Belle Vue Prison

[helen_w]

The Belle Vue Prison site was fascinating. As I am in Australia I was quite looking forward to having a convict ancestor.

Thank you Helen

[Barbara.H]

Well you might still have one Helen - here's another snippet from the news that might relate to your Millses, see what you think;

from the Manchester Times Saturday, August 11, 1883
"At the Manchester County Police Court on Tuesday, before Sir John Iles Mantell, George Gerrard and James Mills of Dyers Lane, Manchester and John Mills of Stanley-Street Hulme, were charged with being drunk and with assaulting police constable Smith while in the execution of his duty.  It appeared that the officer was on duty the previous afternoon at the Northenden Flower Show, and took the prisoner Gerrard into custody for being drunk. The other prisoners intervened and tried to recue Gerrard, and in doing so assaulted the constable. A Cheshire policeman standing near went to constable Smith's assistance, otherwise he would probably have been badly treated. The prisoner Gerrard was fined 10s with costs, and the other prisoners were each sentenced to one month's imprisonment with hard labour, without the option of a fine."

I can view the newspaper archive as a Lancashire resident with a Lancashire library card and password, unfortunately from Oz I think you will have to pay the British Library for access -
http://newspapers.bl.uk/blcs/

I can see James Mills age 31 in Dyers Lane on the 1881 census, with Ann his mother and William his brother - same family?

  Barbara

[heywood]

Barbara,

that looks interesting  Will have to go and have a look now.

Belle Vue was big when I was younger - a zoo/fairground and dance hall.

heywood

[helen_w]

I'm stunned.

In the 1871 census John Mills was a lodger and the Head was Ann Mills along with son JAMES MILLS.  So it is the same family.

If he turned out not to be the man of her dreams then he may have just disappeared out of her life. Interestly I have just found a baby John Mills who died aged 1 in 1880 - right area etc.

Will just try and see if I can track a John Mills down along Stanley Street area. Suspect I know Hulme 1850-1890 better than I know where I live!! When the history bug bites......