Brick wall at Grandmother

[jackh]

Hello,
I have hit a brick wall at my Grandmother Eliza Taylor. Here is what I know.

From her daughter, my Aunt Mary Evelyn Henderson (deceased)
Eliza Taylor was born about 1874 in Liverpool celebrated her birthday 22nd November. Lived in York until her marriage to John Corner Henderson in 1901 and then lived in Middlesbrough. She had a sister who married but died young and her mother was still alive at the time of her sister’s marriage.

What I have found.
She was in York workhouse in 1881 census aged 7 born Liverpool with whom I presume to be her sister Elizabeth Taylor aged 13 born Liverpool. Subsequent records give her age. 1891 census aged 17, 1901 census aged 26, marriage 8 April 1901 aged 26, 1911 census aged 35 and death 4 July 1949 aged 73.
At her marriage she gave her fathers name as Charles Taylor, Artist, though I wonder if this is fictitious. She had an illegitimate son Fred Scruton Taylor 13 Jun 1899 in York

I have searched the only surviving York Workhouse admission books 1880 and 1881 (unless someone knows of other previous years surviving) in which she did not appear so presumably she entered before 1880. I have sent for the most likely wrong birth certificate, tried matching all Eliza Taylor’s born Liverpool Districts on the GRO with Census records and come up with nothing conclusive.

Of course I am looking for her parents and any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated, thanks in anticipation, Jackh

[Treetotal]

Hi Jack...Have you considered this one from Familysearch:

 Elizabeth Taylor 
bap 17 May 1874 
 CHURCH,LANCASHIRE,ENGLAND 
birth 06 Apr 1874 
Father Charles Taylor 
Mother  Margaret Ann 
(Batch) Number: D19840-2 

Carol

[jackh]

Thanks Carol,
I'm afraid the birth date and place do not correspond.
Jack

[lizdb]

IF she is consistantly Eliza (rather than Elizabeth or anything else) and if she was actually born in Liverpool, AND if the date of birth is correct ......   (lots of IF's) .....
then FreeBMD has only about 10 Eliza's registered in Oct/Nov/Dec 1874.

By looking for firstly deaths as infants, and then for each in 1881 you should be able to rule many/most/some out.
Any remaining must be strong contenders for the girl that grew up as ELiza Taylor!

And if none prove to be her, then either the name ELiza, the place Liverpool, or the date of birth are robably not right.

[lizdb]

Another thought - when the sister marries, who does she name as father? Is that Charles the artist too?
And how is it known that her mother was still alive? Was she a witness? If so what was the mother's name?

[jillruss]

Have you tried locating the sister on the 1871 census - aged 3? She might still be with her parents.

Jill

[toni*]

who were the witnesses to the marriage to John  Henderson ? any Taylors ?

[jackh]

Hello lizdb
I have also posted this on the Lancashire site http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,558712.0.html where I have received several replies and answered them.
Basically my Aunt, Eliza’s daughter told me all I knew about her until I started my research. Sadly she died in 2005 aged 101 and there is no one else to question. She told me the date her mother Eliza celebrated he birthday but was not sure of the year and also told me the facts about her sister and mother although no names were mentioned and she was too frail to press questions for any duration. Eliza was consistently Eliza as was her birthplace Liverpool all of which fitted my Aunt’s information. In 1901 census one week before she married my Grandfather she was staying with my Grandfather’s married sister along with an unmarried sister, every thing fitted. Presuming that the 13-year-old Elizabeth Taylor born Liverpool, also in the York Workhouse 1881 census, was her sister she would soon to be sent out to service at that age and eventually be married. I have no reason to doubt my Aunts word as although frail she was intelligent (ex school teacher) and totally compos mentis.
A search for the marriage of Elizabeth Taylor hopefully in Yorkshire was impossible as the name must be only second in commonality to John Smith.
I  have tried the searches you suggested and eliminated most if not all the Eliza Taylor’s and sent for the most likely certificate that proved to be wrong. The censuses are not consistent enough to be certain but perhaps I should try that again now that I’m more experienced.
Thanks for the suggestions,
Jack

[jackh]

Jill I have tried that but come up with no one I can tie in with an Eliza Taylor that I cannot eliminate.
Toni the witnesses were my Grandfathers sister and her husband, by this time Eliza would have no known relatives.
Jack