Request - Henry Ellis - Rossett

[Jo Harding]

Hello Jetdragon,

There Cheshire Parish Register Database has a baptism as follows:

Cheshire St John the Baptist.

4 August 1866, Henry Ellis, son of John and Ellen Ellis, Father's occuption: Painter. Abode: Foregate St.

Chester is about 6 miles from Rossett. It is worth bearing in mind.

http://www.csc.liv.ac.uk/~cprdb/

The parish registers for Rossett can be viewed at the Palmer Centre in Wrexham, I wonder if there is a Roots Chatter living near there who could do a look up for you?

Jo.

[Jetdragon]

Thanks Jo - that one is a distinct possibility, particularly given the St Martin's Ash reference on his wedding cert. It has given me another angle to follow up.

I used to live in Broughton in another life, just wish I had started this project then!!

cheers

Dave

[Jo Harding]

Hello Dave,

A strange coincidence but I also lived in Broughton at one time! I lived there for some years and know the area round there very well.

I don't know if you have found the census entry for Henry and family, father John Ellis. They are in Chester in the 1871, Henry aged 4. The reference is: RG10/3721 Folio 73 Page 3.

The area is St John the Baptist and the road off Foregate St, it looks like Hamilton Co (court?).

John Ellis, head, married, aged 34, Painter, born Chester.
Ellen Ellis, aged 26, wife, born Chester.
Robert J Ellis, son, aged 6, Scholar, born Chester.
Henry Ellis, son, aged 4, born Chester.
Eliza Ellis, daughter, aged 3, born Chester.

This is the same family as the baptism for Henry Ellis.

In the 1891 Henry and his brother are still in Hamilton Court which seems to be off Foregate St.

Robert J Ellis, Head, aged 21, single, Decorator, born Chester.
Henry Ellis, single  aged 20, Decorator, born Chester.

Reference: RG12/2861 folio 68 page 2.

What did Henry have as his occupation on his marriage certificate? That may be the way to establish if he the right one. He seems to have followed his father's occupation the same as his brother.

Jo.

[Jo Harding]

Hello again,

This may be a dead end as I have found this Henry Ellis on the 1901 census in Hoole, Chester. He is also married to Mary and they have a son. He is still a painter and decorator.

I think you will need to get a search of the Rossett parish registers to establish the exact position. It could be he was illegitimate as you say. His father may have been John Ellis but he may have been baptised in his mother's name.

Jo.

Edit: Since there are two people by the name of Henry Ellis born within a few years of each other and married to a lady by the name of Mary, are you sure that you have the right marriage certificate?

[Jetdragon]

Hi Jo

Definately a dead end - my Henry Ellis (now aged 32) was living at Catherine Farm, Bretton with his wife Mary Jane and daughters Emma (my GM) and Clara on the 1901 Census (RG13 3377 116 1 6). His birthplace is again given as Rossett, Denbighshire.

His occupation was given as "cattleman" on the wedding cert and the census

cheers

Dave

[Jo Harding]

Hello Dave,

This one is quite a tough nut to crack.

I have found him on the 1911 and his place of birth is shown as Rossett again. His age is 45, so year of birth c1866 on this basis.

The family has moved around by the look of it as some of their children were born in Farndon. The odd thing is that they have a Harry Povey Ellis, son, aged 17, born Farndon. This puts his year of birth as c1894. Do you have the details of all their children?

Where was Harry Povey Ellis in the 1901? There is a birth registration for Harry Povey in Chester RD in the December quarter 1893. Vol 8a Page 360.

I will have a further dig around and see what I can find if anything. I like a challenge!

Jo.

Edit: I found Harry Povey with what appear to be Mary's parents in Farndon in the 1901. He is shown aged 7, Grandson. There is also a Grandaughter, Emma Ellis, aged 3. Both shown as born Farndon.

I cannot find any sign of Henry Ellis in earlier census returns to that of 1901

[Jetdragon]

Hi Jo

Yes, Mary Jane's family lived in Farndon. Thinking about it Henry was perhaps the adopted illigitimate son of one of Mary Jane's siblings. I must admit I never really thought of him as her child - I assumed that's why he had the double barrelled surname - perhaps I'm wrong though (I never got round to acquiring his birth cert as he's a bit of a tangent to my main researches).

Are you aware of any source of the Rossett Parish Registers online? - I have not been able to discover one as yet.

Henry Ellis is definately a mystery - I'm having the same kind of problems with my paternal GGGF. I guess that's the price of ancestors who were primarily farm labourers with little literacy beyond a couple of generations back.

Researching my wife's ancestry has been much simpler - still that's part of the fun isn't it?


Thanks again


DAve

[Jo Harding]

Hello Dave,

I don't know of any Rossett Parish registers that can be found online. There is one website that has put some Welsh parish registers online and I will check that out to see but I doubt it. They do plan to put more on in due course.

I have some ancestors from Rossett and the surrounding area, the parish registers are very good indeed.

The only way to be 100% certain about Harry Povey would be to get the birth certificate for him.

I have found a "possible" for Henry Ellis in the 1871 but the age is not quite right. His age does seem to wander, so you never know. He is in Broughton, aged 7. Have you seen this one? I am going to pursue it further before posting it.

Jo.

[Jo Harding]

Hello Dave,

I am still pursuing this and may have found the witnesses to the marriage, Frederick and Mary Huxley.

There is a baptism for Frederick Huxley in Holt on 25/06/1865. He was the son of Thomas and Ellen Huxley. Frederick had a sister, Mary, born in 1863, also in Holt.

The family can be found in the 1871 census in Holt at reference: RG10/5651 Folio 125 Page 4.

I found that Thomas and Ellen had a son by the name of Henry born in Holt in 1861. He is not with them on the 1871 however. The 1881 census shows the family in Holt with a Henry aged 10. Did the Henry born 1861 die perhaps? The reference for the 1881 is: RG11/5510 Folio 18 Page 30.

Holt is a few miles from Rossett.

I wonder if this family is connected to the Henry you are seeking.

There is also a possible marriage in Chester Registration District in the December quarter 1896, Frederick Huxley to Mary Tracy.

Jo.