Allison family from London, Edmonton, Middlesex, Barnet, Oxfordshire

[CraigA]

Hi all

Really new to this and was hoping someone with more experience an resources than I currently have could help me with any info they may have on the Allison family.

My grandfather was Edwin John Allison - born in 1911 and registered in Edmonton and Barnet.  In March 1937 he married Minnie Florence Matilda Amor (1910 - 1960). The marriage was registered in Edmonton.

He moved the family which included Minnie, my father and his sister to Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and then to South Africa. He moved back to the UK after Minnie had passed. He later remarried a lady whose first name was Doris. Edwin John Allison passed away in 1981 (Epping Forest).

It appears that Edwin's mothers maiden name was Holmes (possibly Annie Elizabeth Holmes). His father may have also been named Edwin Allison.

Edwin had the following siblings (dates are based on FreeBMD):

Florence M Allison: Born 1925?
Rose GJ Allison Born: March 1921 ?
Elsie Allison: Born 1913 - 1990 ?
Mary Annie Allison: Born 1909
Possibly a Nancy/Nance Allison (No records found but my dad and aunt remember an Aunty Nance).

If anyone can help with this, I would appreciate it 

Regards

Craig

[Craclyn]

Nancy is sometimes used for Ann, so maybe she was the Mary Annie you have on your list.

[KGarrad]

You will need your grandfather's birth certificate to confirm his parents names.

But, if you have access to the 1911 census, there is a family living in Wood Green that seems to fit!
Father Edwin; mother Annie Elizabeth, and daughter Mary Annie.

If we assume that Edwin's parents are as I said, then this is his father in 1901:
Reference RG13, Piece 1234, Folio 140, Page 37
14 Prospect Place, Finchley

Allison, Jessie  Head  Widow  F  50  Monthly Nurse  b Southampton
Allison, Jessie  Daughter  F  20  b East Finchley, Middlesex
Allison, Edith  Daughter  F  19  b East Finchley
Allison, Edwin  Son  M  13  b East Finchley


And in 1891:
Reference RG12, 1055, 117, 26
3 Prospect Cottages, Prospect Place, Finchley

Allison, John  Head  M  45  Cow Keeper  b Finchley
Allison, Mary J  Wife  F  44  b Southampton
Allison, Elizabeth  Daughter  F  18  Assisting in Dairy  b Finchley
Allison, Henry  Son  M  14  Scholar  b Finchley
Allison, Phoebe  Daughter  F  17  Assisting in Dairy  b Finchley
Allison, Fred  Son  M  11  Scholar  b Finchley
Allison, Jessie  Daughter  F  10  Scholar  b Finchley
Allison, Edith  Daughter  F  9  Scholar  b Finchley
Allison, Edwin  Son  M  3  b Finchley
Allison, Ellen  Daughter  F  1  b Finchley

[CraigA]

Hi KGarrad

Going to see if I can order my grandfathers birth certificate online.

Thanks for the other resources - it does look like the family in question in Wood Green are the correct ones.

What I find interesting is that in the 1901 census, Jessie is listed as 50 years old whilst in the 1891 she is 44 so should be 54 in 1901. Could this be an error when the document was transcribed or maybe she was taking a few years off her age 
She also goes by the name Mary J in 1891 so perhaps she was Mary Jessie who later just went by Jessie. I am also curious as to what happened to Ellen who was 1 year of age in 1891 as she is not on the 1901 census. The older kids from 1891 (Elizabeth, Henry, Phoebe, and Fred had presumably left home by this point.

Thanks again for your help - much appreciated 

[KGarrad]

London Metropolitan Archives (and Ancestry) has this baptism:

4th March 1888 at Holy Trinity, Finchley
Edwin Allason, son of John & Mary Jane, of Prospect Cottage
Father's occupation - Milkman

Everything ties up, except whether Mary Jane & Jessie are the same person?

Ages on records can be a bit hit and miss!
People weren't so hung up on ages back then!
Even today, some people like to take a couple of years off!

[CraigA]

Hi KGarrad.

Thanks again for your help  Just found John in the 1861 census at the same address (Prospect cottages) as a 15 year old working as a butcher. His mother is listed as Mary and widowed. John also had a brother who was 24 in 1861 and working as a gardener. It appears James later marries a Sarah.

Busy trying to puzzle through the Mary Jane/Jessie name issue with regards to John's wife.

Thanks again for your help and input.

[KGarrad]

Of course, Mary Jane may have died, and Jessie is his 2nd wife?

But both born in Southampton, approx. the same age, and both living in Finchley?!?!

It's stretching coincidence a little!

[avm228]

I would think Mary Jane and Jessie are very likely to be the same person - perhaps Jessie was her nickname/pet name which she liked and passed on to her daughter. 

I had a g-g-aunt "Florrie" whom I could never find in any records until an aged relative said "well of course her real name was Mary Ann, but she never liked it and was always known to us as Florrie which had been her mother's pet name for her". These things are sent to try us!

Banns of marriage were called at Holy Trinity, Finchley on 4, 11 and 18 June 1871 for John Allison, bachelor of this parish, and Mary Jane Meering, spinster of the parish of Deptford. They seem to have married in Greenwich registration district in Jun qtr 1871.

[avm228]

Rose GJ Allison Born: March 1921 ?

It looks as though Rose G J Allison married Frederick H Coulson in Edmonton, Sep qtr 1940

...and died as Rose Gwendoline J Coulson in Swindon, Mar qtr 1981 (birthdate given as 25 Jan 1921).