In search of Arthur Milton?

[wecamefrom]

My great-great grandfather Arthur Milton (1857-?) from Sneinton vanished at some point in the 1890s leaving his wife (Emily Beardsall 1855-1918) and his two children behind.  They never knew what happened to Arthur and I haven't been able to find any trace of him after years of searching.

Wondered if there was anyone else with Milton or Beardsall connections who might have come across him post 1891.  He was the son of Charles Milton (1827-1859) and Mary Needham (1824-1894).  Emily Beardsall was daughter of Francis Beardsall and Eliza Chambers.

Can anyone help?

[JaneyCanuck]

Just wondering what info you have about him before his marriage. In 1881 and 1891 he is with wife Emily:
1881 says born c1857, Nottinghamshire; living with inlaws in Nottingham St Mary
1891 says born c159, Sneinton, Notts; living in Skirbeck, Lincoln
-- but I can't see him in 61 or 71 with the parents you mention, or see a birth in Nottinghamshire. (March quarter 1857 in Sheffield is about the closest.)

Possibly Arthur Milton wasn't his registered name at birth?

For info, Arthur Milton and Emily Beardsall married 1879 in Lewisham.

Would the parents' marriage be Charles Milton + Mary Needham, 1849 Radford (covers Sneinton)? But I don't see Charles and Mary in 1851 either. In 1851 in Sneinton there is a Milton household headed by John and Eliza, who seem just slightly too young to be Charles's parents.

If Arthur had been using an alternative name, either when he married or before or after that, it would not have been too unusual!

[keyboard86]

Mmm, the marriage of a Charles Milton to a Mary Needham, seems to have this possible Mary in 1851?

Mary Milton 25 Widow occ Lace Cap Maker b Nottingham
Elizabeth Needham 23 Unmarried b Nottingham
They are shown as Sister in Laws to a Nathaniel & Harriet Dodson at Rancliff Street, Notts
Census Ref HO107/2133/315/35

Keyboard86

[JaneyCanuck]

Very interesting! I hadn't got beyond looking for Charles with wife Mary before my attention got drawn elsewhere.

So by 1857, Arthur would not have been the son of Charles, in that case. So he may well have used the name Milton for some purposes and another surname (his actual father's?) for others.

[JaneyCanuck]

Aha. The supposed inlaws in 1881 are actually Arthur's mother and stepfather.

Mary Milton married Alfred Merriman in Nottingham in 1866.

In 1871, they are in Snenton:

Alfred Merryman, 53
Mary, 47
Alfred Henry, 24
>> Arthur, 14
Elizabeth Needham, 44, wife's sister

So here is a possible alternative name for Arthur. I don't see any likely trace of him under that name yet though.

Finding Arthur in 1861 seems to be key, but I can't. I've ruled out Arthur Needham son of Henry and Mary, and Arthur Redmile, son of James and Mary, by other conflicting records, I think. In 1861, there are five Arthurs with mother Mary in Snenton born c1860; I haven't checked further on them because my fingers are freezing and I'm going to go make supper!

[wecamefrom]

Just wondering what info you have about him before his marriage. In 1881 and 1891 he is with wife Emily:
1881 says born c1857, Nottinghamshire; living with inlaws in Nottingham St Mary
1891 says born c159, Sneinton, Notts; living in Skirbeck, Lincoln
-- but I can't see him in 61 or 71 with the parents you mention, or see a birth in Nottinghamshire. (March quarter 1857 in Sheffield is about the closest.)

Possibly Arthur Milton wasn't his registered name at birth?

For info, Arthur Milton and Emily Beardsall married 1879 in Lewisham.

Would the parents' marriage be Charles Milton + Mary Needham, 1849 Radford (covers Sneinton)? But I don't see Charles and Mary in 1851 either. In 1851 in Sneinton there is a Milton household headed by John and Eliza, who seem just slightly too young to be Charles's parents.

If Arthur had been using an alternative name, either when he married or before or after that, it would not have been too unusual!

I've never found a birth record but I am very sure about I am very sure about his parents who married in 1849 due to presence of various in laws over different census records. Charles died in 1859 but I haven't been able to find an 1861 census record for Arthur or his mother.  Mary married Alfred Merriman in 1866 and in the 1871 census Arthur is recorded as Arthur Merryman.

Have never been able to explain the Lewisham marriage - no one from the family witnessed it, (they had a lucky sweep instead!), so guess it was elopement or some such.

[wecamefrom]

Mmm, the marriage of a Charles Milton to a Mary Needham, seems to have this possible Mary in 1851?

Mary Milton 25 Widow occ Lace Cap Maker b Nottingham
Elizabeth Needham 23 Unmarried b Nottingham
They are shown as Sister in Laws to a Nathaniel & Harriet Dodson at Rancliff Street, Notts
Census Ref HO107/2133/315/35

Keyboard86

That's definitely Arthur's mother - but is she definitely a widow?  Am squinting at it trying to see.

[wecamefrom]

Aha. The supposed inlaws in 1881 are actually Arthur's mother and stepfather.

Mary Milton married Alfred Merriman in Nottingham in 1866.

In 1871, they are in Snenton:

Alfred Merryman, 53
Mary, 47
Alfred Henry, 24
>> Arthur, 14
Elizabeth Needham, 44, wife's sister

So here is a possible alternative name for Arthur. I don't see any likely trace of him under that name yet though.

Finding Arthur in 1861 seems to be key, but I can't. I've ruled out Arthur Needham son of Henry and Mary, and Arthur Redmile, son of James and Mary, by other conflicting records, I think. In 1861, there are five Arthurs with mother Mary in Snenton born c1860; I haven't checked further on them because my fingers are freezing and I'm going to go make supper!

Yes they got them all in a muddle in 1871 - I've tried looking for Arthur Merrymans but not luck with that either.  And likewise had no luck with the other Sneinton Arthurs.

Of added interest, Arthur's wife, Emily Beardsall, was a relation of D.H.Lawrence's mother Lydia Beardsall.  Lawrence wrote a book Aaron's Rod about an "Aaron Sisson" who just vanishes at Christmas - like Arthur - leaving two daughters behind.  He then goes off to London and travels around Italy.  I just hope Arthur did the same and didn't end up in Sheffield or somesuch with another woman 

[JaneyCanuck]

Let's hope he wasn't the model for Aaron -- or if he was, at least he would be an interesting one!

Do you have the Charles + Mary marriage certificate, and if so, what does it say for Charles's age and occupation and father?

Even if the 1851 does say widow for Mary, she might have just said that for propriety.

Charles Milton, aged 14 (c1827), youngest child of mother Ann(e), in St Peter Nottinghamshire in 1841 -- is that likely to be the right Charles?

I've been caught out before carelessly reading someone who was a boot binder as a book binder, but that really does look like book binder in 1841!


btw, it's always best to give all the information you have when asking a question. We went hunting for info you didn't give because we didn't know you had it.