Balloon Street,Manchester

[rogerlewis]

I have an ancestor John Andrew Lewis born 1850 in Rhayader, Wales,a tailor (with I think a bottle problem)   and from his photograph extremely good looking  (He had lady problems too I think) 
Well, he shows nicely on the 51 to 81 census (81 in Rhayader,tailor out of employ) An old letter sent to the USA by his father indicates that he emigrated there in 1873 ( possibly with a girl named Mary?...on passenger list) (didn't get seasick) but had to have returned to be in Rhayader, Wales in 1881.

Family word of mouth indicates that he was a tailor/cutter for Co-Op Cutters,Balloon Street, Manchester and indeed there is a tailor of the right name lodging in Balloon St in 1891.However I have no proof that it is him. He married first in 1869 in Wales.
That marriage "fell apart" because the wife had two children but I think John suspected that he was not the father of either one.The naming of the second child is a story in itself.The wife died in 1876.He took up with one Hannah James (born BRE 1850) in the same year (in Manchester) and produced two children both born in Beswick.I have tracked them all down nicely. (Hannah at last count had 8 (count 'em) out of wedlock.She never married anyone.
 
John Andrew then marries Charlotte Barker (a Catholic girl?) 26 Dec 1882, her father being Henry, at St Patrick's,Livesey Street,Manchester.(Possibly neither family was happy about it?) One child I have found was Charles Henry born in Ancoats 1883 died the next year,buried St Phillip's. The Catholic Registers were not available at Bow Lane,Preston 20 years ago for me.There may be more children in Catholic Register baptisms/burials that I have not found.
I think that marriage failed too since this is where I lose both of them.I have found a possibility or two for both, separately in 1891/1901 but very iffy.

I really would like to find the death of John and Charlotte.He never used his middle name of Andrew unfortunately!
Is anyone related? or who perhaps can help? Anyone know about Co-Op Cutters? I have walked down Balloon Street years ago (by accident,mind the trams) and there was still a big painted sign on the brickwork that said Co-Op stores or something.
Any help would be appreciated.If anyone is related they are quite welcome to all info I have on the lad.
Thank you....Roger Lewis
(Canada) presently in Penang.

[Viktoria]

Are you sure the burial  of Charles Henry would be at St. Philip`s?
St. Philip`s in Ridgeway St. Miles platting ,(next district to Ancoats and Beswick )was a Protestant Church and had no burial ground.
I know of no other St. Philip`s other than in Salford.
As far as I know the records for St. Joseph`s Moston cemetery , a Catholic cemetery ,are not available online as yet, I am struggling myself tracing people
Hope you get a breakthrough. Viktoria.

[Gillg]

Number 1 Balloon Street is now the HQ of the Co-operative Bank, although, of course, the original Co-op shop from 1844, now the Pioneers Museum, is in my home town of Rochdale, Lancs.

It was quite usual for the company to display its name in the brickwork of their buildings and you can still see them around, although most of the buildings now have different purposes.

Gillg

[TOM1972]

Hi Rogerlewis,

Just looking at your post, and you have mentioned that a child, Charles Henry Lewis, b. 1883, d.1884, and was buried in "St Philips?"

I have just done a search on Manchester Online Burial Records, and there is a Charles H Lewis who was buried in PHILIPS PARK Cemetery, which is just up the road from Ancoats.

Details are:

Charles H Lewis
Burial date: 18 June 1884
Philips Park Cemetery
D section, Roman Catholic, Plot 822-"13" (as this is a public grave, he is position 13 in the grave)

Unfortunately, it doesn't give the age, you have to buy credits to see further details.  If I can get down there this week, I will try and get a picture of the headstone if there is one, unfortunately, a lot of the public graves headstones were laid flat and have grown over with grass, but I will see what I can do for you.

Hope this helps you.

Tom.

[craven481]

Have you tried asking the Co-op archivist in Manchester?
See http://www.archive.coop/