Help me find this cad William Fletcher please

[Grunge]

My 2nd great grandmother Emma Buxton b14 Jul 1844 in Manchester, daughter of John Buxton b1811 & Maria Liggat (born abt 1812) married a William Fletcher in or around 1864? They had two girls, my great grandmother Emily Fletcher b1865 and her sister Alice Fletcher b1869. By 1871 she & her two daughters both under the age of 6, were living with her parents (John & Maria on Ashton Street, in Ardwick)
 I know from Emma's death certificate as well as Emily's & Alice's marriage certificates that William was a moulder. (Emily married my grandfather Walter Raymond Brown) and lived on Apollo & Rome Streets and eventually Reather St. In all cases the records imply William was alive (i.e. not "deceased") 
Family "stories" say William up & left Emma with the two young girls and emigrated to the US & was never heard form again. 
I can find no record of the marriage between Emma & William & while I have found records of various William Fletchers living England around that time I cannot tie any of them to poor Emma.
My 90 yr old aunt Marjorie Brown would love to know what happened to this "cad" before she passes on. Any and all ideas welcomed.
Thanks,

[CaroleW]

The absence of a marriage entry would suggest both children were illegitimate.  Were either of their births registered?

EDIT

Emily's birth is shown on LancashireBMD - mothers maiden name Buxton

However - a copy of her birth cert will show whether Emma was nee Buxton or just Emma Buxton

[keyboard86]

Hi only a possible marriage to look into?

William Fletcher to ( on same page) Emma BUCKSTON June qtr 1865 Hartlepool 10a 213

Keyboard86

[Annette7]

The other 2 people on the 1865 marriage entry were a Hannah Heslop and a Richard Barwick (transcribed as Barrick).   From 1891 census and an online tree these 2 married each other so a William Fletcher did indeed marry an Emma Buckston.

Annette

[Grunge]

Thanks for your responses and sorry for my somewhat late response ... on holidays :-)
Anyway, Emma was the fourth born of six Buxton's and I'm confident based on our records was indeed a legitimate Buxton and as confirmed on her death certificate she died at the Royal Infirmary, Manchester, Lancashire, United Kingdom. Death Certificate of 32 year old Emma Fletcher nee Buxton on June 11, 1877, Wife of William Fletcher, a "Moulder" died of Bronchiis. Daughter of John Buxton, 8 Burton Street, Ardwick, Manchester. I have edited obviously ;-) As for this Buckston & William Fletcher in Hartlepool ... its seems like a long way from Manchester but it's more than I have found so far so I will dig into it, Thanks a ton!!!

[Annette7]

If the only likely marriage (which is exactly at the right time) is the one between a William Fletcher and Emma Buckston it must be worth serious consideration.

I certainly can't find a William and Emma Fletcher living in that part of the country in 1871 census.   I notice that Emma was a servant working in Cheshire in 1861 - she may well have moved on to a job in the Hartlepool area next where she met and married William, returning then to Manchester for the birth of Emily.

Who can say?   It seems to be the only possibility if a marriage took place, and IF the correct one, your only hope of finding out his age and who his father was.

Annette

[Grunge]

Hi Annette,
I have accessed the 1861 census & it certainly fits, albeit her age is off by a couple of years and as you know that's not unusual. In 1871 she was definitely living with her parents in Ardwick with her two young daughters and also her sister Elizabeth who by then had married a John Nevitt & had a daughter of their own (Annie) I can find little or no records of the Buxton's in general on 1850's or 60's census in Lancashire, can you?   
G

[keyboard86]

Hi in 1851 the family are in Ashton Street, Manchester
Census ref HO107/2228/0/0

Keyboard86

[Annette7]

Don't know if you aware that part of the Manchester 1851 Census was severely water damaged so when first issued there was nothing.   However, Manchester and Lancashire F.H.S. worked on these and FindMyPast have a number of added entries now.   This includes your Buxton family and consequently there is not a full reference for this as shown on keyboard86's posting i.e. folio and page both blank.   I cannot find on Ancestry at all but the details are:

14 Ashton Street, Manchester, Lancashire.

John Buxton    40    Maker-up           
Maria Buxton   39
Elizabeth Buxton 18 Cotton Baller
Margaret (?) Buxton 16   Dress Maker
John Buxton 13
Alice Buxton 11
Thomas Buxton 9
Emma Buxton 6
Eliza Buxton 4
Maria Buxton 1

All born Manchester.

So, they had 8 children in all - the 'Margaret' shown on the transcribed water damaged set would appear to be the Mary Ann in 1841 and from baptisms she was indeed a Mary Ann.

Have searched on 2 sites but cannot find John/Maria and children in 1861 (when Emma was working in Cheshire).

Annette