In 1894 at St Mary's Widnes, Ellen Coffey 29 married Thomas Henry Gandy 33.
Below is what I have found out about the life of these two persons, and it seems that this may have been a bigamous marriage. Ellen Coffey gave birth to six children of whom only two were still alive at the 1911 census. This note has been posted in case the descendants of those two survivors are looking for their ancestors.
The birth of Ellen Coffey the second of Patrick & Margaret Coffey’s daughters, was registered in March Q 1858 at Dudley Staffordshire ref 6c/53, which ties in with various subsequent census returns declaring that she had been born in Tipton, Staffordshire, near Dudley. The Coffeys were a Catholic family, but her RC baptism has not yet been found. At the 1861 census she was living on Scotland Road Liverpool age 3. At the 1871 census she was still at home in Liverpool age 13 living at 39 Oriel Street. At the 1881 Census for 10 Water St Runcorn, Ellen Coffey 26 unm born Runcorn, charwoman was a boarder in the house of John Smith. Her age is clearly shown as 26. Actually she was 23.
On December 3rd 1884, she gave birth to an illegitimate son, Thomas Henry Coffey, registered March Q 1885 ref 8a/233 & baptized fifteen months later at St Edward’s RC, on 2 March 1886, the godparents being her brother Michael then 14, and her mother Margaret. Another illegitimate child, Sarah Anne Coffey, was born in September Q 1887, ref 8a/225. Her baptism has not yet been found. She died at six months, in June Q 1888 at Runcorn ref 8a/140. She may have been named in memory of Ellen’s older sister Sarah, who died in May 1888.
Yet another illegitimate child, Mary Catherine Coffey, was born to Ellen on March 6th 1889, and baptized on July 25th 1889 by Father Johanne Baptista Gastaldi STD. Mary Hand was the godmother. The baptismal entry reads "Anno 1889 die 6 mensis Martii nata, et anno 1889 die 25 mensis Julii baptizata est Maria Catherina Coffey, filia Ellenae Coffey" (space for husband left blank). Maria/Mary may have been adopted later as she was not enumerated in the 1891 census, and no death registration has been found.
At the 1891 census for Walton Prison, Liverpool; Ellen Coffee, prisoner single 27 born Tipton Staffordshire, was a labourer on Coalpit brow.
Eventually on May 5th 1894, Ellen Coffey 29 spinster of Pear Street, daughter of Patrick Coffey, labourer; was married after banns to Thomas Henry Gandy 33 bachelor of Pear St Widnes, waterman, (father's name left blank) in the Protestant church of St Mary’s at Widnes Lancashire. They were married by John Adams Curate in the presence of John Jessup & Martha Jessop; Thomas made his mark, Ellen signed. Was the groom perhaps the father of Ellen’s first born, Thomas Henry? This was the first event in this Coffey family known to have taken place outside the Catholic Church.
Ellen has not yet been found in the 1901 census.
At the 1911 Census for 22 Wellington St Widnes; Ellen Coffey widow 48 born 1863 Tipton Staffs; had given birth to 6 children; 2 still alive, 4 dead. She looked after 3 boarders.
The death of Ellen Coffey 58 was registered in December Q 1919 at Liverpool 8b/85.
Her youngest nephew, Thomas Joseph Coffey recalled first meeting with his Aunt Nell (Ellen). It was soon after he had left school in Widnes in 1916. He said she was then a widow and remembered her as a ‘nice soul, plump, bonny-looking, houseproud, clean’. She lived at (26) Wellington Street Widnes, and Tom believed that his older sister Jane stayed with them until her marriage in 1917 to William Galvin, who also had been a lodger at Ellen's home.
