Gertrude

[footiestuds]

Hi,
I'm hoping someone can help with any background regarding a great-grandmother Gertrude Stead.

Marriage  - Leonard Rice Cole 16th January 1904 - St. Luke The Evangelist Walton on the Hill, West Derby Lancashire
Children - Dora Annie Cole - 4 Nov 1904
               Gertrude May Cole - 31 May 1906
               Leonard John Mansell Cole - 19 Jan 1908
               Joseph William Cole - 9 Sep 1909
The 1911 census states birthplace as Nottingham and the 1939 Register states her date of birth as 21 Nov 1879.
Her father is named on marriage certificate as William Edward Stead - Deceased - Tailor
Her address at time of marriage - 92 Bardsay Road Liverpool and Leonard lived at 98 Bardsay Road. The family resided at number 92 in 1911.
I have possible siblings for her from childrens baptisms, marriage witness and possible passenger list -
Godmothers - Elizabeth Stead - Ada Rossitter (twice)
Witness - Lizzie Stead
Passenger list - Gertrude Cole - departing Southampton - arrival New York 7 Dec 1911 - Sister Helena Hughes 12 Aubrey Terrace Ripple Road Barking
She married a second time, following the death of Leonard in 1940, to William Thompson on 5 Jul 1948.
Apologies for such a long post but I have had no luck in finding any details prior to her marriage so any help with this would be gratefully appreciated
 

[ThrelfallYorky]

In 1881 there is a William Stead, b 1850, tailor & outfitter, near Rotherham, with wife Catherine and several children - but no Gertrude there that I can find.

[CaroleW]

Welcome to Rootschat

No birth reg for a Gertrude Stead and no entries on any census before 1911 which is suspicious

The only William Edward Stead marriage was 1869 in Kent

No death pre 1904 for a William Edward Stead

The Stead surname seems to be very prevalent in Yorkshire

[footiestuds]

Thank you both for replying.

ThrelfallYorky - I've followed William Stead b 1850 back + forward through the census.
The only extremely random thing I can link him to Gertrude with is -

His Mother - Sarah Ann Atkinson had a brother William Atkinson who had a daughter Elizabeth Atkinson. She isn't on the 1881 census with her parents - she could of married?
 
Here's the extremely random bit -
1881 Census Nottingham York Street Workhouse
Elizabeth Atkinson age 22 Nottingham
Gertrude Atkinson age 12mths Nottingham

Neither of their birth place fits + neither does the idea of William Stead fathering a child with his cousin ? But then again stranger things have appeared!

[rosie99]

The birth registration for Gertrude Atkinson was March qtr 1881
ATKINSON, GERTRUDE       - 
1881  March Quarter in NOTTINGHAM  Volume 07B  Page 338

The baby was 12 days old on the 1881 census

[footiestuds]

Thank you rosie99.
I'd already seen that registration but was going by the transcript of her age of 12m on the workhouse census + thinking that workhouse births were possibly not registered or she was born before entry into the workhouse it tied in with her exact DOB.
Thanks again

[Sumi]

Gertrude is certainly elusive, very frustrating for you when you seem to have father's name and full birth date...if correct of course.  Did her second marriage certificate have the same details for her father's name and occupation?

I looked at her children's baptisms....the first two in St Francis de Sales in the Walton area of Liverpool , then the next two in St Patricks the other side of Liverpool in Toxteth, then the last two back to St Francis de Sales....to me that is unusual. 

I think Godmother Ada ROSSITER may be Ada FITZPATRICK who married Patrick ROSSITER at St Patricks in 1891.  She may have been a friend of Gertrude.  I looked at Ada's children's baptism to see if Gertrude was a Godmother but no joy there.

Isabelle LANGLEY was Godmother to Hilda COLE in 1914 at St Francis de Sales and the COLE address then was 63 Delamore St.    In the 1911 census she has a birth year of 1879 like Gertrude and her address is 61 Delamore St Kirkdale and she has a daughter named Hilda.  Isabelle's maiden name is SMITH and her widowed mother is Elizabeth SMITH.

This doesn't help you find Gertrude but connections can provide clues.

good luck with your search
Sue

[lancsann]

Thank you rosie99.
I'd already seen that registration but was going by the transcript of her age of 12m on the workhouse census + thinking that workhouse births were possibly not registered or she was born before entry into the workhouse it tied in with her exact DOB.
Thanks again

That transcription of 12 mths in incorrect. The actual image says 12 days and Elizabeth Atkinson is described as unmarried. The enrty below is also for an unmarried mother with baby age 11 days so the workhouse could also be a home for unmarried pregnant ladies

[lancsann]

I assume as you know the exact date of Gertrude's marriage in 1948 you have the certificate.

Lancsbmd seems to indicate that she married as Cole but with a former name (or fathers surname) of Edwards

Lancashire Marriage indexes for the years: 1948
Surname   Forename(s)   Surname   Forename(s)   Year   Church / Register Office   Registers At   Reference
THOMPSON *   William   COLE   Gertrude   1948   South Sefton Register Office or Registrar Attended   South Sefton   BR/18/231
THOMPSON *   William   EDWARDS   Gertrude   1948   South Sefton Register Office or Registrar Attended   South Sefton   BR/18/231