Looking for the name of wife of Thomas Holcroft / mother of Jane Holcroft

[Mabel Bagshawe]

Jane and Margaret in 1881

John Mason  39
Jane Mason  40
Mgt. Holcroft  15    Relative (Other Relative)
Jane Holcroft    7    Relative (Other Relative)

Address 2 Barlows Court, Scholes, Wigan
Piece 3762, folio 108, p29

The Masons are next door to the Holcrofts on the 1871 census

There's a marriage in 1866 of  John Mason and Jane Gaskell (father Edward, deceased soldier, ie Fanny's sister)

[AlanR83]

I have found Margaret age 15 and Jane age 7 on the 1881 census for Wigan, but living with relatives, no parents listed.

[Mabel Bagshawe]

Hello, actually that is not the correct family, as the Jane Holcroft I am related to her father was Thomas Holcroft, but his father was also Thomas not Charles

What's your source for that? There's a couple of Thomases of a very similar age in Wigan

[AlanR83]

From relations family tree site I was informed that Thomas Holcroft born 1828 had parents Thomas Holcroft and Mary Cooper, but it must be incorrect if the marriage cert says his father was Charles.

[Mabel Bagshawe]

As you hadn't found Margaret and Jane with their father, it's difficult to know that he is the Thomas b c1828.

It's best to work backwards from what you're sure about

If you think the 1881 Margaret and Jane are yours, there's a fairly good line back to Thomas and Fanny, as they're with someone who appears to be their maternal aunt

[AlanR83]

Yes the Margaret and Jane living with relations in the 1881 census are definitely my relations. Jane married a Joseph Birch and her father is listed as Thomas Holcroft (alive) a collier - St Thomas, Wigan on April 15, 1893.

[Mabel Bagshawe]

Older sister Elizabeth from 1871 is a servant in Wigan  in 1881. She marries Matthew White  in 1885. One witness is Maggie Holcroft

It looks like Thomas remarried in 1885 as a widower to a Jane Jackson. They're in Vauxhall Road, Wigan in 1891, with a number of her children from her previous marriage

On 1881 he's with George and Ellen Lambert - listed as brother in law of head. George married Ellen Holcroft, daughter of Charles, in 1871