Gertrude Alice Birchall - her maternal ancestry by Margaret Taylor 2012

GERTRUDE (GERTIE) was born in Sandbach, Cheshire on 17 March 1907at 33 Union Street.  She was the daughter of CHARLES HENRY BIRCHALL  and FANNY ELIZABETH BEDSON and moved to Wigan with her mother, father and her elder sister in 1908. The family first lived in Stafford Street, Spring View where they can be found on the 1911 census.  Their next home was in Morris Street, Spring View which led to Springs branch of the railway where CHARLIE worked.  They lived there for a number of years before finally moving and settling into 36 Marlborough Avenue.  Of the three streets only Marlborough Avenue still exists, the other two having been demolished now for several years.

GERTIE was educated at the Hall of Ince School, commonly known as St. Mary’s School, which was then situated on Warrington Road, Lower Ince and was adjacent to Ince Cemetery.

She went on to secondary school and when she left at the age of 14, went to work at the Empress Cotton Mill in Anderton Street, Higher Ince. She started work in the card room, operating one of the carding machines which worked like a comb, aligning the fibres so that they would make a strong thread when they were spun.   When the women from the card room left to go home, they would be covered in cotton fluff, and as with miners who went home covered in coal dust, the fluff identified the mill girls.

Her next job in the mill was working on the large spinning frames as a doffer. Each of the spinning frames held about 250-300 bobbins on each side and doffers took off the bobbins as they filled with thread and replaced them with empty ones.  It was a hard job because the bobbins had to be changed quickly so as not to slow the machines.  When one ‘side’ and was mastered they would move on to two and be responsible for 500-600 bobbins.

GERTIE attended St. Mary’s Church, and was in the Girls’ Guild.  Her mother LIZZIE was a Methodist, and the family would, from time to time attend services and functions held at Hope Street Methodist Church.  GERTIE’s brothers and sisters, who would later be born in Wigan, were all baptised at Hope Street.

During World War II, GERTIE moved to work at the Munitions Factory at Bradley, Standish where her job was inspecting bullets. She met her husband GILBERT in 1940 when he moved to Wigan; in fact it was actually during an Air Raid that she first saw him -The Air Raid Sirens went off, and as the family didn’t have a shelter in their garden, GERTIE, her mother and youngest brother ERNIE were leaving their home to go into the shelter in Mr Chamberlain’s garden at number 28.   It was night time and as GERTIE reached the front gate, she ran back, because she was in her nightie, and told her mother that she would ‘wait until that old man goes past’. The ‘old man’ was GILBERT TAYLOR, the man she would marry, who had just moved into lodgings in the area and was going to work at Springs Branch.  He was 35, just two years older than she was, but she wasn’t to know that until they met up again a few weeks later at Wigan Fair. GERTIE married GILBERT TAYLOR at St. Mary’s Church, Lower Ince, Wigan on 19 Sept 1942.   Witnesses to the marriage were EDWIN WEARING TAYLOR and ALICE CLAYTON.

MARGARET ELIZABETH TAYLOR born on 14 Jan 1945 was to be their only child.

Like many married women at that time GERTIE gave up work when MARGARET as born.  She was well known in Spring View and as she walked to the shops she was often either singing or whistling.  She could be heard before she was seen!. Knitting was her passion and she was rarely without her knitting needles.  She would knit for family, friends and even for a local draper, who would ask her to knit garments so that they could put them in their window to advertise the end product alongside the patterns and wool that they sold. Although married to GILBERT for 35 years, she was always known locally as GERTIE BIRCHALL rather than TAYLOR.  In fact I grew up being known as GERTIE BIRCHALL’s daughter.   In April 1977 she was taken ill.  Doctors diagnosed the problem as a Hiatus Hernia, and she was admitted to hospital.  From Wigan Infirmary, she was transferred to Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester, where, due to many complications she underwent six operations in the space of 12 weeks.  Her grandchildren weren’t allowed to go into the hospital to visit, but she could see them through the window.  On Saturday 9 July, they were allowed to go in and she and they enjoyed seeing one another.  Sadly the day after, Sunday 10 July at 9.50.am she died. Her death was registered in Metropolitan Manchester and after post-mortem the cause of death was given as “I (a) Acute peripheral circulatory failure (b) Paralytic Ileum (c) Acute Peritoneum II Repair Hiatus Hernia”. She was cremated at Wigan Crematorium and her ashes were buried along with her parents in the family Plot No. 928/Section A/P Portion of Warrington Road Cemetery, Lower Ince, Wigan.

FANNY ELIZABETH BEDSON 1885 mother of GERTRUDE ALICE BIRCHALL 1907

FANNY ELIZABETH BEDSON (known as LIZZZIE) was born on 17 August 1885 in Wrinehill, Betley.  WILLIAM BEDSON was thought to have been her father, especially as his name appeared on her marriage certificate.  Research though has proved that this is not the case. It has now been discovered that WILLIAM was killed in a mining accident in 1882 and so could not have fathered LIZZIE or her elder brother LEONARD who was born in 1884. Therefore, LIZZIE and LEONARD were the children of MARY BEDSON (nee KEEN) and FATHER/FATHERS UNKNOWN.

MARY BEDSON (nee KEEN) had married WILLIAM on 4 July, 1881 at a civil ceremony in Newcastle under Lyme and soon after they had a child – JAMES BEDSON was born 27 August, 1881 and baptised 23 Oct 1881 Betley.

JAMES appears in the 1891 and 1901 censuses with his paternal grandparents JAMES and ELIZABETH BEDSON and in 1911 with his father’s sister CHRISTIANA. 

1891	Wrinehill	9	Wrinehill	grandson	scholar
1901	Wrinehill	19	Betley	grandson	drayman – coal mine
1911	Wrinehill with Christiana	29	Wrinehill	nephew	unmarried  coal hewer

The two BEDSON children born ‘out of wedlock’ lived nearby.  In 1891 they were with their mother MARY and her new husband THOMAS BROWN who she had married on 19 Sept 1888 in a civil ceremony in Newcastle under Lyme.  The census also shows that they had a younger half-sister GERTRUDE.

1891 - BETLEY

THOMAS BROWN	Old Road, Wrinehill	54	Oxford	Head	Labourer
MARY BROWN	Old Road, Wrinehill	30	Betley	Wife
LEONARD BROWN	Old Road, Wrinehill	6	Betley	Son	Scholar
ELIZABETH BROWN	Old Road, Betley,	5	Betley	Daughter	Scholar
GERTRUDE BROWN	Old Road, Wrinehill	2	Betley	Daughter	BORN 1889

The name and relationship anomalies are down to the census enumerator.  The 1901 census tells a different story.  MARY is not with them but they have yet another half-sister FLORENCE MAY.

1901 - BETLEY

THOMAS BROWN	Wrinehill	64	Betley	Head	Coal Miner
LEONARD BEDSON	Wrinehill	16	Betley	Stepson	Coal Miner
ELIZABETH BEDSON	Wrinehill	15	Betley	Stepdter
GERTRUDE BROWN	Wrinehill	12	Betley	Daughter
FLORENCE MARY BROWN	Wrinehill	8	Betley	Daughter	BORN 1893

MARY had moved on and was living in Wolstanton, 8/9 miles away, as the wife of ALFRED ALDERSEA and a new family.  In 1911 this family were still together (see MARY KEEN mother of FANNY ELIZABETH BEDSON),  LIZZIE had gone into domestic service when she left school.  It was one of the few occupations open to women around that time.  Professional people and business people employed ‘domestics’.  Secondary education wasn’t available to ordinary people so she would have left at the age of 13, which was in line with the 1870 Education Act.

This photograph is the only one I have of LIZZIE when she was a child.  LEONARD is also shown.  They are the children wearing dark clothing to the left of the photograph. I have always been led to believe that their mother MARY is also pictured, but I cannot definitely say which adult she is. My thoughts are that she is the one seated in the centre of the photograph. If this is the case then GERTRUDE BROWN could be the child sitting on her knee. As for the other adults and children, I can only assume that they are members of either the BEDSON or KEEN families. Whether LIZZIE had any contact with her mother MARY in later years, I don’t know, the only mention of her that I heard was Mum saying that Grandma had told her that her mother had left the family.

LIZZIE was 19 when she married CHARLES HENRY BIRCHALL at St. Mary’s Church, Sandbach in August 1905.  They were to remain happily married for almost 30 years. She gave the name of WILLIAM BEDSON as her father and it appears on the Marriage Certificate.  Whether she was aware of the circumstances of her birth I don’t know, it could be that MARY had preferred her to think that he was rather than know the truth. For a short time after their marriage LIZZIE and CHARLIE lived in Union Street, Sandbach, alongside his family who had lived there for many years. CHARLIE worked on the railway and was based at Crewe.

They had two children, both of whom were born in Sandbach. GLADYS MAY was born on 21 Oct  1905 and her younger sister GERTRUDE ALICE was born 17 March 1907.   I have noticed that GLADYS was named MAY after LIZZIE’s sister FLORENCE MAY, and GERTIE was named after the other sister and her paternal Grandmother.   As it turned out none of the girls they had were named after LIZZIE’s mother. 

The family moved to Wigan, around 1908/9.   Around that time there was an influx of Railway workers into Spring View and the surrounding area.  Many were transferred from other parts of the country where the need for staff had declined.  CHARLIE would have had no choice in the matter, he would have been told to move or become unemployed.

 Springs Branch was on the main line between London and Scotland and was also the base for the Engineering Sheds where repairs could be carried out.  There were opportunities for those who chose to move. It is likely that he moved to Wigan before the rest of the family.  There was a Barracks (lodging house) in Morris Street, which housed rail-workers on a temporary basis.  This would give him time to find a home for his family.

Their first home was in Stafford Street and in 1911 the census shows them there.    1911

CHARLES HENRY BIRCHALL	Stafford Street, Spring View,	28	Sandbach	Head	Railway Goods Guard
ELIZABETH BIRCHALL	Stafford Street, Spring View,	25	Betley
GLADYS MAY BIRCHALL	Stafford Street, Spring View,	4	Sandbach	Daughter
GERTRUDE A. BIRCHALL	Stafford Street, Spring View,	5	Sandbach	Daughter
DORIS BIRCHALL	Stafford Street, Spring View,	2	Ince in Makerfield	Daughter

LIZZIE was probably pregnant when she came to Wigan as their third DORIS (Dolly) was born soon after.  They eventually had nine children, eight of whom survived.    DORIS (Dolly) BIRCHALL born 12 Feb 1909   HERBERT (Bert) BIRCHALL born 25 August 1911

 CHARLES (Charlie) BIRCHALL born 16 Aug 1913

JAMES BIRCHALL born 1915 died 19 June 1916 - By all accounts, JAMES was a sickly baby and his Death Certificate gives his failure to thrive as the cause of death.  Apparently this was a common cause of infant deaths.

    HARRY BIRCHALL born 5 Oct 1917   

  ALICE BIRCHALL born 1 Feb 1920       ERNEST (Ernie) BIRCHALL born 20 July 1924

Their next home was in Morris Street which was nearer to CHARLIE’s work.  In fact the house was right next door to the gate that he had to walk through to get to the sheds at Springs Branch.  Exactly when they moved there I don’t know, but they were living there when their son JAMES died in 1916.  They stayed there for quite a few years and in the Ince Directory of 1925/26 the listing shows –

MORRIS STREET, SPRING VIEW

1 Birchall Charles H – Railway Goods Guard

 The Council built a new estate in the 1930s, when there was a further influx of Rail-workers.  LIZZIE and CHARLIE, with their family, moved into a brand new home.  From a ‘two up/two down’ terrace, they now had a semi-detached, three bedded home with a bathroom and separate toilet.  They also had a ‘parlour’.

They enjoyed family holidays, especially with the younger children and the fact that CHARLIE could get ‘quarter fares’ and ‘free passes’ through his job on the Railway meant that they could travel around the country more easily than a lot of other people.

As parents they were highly respected and loved by their children who always spoke with affection about the times when they were all living together.  The family obviously didn’t have much, but what they had they appreciated.  They were by no means unique because no one had much in those days.

Sadly CHARLIE died on 1 April 1935. His health wasn’t good.  He was asthmatic and no doubt living and working in Spring View at that time would not have helped.  There was a constant cloud of smoke over the area due to the steam from trains in and around the sheds and the busy branch line.

He died at home and the cause of death was “I (a) Cardiac Failure (b) Uraemia (c) Prostatic Hypertrophy II Spasmodic Asthma”.  He is buried in Plot No. 928/Section A/P Portion of Warrington Road Cemetery, Ince, Wigan. When the other children married and moved away, GERTIE was still at home.  When she married in 1942, she and her husband stayed with LIZZIE who died at home on 29 March 1951. Her death was due to “(a) Myocardial Failure (b) Hypertension (c) Arterio Sclerosis”. She was a Methodist and her funeral service was held at Hope Street Methodist Church, Spring View. Her death was recorded in the Methodist Circuit Magazine.  

She was buried in Plot No. 928/Section A/P Portion of Warrington Road Cemetery, Ince, Wigan alongside her husband CHARLIE.   She left the following Will which was proved in May 1951.  Witnesses were Mr G. E. BEBB (Vicar of St. Mary’s Church) and his wife.

MARY KEEN 1862 mother of FANNY ELIZABETH BEDSON 1885

MARY KEEN was baptised 3 June 1862 in Betley, Staffordshire.  She was one of 10 children born to WILLIAM KEEN and ELLEN CARTER.

Finding out about the lives ancestors lived is very difficult unless they were notorious or remarkable in some way.  Social history helps by describing what life was like for ordinary people but only offers general information.

 Census records are available, but the information they provided is limited, and due to errors in recording  they can be confusing.  The information they give can only tell us where our relatives were at 10.00pm on a certain date every 10 years. 

Additionally any information gleaned from the census needs to be confirmed by looking at registered Births, Marriages and Deaths and obtaining official certificates.

The information on MARY KEEN was obtained using these two means of research and It raised questions for which answers had to be found.  That turned out to be harder than was originally thought   Starting with the Birth Certificate for LIZZIE I learned that her mother was MARY BEDSON (formerly KEEN) and that her surname was BEDSON. Then I looked for a marriage and came up with –

MARRIAGE ONE - 4 JULY 1881 – WILLIAM BEDSON and MARY KEEN

When the 1881 census was taken on 3rd April 1881 MARY was single and a 20 year old Servant working in the home of a SAMUEL JOHNSON. and later that year she married for the first time. WILLIAM was a 24 year old Coal Miner and was living with his parents in Old Road, Betley. 

Their marriage was a civil ceremony which took place at the Register Office in Newcastle under Lyme, and on 27 August of the same year a child was born - JAMES BEDSON who was baptised 23 Oct 1881 in Betley.

Ten years later when the 1891 census was taken WILLIAM BEDSON and MARY BEDSON did not appear. There was no death record for either of them, but there was a marriage record for MARY –

MARY BEDSON (nee KEEN) married THOMAS BROWN on 19 Sept 1888 at the Register Office in Newcastle under Lyme.

MARRIAGE TWO – 19 SEPT 1888 – THOMAS BROWN and MARY BEDSON (formerly KEEN)

No information was available as to the whereabouts of WILLIAM, which led to speculation about his whereabouts.

There was also a lot of speculation regarding MARY’s character especially when it was noted that JAMES her son was with his paternal grandparents, but in 1891 she was with her new husband and they had a family.    1891 - BETLEY

THOMAS BROWN	Old Road, Wrinehill	54	Oxford	Head	Labourer
MARY BROWN	Old Road, Wrinehill	30	Betley Common	Wife
LEONARD BROWN	Old Road, Wrinehill	6	Betley	Son	Scholar
ELIZABETH BROWN	Old Road, Betley	5	Betley	Daughter	Scholar
GERTRUDE BROWN	Old Road, Wrinehill	2	Betley	Daughter	BORN 1889

The surname of LEONARD and ELIZABETH (LIZZIE) was obviously incorrectly recorded by the enumerator.  Such mistakes often occurred.  Their Birth Certificates clearly show that their surname should have been BEDSON.

LEONARD was born 6 June 1884 and LIZZIE  the following year on 17 August 1885.

What their Birth Certificates didn’t show was the name of a father.

WILLIAM   remained elusive until recently when it was discovered that he had died in Iowa, U.S.A. in 1882 as a result of a mining accident.  

 Extract from - THE FIRST BIENNIAL REPORT OF THE STATE MINE INSPECTOR TO THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF IOWA FOR THE YEARS 1882/1883 WILLIAM BEDSON

The jurors, upon their oaths, do say that the said William Bedson came to his death on the 1st day of July, 1882, at or about 11:30 a.m., by a blow from timber and suffocation in the pit of the Empire Coal Company in Bloomfield township, Polk County, caused by the fall of a quantity of soapstone, an accident common in coal works, and not otherwise. Iowa,

W. D. Trowbridge, J. D. Kissler, Jurors. I. W. Griffith, Coroner of Polk County, Iowa. 

This new information proves conclusively that WILLIAM was not the father of LEONARD and FANNY, who were born ‘out of wedlock’.   It also casts doubt on whether or not they were full brother and sister.

The 1901 census shows that things have changed yet again. THOMAS was still living in Old Road, Betley along with three of the children who appeared in 1891, plus another daughter FLORENCE MAY who had been born in 1893.  This time MARY had disappeared.  

1901 - BETLEY

THOMAS BROWN	Wrinehill, Betley, Staffs	64	Betley	Head	Coal Miner
LEONARD BEDSON	Wrinehill, Betley, Staffs	16	Betley	Stepson	Coal Miner
ELIZABETH BEDSON	Wrinehill,, Betley, Staffs	15	Betley	Stepdter
GERTRUDE BROWN	Wrinehill, Betley, Staffs	12	Betley	Daughter
FLORENCE MAY BROWN	Wrinehill, Betley, Staffs	8	Betley	Daughter	BORN 1893

  I may never have known what happened to her if I hadn’t tried to find LEONARD BEDSON.   Fortunately I was able to contact one of his relatives, ANDREA SMITH (nee RHODES). LEONARD was her Grandfather and she was able to tell me exactly where MARY was in 1901.

Although still married to THOMAS BROWN, she was living as the wife of ALFRED ALDERSEA in Moore’s Yard, Wolstanton approximately 9 miles from Betley.  Her marriage to THOMAS apparently over, although not legally ended. 

1901 - WOLSTANTON

ALFRED ALDERSEA	Moore’s Yard, Wolstanton	49	Betley	Head	Coal Hewer
MARY ALDERSEA	Moore’s Yard, Wolstanton	38	Betley	Wife
ELIZABETH ALDERSEA	Moore’s Yard, Wolstanton	5	Chesterton	Daughter	BORN 1896
ELSIE MAY ALDERSEA	Moore’s Yard, Wolstanton	3	Chesterton	Daughter	BORN 1897
SALOME NELLIE ALDERSEA	Moore’s Yard, Wolstanton	4	Chesterton	Daughter	BORN 1898

MARY and ALFRED had three daughters, the eldest of whom was born just three years after FLORENCE MAY, her daughter by THOMAS BROWN.  In fact ELIZABETH ALDERSEA was born at the beginning of 1896 which would mean that her parents must have got together in 1895 when FLORENCE was only two years old.

The ALDERSEA family had moved to Church Bank, Chesterton by 1911, and were still together.

1911 - CHESTERTON

ALFRED ALDERSEA	Church Bank, Chesterton	59	Wrinehill	Head	Coal Miner - Hewer
MARY ALDERSEA	Church Bank, Chesterton	48	Betley	Wife
ELSIE MAY ALDEDRSEA	Church Bank, Chesterton	12	Chesterton	Daughter	Scholar
SALOME NELLIE ALDERSEA	Church Bank, Chesterton	14	Chesterton	Daughter	Domestic Servant

Their daughter ELIZABETH was in service in the home of BERTHA ALICE CADMAN who was a Teacher at a Private School. 

ELIZABETH ALDERSEA

Apedale Rd, Chesterton

15

Chesterton

Servant

Domestic

On the original census form, which is actually completed by the householders themselves, they are asked to state the length of their marriage and to give information regarding how many children they had and how many had lived.

Their answer to the first question was 17 years, and the answer to the second was four.

Their fourth child was another daughter MABEL who was born in 1901.  In 1911 at the age of ten she was a patient in an institution in Liverpool Road, Wolstanton.  She was to remain institutionalized for the greater part of her life.

. MABEL ALDERSEA

Liverpool Rd, Wolstanton

10

Chesterton

Patient

MARRIAGE THREE – 22 JULY 1914 – ALFRED ALDERSEA and MARY BROWN (formerly BEDSON)

This marriage also took place at the Register Office in Newcastle under Lyme on 22 July 1914.  MARY was 52.  As divorces were not as readily available as they are today, it’s likely that the couple waited until THOMAS BROWN died before marrying.  ALFRED died in 1920 and MARY died 22 April 1940 aged 77 and is interred in Chesterton Church Yard.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE NINE CHILDREN BORN TO MARY KEEN aka BEDSON/BROWN/ALDERSEA?

JAMES BEDSON 1881. JAMES was with his Grandparents JAMES and ELIZABETH BEDSON in 1891 and again in 1901.  In 1911 he was with his Aunt CHRISTIANA ASHLEY (his father’s sister).  Whether he had any contact with his Mother I do not know.  He died in 1955 aged 74.

LEONARD BEDSON 1884  In 1911 LEONARD was with WILLIAM BEDSON’s brother JOHN BEDSON his relationship to whom was shown as nephew.  He married ANNIE DUTTON (DEAN) in 1919 and they had eight children.  He died in 1947. LEONARD did have contact with his mother and the picture below shows the reverse side of a photograph which was sent to MARY from LEONARD and his wife ANNIE around 1929.  The writing in blue is that of BARBARA BEDSON, LEONARD and ANNIE’s daughter, who is the baby referred to, she was born in 1929.

Below this is a photograph of MARY ALDERSEA with her neighbours.  Unfortunately the crease down the centre of the photograph obscures half of MARY’s face, but BARBARA has identified her on the reverse.

She has also listed MARY’s three marriages, plus some of the children that resulted from them, in the case of the ALDERSEA children she has put down the information she could remember regarding their partners too.

FANNY ELIZABETH BEDSON 1885 By 1911 was married to CHARLES HENRY BIRCHALL and had moved to live in Wigan (pages 3 - 8). Whether she had any contact with her mother I don’t know.

Despite being born ‘out of wedlock’ and their unsettled childhood, LEONARD and LIZZIE came through relatively unscathed and went on to have happy relationships with their partners and their children.

GERTRUDE PATTY BROWN 1889 In 1911 GERTRUDE was in service in Bleak House, Hurst Lane, Bollington the home of ROBERT HOLLAND OWEN who was a Cotton Bleaching Manager. GERTRUDE married ALFRED SNAPE in Winchester in 1917.  After their marriage the couple lived in Bollington, near Macclesfield.  It is not known if there were any children from the marriage.  GERTRUDE died in 1949 aged 60.  ALFRED married again in 1950.  His new wife was CAROLINE CARROLL, who was quite a bit younger than he was. Whether GERTRUDE had contact with MARY I don’t know.

FLORENCE MAY BROWN 1893 Like her sister FLORENCE was in service in 1911.  She was in the home of the THORPE family who lived at Ingle Bank, Upton, Macclesfield. She died in 1914 aged 21 and Grandma was given her Bible which, according to the inscription, was given to FLORENCE on 30 August 1913 with the following inscriptions –

“Miss Florence Brown with best wishes from H. STAFFORD”.

ELIZABETH ALDERSEA 1896 ELIZABETH married STANLEY FEATHERSTONE in Wandsworth in 1923.  She died in Whitby in 1989.

SALOME NELLIE ALDERSEA 1897 SALOME married ARTHUR CONNAH in Wolstanton in 1919.  They had four children and SALOME died in 1974

ELSIE MAY ALDERSEA 1898 ELSIE married JOHN YEOMANS in Wolstanton in 1918.  They had two children.  JOHN was killed in a mining accident in 1922 and ELSIE married ALBERT H. THOMAS in Newcastle under Lyme in 1923.  ELSIE died in 2010.   MABEL ALDERSEA 1901

MABEL was institutionalized for many years, but when her sister ELSIE became a widow in 1922 she took her into her home and cared for her.

I was contacted a few months ago by JOHN STUBBS who is the Grandson of ELSIE MAY ALDERSEA.  He was completely unaware of the fact that his Great Grandmother had been married three times, and had three families and sadly his mother who was also named ELSIE died in 2010 and he is unable to ask her anything.

The ALDERSEA family had both parents for quite a few years and whether or not they were aware of their half-siblings is not known.

Paternity of LEONARD and FANNY ELIZABETH BEDSON
The parentage of LEONARD and FANNY ELIZABETH, has been called into question and it could easily be assumed that THOMAS BROWN was their father, however whilst the information on the 1891 census would seem to confirm this, the 1901 census contradicts it. Prior to the 1911 census, census forms were normally completed by the Enumerator. Errors often occurred due to the fact that they could only write down what they were told but they often made incorrect assumptions, for example, visitors were often given the same surname as the householder and unrelated children were incorrectly listed as sons/daughters. The anomaly regarding the surname of LEONARD and FANNY ELIZABETH on the 1891 census could have occurred if the enumerator had asked for the names of the children in the household.  MARY or THOMAS, in all probability, would just have related their Christian names. The Enumerator would then have listed them all as members of the BROWN family.

In 1901 it is likely that THOMAS gave the full names of all the children, but in addition he obviously related their relationship to him.  Had he been the father of the two BEDSON children, regardless of the different surname, he would have had no reason to list them as his stepson and stepdaughter.

The only conclusion that can be reached regarding the paternity of LEONARD and FANNY ELIZABETH is that it will never be known.  

WILLIAM BEDSON 1857 (the father that never was) 
It had been thought that FANNY ELIZABETH BEDSON was the daughter of WILLIAM BEDSON.  His name appeared on her Marriage Certificate and she may have believed that he was. Now that the truth is known, and in view of the fact that he was once married to MARY KEEN he still warrants a mention in connection with FANNY’s family. 

WILLIAM BEDSON was baptised 8 June 1857 in Betley and was the son of JAMES BEDSON and ELIZABETH MASSEY. He can only be found in the following census records -

1861	Wrinehill	3	Betley	Son	Scholar
1871	Betley	13	Betley	Son	Scholar
1881	Betley	24	Betley	Son	Coal Miner

The census in 1881 was carried out on 3 April.  Two months later on 4 July 1881 he married MARY KEEN in a Civil Ceremony in Newcastle under Lyme. A few days short of a year later WILLIAM BEDSON died in Bloomfield Township, Polk County, Iowa, U.S.A. The source of this information was a new entry in the IGI Death Records which was further confirmed by the following:- 

 Extract from –

THE FIRST BIENNIAL REPORT OF THE STATE MINE INSPECTOR TO THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF IOWA FOR THE YEARS 1882/1883 –

WILLIAM BEDSON

The jurors, upon their oaths, do say that the said William Bedson came to his death on the 1st day of July, 1882, at or about 11:30 a.m., by a blow from timber and suffocation in the pit of the Empire Coal Company in Bloomfield township, Polk county, caused by the fall of a quantity of soapstone, an accident common in coal works, and not otherwise. Iowa,

W. D. Trowbridge, J. D. Kissler, Jurors.  I. W. Griffith, Coroner of Polk County, Iowa. 

 A check on the Burial Records showed that he was buried in Des Moines, Iowa on 2 July 1882.

EMPIRE COAL COMPANY MINE – IOWA, U.S.A.

It is not known whether or not his family were aware of what had happened to WILLIAM, however the discovery of his fate is certain proof of the fact that LEONARD BEDSON born 6 June 1884 and FANNY ELIZABETH BEDSON born 17 August 1885 were illegitimate. Proving whether they were full brother and sister will be impossible.

What happened between MARY and WILLIAM BEDSON?
Why did WILLIAM BEDSON go to the U.S.A.?  It is my belief that his marriage to MARY was over before his death in 1882, and in proof I cite an event which occurred in August 1881, less than a month after their marriage.  The extract below was taken from an article which appeared in the Staffordshire Sentinel dated 4 August 1881 under the heading NEWCASTLE (BOROUGH) – THIS DAY (Before T. P. Heath, Esquire, Mayor and R. Moseley, Esquire)

ALLEGED PERJURY

Elizabeth Bailey, widow, Wrinehill was charged on a warrant with committing wilful and corrupt perjury on Monday, by giving false evidence in an affiliation case, which was heard at the County Police Court.  Mr James prosecuting, and Mr Griffiths defending – Elizabeth Rowley, Wrinehill said she was complainant in an affiliation case on Monday, in which she summoned William Bedson of Wrinehill, to show cause why he should not contribute to her child, of which she alleged him to be the father.  The prisoner Bailey was a witness for Bedson, and swore that she and a young woman, named Mary Brassington, witnessed improper conduct on her part with a young man named Thomas Muller, and on this and other evidence the case was dismissed.  She had since seen Mary Brassington, and she said that what the prisoner had said was quite untrue. – Thomas Muller now said that he was present in court on Monday and heard the prisoner say that she and Mary Brassington had seen him and Rowley together, but there was no truth whatever in the statement. – Miss Mary Brassington said what the prisoner had said with respect to her witnessing Rowley and Muller together in her father’s cart was entirely false, and she had not on any occasion seen them together under any circumstances. – Mr Tipper, clerk to Mr Knight, produced the evidence given by the prisoner on Monday. – P.C. Bentley said that on apprehending the prisoner on Tuesday evening, she said she had sworn nothing but what she had seen, and Mrs Bedson, mother of the defendant in the affiliation case, had told her that she must swear what she had done. – Prisoner who reserved her defence was committed for trial at the next sessions.  Bail being allowed herself in £50, and two sureties in £25 each.

 This Perjury hearing took place exactly one month after WILLIAM and MARY had married. The Affiliation case had been brought a few days before on Monday 1 August 1881.  

   A Bastardy or Affiliation Order could be made by a Quarter Sessions or Petty Sessions court, requiring the father to pay for the child's upkeep (2s 6d per week) - failure to pay could result in a prison sentence.

In order to bring the Affiliation case ELIZABETH ROWLEY would have had to obtain a Bastardy Bond or recognisance which would oblige the supposed father to appear at the Quarter Sessions or Petty Sessions court or simply oblige him or another relation to provide for the child so that she or he was not supported by the parish authorities..The case against WILLIAM BEDSON was dismissed, based on evidence given by the ELIZABETH BAILEY who was being charged with Perjury.  My theory is that WILLIAM  decided  to go to America rather than have to pay support for ELIZABETH ROWLEY’s child.   His refusal to do so would have resulted in a prison sentence. His wife, MARY was pregnant with their son JAMES who was born approximately three weeks later on 27 August 1881. I think that perhaps he thought he was stuck between a rock and a hard place, so left everybody else to sort it out.

The exact date of his arrival in the U.S. is not known, but it is likely that he would have arrived at Castle Garden which was in use between 1855 and 1890.  Ellis Island was not in use until 1882.   As a consequence of WILLIAM having left MARY with a small child they would have had no means of support and she would have been forced to find work.

In this circumstance, JAMES’ Grandparents may have taken over his care which could be why in 1891 and again in 1901 he was with them. 

MARY was living close by with her new husband and family, but whether he ever actually lived with her between censuses will never be known. 

THOMAS BROWN lived in lodgings next door to the BEDSON family at the time of the 1881 census.  No doubt he would have been aware of the situation affecting his neighbours.

Any speculation with regard to how much before his marriage to MARY their relationship had begun, cannot be confirmed, however I believe that there was a reason for them waiting until 1888 to marry.

The circumstances outlined above are proof of MARY having been deserted.  As such I am sure that she was unaware of WILLIAM BEDSONs fate, although I do believe that she knew he was in the U.S.

The law regarding desertion and re-marriage was such that a deserted spouse wishing to re-marry would have to produce a declaration of death, in the absence of this, desertion could only be proven if there had been no word or sign from the missing partner for a period of seven years.  Choosing to ignore this law brought a charge of Bigamy.

MARY and THOMAS BROWN married seven years after her marriage to WILLIAM BEDSON.

Why did MARY leave her and children?   If my speculation, regarding WILLIAM BEDSON having deserted MARY, is correct, then I can fully understand why JAMES’ Grandparents took over his care.  If MARY had no means of support and needed to find work, then they would have a duty of care to their son’s child.

Leaving LEONARD, FANNY ELIZABETH, GERTRUDE and FLORENCE is a different matter.  She had support in the form of her husband THOMAS.  SO WHY DID SHE LEAVE? 

· Was THOMAS too old?  I don’t think so, ALFRED was older than him!

· Could THOMAS have been an abusive husband?  Somehow I doubt it, if he was why did she leave her children, aged 3 to 11 with him?

· Did ALFRED have more to offer?  He could have - his mother was a woman of independent means living on income from properties.

· THOMAS could have thrown her out when he found out she was pregnant by ALFRED.  Why not take the children?   5.  Did ALFRED say she would have to choose between him and her children?  Why not tell him where to go?

Looking at these scenarios, I cannot see one which would warrant a mother leaving her children.  Which leads me to only one conclusion and that is that MARY, my Great Grandmother, made a very selfish decision!!!! However, if there is a good reason out there, I’d be happy to hear it.