Mary Steele (now Edwards) continued

Ok Mary has met and married William Edwards who must have been quite a fit chap as his occupation is Blacksmith's striker. Apparently a Blacksmith's striker wielded a heavy sledgehammer under the direction of the Blacksmith in heavy forging operations. In large works several strikers worked together.

Strikers in action in 1904 on this video clip ..they get warmed up about 1min 28 secs in...

I'm guessing that William was a nice chap, well I really hope so. I don't see how he could've not known about Mary's unhappy past. Making the local papers twice in a small rural community and with no telly I'm sure every-one's business was fair game as entertainment. In spite of her sad start they seemed to have had a successful  lasting marriage with eight children who all grew to adulthood. So I choose to believe he was a strong, decent chap and that she had some happiness at last.

In the 1891  census we find the family living at New Street, Monks Coppenhall , Nantwich, Cheshire, England, among their neighbors are a Blacksmith and several more Blacksmiths strikers. This makes sense as the Railway town of Crewe was founded in the township of Monks Coppenhall. 

The 1911 entry in the encyclopedia Britannica describes it thus " It is a railway junction where lines converge from London, Manchester, North Wales and Holyhead, North Stafford and Hereford. It is inhabited principally by persons in the employment of the London & North-Western railway company, and was practically created by that corporation, at a point where in 1841 only a farmhouse stood in open country. Crewe is not only one of the busiest railway stations in the world, but is the locomotive metropolis of the London & North-Western company, which has centred here enormous workshops for the manufacture of the material and plant used in railways. In 1901 the 4000th locomotive was turned out of the works." see here
So the family are settled right in the middle of a huge thriving industrial railway center. 

The 1891 Census entry...
William is a Blacksmiths striker and aged 31

Mary is aged 34

They have 4 sons..

Henry aged 8 and William 5 both at school, 

also John aged 3 and frank aged 7 months.

and I so hope they were happy.

By 1901  
Living at 71, New Street, Monks Coppenhall, Nantwich, Cheshire, England
The family has grown but everyone is still living at home.
William Edwards aged 40... Blacksmith's striker Railway Works 
Mary Edwards aged 40
Henry aged 18 ...Brickmaker's labourer
William aged 15... Apprentice Baker - Breadmaker
John aged 13
Frank aged 10
George aged 7
Vernon  aged 5
Frederick aged 4
Emma aged 1 

The majority of their neighbours employment related to the railways..and included Apprentice engine boiler maker, Engine painter's labourer, Coppersmith, General labourer in railway works, Steam engine maker -fitter, Steam shed- fire dropper with the odd non railway occupation thrown in, an Army Private on furlough, a labourer in a China works. I was quite curious about the job 'Fire dropper' apparently
"Fire-droppers, who are responsible for emptying the smoke box of ash and for cleaning the fire." 
more detail on the process here
 
Our next glimpse of the family is in the 1911 Census entry
Living at..
37 New St Crewe Cheshire, Monks Coppenhall, Cheshire, England are...
William Edwards aged 51  Blacksmith's Labourer.-[Striker written over Labourer]
Mary Edwards aged 52...[children born 8 -children living 8*]
 Frank aged 20 Labourer -[General added]
George aged 17 Labourer- [Breadmaker added]
Vernon  aged 15 Labourer
Frederick aged 14
Emma aged 11 

*'to present marriage -years married 29
So the older lads Henry, William and John have grown and left home and thankfully not died!

This is the last census available to me for at least a  couple of years the 1921 will reach 100 years in 2021 and hopefully will be released then.

Before moving on I can't resist a glimpse at Crewe works ...building a locomotive. 

click here

So where next ?..a browse on family trees in ancestry (which is a right royal mix of guess work, sound research and everything in between) led me to some Edwards descendants pages and information that I could research. 

I'm afraid it seems that Mary and William lost at least two of their sons to the First World War. 

So summary of what I know of Mary's Edwards family [sofar]  
My Grandfather Alfred's 1/2 siblings

Edward Henry Edwards [Henry in the Census] birth registered in Nantwich the 3rd 1/4 of 1882
Alive in 1939 living at 27 New st, Crewe, Cheshire. A Widower.
Occupation-Corporation Labourer-HeavyWorker.
Death registered Crewe 3rd 1/4 of 1955 aged 73

Thomas William Edwards [William in the Census]  birth registered in Nantwich the 4th 1/4 of 1885  
Born 9th Sept 1885 (Ancestry) 
Married Amelia Smith [1883-1969] 25 Dec 1909 Bolton, Lancashire (Ancestry)
In 1911 he was a Boilermakers helper at the Loco Dept and Amelia was a Calico weaver at the Mill.
and living here
dau Gladys  1910 -1988 [married Brian Bolton] children
son Sydney  1912-1943 [WW2 Tunisia]
son Frederick  1921 -2004 [married Dorothy May Deakin] children
Died Lancashire 1929 (Ancestry) aged 44

John  Edwards birth registered in Nantwich the 2nd 1/4 of 1888
Possibly lived at 35 Ramsbottom st, Crewe in 1939, married to Martha ,Scra shared steel worker/Heavy worker.
Possibly died 1961 aged 73
 
Frank  Edwards birth registered in Nantwich the 4th 1/4 of 1890
Married in 1913 Elizabeth Smith.....2 step children (William born 1904 & Sarah born 1907) and  2 children of his own...Frank born 1913 and Joseph born in 1916 just a few weeks before his father's death.
Died 1916 WW1 Flanders aged 26

 
George Edwards birth registered in Nantwich the 4th 1/4 of 1893
? Poss married a Kitty Thompson in 1913 reg Nantwich CHECK

Vernon Edwards birth registered in Nantwich the 4th 1/4 of 1895 [mother surname omitted]
Married Ellen Little in the 4th 1/4 of 1920 at Blackburn, Lancashire. 
In 1939 living at Sydney lodge, Sydney Crewe with  William dob 15 Sept 1939 and George16th March 1937  also staying at the address is Frank Edwards dob 9th Sept 1913 A steel furnace heavy worker  & single (A relation?  YES it's his nephew, son of Frank who died in 1916! the birthdates match.) Vernon (mis-transcribed as Kenon) is listed as 'Incapacitated'
I believe Vernon dies in 1942 aged 47

Frederick Edwards birth registered in Nantwich the 2nd 1/4 of 1897
Dies 1918 WW1 France (his older brother named his next son after him) aged 21

Emma Edwards birth registered in Nantwich the 1st 1/4 of 1900 
? totally skunked so far.

With 
William [Snr] dying in 1925  dates 1858-1925 aged 67  (Ancestry check)
and Mary dying in 1928 aged 71  (Ancestry check)

All this seems likely I just need to double check.
to be continued ...oh and If I've made any mistakes please let me know!

Mary Steele ...later Edwards. GGM

-Ongoing  in progress-



Mary Edwards (nee Steele)
1857-1928

 

I have no picture of Mary but love this painting which I will happily credit when I can find out who it is by!
   



Starting point~
Two facts, someone had a child called Alfred Steele (my grandfather) AKA Alfred Nevitt Steele and his mother was not married to his father.
These facts were known about in the family but not talked about.
I don't recall my Father ever mentioning his paternal grandmother so it is quite possible that he never knew her. I believe she died when he was aged 10.
So first off ..search for and find Alfred's birth certificate. Done.

Name...Alfred Steele
Mother ....Mary Steele
Father...Blank
Date of Birth....8 January 1880
Poor Law Union... Nantwich
Record set ...Cheshire Workhouse Records (Births)

This provided information to search the available census records. (Finding Alfred living with his Grandparents in the 1891 census as Grandson Alfred Nevitt Steele was really helpful)
.................................................
The first entry for Mary Steele is aged 3 in 1861...
Her family were living at Broad street, Hatherton, Cheshire and consisted of her Father and Mother, Vernon and Emma  Steele ( married couple) ,he was an Agricultural labourer
and their young family of 3
Anne - aged 4
Mary - aged 3
Thomas - aged 0
...................................................
The next entry is the 1871 Census....
At the next census in 1871 the family had moved to Buerton, Nantwich, Cheshire. (probably before 1866 as Fanny was born in Buerton)
Vernon and Emma Steele (aged 37* & 34*) and their 7 children
He is still an Agricultural Labourer . Ann his eldest has left school but doesn't have a job, Mary and Thomas are at school and the 4 youngest are still at home.
Ann     Steele         14*        General servant-out of employment born Hatherton
Mary     Steele       13*   Scholar born Hatherton
Thomas Steele       10*   Scholar..born Hatherton
Fanny     Steele       5*   ...born Buerton
Harriet     Steele      4* ...born Buerton
Emma     Steele        2*...born Buerton
John     Steele     1 week*...born Buerton
.............................................................
In between the 1871 Census and the 1881 Census a lot happens in Mary's life and not in a good way.
Like most other rural areas, Buerton was a hamlet in which mothers had to pack their daughters off to jobs as servants  Poverty and cramped housing meant that it was well nigh impossible to keep girls at home without some form of income, yet opportunities for contributing to their upkeep were really very limited.
Mary likely had left school by 14 to work as a servant, probably on a farm.
Where ever she ended up working, Mary fell pregnant and had a child out of wedlock. A daughter, Mary Ann, was born in May 1877. Mary's parents looked after the baby at their home whilst Mary worked as a servant at Beeston, 18 miles away. This was in no way ideal. Mary's Mother had to cope with her own growing brood and times were hard. Both Mary's baby and her Mother's babies births were registered at the workhouse.I'm guessing this was because the workhouse provided the only medical care they could afford. What ever the reason it doesn't indicate a good situation to be in. It must have made feeding baby Mary Ann difficult and the poor little lass did not live. She tragically died in 1878 aged 9 months. Cause of death... Fits.
This must have been a most unhappy time as not only did her baby die but the Doctor made accusations of  neglect and there was an inquest. Fortunately, the Jury thought differently. (Information from a newspaper cutting)
.................................................
By 1879 Mary was working for a farming family by the name of Burgess, of Burleydam, Northwich, Cheshire.
Also working for them as an agricultural labourer was one Alfred Nevitt.
According to a newsaper report of Alfred Nevitt's attempt to obtain wages owed to him by the farmer after he was dismissed. Mary arrived to work at the farm and it would appear to use an oldfashioned term, that they kept company (the newspaper rather bluntly says they were 'intimate') But all did not turn out well. The farmer's wife discovered that Mary had taken some children's bed jackets and the like from her but by keeping the Pound owed as wages to Mary in lieu of the stolen garments, Mary stated the farmers wife had forgiven her, Mary was dismissed and that was as far as the matter went.
The farmer however believed Alfred Nevitt was a party to the theft, this he denied as did Mary but to no avail. In spite of asserting he would have no more to do with the girl (Mary) and in spite of pleading to keep his job he was asked to leave. He lost his case against the Farmer.
From the dates quoted in the paper I believe Mary was at least 6 or 7 months pregnant with Alfred Nevitt's child when she took the baby clothes and was dismissed.

.............................................................
Still unmarried, Mary's second child Alfred was born on the 8th of Jan 1880...possibly in the work house ...his birth is registered there.
...............................................
In 1881 Baby Alfred Steele was a year old and boarding with the Basford family. see census entry below.
...................
1881 England, Wales & Scotland Census

Kinsey Heath, Audlem, Nantwich, Cheshire, England
James    Basford    Head    Married    Male    32    1849    Ag Lab    Audlem, Cheshire, England
Harriett    Basford    Wife    Married    Female    26    1855    -    Audlem, Cheshire, England
and their 4 children also born in Audlem ...
Roseannah Basford    Daughter    Female    12    1869    Scholar   
William    Basford    Son        Male    7   
Lizzie    Basford    Daughter        Female    3   
Mary    Basford    Daughter       Female    0 
Also
Alfred    Steele    Boarder       Male    1    1880    -    Audlem, Cheshire, England
............................................
In 1882 Mary's life took a turn for the better and she married William Edwards of Nantwich .
I think it likely that after he was weaned Alfred moved in with his Grandparents. His youngest Uncle was only 3 years his senior.
This allowed Mary to make a fresh start with her new husband.
I do not know if Alfred ever knew his mother? or what contact..if any..was maintained between the families.
I do not believe there was any contact with his Father. Family memories suggests that there was a name that was never to be mentioned. Was it Nevitt ?
It may have been a clean and definate break. At the moment I just don't know.
Her son was known as Alfred Steele also as Alfred Nevitt Steele and at least one census entry may have him down as Nevitt Steele.
So it seems likely that Alfred Nevitt was believed to be his father.
......................................................................
to be cont with Mary and her growing new family....

Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West

My first Old favourite of the New Year.

The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West. 

A little research tells me that this book was Rebecca West's first novel written when she was only 24. It was published in 1918 just before the end of the first World War.
It also informs me that  Rebecca West was a pseudonym and that she was born Cicily Isabel Fairfield later to become Dame Cicily Isabel Fairfield. (I didn't know that)  She trained as an actor and this was when she took the name Rebecca West (and I always assumed it was the name she was baptized with).
At the time of writing her first novel she was already the mother of a little boy (who grew up to be the writer Anthony West) His father was HG Wells but Wells was already married and although they had a 10 year affair and remained friends for the rest of Wells' life they never married.
Not a conventional or boring woman, West was a suffragist, feminist, writer, reporter and traveler, quite the character in fact..a talented woman, not bound by convention and boy could she write.
It seems that she had a rocky relationship with her son but it must've been hard for him growing up at that time in such unconventional but public circumstances. I suppose it's not possible to be all things to all people and sadly for them it was a strained Mother and Child relationship. A brilliant writer but I'm glad she wasn't my mother.

As to the story it's not a lengthy book but it is powerful. Judgements are made based on appearance yet it becomes apparent that appearances are not true indicators of genuine qualities and all is not as it appears on the surface.
In the return of the soldier the soldier in question is Captain Chris Baldry, the time is the First World War . The story is told by Captain Baldry's cousin Jenny, who lives with Captain Baldry and his beautiful wife Kitty in their gorgeous and rather grand home, it is only with the introduction of the despised Mrs Margaret Grey we discover that their lives are  not as beautiful or as happy as they may first appear.
I'm wary of describing it further as I don't wish to spoil the story. It's concentrated, layered and thought provoking and sad but rewarding . All the truth is under the surface.

A Film was made of this story starring Glenda Jackson as Mrs Grey ..it was very good.

 

A year to re-read favourite books.

I used to read a lot ...an awful lot ....at one stage in my life I could read 2 books in an evening and did so regularly...not now I'm afraid ..now it seems 2 books in a year would be an achievement ..how crazy is that?!
So I thought and pondered and then decided what if I re-read some of the books I have enjoyed in the past..my brain won't have to work as hard to concentrate and focus ..if I get interrupted it'll be easier to pickup where I left off and I won't be expending any effort in reading unsatisfying books ..it'll be a bit like getting fit ..you don't start off with the marathon. I'll be trying the reading version of a gentle stroll. See if I can get my reading brain back!

and interspersed with reading I'll record some of the family tree story that I puzzle out so that family and relations (and anyone else who likes history through a personal lens) may enjoy.

So off we go!