Post by Woody on Nov 11, 2014 5:29:20 GMT
I can perhaps help you resolve some, but not all of the pre-1851 census circumstances for your Simister/ Wood ancestors.
In 1841, James Simister (25) and his wife Betty (25) are already living at Spring Grove, Millbrook and there are two children; 5-year old Martin Wood and 1-year old Mary [Ann] Simister. The places of birth are difficult to decipher but Betty and son Martin seem not to be from Cheshire county, whereas James and daughter Mary certainly are.
In 1851 these four people are all still living in the same place but there are additional children - Samuel (5) and James (10/12) Simister – together with other variations in the information. Betty has gained five years in age and is now 39, but that’s probably because ages in the 1841 census were usually rounded up or down to the nearest half-decade. Betty now says her birthplace is Hastings, Sussex and that son Martin Wood was born in Lancashire (the place name is difficult to distinguish but it's probably ‘Ashton’ [under Lyne]).
By 1861, with the family still living at Spring Grove, Millbrook, ‘Betty’ has now become ‘Elizabeth’ and there are missing children. I’m pretty sure son Samuel died in 1851 (age 6) and James in 1852 (age 2). Between the census returns there were almost certainly other children who don’t appear on either census – Jane Simister (1841-1841) and Sarah Ann (1843-1844). Martin Wood’s birthplace is now clarified as ‘Heyrod, Lancashire’ which, if you don’t already know, is a district of Stalybridge on the opposite bank of the river Tame to Millbrook; Spring Grove is the road connecting the two places. At that point in history the river Tame was the boundary line between Lancashire and Cheshire, although by 1974 the whole area had been reorganised and unified into Tameside.
There are plans to create a conservation area in Millbrook and there's a comprehensive research paper on the proposals at www.tameside.gov.uk/planning/ldf/evidence/caamp/millbrook.pdf. Included in the document are old maps and other bits of information you might find useful. For example, the Howard family owned both Staley Mill and Spring Grove Mill so 'Howard's Houses' are likely to have been built for their own workers; it's therefore a fair bet that the Simister family worked at one or the other of these mills.
I think James Simister died in 1878 and that Betty is living at Fairfield with a niece and her husband in the 1881 census. I also think Betty died in 1884 and you’ll find most of this information at www.cheshirebmd.org.uk.
From his surname, we’d have to believe that Martin Wood was either born out of wedlock or, was Betty's son from a previous marriage. It’s a relatively unusual first name and on 10 July 1836, there’s a christening possibility at Mottram in Longdendale St Mary (another part of the long-defunct 'Staley' district), parents Joseph Wood and Betty www.familysearch.org. I can’t find a marriage for this couple, but Betty married James Simister at Oldham St Mary on 17 February 1839 www.lancashirebmd.org.uk so Joseph Wood must have died prior to that date. There are possibilities for his death record, and there should also be a way to confirm whether or not he's Martin’s father.
On 22 December 1861, Martin Wood married Maria Morton at Manchester Cathedral www.lancashirebmd.org.uk and subsequently moved out to the Prestwich district of Manchester. I would expect the certificate to provide the natural father’s name but I’ve got a copy and I’m afraid it doesn’t, perhaps not too surprising considering Martin would never really have known his father. A granddaughter, Elizabeth Wood (b 1863, Stalybridge) is living with the Simister family at Croft Bank, Millbrook in 1871. More correctly she is Elizabeth Ann Wood, b Prestwich 1862 and she's one of Martin's children. He's living at Rooden Lane Prestwich (I think now part of Bury New Road) with his young family but by 1881 he's a widower. There's a Prestwich death registration in 1874 for Maria Wood (age 33) and an 1883 Prestwich registration for Martin Wood (age 46).
As a final long-shot, I wondered if Martin’s first name was the result of it being his mother’s surname prior to marriage. Although it might well be circumstantial, I did find an Eliza Martin baptised on 16 October 1811 at Hastings All Saints, Sussex which matches at least a couple of the definite criteria for Betty. The parents were James and Elizabeth Martin.
Disappointing end, although Martin’s progress can be tracked through the various post-1861 census returns and there are the other Simister children to be chased down. I kept copies of all the documents mentioned if you want them
Cheers
Woody
In 1841, James Simister (25) and his wife Betty (25) are already living at Spring Grove, Millbrook and there are two children; 5-year old Martin Wood and 1-year old Mary [Ann] Simister. The places of birth are difficult to decipher but Betty and son Martin seem not to be from Cheshire county, whereas James and daughter Mary certainly are.
In 1851 these four people are all still living in the same place but there are additional children - Samuel (5) and James (10/12) Simister – together with other variations in the information. Betty has gained five years in age and is now 39, but that’s probably because ages in the 1841 census were usually rounded up or down to the nearest half-decade. Betty now says her birthplace is Hastings, Sussex and that son Martin Wood was born in Lancashire (the place name is difficult to distinguish but it's probably ‘Ashton’ [under Lyne]).
By 1861, with the family still living at Spring Grove, Millbrook, ‘Betty’ has now become ‘Elizabeth’ and there are missing children. I’m pretty sure son Samuel died in 1851 (age 6) and James in 1852 (age 2). Between the census returns there were almost certainly other children who don’t appear on either census – Jane Simister (1841-1841) and Sarah Ann (1843-1844). Martin Wood’s birthplace is now clarified as ‘Heyrod, Lancashire’ which, if you don’t already know, is a district of Stalybridge on the opposite bank of the river Tame to Millbrook; Spring Grove is the road connecting the two places. At that point in history the river Tame was the boundary line between Lancashire and Cheshire, although by 1974 the whole area had been reorganised and unified into Tameside.
There are plans to create a conservation area in Millbrook and there's a comprehensive research paper on the proposals at www.tameside.gov.uk/planning/ldf/evidence/caamp/millbrook.pdf. Included in the document are old maps and other bits of information you might find useful. For example, the Howard family owned both Staley Mill and Spring Grove Mill so 'Howard's Houses' are likely to have been built for their own workers; it's therefore a fair bet that the Simister family worked at one or the other of these mills.
I think James Simister died in 1878 and that Betty is living at Fairfield with a niece and her husband in the 1881 census. I also think Betty died in 1884 and you’ll find most of this information at www.cheshirebmd.org.uk.
From his surname, we’d have to believe that Martin Wood was either born out of wedlock or, was Betty's son from a previous marriage. It’s a relatively unusual first name and on 10 July 1836, there’s a christening possibility at Mottram in Longdendale St Mary (another part of the long-defunct 'Staley' district), parents Joseph Wood and Betty www.familysearch.org. I can’t find a marriage for this couple, but Betty married James Simister at Oldham St Mary on 17 February 1839 www.lancashirebmd.org.uk so Joseph Wood must have died prior to that date. There are possibilities for his death record, and there should also be a way to confirm whether or not he's Martin’s father.
On 22 December 1861, Martin Wood married Maria Morton at Manchester Cathedral www.lancashirebmd.org.uk and subsequently moved out to the Prestwich district of Manchester. I would expect the certificate to provide the natural father’s name but I’ve got a copy and I’m afraid it doesn’t, perhaps not too surprising considering Martin would never really have known his father. A granddaughter, Elizabeth Wood (b 1863, Stalybridge) is living with the Simister family at Croft Bank, Millbrook in 1871. More correctly she is Elizabeth Ann Wood, b Prestwich 1862 and she's one of Martin's children. He's living at Rooden Lane Prestwich (I think now part of Bury New Road) with his young family but by 1881 he's a widower. There's a Prestwich death registration in 1874 for Maria Wood (age 33) and an 1883 Prestwich registration for Martin Wood (age 46).
As a final long-shot, I wondered if Martin’s first name was the result of it being his mother’s surname prior to marriage. Although it might well be circumstantial, I did find an Eliza Martin baptised on 16 October 1811 at Hastings All Saints, Sussex which matches at least a couple of the definite criteria for Betty. The parents were James and Elizabeth Martin.
Disappointing end, although Martin’s progress can be tracked through the various post-1861 census returns and there are the other Simister children to be chased down. I kept copies of all the documents mentioned if you want them
Cheers
Woody
