For a while I had been trying to find the death of my 4xgreat grandmother Sarah Richardson nee May born 1824 in Terling, Essex daughter of Charles May and wed James Richardson in 1844. James died in 1868. Sarah disappeared after the 1871 census when she was in Terling. Then I found a Sarah Ann Richardson marriage to a Benjamin Cheek in 1876 in the right area and the date and parish was indexed on the IGI. I found a Sarah Cheek on the 1881 census wife of Benjamin and she said she was born in Terling. The age was out though. But then luckily I was going down to Essex for my cousins wedding and on the day I managed to blag a quick trip to the Southend library which has all Essex PRs and I viewed the original marriage register at White Notley, Essex and Sarah said she was a widow and her father was Charles May, a labourer and her daughter Lavinia Richardson was a witness. Sarah died in 1903 aged 79 so she lived a long while after she remarried. Benjamin had died in 1896. A brickwall broken down.
The second one is my 3xgreat grandfather Thomas Musgrave born 1827 in Darlington Durham. Probably the most major and exciting breakthrough. For about 3 years I had tried and failed to find a likely death for him in the England death registers. i checked and cross referenced any Thomas Musgrave and name variants deaths after 1885 and I eliminated all of them. It seemed to be a road leading to nowhere. I even checked under first name and surname only and rough age and area to no avail. Was he abducted by aliens?
I did think that he may have gone abroad or something. Out of curiosity I looked on the 1900 US census on Ancestry and found a Thomas Musgrave aged 72, born England living in Allegheny, Pennsylvania. I had not got a sub for the US ancestry but knew the census was free on FamilySearch pilot site. I typed his name in and on the name index it said he was born Dec 1827, England. My Thomas was baptised in December 1827 in Darlington, Durham. I viewed the original image and it said Thomas Musgrave, born dec 1827, England, widower, immigration year 1887, gent, and he could read, write and speak English. What proved it was he was living with his married daughter Elizabeth Sutherland nee Musgrave and on the 1900 census she said she was born April 1852 in England which ties in with Elizabeth Musgrave born in 1852 daughter of Thomas born Dec 1827 Darlington. Elizabeth's previous husband was Robert Wilson and on the 1900 census she had a daughter Mary Wilson born Oct 1884 stepdaughter of Robert Sutherland. That explained why i couldn't find a death for Thomas in England, he had sneaked off to the States even aged nearly 60 after his wife died in Dec 1885 and left no clues in England making me find out the truth longer . Thomas had a daughter Margaret born 1 March 1871 in Durham. A Margaret Musgrave wed a Thomas Prosser in Allegheny, Pennsylvania in 1889 and she said she was born March 1871 England on the 1900 US census and her year of immigration was the same as Thomas Musgrave's. I then found a Thomas Musgrave and a Margaret Musgrave aged 14 on a passenger list in September 1886 from Liverpool to Philadelphia. A direct ancestor who emigrated. I think he did so because the opportunity was too good to miss or he wanted to live longer after his wife died aged 53.
The final one is William Taylor, born about 1822, Wimbish, Essex. He was baptised February 1824 son of Allen and Ann Taylor. He wed Mary Ann Lucking in 1851 in Canewdon and his fathers name was given as Allen Taylor. They had 3 children, William in 1854, James in 1857 and Elizabeth in 1864. He was on the 1861 and 1871 censuses in Canewdon. His wife Mary Ann died in August 1871 aged 41. She was buried on the 17th August 1871 at St Nicholas, Canewdon with an infant John Taylor on the same day. He must have been a son and she either died in childbirth or they both were ill when she gave birth. Afterwards William seemed to disappear. He was not on the 1881 census and I couldnt find any death 1871-1881 in Essex that seemed to fit, only in the Tendring and Lexden areas which was quite a way from the Rochford areas and I kept looking evey so often over a 3 year period. His daughter was in service in 1881 and his two sons were lodgers with unrelated families. I was unable to find him in 1891. Although there was a William Taylor who died in 1898 aged 81 in the Rochford district. There was a William Taylor born in Paglesham in 1819 but he was still alive in 1901 so couldnt have been the one who died in 1898. I looked on findmypast last night and found that one who died in 1898 was buried in Canewdon on the 19th May 1898 aged 81. Canewdon was where he was last living in 1871. I then looked on the 1891 census and found him in Rochford Workhouse aged 74, pauper inmate born Saffron Walden which is next to his actual place of birth, a widower, and ag labourer. I now await the death cert.
The second one is my 3xgreat grandfather Thomas Musgrave born 1827 in Darlington Durham. Probably the most major and exciting breakthrough. For about 3 years I had tried and failed to find a likely death for him in the England death registers. i checked and cross referenced any Thomas Musgrave and name variants deaths after 1885 and I eliminated all of them. It seemed to be a road leading to nowhere. I even checked under first name and surname only and rough age and area to no avail. Was he abducted by aliens?
I did think that he may have gone abroad or something. Out of curiosity I looked on the 1900 US census on Ancestry and found a Thomas Musgrave aged 72, born England living in Allegheny, Pennsylvania. I had not got a sub for the US ancestry but knew the census was free on FamilySearch pilot site. I typed his name in and on the name index it said he was born Dec 1827, England. My Thomas was baptised in December 1827 in Darlington, Durham. I viewed the original image and it said Thomas Musgrave, born dec 1827, England, widower, immigration year 1887, gent, and he could read, write and speak English. What proved it was he was living with his married daughter Elizabeth Sutherland nee Musgrave and on the 1900 census she said she was born April 1852 in England which ties in with Elizabeth Musgrave born in 1852 daughter of Thomas born Dec 1827 Darlington. Elizabeth's previous husband was Robert Wilson and on the 1900 census she had a daughter Mary Wilson born Oct 1884 stepdaughter of Robert Sutherland. That explained why i couldn't find a death for Thomas in England, he had sneaked off to the States even aged nearly 60 after his wife died in Dec 1885 and left no clues in England making me find out the truth longer . Thomas had a daughter Margaret born 1 March 1871 in Durham. A Margaret Musgrave wed a Thomas Prosser in Allegheny, Pennsylvania in 1889 and she said she was born March 1871 England on the 1900 US census and her year of immigration was the same as Thomas Musgrave's. I then found a Thomas Musgrave and a Margaret Musgrave aged 14 on a passenger list in September 1886 from Liverpool to Philadelphia. A direct ancestor who emigrated. I think he did so because the opportunity was too good to miss or he wanted to live longer after his wife died aged 53. The final one is William Taylor, born about 1822, Wimbish, Essex. He was baptised February 1824 son of Allen and Ann Taylor. He wed Mary Ann Lucking in 1851 in Canewdon and his fathers name was given as Allen Taylor. They had 3 children, William in 1854, James in 1857 and Elizabeth in 1864. He was on the 1861 and 1871 censuses in Canewdon. His wife Mary Ann died in August 1871 aged 41. She was buried on the 17th August 1871 at St Nicholas, Canewdon with an infant John Taylor on the same day. He must have been a son and she either died in childbirth or they both were ill when she gave birth. Afterwards William seemed to disappear. He was not on the 1881 census and I couldnt find any death 1871-1881 in Essex that seemed to fit, only in the Tendring and Lexden areas which was quite a way from the Rochford areas and I kept looking evey so often over a 3 year period. His daughter was in service in 1881 and his two sons were lodgers with unrelated families. I was unable to find him in 1891. Although there was a William Taylor who died in 1898 aged 81 in the Rochford district. There was a William Taylor born in Paglesham in 1819 but he was still alive in 1901 so couldnt have been the one who died in 1898. I looked on findmypast last night and found that one who died in 1898 was buried in Canewdon on the 19th May 1898 aged 81. Canewdon was where he was last living in 1871. I then looked on the 1891 census and found him in Rochford Workhouse aged 74, pauper inmate born Saffron Walden which is next to his actual place of birth, a widower, and ag labourer. I now await the death cert.
