I've spent a great deal of the day emailing potential relations to try and get a better grasp of my 2nd Great Grandmother, Margaret Turner (nee Walker, previously Fender). If there's one person in the tree that's currently giving me grief, it's her!
Born in about 1852 (location unknown), she gave birth to a daughter Annie Eveline in about 1878 at 35 Walnut Street, Liverpool and gave her daughter the surname of Fender. She listed Annie's father as Thomas Fender, a sailor.
I have not, so far been able to track these three in the 1861 or 1881 census, nor can I find any marriage for Margaret Walker to a Fender.
Margaret then married a Joseph Turner in February 1889. Joseph's occupation at the time is Stonemason and they are both living in Park Lane, Liverpool. Margaret at No 75 and Joseph at 71. Margaret calls herself Madeline on the cert with the surname Fender. It says she is a Widow at 37 years old and gave her maiden name as Walker. Margaret or Madeline (I'll continue to call her Margaret) gave her fathers name as Henry Walker, occupation Farmer. Joseph declared himself as a bachelor and gave his fathers name as James Turner, occupation Stonemason. None of the witnesses are related, that I can tell so far.
Shortly after their marriage (April 1890) Margaret gave birth to James Turner at 16 Penrith Street, Birkenhead. For me to have this exact location I must have a cert, but I can't seem to locate it within my files. In 1891 I have the family living in 15 Warwick Street, Birkenhead, which when you look at one of the old maps I found on the National Library of Scotland website, they aren't too far away from the house in which James was born!
The transcription from the census:
Joseph Turner (Head) Age: 39 Occupation: Bricksetter? Born: Birkenhead, Cheshire Margaret Turner (Wife) Age: 38 Occupation: None Born: Clifford, Yorkshire
Eveline Fender (Step-daughter) Age: 11 Occupation: Scholar Born: Liverpool, Lancashire
James Turner (Son) Age: 11 months Born: Birkenhead, Cheshire
Jane Rigby (Boarder) Age: 21 Occupation: None Born: Birkenhead, Cheshire
In 1892 Margaret gave birth to Alice Turner at 12 Tranmere Vale, Birkenhead. I've put a few messages out on some forums to find out where the exact location would be, so I'll come back and update this when I have new information. Margaret's name ties in with previous marriage cert to Joseph so I know this Alice is definitely Margaret's daughter.
Sadly I think James died in 1894, aged only 4. He death certificate show's cause of death as pneumonia. He died at 43 Tranmere Vale, Birkenhead. His father (Joseph) is a bricklayer.
In the 1901 Census, the family are living at 18 Wilkinson Street, which if you look on the map for the 1891 census above, is just the street on the other side of Oxton Road by Warwick Street. The Turners at first were not easy to find and I only found the connection after I had bought a marriage cert for Margaret's daughter, Alice (I'll explain later). Margaret is listed as widowed but the head of her family, she lives with daughter Alice. Margaret is still showing that she was born in Yorkshire, so it's highly likely I have the right lady. Just need to find out where and when Joseph died, he was named on James' death cert so I'm going to try and search for deaths between 1894 and 1901 next. The transcription from the census:
Margaret Turner (Head - Widow) Age: 49 Occupation: Laundress Work Born: Yorkshire, Leeds
Alice Turner (Daughter) Age: 7 Born: Birkenhead, Cheshire
Jumping 10 years to the 1911 census, I still have the family living in Wilkinson Street, however it looks like they have moved to No 10, or it's a transcription error. Margaret looks like she has a massive brood living with her in their 5 roomed house. From looking at Google Maps street view today, it's an area of shops and business units so I couldn't tell you what the houses were like, but I can imagine given the majority of people working there were labourers so the houses could have been pretty standard two up, two down jobbies. I'll try and locate an old picture and revisit this post at some point. What's interesting here is that Margaret and the rest of the family all have their Birthplace as Birkenhead. Why? It's possible that Margaret just gave Birkenhead to all for ease.
The transcription from the census: Margaret Turner (Head - Widow) Age: 59 Occupation: Laundress Born: Birkenhead Alice Turner (Daughter) Age: 17 Occupation: Laundress Born: Birkenhead Eveline Rimmer (no position to head - Widow) Age: 32 Occupation: None Born: Birkenhead
Eveline Rimmer (G.Daughter) Age: 10 Occupation: School Born: Birkenhead Jeffrey Rimmer (G.Son) Age: 8 Occupation: School Born: Birkenhead Madgalen Rimmer (G.Daughter) Age: 6 Occupation: School Born: Birkenhead Nora Rimmer (G.Daughter) Age: 4 Occupation: School Born: Birkenhead
Frederick Rimmer (G.Son) Age: 2 Occupation: None Born: Birkenhead
Margaret also has 3 boarders living with her, not sure if they relations yet!
Now what's interesting here are that the Rimmers on the 1911 census, are clearly Eveline Rimmer's children but here Eveline is widowed. When glancing back to the 1901 census, I noticed just above Margaret are a family of Rimmers. Have a look back at the document, can you make the connection? Eveline Rimmer widowed here on the 1911 census and Eveline Rimmer on the 1901 census is Annie Eveline Fender born 1878 in Liverpool! The dates tie in with her age on the census, so this must be correct!
Margaret isn't found on any documents after the 1911 census and I've yet to locate her death, given that I'm struggling to find her birth and her first marriage to Thomas. I wonder if Annie Eveline was illegitimate or maybe I need to widen the search. Either way, Margaret between 1861 and 1881 just doesn't want to be found!
Margaret's daughter Alice marries Thomas Williams (yep, there's my connection!) on the 8th February 1915 in St Wergburghs Chapel, Birkenhead. One of the witnesses on the wedding certificate is Eveline Rimmer - Alice's half sister!!
You'll notice that Alice is calling herself Mary Alice, her occupation ties in with the census and she is still living at 10 Wilkinson Street, so the earlier address on the 1911 census is correct! Do you have any parts of your tree that you are keen to complete and close down, but can't because people don't want to be located? I just wish my grandparents lived long enough for me to ask them all my questions that they would undoubtedly know the answers to.
Who said family research was easy?
Time for bed.