A Mission to find a PILGRIM

[Trees]

This is about a family from Reading.
John Pilgrim (born 1836 son of Thomas and Charlotte) married Louisa Clements (born 1840 daughter of George and Elizabeth)
They had 12 known children between 1857 and 1877
Then their story becomes tragic
Three children and their father died
Joseph Henry 1876-1876
John the father  in 1878 age 44
William Alfred 1866-1887 age 12
Ernest Andrew 1877-1879 age 2

On the 1881 census
The 1st and 3rd sons are  married
the 2nd and 7th sons are living with an uncle
the 6th and 8th sons are in a district school
the 4th, 5th,  9th and 10th have already died
One daughter has died the other is in service.

So what happened to the poor mother Louisa? I can't find a death for her on Free BMD or FindMyPast burials nor on any census after 1871. She is not the Louisa who married in 1885 that was her daughter.

I will be very grateful for any help finding Louisa before I try to sort out a real mess with one of the son's marriage that is going to be a h=big  problem

[Trees]

Oh goodness how sad I have just found a Newspaper item.The 12 year old William had drowned while a pupil at the district school. It seems he and another boy had gone to collect potatoes and when they stopped to water their horse at a stream it got its foot caught in a hole and thrashed about dragging the cart in to the water poor William was unable to swim and was accidentally drowned
So much tragedy in this family after 1876
 

[LizzieL]

When was Louisa last "seen"? She gave birth to her last child in 1877 Q3. Did she register the birth? Was she the informant on the death certs of her husband or of Ernest? If still alive then she would be the next of kin to both and the most likely informant.
According to FindMyPast burial records the abode of both John and Ernest at time of death was Brook Street. The Silver's were living in Brook Street in 1881.

[jillruss]

There's a possible death on FreeBMD - Louisa Pilgrim died March Q 1912 age 63 in Saffron Waldon Registration District (Essex).

The age at death fits. I suppose the easy way to find out would be to send for the death certificate - the cheaper but harder way might be to try and find out via the censuses what happened to her surviving children, if any of them settled in the Saffron Waldon area and may have looked after their mother in her widowhood.

Jill

[LizzieL]

The Saffron Walden Louisa was born in Clavering, Essex, so not the right one.

[Trees]

Sorry not to have been around to join your discussion, and many thanks for your interest.
Mary Clement wmarried Thomas Silver and was Lousia' sister They have two of Louisa's children with them in 1881
I just feel that either Lousia died having the last child ...but if so where is her death recorded?
or with so much trauma did the poor lady go into either the workhouse or an assylum or a hospital in which case was she simply on a census with initials?
Its so sad between 1786 and 1879 she lost two children,her husband, Her mother  and her father in law all on top of having and loosing twins in 1868. Poor lady how much sadness could one person bear?

[Trees]

There does not appear any connection with Saffron Waldon . I believe the two from the District School eventually joined the HUSSARs one went to South Africa and stayed once he completed his service he is one I want to follow up sometime. The other one married a lady who at the marriage was recorded as Charlotte Pilgrim but seems to have been Herridge &or Pilgrim( her mother is on two censuses with her once under the name Herridge once as a Pilgrim  /Gilbert she married George Gilbert as Charlotte Herridge no death for him has been found but Charlotte then married as Pilgrim  its most odd. But that is for another time I still need to find Louisa Pilgrim after 1871.
As the boys were in the District School in 1881 I think something has happened to her between 1877and 1881. As the two youngest were buried from Brook Street did she go to her sister when John died that would explain why two of the boys were with the Silvers in 1881 Oh but one died before his father didn't he was John ill before the birth of the youngest out of work and Thomas Silver was offering support even before John died  In 1871 they were in Bosier Square, St Mary Reading the Silvers were already in Brook St in 1871

[LizzieL]

Your Herridges and Pilgrims get even more complicated. In 1901 a married Charlotte Pilgrim is with her mother Mary Herridge. Also in the household is another Charlotte Pilgrim age 19 grandaughter of Mary. Going back to 1891 to see if Charlotte jnr is daughter of Charlotte snr, we find that Charlotte jnr is with Caroline and Charles Gregory listed as Charles stepdaughter. In Q2 1887 Charles Gregory married Caroline Herridge.
Mary Pilgrim / Herridges' husband was Joseph Pilgrim  - tracked this back through grandson Joe aged 10 in 1891. Looks like the same Joseph who was brother of John (husband of missing Louisa).

[Trees]

Great work I too had followed back to Caroline but had failed to link Joseph with Mary Herridge That is a very useful piece to the puzzle I wonder why she dodges back and forth between Herridge and Pilgrim It looks like Charlotte married Edward Gilbert as Charlotte Herridge before she married Albert Pilgrim as Pilgrim ? 1891 RG12/ 493fo100 p48 (with two Gilbert daughters Lily andLouisa) I can't find a death for Edward Gilbert so what has happened there why not use his name to remarry....unless are we looking at a bigamist
Then her mother also swings between the two surnames
1911 RG14PN3559 RG78PN133 RD40 SD4 ED11 SN475  Mother is Mary Pilgrim born 1824 in West Isley
1901 RG13/ 670 fo69 p15    Mary Ann Herridge born 1826 Easley, Berkshire

It really is a mysterious family
So I now have two missing people Louisa Pilgrim and Edward Gilbert