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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => London and Middlesex => Topic started by: Jolee on Wednesday 17 June 15 11:06 BST (UK)
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In 1875 the above was tried and found guilty of the murder of her new born daughter Mary Elizabeth born/baptised 1875, (source baptism record)she was sent to Newgate and from there to Knaphill, I have no further trace of her after this, I know she had a son George William Coward born/baptised 1870 (source Baptism record) he married Alice Jones in 1890 and had two children, on his marriage record he states Robert Coward as his father, but Robert in fact was his grandfather,(source census records).
Is there anyone connected to George W Coward who may know what happened to his mother?
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is this her ?? from the Criminal registers on Ancestry , Trial was at the Old Bailey
Mary Elizabeth Coward
Date of Trial:
3 May 1875
Trial Year:
1875
Location of Trial:
Middlesex, England
Sentence:
Death
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Was she born 23 Oct 1850, baptised (Shoreditch) 17 Nov 1850, daughter of Robert & Susan?
If so this marriage may be hers, obviously indicating the death sentence was not carried out.
Marriage, St Luke Finsbury
16 June 1884
William Linden COATS, bach, 32, butcher, of 93 Central St, son of William Linden COATS, seaman.
Mary Elizabeth COWARD, spinster, 33, servant, of 76 Rahere St, daughter of Robert COWARD, carman.
Witnesses: Robert COWARD, Eliza Jane EDWARDS
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Is this his baptism?
Name: George William Coward
Birth Date: 25 Jan 1870
Baptism Date: 3 Apr 1870
Baptism Place: Saint Leonards,Shoreditch,London,England
Mother: Mary Elizabeth Coward
So he should be on the 1871 census,but I can't find him,or mum?
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Was she born 23 Oct 1850, baptised (Shoreditch) 17 Nov 1850, daughter of Robert & Susan?
If so this marriage may be hers, obviously indicating the death sentence was not carried out.
Marriage, St Luke Finsbury
16 June 1884
William Linden COATS, bach, 32, butcher, of 93 Central St, son of William Linden COATS, seaman.
Mary Elizabeth COWARD, spinster, 33, servant, of 76 Rahere St, daughter of Robert COWARD, carman.
Witnesses: Robert COWARD, Eliza Jane EDWARDS
They may have emigrated,they had a son also called William Linden Coats in Holborn in March 1885. But cannot see any of them on any census after that date?
Is this his death?
Deaths Dec 1965
COATS WILLIAM L age 80 ISLINGTON 5C 587
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Don't think they emigrated - Mary's traceable until the last census, and son William stuck around in the Islington area, marrying in Hornsey in 1914.
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Baptisms:
An oddity re William
18 Jan 1885, St Luke Finsbury
William Linden [birthdate not given]
Son of Robert Goward COATES*, lapidary and Susan Mary Elizabeth, of 49 Raken St. (*Wonder if they meant to call him Robert Coward COATES, son of William Linden COATES, and the curate got in a muddle?)
6 Jan 1888, St Luke Finsbury
Ellen Elizabeth, born 1 Nov 1887
Daughter of William COATS, glasscutter, and Mary Elizabeth, of 3 President St.
Ellen died aged 3, Sep qtr 1891 Holborn
15 Jan 1892, St Luke Finsbury
Albert Frederick, born 27 Nov 1891
Son of William Linton COATES, glasscutter, and Mary Elizabeth, of 3 Norman's Buildings.
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Well found Avm ;D
Bit odd that dad is now a glasscutter,he was a butcher when they married !
Carol
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Bit odd that dad is now a glasscutter,he was a butcher when they married !
Indeed!
Here they are in 1891 (RG12/232/58/4).
3 Norman's Buildings, St Luke Finsbury
William COATES Head Mar 39 Glass Cutter Chelsea London
Mary do Wife Mar 40 Holborn London
William do Son S 6 St Luke London
Ellen do Dau S 3 St Luke London
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Births Dec 1850
Coward Mary Elizabeth London 2 206
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This file may contain an explanation as to how and why Mary Elizabeth's death sentence was apparently commuted to life:
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4134163
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Possible death
Deaths Dec 1933
Coates Mary E 83 Islington 1b 210
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Class: RG10; Piece: 403; Folio: 23; Page: 39 1871 census
Robert Coward 50 born Holbeach Lincolnshire Carman
Susan Coward 54
William Coward 24
Henry Coward 20
Mary Coward 20
Eliza Coward 15
James Hurst 31 lodger
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Amazing - It never crossed my mind that she married, the marriage in 1884 I think is right, her father Robert was a car man and she had a sister Eliza who married Henry Edwards in 1880, Both being the names of the witnesses on the cert.
Mary Elizabeth only came to light in our family when I found, after the death of my father in 1977, newspaper cuttings in a prayer book of her trial and sentence, I have been trying to trace where she fits in the family, but the general opinion is my great grandfather who was single at the time and lived round the corner may possibly be the father of Mary's children as we can find no family connection, and it appears it was a secret as nobody ever spoke of it and was kept hidden in the prayer book for nearly 100 years.
I am now busy going through all the other info, thank you all so much for your help
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Hi all. I'm just wondering what the interest was in Mary Elizabeth Coward. I have conducted a fair bit of research into her, as she is part of a family mystery. I would like to know more!!