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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Lancashire => England => Lancashire Lookup Requests => Topic started by: Stoodly on Saturday 09 June 18 01:15 BST (UK)
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Greetings from Australia.
I am looking for information about BESSIE WAINWRIGHT (DOB unknown) who was reported to be in a "workhouse type establishment" in Toxteth in August 1919 when her three-year-old son JAMES WAINWRIGHT was adopted out. James was born on 26.7.1916 in Toxteth to Bessie and father unknown.
Any information regarding Bessie - date/place of birth etc would be much appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
Diana
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We are not allowed to post 1911 census details - but I can tell you there is only one Bessie Wainwright in Liverpool on it - noted down as Bessie - so - I have found her on IGI
https://www.familysearch.org/search/record/results?count=20&localeSubcountryName=Lancashire&query=%2Bgivenname%3Abessie~%20%2Bsurname%3Awainwright~%20%2Bbirth_place%3Aliverpool~%20%2Bbirth_year%3A1886-1888~%20%2Brecord_country%3AEngland%20%2Brecord_subcountry%3A%22England%2CLancashire%22
Look for the Bessie Wainwright born 1887 West Derby ( a district of Liverpool )
this Bessie -
Father John Wainwright / mother Margaret Wainwright
Bessie was born Great Crosby , Liverpool
of course we have no way of knowing if YOUR Bessie was born Liverpool - but this is the only one who was in 1911 census
definitely one to make a note of :)
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A shorter link, to take you directly to that 1911 record:
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XWT3-RF6
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Thank so much. I had this one noted as a possibility but am wondering if the Toxteth Work House records are available as they may provide more information about this specific Bessie?
Would be grateful for any steers in how to access these!
Regards
Diana
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Very few records for the workhouse survive
http://www.workhouses.org.uk/ToxtethPark/ (See Records at bottom of page)
It is possible that she was not a resident of the workhouse but just in the 'hospital' giving birth
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Greetings from Australia.
I am looking for information about BESSIE WAINWRIGHT (DOB unknown) who was reported to be in a "workhouse type establishment" in Toxteth in August 1919 when her three-year-old son JAMES WAINWRIGHT was adopted out. James was born on 26.7.1916 in Toxteth to Bessie and father unknown.
Any information regarding Bessie - date/place of birth etc would be much appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
Diana
Do you have a copy of James Wainwright's birth certificate? There is a possible birth index where the mother's surname is Wainwright in Toxteth Park in July/August/September 1916. The birth certificate should give the place of birth and an address for the mother that might be different to the place of birth. It's possible that the mother just went somewhere to have the baby then returned to her old address. What information do you have about the arrangements for the child? This was before "The Adoption of Children Act, 1926" made adoption in England and Wales a legal process.
Name: James Wainwright
Mother: Wainwright
District: Toxteth Park
Quarter: Jul/Aug/Sep
Year: 1916
Volume: 8b
Page 366
GRO [cheaper PDFs currently available for £6]:-
https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/menu.asp
Blue
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Thanks Blue, I have ordered that Wainwright birth PDF!
Regards
Diana
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Updater: the hunches paid off. The birth certificate for baby James links to the Bessie Wainwright in the 1911 Census, daughter of John and Margaret. She gives their address as her place of work address as her father's place.
But her residence and where the baby was born is 34 Newstead Road, Toxteth Park.
She would have been 29 years old and was unmarried.
Thanks for the steer.
Regards
Diana
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It looks like alternative arrangements were made she didn't have to go into the workhouse/hospital. She may have had support from the father of the child or her parents.
Unfortunately no electoral registers were published in 1916 and 1917. The register for 1914-15 has George Mills at 34 Newstead Road but looking at the address in other years there were no long term occupants around that time. Gore's 1911 has Thomas Collins, master mariner, 1911 census has a Heayberd family, 1920 electoral register has Simon with other surnames Hughes and Overend so a high turn over of occupants. Bessie may not have been there long.
Blue
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Electoral Register 1918 has the following for 34 Newstead Road:-
Harry Frost
Jessie Frost
Frederick James Hughes (also there in 1920)
Blue
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Thank you Blue - another piece of the jigsaw puzzle to possibly place?
I've also ordered a marriage certificate for a Bessie Wainwright who married a Michael McSherry in West Derby in 1918. If it's our Bessie she would have been a bride at 31, and maybe that's the reason why she decided to put her young son James up for adoption?
Any other advice from you local experts appreciated.
Kind regards
Diana
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That looks like an RC marriage was Bessie a catholic or was her child raised catholic?
Blue
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Very little is known about Bessie. So not sure about her religious persuasions!
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There appears to be a child of the McSherry marriage in 1919. He is possibly on a passenger list to Quebec in 1945 - address 44 Hornby Boulevard, Litherland, Liverpool occ Religious order. He appears on name index as Rev.
Probably the same person went to Quebec in 1929 - his address in England Co C and C church society, London EC4.
Might be worth looking for these two in 1939 ;)
Marriage Dec qtr 1937
Chorley Joseph S
McSherry Bessie
Crosby reg dist 8b 1159
South Sefton Register Office or Registrar Attended
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Thanks Rosie, I've been down that rabbit hole today ;)
Hopefully the marriage cert of Bessie Wainwright to Michael McSherry will shed a few answers.
But I am wondering if the son of a "boot maker" could end up being an CoE vicar? There are a few other Bessie Wainwright's floating around in the general location...............
Intriguing!
I'll keep you posted.
Many thanks
Diana
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Thanks again Rosie99 - Marriage certificate in, and BINGO, our Bessie married Michael McSherry on 2nd June 1918 at St John's Waterloo. She stated that she was a spinster aged 31.
In August 1919 James Wainwright, her son from a previous relationship, was relinquished for adoption.
In Oct/Nov/Dec 1919 Bessie and Michael McSherry's son Harold was born.
Any suggestions where else to look to find out more about this sad situation, or was it that the newly weds wanted to start a new life, and new family without the encumbrance of a previous child?
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"August 1919 James Wainwright, her son from a previous relationship, was relinquished for adoption."
What evidence do you have for this event and the date? This was before adoption became a legal process is there some other sort of document that is the source of this reference or was this event remembered in the family?
Blue
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Good Q, Blue, it is oral history.
"Adopted officially, from a workhouse type establishment, aged 3, by Mr and Mrs Cope" Note: I have their full details
So the date could be a bit fluid too, but James was born in July 1916, so August 1919 makes him three years old.
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There appears to be a child of the McSherry marriage in 1919. He is possibly on a passenger list to Quebec in 1945 - address 44 Hornby Boulevard, Litherland, Liverpool occ Religious order. He appears on name index as Rev.
Probably the same person went to Quebec in 1929 - his address in England Co C and C church society, London EC4.
Might be worth looking for these two in 1939 ;)
Marriage Dec qtr 1937
Chorley Joseph S
McSherry Bessie
Crosby reg dist 8b 1159
South Sefton Register Office or Registrar Attended
Rosie99 you were on the money!! Thru ordering certificates we can confirm that this is our Bessie :) Thank you. We'll probably never know why she relinquished baby James for adoption, but we do know how Bessie's life panned out: marriage #1 to Michael McSherry on 2nd June 1918 at St John’s Parish Church in Waterloo (can't find his death, but he was a seaman and travelling to the US in 1919) and then her subsequent marriage to Joseph Chorley on 13th November 1937, aged 50. She died in 1951 and her grave is in the grounds of SS Peter and Paul RC Church, Crosby.
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I am pleased that it all fitted together in the end ;D
Thank you for the update