Surnames of ELY

[Geoff]

Hi Bob

Thanks for the info, this could prove to be very fruitful.

Cheers
Geoff

[JoolsC]

Munns/Moxon connection.

Geoff, thanks for this info. It's going to take a while to digest and I have to admit some of the names appear familiar. It's my mother-in-law's side of the tree, so I know she'll be very interested if there is a real connection here. I'll let you know.
Thanks again,
Jools

[AndrewMartin]

Ive been scrabbling (that's a great word, isnt it?) for information for a while on Robert Cooper, a shoemaker of Ely and his wife Elizabeth. Elizabeth states that she was from Whittlesey but i cannot find a note of a marriage there and subsequently, looking for birth is not worthwhile without her maiden name.

A Robert Cooper (shoemaker) is noted as the father at a Cooper wedding in Ely St. Mary's in 1849 and again in 1864. The Coopers appear to have had a "long run" of parenting.

In 1871, i cant seem to find the couple... however...Robert was alive and working as a shoemaker up until at least 1878 when his daughter, my Gt Gt Grandmother, Harriett Cooper married my Gt Gt Grandfather, Alfred Newman in Ely.

In 1881, Walpole Lane (Ely Holy Trinity), Robert and Elizabeth Cooper appear as 73 and 70 respectively, with Robert saying he was born in Ely and Elizabeth stating Whittlesey. Robert is still listed as a shoemaker.

By 1891 I cannot see a trace of either of them.

My interest therefore is to see where Robert and Elizabeth Cooper we living on the 1851 and 1861 censuses - the censuses either side of my Gt. Gt. Grandmother's birth (1854). I'm pretty sure it is still Ely. This should enable me to make sure that the siblings are correct and then i will go in for the birth certificate of Harriett.

[bedfordshire boy]

Andrew

If they were still in Ely in 1861 then you are out of luck I'm afraid as the 1861 census for Ely was destroyed in a flood, unfortunately before 1861 was filmed by TNA.

Robert Cooper would have been named as father on a lot more marriages judging by the 1851 family!

The family appear in the Cambs FHS index for 1851 on http://www.cfhs.org.uk/Search.html

The full entry reads
Walpole Lane, Ely St Marys
Robert Cooper head marr 43 shoemaker born Ely
Elizabeth Cooper wife 40 b March
Isabelle Cooper dau 19 At home servant b Ely
Rebecca Cooper dau 12 At home b Ely
William Cooper son 10 Scholar b Ely
Mary Cooper dau 10 Scholar b Ely
Henry Cooper son 9 Scholar b Ely
Thomas Cooper son 8 Scholar b Ely
John Cooper son 5 at home b Ely
Caroline Cooper dau 3 b Ely
Alfred Cooper son 1 b Ely

There's no sign of a marriage between Robert Cooper and Elizabeth in March parish registers.

In 1871 they were still at Walpole Lane Ely RG10/1605 folio 83
Robert Cooper head marr 64 shoemaker born Ely
Elizabeth Cooper wife 62 b Ely
Harriett Cooper dau 16 dress maker b Ely
Joseph Allison grandson 3 scholar b Ely
Regards

David

[AndrewMartin]

Thanks David. You've answered one of my bigger, general questions about where is the Ely 1861 census    as well as giving me the 1871 info. Thank you very much. 

I have the 1871 census on cd-rom and hadnt spotted them on there.. probably down to hours of noting things down and getting "square-eyes".

I've rediscovered my notes on the deaths of both Robert and Elizabeth, courtesy of the excellent CFHS Ely Cemetery Book cd-rom and i've just made application for Harriett's birth certificate to reveal the maiden name of her mother (i'm hoping for a "new" name as my family's favourite hobby appears to have been inbreeding or illegitimacy!).