Stanley family mystery

[littleem1906]

Hi all

I have traced my Stanley family (mostly from Birmingham) back to Dawley in Shropshire and this is where I have a huge problem.

In my tree there is a Josiah Stanley, born 1850 in Wellington Shrophire. He married eliza Jane Biscoe in 1874 and died in Staffordshire 1901. I have traced them as a family through from 1881-1911 in census but the wherabouts of some of their children is difficult to find.

Here they are in 1881:
Living in Chase Terrace, Staff
Father: Josiah 30 - Salop, Shrop
Wife: Eliza Jane 28 - Dawley Green
Children: John Henry ( Dawley, Francis (5) Dawley, Samuel (1) Staffs.

Here they are again in 1891:
Living in Chase Terrace, Staff
Father: Josiah 40 - Dawley, Shrop
Wife: Eliza Jane 37 - Dawley, Shrop
Children: John Henry (7), Francis (15), Samuel (11), James (9) Staffs, Mary Ann (7) Staffs, William (6) Staffs, George (5) Staffs, Enoch (3) Staffs, Eliza Jne (1) Staffs.

Here they are in 1901:
Living in Chase Terrace, Staffs
Father: Josiah 51 - Dawley, Shrop
Wife: Eliza Jane (49) Dawley, Shrop
Children: Samuel (21), James (19), William (16), George (14), Enoch (13), Eliza Jane (11), Florence May (9)
GRANDSON: John Henry (3) Wallsall, Staffs

(Note: I don't know who John Henry aged 3 belongs to)

This is where the family gets tricky because in 1911 there is a new older some that has not appeared in any of the former census records.
Father: died in 1901
Wife: Eliza Jane (60) Dawley, Shrop
Children: WILLIAM THOMAS (40) Dawley, John Henry (38) widow, William (26), George (24), Enoch (22), Florence (18).
GRANDCHILDREN: John Henry (13), Albert Edward (10) Lancs (son of John Henry above), Josiah (5) Staffs.

(Note: I don't know who Josiah Stanley aged 5 belongs to).

Can anyone help me fill in the gaps in census for the children of Josiah and Eliza Jane?
Here are the gaps that I have:
 --- William Thomas (eldest son) - birth around 1871 - can't find a record and don't have him in any census other than 1911. Where was he before?
--- Francis - missing in 1901 (would be around 16). In 1911 he is living with wife Emily Jane (34 from Burntwood). Married 13 years. Child: Elizabeth Wright (12) born in Chase Terrace. Why not the Stanley surname?
--- Samuel - in 1911 he is with wife Emma (28) born in Wallbrook, Staffs. Child: John Walker aged 4 months. Born in Lichfield, Staff. Not listed as son, space left blank. Who is this child?
--- James - missing in 1911. Did he die?
--- Mary Ann - missing in 1901 (aged 17) and in 1911 (aged 27). Did she marry?
--- Eliza Jane - missing in 1891. She was born in 1890. Could she have missed the census?

Any help with this family would be a huge help. Particularly with the eldest child William Thomas as he is a complete mystery before 1911.

Kind regards

[littleem1906]

There shouldn't be a smiley face next to John Henry's age! It should be an 8.

[Manchester Rambler]

If William Thomas was 40 in 1911, he was presumably born before Eliza Jane married Josiah, so allowing a little leeway for age, this might be his birth registration:

Births Mar 1872
BRISCOE  William Thomas
Madeley 6a 672   

I think he is living with his maternal grandparents (as Briscoe) in 1891.

[Manchester Rambler]

A possible marriage for James:

Marriages Mar 1907
JONES  Mary
STANLEY  James
Lichfield 6b 655

Staffordshire BMD http://www.staffordshirebmd.org.uk gives Mary an alternative surname STEVENSON, so it was possibly a second marriage for her.

The 1911 free index shows a James STANLEY born Staffordshire c1881 living in Mansfield, Notts with a Mary in the same household.

[littleem1906]

That's great, thanks!
If William Thomas is with his grandparents I should hopefully be able to find him in 1901, 1891, 1881 and 1871.   

I had a look at the Elizabeth Wright (12) who was living with Francis and his wife in 1911. I found her birth record and I think I found her in 1901 living with her parents, William Wright (35) and Mary Ann (30). Why would she be living with Francis in 1911? Did something happen to her family? Was she visiting?

I also found a birth for John Walker (4months) who was living with Samuel and his wife in 1911. Why would Samuel have him? Was he adopted by them I wonder?

Here are the things I still don't have:
--- A marriage and death for William Thomas.
--- children for Francis and his wife Emily J Whitehouse. Married 1898. (they had none in 1911, did they have any at all?)
--- A birth and death for John Henry. He was a widow in 1911 (had married Phoebe Webb and lived in Lancs. She dided 1905), did he marry again?
--- Children for Samuel and his wife Emma Hancox. Married 1906. They had none in 1911.
--- A death and children for James and his wife Mary Jones. Married 1907. The mariage Manchester Rambler found is very likely to be him, so why is he listed as single and living with his mother in 1911?
--- A death for William.
--- A marriage, children and death for Mary Ann. I still can't find Mary Ann after 1891.
--- A marriage, children for George (middle name Edwin).
--- Children for Enoch and his wife Millicent Amy Harvey. They married 1938 and he died in 1944.
--- Marriage, children and death for Eliza Jane. I still can't find her after 1901.
--- A marriage, children and death for Florence May.

Any further help would be much appreciated.

[Manchester Rambler]

A death and children for James and his wife Mary Jones. Married 1907. The mariage Manchester Rambler found is very likely to be him, so why is he listed as single and living with his mother in 1911?

You said James was "missing" in 1911 in your original post....   

Did you check the couple on the index living in Notts in 1911?


A possible death for William Thomas:

Deaths Mar 1935   
BRISCOE  William T   
aged 63   
Walsall 6b 800   

[Manchester Rambler]

Staffordshire BMD has a possible marriage for Florence:

Marriages 1912
Florence M STANLEY m. Enoch WALKER, St Anne, Chasetown.

[littleem1906]

Sorry that was a typo. James was missing in 1911!

You said William Thomas was living with his grandparents in census. Do you have the reference or link to this census? Only there are two Eliza Jane Briscoes born around the time my Eliza Jane was born so I'm not entirely sure which ones are her parents. If I can find the census with William Thomas in it I will know the name of her parents.

[littleem1906]

Just checked for James in 1911. He is living with wife Mary. No children. Married for 4 years!