Eliza Cleverly

[dee-jay]

Greaves,

I note that when George DEAN married (for the 2nd time?), his bride was recorded Elizabeth CLEVERLEY. In the one census return that she appeared with him her age was advanced by some 5 years, so that instead of confirming the 20-years’ gap between them, it was inferred he was 47 to her 32 (instead of only 27 if she was indeed the Eliza CLEVERLY registered in the March quarter of 1844).

By the same token, if George had been responsible for registering her death, it was likely he would have used the Christian name Elizabeth, and who knows what age he would have inferred for her?  If she was the mother of the youngest daughter appearing in Births Jun 1879   DEAN, Louise ref: Epsom 2a 8, I’d be inclined to search for a burial for her initially at Sutton following on from Louise’s birth date.  The constant facts appear to be George’s occupation and residence at Sutton from 1841 onwards, so I think it unlikely his wife would have been admitted to an institution in Hampshire when Surrey had so many of their own.

If you have access to the original marriage record for George DEAN & Elizabeth, can you confirm whether or not the bride provided a signature?  Alternatively, if she was informant for any of the births of her children, which name did she provide?

[Greaves]

Sorry for the delay in replying to this, but I somehow managed to miss the last couple of posts!

Having reviewed the thread, two things become apparent.

(1) Eliza was never an industrial schoolgirl, but was working as a domestic servant in Whitchurch in 1861. The age and residence being a much better fit.

(2) I am now beginning to have doubts about her marriage to George DEAN. The marriage certificate for the wedding in May 1866 in Croydon between George DEAN (41, widower) and Elizabeth Cleverly (26, spinster) had them both residing in Old Town, Croydon. It gives her father as John Cleverly, which is correct, but gives his occupation as game-keeper. This is somewhat surprising as all previous mentions of her father in 1841 and 1851 censuses list him as an agricultural labourer/ He is also described as a labourer when he married in 1843. My knowledge of rural life in mid - 19th century Hampshire is not great, but I assume that game-keeper is several grades above labourer. On the other hand, the 1871 census does confirm that the Eliza/Elizabeth who married George DEAN was born in Whitchurch. She signed her name as "Elizabeth".

All of which raises the question, if she didn't marry George DEAN, what happened to her after 1861?

[dee-jay]

The marriage certificate for the wedding in May 1866 in Croydon between George DEAN (41, widower) and Elizabeth Cleverly (26, spinster) had them both residing in Old Town, Croydon. It gives her father as John Cleverly, which is correct, but gives his occupation as game-keeper.

It's not unusual for an 'elevation' in status when a bride marries out of county, where her early history is unknown.  Neither is it unusual for elevation in reality from Ag lab to Game-keeper:  many made that transition after the 1840s.  However, it appears likely Eliza/Elizabeth's father died when she was very young:  FreeBMD Deaths Mar 1852  CLEVERLEY    John      Whitchurch 2c   111.

I'd still be inclined to pursue Sutton burials for an Elizabeth DEAN.  It's likely she would have been interred in a single plot as George was likely to have been buried in 1st wife Martha's plot.    

[Greaves]

I am still having great difficulty in tracking down Eliza/Elizabeth Cleverly following her marriage to George Dean in 1866, assuming of course that I have the right Eliza/Elizabeth marrying George Dean.

The last definite sighting of Eliza Cleverly was in the 1861 census, when she was a 17 year old servant in Whitchurch in Hampshire, where she was born. The Elizabeth Cleverly, aged 26, who married George Dean in 1866 in Croydon, was probably my girl, as the 1871 census confirms that she was born in Whitchurch.

The couple appear to have settled down at Lind Road, Sutton and are there for the 1871 census with two children (Eleanor and Almenia) presumably from George's first marriage and a new child (George) presumably born to Eliza/Elizabeth.

By the 1881 census Eliza/Elizabeth is nowhere to be seen, though George continues to live at the same address until after the 1901 census.

I have followed up a number of suggestions, but I am no nearer to finding her after 1871.

[Greaves]

I still can't locate a death. Any suggestions? I am lost for what to do next.