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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Kent => England => Kent Lookup Requests => Topic started by: dutch missmarple on Sunday 28 June 20 20:49 BST (UK)
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Hi all,
Mercy Sophia Pearce married Benjamin Thomas Wilson in 1867.
Census 1871 has them living in Cliffe with daughter Alice.
After that Mercy dissapears from Benjamin's life.
I know she was in and out of workhouses from 1900 - 1912 (over 50 times)
what could the reason be that someone was in and out of workhouses so often ?
Sometimes a day, sometimes weeks. Always under the name Pearce and not Wilson ! Sometimes Mercy, other times Mary.
Census 1901 she's at St. George's hanover Union Workhouse Chelsea
Census 1911 she lives in Higham
She died in 1918 (name Wilson) in Higham (Poor Law Union Records)
so my questions:
where was she censuses 1881 and 1891.If she was in a workhouse are there any records ?
what could be the reason for so many times in a workhouse.
Excuse my question but is a workhouse a kind of prison or mental hospital ?
thank you
Dutch MissMarple
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Workhouses were for people with no means of supporting themselves. There may be an infirmary for those who were ill.
There are records for workhouses but they are variable. Take a look at Peter Higginbothams's website
http://www.workhouses.org.uk/
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No birthyear/birthplace included for her. Freebmd shows birth March qtr 1849 North Aylesford
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Here's her burial entry in case you don't have it
http://cityark.medway.gov.uk/wwwopacx/wwwopac.ashx?command=getcontent&server=files&value=P185-01-31.pdf
scroll down to page 21
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I’m wondering if her absence has anything to do with Mary Ann Draper, widow, who lives with Benjamin as his housekeeper from 1881 onwards??? Alice, Thomas and Ellen baptised as children of Benjamin and Mercy, no other children baptised to them after Ellen in 1874....I wonder when Mary Ann moved in?
Jo :)
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I know she was in and out of workhouses from 1900 - 1912 (over 50 times)
Census 1901 she's at St. George's hanover Union Workhouse Chelsea
Census 1911 she lives in Higham
She died in 1918 (name Wilson) in Higham (Poor Law Union Records)
Seems a bit odd?
Mercy Sophia Wilson in a cottage in Higham in 1911, she appears to be living happily enough there
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XWDX-2WJ
Then back to being Pearce and in and out of the St George Hanover Sq workhouse again?
Creed register has Mercy Pearce, 66, admitted 31 May 1911. Discharged a few days later.
Names relation - Daughter Daisy, 23 Camden Sq, Ramsgate
Here, and also on ancestry
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHV-L3NK-ZQ51?cat=1316563
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The first admission to SGHS workhouse, Fulham Road, that I can see for Mercy is
20 Nov 1894
Mercy Pearce
Dressmaker
Religion CE
Born 1854
Widow
On London, England, Workhouse Admission and Discharge Records, 1764-1930 on ancestry (uk)
Another record relating to that admission is in a register giving details of relatives/friends
It says Friend Mrs Barrett 18 Laundry Yard
Daughter with Mrs Colegate, Southboro? :-\ Str Tunbridge Wells
One of the other admissions for Mercy Pearce is 11 March 1895
And on the same page in the relations book is Mary Pearce, 40, admitted on that day
Daughter Daisy, not sure what the rest says
Link to that page with the two entries (if it works)
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01pnp/
And does this all mean that Mercy Pearce in the workhouse is, or is not, Mercy from Higham?
John
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Add in creed register relating to Mercy 1894/5
Two images
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHV-L3N2-SQLY?i=620&cat=1316563
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So in 1891 here are Mercy Pearce, 39, born ?? Kent
and her daughter Daisy Pearce, 7, born Southborough,Kent
in St George Hanover Square
piece 73 folio 112 page 51
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:3YWB-26Z
Address looks like 23 Denbigh Street. Mercy apparently married.
This must be the Mercy in and out of the workhouse over the next two decades.
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Address looks like 23 Denbigh Street. Mercy apparently married.
This must be the Mercy in and out of the workhouse over the next two decades.
1891 electoral register
23 Denbigh Street
Henry Pearce
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89FL-3NCT?i=211&cc=2228170
Marriage?
Dec 1884 St George Hanover Square 1a 749
Carpenter, Mercy
Pearce, Henry
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So in 1891 here are Mercy Pearce, 39, born ?? Kent
Is her birth place meant to be Chiddingstone or similar? :-\
1881 census
Mercy Carpenter, 30, Dressmaker, born Kent Chiddington
Lodging in St George Hanover Sq
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q273-8CV4
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Baptism at Chiddingstone, 2 Dec 1849
Mercy Carpenter
parents William + Mary
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QJD2-JDNN
Mercy Carpenter, 1, with her parents in Chiddingstone in 1851
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SGR8-VMK
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Sorry, I do not think this can be the missing Mercy Sophia, who was later Mrs. Wilson.
But it is Dutch MissMarple's opinion that matters. We await her thoughts!
John
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I agree that it seems unlikely that this is Mercy/Mary WILSON but where is she between 1881 & 1911?
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Thank you all for your replies.
here's what I think:
married to Benjamin Wilson in 1867
they had 3 children: Alice Elizabeth 1869, Thomas Benjamin 1871 and Ellen 1874.
Then for some reason she left and Mary Ann Draper moved in and never left.
she was in and out workhouses using her maiden name Pearce and not Wilson.
census 1901 in Chelsea pauper/inmate
census 1911 Higham Kent, on the census is says that she had 5 children of which 4 have died.
who were the other 2 children ? Possibly Daisy is one of them ?
died 1918 (just 7 months after Mary Ann Draper...)
I don't think she remarried (there's no proof she got divorced). Besides, when she died she was living in a poor house (?) under the name Mercy Sophia Wilson !!
DMM
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So I don't think she married Henry Pearce.
she was still married to benjamin Wilson. but in 1901 she said she was a widow and from Canterbury. So she did not tell the truth a lot.
Married, a widow, from Higham, from Canterbury, etc.
very interesting case, and very complicated.
2 questions still to be answered: when and where were her 2 other children born (was Daisy one of them ?)
where was she censuses 1881 and 1891
DMM
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So in 1891 here are Mercy Pearce, 39, born ?? Kent
and her daughter Daisy Pearce, 7, born Southborough,Kent
in St George Hanover Square
piece 73 folio 112 page 51
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:3YWB-26Z
Address looks like 23 Denbigh Street. Mercy apparently married.
This must be the Mercy in and out of the workhouse over the next two decades.
I still think it is the case - this is the Mercy Pearce who was in the workhouse so often. Looks like her husband was Henry. Not sure what happened to her in the end.
If this is so, then as Bearkat said, it adds to the census problem - we don't now have your Mercy in 1901.
John
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If this is so, then as Bearkat said, it adds to the census problem - we don't now have your Mercy in 1901.
John
[/quote]
and 1881 and 1891
I'm confused now....
so there were 2 Mercy Pearce, both from Kent, born about the same time and both seamstress, needlewoman.
???
DMM
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Hi
Well I admit that I do not know what happened to the "other" Mercy.
But I think so. One was born Mercy Pearce, and the other Mercy married a Pearce (Henry).
I am sorry that it isn't helping you with the problem. It wasn't my intention!
John
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Daisy Mabel PEARCE birth registered 1885 Tunbridge mmn WILKINSON
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married to Benjamin Wilson in 1867
they had 3 children: Alice Elizabeth 1869, Thomas Benjamin 1871 and Ellen 1874.
1911 Higham Kent, on the census is says that she had 5 children of which 4 have died.
who were the other 2 children ?
Possibly Daisy is one of them ?
died 1918 (just 7 months after Mary Ann Draper...)
Could Ellen have been a twin?
Ellen WILSON mmn PEARCE
1873 D Quarter in NORTH AYLESFORD Volume 02A Page 444
Sarah WILSON mmn PEARCE
1873 D Quarter in NORTH AYLESFORD Volume 02A Page 444
Death
Sarah WILSON died age 0
1873 D Quarter in N. Aylesford
Is this the death of son Thomas
Thomas Benjamin Wilson age 18
Died at New Brompton.
Removed from New Brompton
Burial date 19 Jul 1890 Gillingham, Grange Road & Woodland Road Cemeteries
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So I don't think she married Henry Pearce.
she was still married to benjamin Wilson. but in 1901 she said she was a widow and from Canterbury. So she did not tell the truth a lot.
Married, a widow, from Higham, from Canterbury, etc.
very interesting case, and very complicated.
2 questions still to be answered: when and where were her 2 other children born (was Daisy one of them ?)
where was she censuses 1881 and 1891
Just posting for info. on the 1871 census her name is noted as Mary
Wood Cottage Cliffe, Cliffe, North Aylesford
Benjamin Wilson Head 1848 Writtle Essex
Mary Wilson Wife 1849 ?ham Kent
Alic Wilson Daug 1870 Cliffe Kent
RG10 Piece 898 Folio 22 Page 3
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jonw65 it's ok, no worries. thanks anyway
lady hawk: I know about Thomas and Ellen, not Sarah. Could well be her twinsister. thank you
Then we would have Alice, Thomas, Ellen and Sarah. The question is when and where was the 5th child born. And which child was alive census 1911.
Thomas not
Sarah Not
No clue if Alice or Ellen was alive. Will have to look into that.
I wonder if Mercy was telling the truth about 5 children of which 4 had died by 1911....
DMM
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well well,
going through my paper copies of the censuses I have, I saw that on the census 1911 Benjamin says he had 4 children (that would be Alice, Thomas, Ellen and .... Sarah ?) of which just 1 was alive in 1911.
So that would support the idea of Ellen having a twinsister.
That would also mean that Mercy had a fifth child, but obviously not with Benjamin !
DMM
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I think Alice Elizabeth Wilson married 1892 George King Lander
1901c https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X9F5-JCH
Alice with husband George and four children
born c1870 Cliffe Kent
LANDER, FREDERICK THOMAS mmn WILSON
1893 J Quarter in MEDWAY Volume 02A Page 619
Frederick Thomas Lander
Baptism 23 Jul 1893
Place Gillingham, St Mark
Residence 13 Saxton Street
Father George King occupation Labourer Mother Alice Elizabeth
Army records available for Frederick
Annie Ellen Lander
Harold Archie Lander
Lilian Alice Lander
Violet Sylvia Lander
father George King occ Labourer HM Dockyard
mother Alice Elizabeth
residence 23 Cowper Road
7 Apr 1912 Gillingham, St Barnabas
Violet Sylvia Lander Age 22
Marriage 25 Dec 1925 Gillingham, St Mary Magdalene
Father George King Lander occupation Machinist
Spouse Cecil Bennett Blackman age 22 occupation Electric Welder
Spouse's father's occupation Skilled Labourer
First witness George King Lander
Second witness Alice Elizabeth Lander
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thank you Ladyhawk
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Hi,
Mercy is my Gr. GrandAunt, and I have never been able to find her in the 1881/1891/1901 census, I am sure the Mercy with daughter Daisy are not the same people, I don’t think there is any reason to think that Mercy was in the Strood Union for anything other than being very ill before her death.
Regards
Mike