MORRIS from Montford

[lesleyneland]

On the earlier censuses there is a Thomas MORRIS, b. 1816, laborer, wife Sarah, and several children living in Montford, near Shrewsbury. 

I am looking for information on this family because my ggran Alice Edith MORRIS might be related to these people.

Regards, lesleyneland

[patrish]

Hi,

Which earlier census do you mean ? can you post the reference ? the children names would be helpful too as it such a common name.

Do you want info from the later census's of this particular family.

[lesleyneland]

...i'm trying to find out which of the children below had a daughter Alice MORRIS, b. 1875, Shropshire.  Alice may be my greatgrandmother.

On the 1841, '51 and '61...a Thomas MORRIS, b. 1816, wife Sarah, 1821 appears with children:

Eliza, 1837
William, 1840
John 1842
Sarah 1845
Jane 1847
Martha 1850
Ann 1852
Mary 1855
Ester 1859


On the 1871, Sarah, 1821, widow, is living with son John, b. 1842 and famiy.

Martha TAYLOR, b. 1850 is married with a son William, b. Albrighton.

Ann, b. 1852 is a servant in St. Chad, Shrewsbury.



On the 1881 Ann LAIGHT, nee MORRIS, b. 1852 appears with a niece Alice living in Wolverhampton.

(Mom Sarah, b. 1821 and John, b. 1842 are still together in Montford).



Any connections to this family would be helpful.  Regards, Lesleyneland

[patrish]

L ooking at this from the simple point of elimination, theoretically if she was born a Morris it should be one of the boys Wm or John, unless of course she was illegitimate.
 
Esther would only be 16 in 1875 fairly safe to eliminate her

Martha is married to a Taylor, you can eliminate her.

Sarah is a widow, you can eliminate her.

Ann is married to a Laight, you can eliminate her.

So that just leaves, Wm, John, Mary, or Jane.

[patrish]

Looking at the 1881 the only match that I can see is  Alice Morris the niece living with Ann Laight, so that would indicate a child of a brother or sister.

On th 1891 there a two good possibles and a 3rd all are servants born Shropshire.

I think the only way to be sure is to get her birth certificate.

The dilemma you have now is that there are 4 possibles b 1875 and  2 born 1876.

Of the possibes the closest registrations district to Montford.  is Atcham..

Perhaps you could look for a marriage.

[lesleyneland]

...I'm going to take a closer look at the Wm, John, Mary, and Jane options on the 1891...for niece Alice's parents...

...my ggran's 1898 marriage certificate said her father was Frederick MORRIS, gardener domestic...but the reason why I think my ggran may be this Alice, niece of Ann LAIGHT, is because this niece Alice is the only one of about the right age living in Wolverhampton.  The 1901 census lists my ggran as b. Staff, Wolverhampton.

...as you indicated, there are the 4 or so Atcham birth certificates possibles.  There are also couple of Wolverhampton 1874 birth certificates...so i'm trying to narrow the birth certificate down, for this Alice niece of Ann LAIGHT.

[patrish]

I agree with you that Alice the niece is the most likely candidate, never take as gospel anything that is on a certificate, they  often gave false information especially if they were illegitimate.

I have this with one of my gt. grandmothers, sometimes they will put a brother or grandfathers names as father or a ficticious one on thier marriage so it dident look as if they were illegitimate.

Happy hunting. 

[lesleyneland]

...my conclusion also, is that the Frederick MORRIS is a fictitious father's name of some sort, on my Alice's marriage certificate...

...the GRO couldn't find a Frederick MORRIS/Alice birth between 1872 to 1876 and ggran never mentioned her father's or mother's name

...searching the 1874/5/6 Atcham and Wolverhampton birth certificates seems to be a possible way to find further information or connections between the Ann LAIGHT niece Alice, b. 1875 Shropshire, and my ggran Alice, b. Staff, Wolverhamtpon (1901)...

...thank you

[patrish]

I thought as much speaking from my own experience , my gt. grandmothers birth was not registered and I have searched all the parish records in the areas in which she says she was born on the various census's  but found nothing.   

Because she had given her brothers and grandfathers name on her marriage cert , I got the wrong birth for her, turned out it was her cousin, one of her brother children with the same name. 

So I do sympathise with you and hope you have more luck than I have had.


Cheers Patrish.