Riley - Allen - Bird

[schw0273]

All families have a dark side and it seems that I have just unearthed mine!

Martin Riley (born 1844 in Ireland) and Annie/Hannah Allen (born 1840 or 1841 in England) were married in Warwickshire in October 1867.

Annie lived in Knowle at the time of her marriage to Martin. Annie's father's name was William.

Martin and Annie had three children William (1868), Mary (1871) and Elizabeth (1874).

The family came to Minnesota in 1879 as part of the Irish Catholic Colonization Organization. Annie died in 1881 and Martin was shot and killed four years later by his son William.

There was abuse in this family as documented in court papers from the murder trial. I have wondered if Annie Allen Riley had any siblings. In the 1851 census there is a family with a daughter Hannah Allen age 10, son Henry and father named William.

Martin and Annie's marriage certificate lists the witnesses as Martin and Sarah Bird. I suspect that it's possible that one of the witnesses was related to Anne, but again I am not certain. Martin and Annie were Catholics and were married at The Abbey in Aston.

Any relatives out there?

[Althea7]

Just on the off chance, I was reading through the Warwickshire posts and yours made me think of a gravestone in Key Hill Cemetery, Birmingham, that names a Sarah Bird alongside somebody with the surname Allen, Albert Allen her grandson I think it says.  Sarah seems to be the wife of somebody mentioned before her, whose name I can't make out.  She died November 2nd 1892, age 78.  So born in 1814.  She would have been 53 at the time of the wedding you mention in 1867.

A lot of this gravestone is very worn and difficult to make out, but it struck me as strange because there doesn't seem to be enough age difference between Sarah Bird and her grandson (?) Albert Allen?  Actually Sarah seems to be the wife of the first named person whose name I can't read, and Albert Allen is her husband's grandson?

I looked them up on the Jewellery Quarter burials list, and both Sarah Bird, buried 1892 age 78, and Albert Allen, buried 1899 age 62, are listed in grave I618.  But when I tried to search grave I618 in the other search box, there was no information about who else is buried in that grave.  The gravestone does name at least two other people.

You probably already know that there is a famous Bird buried in Key Hill Cemetery.  The man who invented Birds custard.

I noticed because I was looking for Allens in Birmingham.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/192383084/sarah-bird

[ciderdrinker]

Just in case

Albert Allen's death registration gives him as born 1867.
It looks like Sarah Bird is the wife of John Bird born 1811
1861 Key Hill
John Bird 45 jeweller Bham
Sarah 45 Publican
Elizabeth 24
Sarah 20
John 18 jeweller
Ellen 16
George 14 jeweller
Mary Ann 12
Joseph 8
Tom 6
Emma 3

It is Sarah the daughter who marries 10.4.1862 at Edgbaston  Isaac Allen and has a son Albert born c 1867.

The Birds in the original post are perhaps  these
1871 Sutton Coldfield
Martin Bird 37 ag lab Ireland
Sarah 27 Sutton Coldfield
Elizabeth Allen 1 niece  Sutton Coldfield

Elizabeth is the daughter of William and Elizabeth Allen
1861 Sutton Coldfield
William Allen 21 ag lab Sutton Coldfield
Elizabeth 22 Aston
Elizabeth 1 Sutton Coldfield

And Mrs Bird started life as Sarah Allen.

The family in 1851 at the Coldfield Sutton Coldfield
William Allen 34 ag lab Sutton C
Sarah 36
Elizabeth 14
Ann 12
William 10
Sarah 8
John 6
Emily 3
Herbert  6 mths
Elizabeth Astbury  mother in law 76 Sutton C.

Ciderdrinker

[schw0273]

Thank you for the information!

I have the Marriage certificate for Martin Riley and Hannah Allen Riley from 1867 in Warwickshire. Martin and Sarah Allen Bird were witnesses at the marriage. I am uncertain how Sarah Allen Bird and my gr. gr. grandmother are related. I wish the names were not so common

[ciderdrinker]

Hi
Hannah Allen Riley is the sister of Sarah Allen Bird.
Happy to help

Ciderdrinker

[schw0273]

Hannah Allen Riley didn't have a sister, she only had a brother named Henry. Hannah's father William Allen and mother Apollonia Phillips had two children, but neither of them were named Sara. I think there might be a couple of Sara Bird's!