David PRICE

[wildgoose]

I am trying to find out if there's any truth in the story below which was recalled by my great grandmother.

Mary Alice recalled that  "... her father's family were wealthy and owned a slate quarry in Shropshire, and also property on the Welsh borders. Her father (David PRICE) married below his station, to the displeasure of his parents. Who disowned him and disinherited him. He soon fell into debt and poverty. One day bailiffs came to evict her father and his bride, a fight quickly ensued and her father killed one of the bailiffs. Fleeing the murder scene her father joined the British Army and fought with them through the Crimean War (1854 to 1856). Whilst serving in the Crimea he changed his identification with a dead soldier..."

can anyone please help

[Shropshire Lass]

I don't think there are any slate quarries in Shropshire.

There are other kinds of quarries but not slate.

Have you got any other information which might focus the search to any particular area?

Monica

[wildgoose]

None other than the family legend BUT he does change his name to KIRBY between 1868-1870.  Furthermore the Census records for him and his family are full of inconsistency particularly regarding pob.  His first two daughters have a record pob of either Stepney or Leeds or Normanton, WRY.  They were actually born in West Bromwich

[Shropshire Lass]

What was David Price's wife's name?

Monica

[wildgoose]

Marriage cert. No.72
1866, Mar 12th, Tipton Parish Church, STS
banns Church of England
David PRICE, 34, bach., labourer
res.Tipton.
f.David PRICE, horse breaker
Louisa BOLDEN, 23, spin., dressmaker
res.Tipton
f.Charles BOLDEN, sailor
min.William KERR
sign.David PRICE & Louisa BOLDEN
wits.Daniel BENNETT & Ann BENNETT, her X mark.
reg.Tipton, STS.

[Shropshire Lass]

I'm confused about the dates - are they right or am I mixing up Davids?

David Price killed one of the bailiffs before the Crimea War but the marriage date is 1866.

Monica

[wildgoose]

 :-[I hadn't  noticed before but you're right the Crimea War was over 10 years before they got married.  Also if you look at the births of his children June 1866, 1868, 1870 there's not much time to join the thin red line.  Still leaves a puzzle regarding the name change but  perhaps need to see if a murder was committed in Tipton, West Bromwich, in 1866 but suppose the basics of the story are correct but refer to his father "David PRICE" but then why did David jnr change his name

Name:   David Price KIRBY
----------------------------------------
Birth:   1832   Stepney, London, Middlesex.
Death:   1 6 1871   9 Scarbro Row, Woodhouse, Normanton, WRY Age: 39
Occupation:   Coal miner
Religion:   Church of England
Father:   David PRICE
Marriage:   12 3 1866   Tipton Parish Church, West Bromwich, Staffordshire.
----------------------------------------
Spouse:   Louisa BOLDEN
----------------------------------------
Birth:   11 10 1841   23 Dean St., Shadwell, Stepney, Middlesex.
Death:   12 3 1916   103 St. John's Terrace, Normanton, WRY Age: 74
Occupation:   Dressmaker
Religion:   Church of England
Father:   Charles BOLDEN (1811-1848)
Mother:   Harriet CLARK (1816-)
Other Spouses:   John ROBERTS

Children:
----------------------------------------
1 F:   Mary Alice Price KIRBY
Birth:   17 6 1866   Lyttleton St., West Bromwich, Staffordshire.
Death:   9 6 1956   222, Wakefield Rd., Wakefield, WRY. Age: 89
Occupation:   General servant.
Spouse:   Charles Edward PRATT
Marriage:   2 4 1884   The Register Office, Wakefield, WRY
----------------------------------------
2 F:   Charlotte Jane Price KIRBY
Birth:   29 6 1868   Lyttleton St., West Bromwich, Staffordshire.
Religion:   Church of England.
Spouse:   Thomas CLARK
Marriage:   9 8 1886   Parish Church, Normanton, WRY.
----------------------------------------
3 F:   Clara KIRBY
Birth:   20 8 1870   Commercial Row, Normanton, WRY

[Shropshire Lass]

I think that if the family story is true, it probably relates to David Senior.

I think the adoption of the name Kirby may have a completely different reason behind it and comes from Louisa's side of the family.  I looked at the 1871 census -

1871 - RG10/4617/50/92.
12 Scarbro' Row, Normanton, Yorkshire.
David E Kirby, Head, M, 39, Labourer, b. Stepney, Middx.
Lucy Kirby, Wife, M, 29, b. Stepney, Middx.
Mary A Kirby, Dau, 3, b. Stepney, Middx.
Charlotte Kirby, Dau, 2, b. Stepney, Middx.
Clara Kirby, Dau, 6mths, b. Normanton, Yorks.
James Wm Bolden, Brother-in-law, S, 26, Sawyer, b. Stepney, Middx.
William Wood, Lodger, M, 33, Labourer, b. Wednesbury, Staffs.
Alfred Wigglesworth, Son, 2, b. Woodhouse, Yorks.

I couldn't find Lucy/Louisa in the 1861 so I had a look for James Wm Bolden, her brother.  In the two earlier censuses he is living with his aunt and uncle, Thomas and Mary Kirby.

1861 - RG9/20/13/20.
15 Queen's Buildings, Brompton, Kensington, Middx.
Thomas Kirby, Head, M, 60, Cheesemonger, b. Wantage, Berks.
Mary Kirby, Wife, M, 55, Assisting in Business, b. Deal, Kent.
James William Bolden, Nephew, S, 18, Assisting in Business, b. Stepney.
Obidiah Freeman, S, 33,  Assisting in Business, b. Debden, Essex.

1851 - HO107/1469/131/13.
15 Queen's Buildings, Brompton, Kensington, Middx.
Thomas Kirby, Head, 51, Cheesemonger, b. Wantage, Berks.
Mary Kirby, Wife, M, 45, b. Deal, Kent.
John Kirby, Brother, 70?, Cheesemonger, b. Wantage, Berks.
Matilda Kirby, Niece, S, 30, Saleswoman at ****?, b. Wantage, Berks.
William Bolden, Nephew, 13, Shop Boy, b. Sunderland.
James W Bolden, Nephew, 7, Scholar at Home, b. Stepney.
Charles Brown, Servant, S, 16, Shop Boy, b. Not Known.

Could it be that Thomas and Mary didn't have children of their own and wanted the Kirby surname to be passed on?  It would be interesting to see if Thomas left a will and who benefited from it.

Have you found Louisa in the the 1861?  I'd be interested to see it if you have.

Monica

[wildgoose]

Sorry no Louisa in 1861.    I'm guessing that she's in Staffordshire because by 1866 she's married to David PRICE - perhaps she's calling herself Louisa KIRBY  Also on the face of it I wonder if it was Louisa who married below her station and not David