Nelly Edith Lyons - 1897 Brighton marriage

[Mfryer]

Hi all,

I've been trying to track down the birthplace of my great grandmother, Nelly Edith Lyons, who married my great grandfather Robert Bentley, a sergeant in the Royal Irish Rifles stationed at North Camp, Aldershot, on 12 April 1897 at Brighton Register Office. Her father was Charles Lyons, who is described on the marriage certificate as a deceased carriage builder. Her address at the time was 28 Islingword Street, Brighton, and one of the witnesses was Annie E. Goodman, who I take it was a friend of the bride. Nelly's age is given as 23 years old, and I have since come to believe from her age at other dates that she was born sometime between April and November 1873.

Robert and Nelly appear in the 1911 Irish census living in Belfast, and Nelly's birthplace is given as County Antrim. However, I have been unable to find any sources for her birth in Ireland, and I would like to now try and establish when/if she was living in Brighton/Sussex and whether her father Charles Lyons appears anywhere there before 1897 working as a carriage builder. Any help anyone could give me would be very much appreciated. Many thanks in advance.

Michael

[kerryb]

Hi Michael

Do you have Nelly in the 1891 census.

I believe this might be her

RG12 763 128 52
68 Warrior Square, Hastings
Nellie E Lyons, 18, single, maid to Judge Paterson born St Leonards, Sussex

It seems to be a boarding house and William Paterson, Judge at County Courts is staying there from London with his wife.

Kerry

[kerryb]

Just wondering if that then matches up with the following 1881 census

RG11 1028 5 3
9 East Street, Hastings
family of Charles Lyons
including daughter Ellen age 7 born St Leonards, Sussex

Kerry

[kerryb]

I can't find Ellen on any other census records so is she a possible?

Her birth registration
Ellen Lyons
1873
December quarter
Hastings
2b
31

Kerry

[Mfryer]

Hi Kerry,

Thanks very much for this. I actually had taken a look at some of this information before, but then I saw that in the 1881 census Charles Lyons is described as a shoemaker rather than a carriage builder, so I was wondering how that fitted into things, unless he changed occupation at some point. I'm also still trying to work out why, if Nelly was born in Sussex, did Robert write County Antrim as her place of birth in 1911? It might be an idea actually to get a look at the 1901 Irish census and see if the same information occurs there. Thanks again.

Michael

[Roy G]

It looks as though Charles died in Brighton if the following is him.
 Charles Lyons died age 63  June quarter of 1897, Brighton  ref 2b 135

By the way, I had carriage builders/shoemakers in the family.
They initially made shoes, but ended up doing the leather upholstery in the Brighton Loco Works.
Just a thought!
Roy G

[Mfryer]

Thanks for this Roy. If it's June quarter and it's my Charles Lyons, then the earliest he could have died would have been April, and since his daughter's marriage was on 12 April, it would have had to have been before that, during the first week of April then if he was to be listed as deceased on the marriage register! Might actually see if I can get a certificate for the 1873 Ellen Lyons birth and see if/what that reveals.

Thanks,
Michael

[Roy G]

Michael
Regulations give a person up to 6 weeks to register a death. So it is possible he could have died in March, but the local authorities were not notified until after the new quarter had started. 
Roy G