Ward family of Audenshaw

[HOWMUCH]

Hello Haydn,
I live in Tameside so I thought I would have a look at this for you . I have always found the staff at the registrars office most helpful .

William Dudley WARD died on 21 July 1918 and as you have quite rightly assumed he is buried in Audenshaw cemetery . Burial having taken place on 24 July . Aged 65 yrs.

There is only one other occupant in the grave and that is Olive WARD who died 16 November 1912 who was buried on 20 November . Olive was aged 20 yrs and was recorded as a single woman .
Both your relatives were removed from 27 Guide Lane , Audenshaw . I can only assume that there may have been a change of street name after the 1911 census , but that could easily be verified .
The grave is Section A , Plot number 217 .

If you want me to have a look to see if there is a headstone in situ then I can do that . Weather permitting 
If you cannot get to Tameside local studies library in respect of any orbituary that may have been recorded in a local paper and you want me to have a look then either send me a p. m  or "post" it .

Regards
Eric

[DdraigGoch]

Hi Eric

That is absolutely fantastic. Thank you ever so much for going to all the trouble of doing this look up for me.

It looks like I am on the right track for the certificate for William which is excellent news, and also you have now given me info on Olive. Brilliant stuff. At least I will not be searching endlessly for her now.

I wonder where Williams Wife Mary ended up As mshrmh  sent earlier she could have remarried as she was only 57 when William died. Or as I do not know where the other children ended up she may well have moved to live with them. I think this will be a mystery for some time to come yet.

Not to sure on the Dale Street / Guide Lane difference. As you say I guess the name must have been changed.

If you do ever happen to be in the cemetery I would love to know what the M.I. says. There may also be another Ward grave close by with the same names on it. As Williams parents where also called William and Mary Ward. Just to confuse things a bit. I have not even started to look into when these people died yet.

Thanks again for all your help. The search continues for Mary.

Haydn

[HOWMUCH]

Hello Haydn
I will be more than happy to have a look to see if there is a headstone in place and if there is I will take a photograph . Unfortunately , Tameside cemeteries have been hit with the health and safety rules and many headstones have been laid down but I will see .

Regarding , the discrepancy about Guide Lane and Dale Street , I have noticed that if you enter WARD into the search field of the 1911 census together with 27 Guide Lane then it shows your family . I take it that you have looked at a transcript so maybe there has been an error made there but I suppose it does'nt really matter .

If you still want to send for the death certificate for William . there is the possibilty that his wife Mary may have been the informant and this will then narrow your search down for Mary but not too much , unfortunately 

Regarding the post by mshrmh and the possibility of a will , this is a good idea as I have used this twice and if you are lucky a will has been made it can give you much information about realtives .
If mshrmh is correct in what he says that Audenshaw was in Lancashire at the time then the Greater Manchester County Record Office may help you . I get very confused regarding boundaries even though I live in this area . (but not in the early 1900's 

www.gmcro.co.uk is their website and there is a format to fill in with your enquiry to check whether probate was applied for . The staff will search a few years either side of 1918 . A 15 minute search is free and they are most helpful .
If probate has been applied for then you can get a copy of the will from York at a cost of £5 last time I used it . Nothing to lose if they tell you that they don't have the records .

Be in touch soon .
Regards
Eric

[mshrmh]

Eric - thanks for that info on GMCRO doing searches of the probate calendars - I know they have them, but didn't know they'd do a free search like that.

From the sounds of it you must have arrived in Tameside post 1974 re-organisation - as you may have gathered I pre-date that. Briefly Lancashire parts of Tameside include  Audenshaw, Ashton under Lyne, Denton, Droylsden; Cheshire parts include Hyde, Dukinfield and Stalybridge - sorry I'll have missed some areas out, but it has been a while since I lived in the area, these posts have been a trip down "memory lane".

You're doing a great local job for Haydn - well done!

[DdraigGoch]

All I can say is thank you both for all your help. I have learned a lot of new information. The GMCRO Site is a great one to have in my bookmarks.

I have now sent off a email to them so fingers crossed we will see what they come up with.

The search continues

Haydn

[HOWMUCH]

Hello Haydn
We have a great result from the Audenshaw cemetery visit . The headstone is still in position and in good condition for its age . I have taken three photographs of it and if you send me a personal message with your E mail address then I will forward them to you .

An added bonus from my visit is that I believe we now know what happened to the elusive Mary Jane ,William's wife .
I will just wet your appetite for now but your next research should involve "passenger lists".

Regards for the time being.
Eric 

[DdraigGoch]

Hi Eric

No way really!! I am all excited now lol. Must say you are quite a man for doing all this for me.

A very big thankyou. Personal message on the way once I figure out how to send it lol.

Haydn

[DdraigGoch]

Hi all

Received the email from Eric, and would just like everyone to know he has made my day.

The Grave M.I. that he sent me says the following:

In Loving Memory of
OLIVE
THE BELOVED DAUGHTER OF
WILLIAM & MARY WARD,
WHO DIED NOV 16TH 1912,
AGED 20 YEARS
ALSO THE ABOVE
WILLIAM WARD,
WHO DIED JULY 21ST 1918,
AGED 65 YEARS,
ALSO MARY JANE,
HIS BELOVED WIFE,
WHO DIED JAN 29TH 1926,
AGED 66 YEARS,
AND WAS INTERRED AT RURAL
CEMETERY NEW BEDFORD, U.S.A.

THY WILL BE DONE.

Since I have had this email from Eric I have been busy searching passanger lists for Ellis Island, and I think I have found them!!!

Mary Jane and her Son Herbert Ward arrived in the U.S.A on 24th July 1920.

They sailed on the Aquitania

They where going to visit Marys daughter a Mrs M. Hawkins at 84 Charlton Ave, Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Her nearest relative in England was her daughter Mrs Alison. A. Newhall at 1 clyde St, Ashton-U-Lyne.

So from being stuck on this family only a few days ago. I have managed to find out when William and Mary and Olive died. Discovered the married surnames of her 2 other remaining daughters + I also probably now know that her daughter Mary and Son Herbert died in the U.S.A.

Except for a couple more Sons I have discovered new information on nearly the whole family.

Thank you once again for all your help. I am over the moon.

Haydn

P.S. By the way also had a reply from the GMCRO today. Unfortunately they did not find anything, but I was very impressed on how fast they replied to my query.

[mshrmh]

Haydn & Eric - that's fantastic! Thanks for posting the results, it's good to hear that the family is becoming clearer for you.