Edwin,
Many thanks for the further information; you and your Rootschat correspondents, and others on the net, have been instrumental in throwing much light on our ancestors.
On the accuracy of dates :-
Ellesmere Port, Runcorn Census 1901 states Walter Blackmore born 1863 not 1866 nor 1886
.
The accuracy of Lucy’s date of birth :–
Parkham census 1861 gives 1857
Runcorn census 1901 gives 1854
Life was tough in those days and numeracy / spelling skills were patchy.
Not sure if you’ve read a history of Parkham :-
https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/DEV/Parkham/Portrait-new2but this very lengthy piece highlights self sufficiency, a lack of roads, medical facilities, shops, and the fact that most common folk worked on the land and walked everywhere for hours on end. Travelling to South Wales and elsewhere from Devon had to be by sea. We take much for granted and a right these days.
Interesting that Mary Clements and Francis Wm Adams were in Landore, Swansea, in 1881 when they married.
Interesting too that Lucy’s brother William (b Parkham 1853) marries in Skewen in 1873 Christiana Rees (b, 1854 Skewen). It turns out that they could not have any children; instead they adopted and brought up Lucy’s first child. One of my current relatives has seen a copy of the birth certificate dated 1883 issued in Landore, Swansea for Lucy’s first child of four not three, William John Clements. No father registered so William John Clements retained Lucy’s then surname.
Mystery still surrounds the lack of any father’s name on the certificate – the story goes that Lucy was packed off to South Wales in 1882/3 from Parkham, N Devon, possibly to live with Frances W and Mary Adams(ne Clements) in Landore – oh the shame of it.
I wonder what happened to Lucy causing her to die so young (43), and to Walter also, who died in 1911 aged 47 ?
In your penultimate para’ where you state Walter moved to S Wales – did you mean Edwin; earlier you stated Walter as moving to Bridgewater ?
Lucy’s first child William John was adopted by the above William and Christiana Clements; they stayed anchored in the Skewen / Neath area of Glamorgan till WJ’s death in 1967. Together with his wife Alice they raised two girls and seven boys - all the boys grew up to see active service in all the theatres of war in WW2, and miraculously they all came home, albeit some much the worse for the experience.
After the war WJC’s eldest son married and, inter alia, worked for Costain John Brown and moved to Australia whilst managing the build of the oil refinery in Freemantle – it would be too much of a conicidence if he had met Lucy junior whilst there ?
fascinating stuff
Hotrod
