Emma MERTON (also TESTER) 1901

[Nottmsheff]

1901 Census shows "Emma Merton" living in Star Road Peterborough with siblings. Her real name was Emma Harriet TESTER, however, and she was originally from Sussex. Why was she in Peterborough in 1901 and why under the name of Merton? She then moves to Nottingham around 1903 with my grandfather Alfred Rollings Sheffield and reverts to her name of Emma Tester. Can anyone help, please? Many thanks.

[Woody32]

How do you know she is the same one?  I could understand her changing her name but for all her siblings to change it too is a bit strange.

[Nottmsheff]

Dear Woody,

Thanks for your comments. We know it is the same lady because she took the kids with her to Nottingham and their names in subsequent censuses there match with the ones shown in the 1901 Peterborough Census entry.

[avm228]

Were the children really all siblings of hers?  I see that in 1901 they were all originally enumerated as sons and daughters of hers, this then being crossed through in favour of brothers and sisters.

Since Emma was 32 in 1901, it would seem a little surprising if she had siblings aged 11 months (Edna) to 14 yrs (John), but perhaps you know more.

I see that there's a gap between the last child born in Sussex (Alma, 6) and little Edna in Peterborough, so the move must have been between about 1895 and 1900.  I wonder whether Emma met a Mr Merton and took his name without marrying him?

Anna

[StevenG]

Emma can be found in 1891 as Emma MERTON.  (A programming glitch on Ancestry has her indexed as Emma CHAMPINE.)

RG12/798 f95 p8
13 St James Street, Lewes, Sussex
Emma Tester MERTON, Wife, Mar, 23, Framfield, Sussex
John T. MERTON, Son, 3, Eastbourne, Sussex
Basil T. MERTON, Son, 2, Eastbourne, Sussex
Alice T. MERTON, Daughter, 1, Eastbourne, Sussex

[Nottmsheff]

Dear Anna,

Thanks. Yes, there is something strange about all this. They are indeed all her children but for some reason she has them redesignated on the 1901 Census as her siblings! On the birth certificate for her first child (John Berresford Wellesley Tester) the father shown is in fact Emma's own father! Perhaps this is why she got out of Sussex and moved to Peterborough, i. e. to escape "Fritzl" style abuse ?? The Merton thing is a complete unknown, however, and your guess is as good as mine. Little Edna is Peterborough-born and we think that her father is my grandfather. They all move to Nottingham in 1903 and live happily together there for years afterwards. Best regards.

[avm228]

Basil T. MERTON, Son, 2, Eastbourne, Sussex

This is likely to be Basil's birth registration:

Sep qtr 1887

Basil Stanley TESTER

Eastbourne 2b 80  

[avm228]

Goodness, I really hope there wasn't a Fritzl-type situation!

Rest assured that it was really far from uncommon at that time for unmarried girls who gave birth to pluck a male name out of the air as "father" to put on the birth certificate for respectability purposes. Often the name that came into their heads would be that of their own father.  That does not mean that Emma's father actually fathered her child.

In such circumstances, an illegitimate child's middle names can sometimes be a clue to its true paternity. 

It looks as though Emma had several children out of wedlock by who-knows-whom, and at some point perhaps met a Mr Merton in Sussex and liked the idea of presenting herself (at least to the 1891 enumerator) as though she was a married woman.

Anna

[Nottmsheff]

Dear Anna and StevenG, thanks very much to your both for your help. Interesting about the glitch on Ancestry! It seems though, that there was no husband with Emma on the 1891 Census, only her and the children. I do hope you are right about the paternity situation, Anna, for Emma's sake ! She certainly seems to have been a colourful lady, and Peterborough is a long way from Sussex...