Whatever happened to Hannah Amy MURRELL COMPLETED

[Tom Piper]

Hannah Amy Staughton was born in Stepney in 1831, daughter of Stephen Staughton and Elizabeth Swinnerton. The Staughton’s were originally from Huntingdonshire.

On 11, September 1852, Hannah married Joseph Murrell at St Mary’s Prittlewell, Essex. Joseph owned fishing smacks, an occupation that took the family to Lowestoft, then Grimsby.

This appeared in the Ipswich journal on Saturday November 17, 1866.

The marriage took place in 1852, and the co-habitation was first at Lowestoft and afterwards at Great Grimsby, when the husband was in business as a fish salesman. In May, 1865, he discovered that his wife was carrying on an adulterous intercourse with the co-respondent, who is a sawyer, and he separated from her.
Decree nisi, with costs against the co-respondent.  (I have all the papers from Kew)

So with the marriage over, Hannah unable to see her 3 children-what happened to her?

According to Free BMD, a Hannah Amy Murrell, married either John Asher or John Haines in December qtr of 1867. The 1871 census is inconclusive, and there is no mention of her death.
Can anyone on this board, help me with either marriage- to find if Hannah Amy Murrell maiden name was Staughton?
Tom

[bedfordshire boy]

Buy the marriage certificate!

Is there a Bedfordshire connection?

David

Ah, I see that the one place you didn't mention was that the 1867 marriage was in Bedford registration district, which covers numerous parishes. As the marriage isn't on the IGI a look up in a parish register isn't feasible, so the advice remains - buy the marriage cert from the GRO

I have numerous Merrills in my tree - some of them were spelt Murrell on occasion, and one branch retained that spelling

[avm228]

According to Free BMD, a Hannah Amy Murrell, married either John Asher or John Haines in December qtr of 1867. The 1871 census is inconclusive, and there is no mention of her death.

John Haines seems to have married the other bride on the page, Sarah Ann Denton (see for example the 1871 census at RG10/1541/137/31) leaving John Asher for Hannah.

What was the name of the co-respondent in the 1866 divorce proceedings? (I now see that he was a Mr Fuller).

Anna

[bedfordshire boy]

In 1861 John Asher was living in Keysoe with wife Rebecca. In 1871 his wife was Ann age 38 born Barnet, Herts. There aren't any other John Asher marriages in Beds. Keysoe marriages up to 1885 are on the IGI so it wasn't there.

John Asher appears to have died in 1873 aged 56, which may have been the 52 year old in Keysoe in 1871

Hannah Amy Asher married in Bedford reg district in March 1874.  When I've picked up my kid from school I'll see if I can find her in 1881, although on reflection that's something you can do!

But whatever the censuses throw up it will take the purchase of either the 1867 or 1874 marriage cert to get her maiden name

David

[Tom Piper]

Thanks everyone, yes I know I will have to buy certificate, just wondered if there was any other way round it. There is a very good one name study for Murrell if you are interested in that surname.

I have found Hannah Amy now I think in 1881, in Pilkington, Lancashire, as wife of George Miller.

Tom

[bedfordshire boy]

Odd, as just as you posted I thought I'd found George and Hannah Miller living in Stevenage, although Hannah's age is wrong by some way. But her birthplace is right - St George in the East, Middlesex.

I'm pretty sure the Pilkington family is the wrong one (actually I'm certain!) as in 1871 they were living at Aldershot in the army, with son James 4 born Woolwich, which matches up very nicely with the Pilkington family.

I'm beginning to think that Hannah Miller might be yours after all (I was put off by the Barnet birthplace when she was Ann Asher). In 1891 she was still living in Stevenage but as Hannah A Miller widow 59 nurse b St George in the East, which matches exactly - in 1861 living in Lowestoft as Hannah Murrell she was 29 born St George in the East. George Miller age 77 died in Hitchin registration district which includes Stevenage, in the Dec quarter 1887

[Tom Piper]

Yes, that seems right, Stevenage, why didn't I think of that before; where does a gal go when her marriage has fallen apart? Back to her mum, and guess where she was living in 1867-in Stevenage!

Hannah's sister, Emma married a John Nightingale-a cattle dealer, and in 1871, he was landlord of the Prince of Wales pub in Stevenage. Emma's parents are Stephen and Elizabeth Staughton-Stephen from Eynesbury, St Neot's, about 5 miles from Gravely. I notice in 1871 census for John Asher & Ann, a Thomas Asher aged 82, retired farmer, from Gravely.

In 1861, Stephen Staughton and his wife Elizabeth are living in Ardeley, just outside Stevenage, by 1870, Stephen is dead, but wife, Elizabeth in 1871, is with her daughter at the pub.

Yes concur with George and Ann Miller, of Aldershot in 1871, and Pilkington, 1881, so wrong, yes. Also George and Hannah  in Stevenage in 1881, maybe Hannah looked old-she had had a hard life by then-married to double dealing fish merchant-Joseph had a daughter out of wedlock in Lowestoft, but then divorced Hannah when he Joseph found a new girl to marry in Grimsby!

So thanks for pointing me in right direction, even though maybe it all should be on Hertfordshire board!!

Tom

[bedfordshire boy]

Wonder where she married in 1867 and 1874?

Well that all panned out very neatly!

I wonder if she ever saw her children again after the divorce? Are you connected to her?

David

[Tom Piper]

David
There were 3 children from the original marriage, Amy, Emma and Harpley John. Harpley was the name of the ship that Joseph's sister, Elizabeth emigrated to Australia in 1853. Hannah's brother, Stephen emigrated to Canada in 1859.

In a vague way-her daughter Emma, (with Joseph), married my g,g grandfather's brother in 1878 in Grimsby. I did ask one of the staff at Kew about whether a divorcee would be allowed contact with her family after the break up and they thought no. Certainly in the census for Grimsby after that date, Hannah never appears in Grimsby.

I see both marriages were in Bedford RD, Keysoe is in Bedford RD, John Asher's marriage to Rebecca Williamson took place on 24 May 1844 at Keysoe according to Batch numbers I see, but no record there for Hannah.

If she was divorced, and honest about it, maybe they married in a register office, but I don't know whether that was available in 1867.

Tom