Assistance please, seeking John Robert WARD'S parents

[Ivy May]

Dear Sir/Madam,

John Robert WARD
Born 17th {or 11th} May 1837 Liverpool {Lancashire}
Died 22nd April 1923 Aberystwith, Wales
Occupation Cook/Confectioner
Married Amelia RAVEN 5th June 1859, Warwickshire, Coventry

John Robert WARD is my 2nd Great Grandfather & my brick wall!  I am endeavouring to find his parents & family & I cannot seem to find them.

His parents died before he was 3 years old, He went to Chester when he was 9 months old.  He was bought up by his "Step Grandfather & Step Grandmother", his "Grandfather" died when he was 8 years old, his college education finished when he was 8 years old.  His first job was carting bark for a tan yard.  His next job was cabin boy aboard the "Cheshire Lass" a cheese schooner, slates.  I have further information on other jobs he had in the Chester area.  He also did an apprenticeship & ran away & went to Gaol for a few days, he was bought before the Mayor & went back to his apprenticeship & he did receive his indentures from Messrs Jones - the confectioners during the Crimean War.   

I also noted that on John Robert WARD'S death certificate it states that his father is Robert WARD & his occupation was a Currier.

I have John Robert WARD'S reminiscences from the Ward family bible which I tried to attach but I could not get the attachment function to work.

Any assistance would be most appreciated or if you could point me in the right direction I would be most grateful.

Kindest regards,
Ivy May {King Island, Australia}

[lizdb]

How annoying - if the birth date is accurate he missed Civil Registration by only a few weeks! Otherwise his birth cert would give you his parents!

HAve you got him on any censuses?

[KGarrad]

1861 census - after his marriage:
Reference RG09, Piece 259, Folio 133, Page 29
27 Nelson Street, Bethnal Green, Middlesex

Ward, John  Head  M  26  Confectioner  b Liverpool, Lancashire
Ward, Amelia  Wife  F  24  Silk Weaver  b Coventry, Warwickshire
Ward, John R  Son  M  1  b St Johns Wood, Middlesex
Raven, Sarah  Sister-in-Law  F  19  Silk Weaver  b Coventry, Warwickshire
That puts his date of birth in 1835?

[lizdb]

He has come south by 1861

RG9 259 133 29

27 Nelson Street, Bethnal Green
John 26 confectioner bn Liverpool
Amelia 24 silk weaver bn Coventry
John R son 1 bn St Johns Wood
Sarah Raven 19 sister in law unm silk weaver bn Coventry
MAry Davis lodger 66 widow bn Colchester Essex

snap KGarrad!

[lizdb]

Any names given for step grandparents in Cheshire?

There is this household in 1841

HO107 100 9

Mottram, Cheshire
Robert Thatcher 66 Taylor (sic) Y
Jane 55 N
Michael Ward 8 N
John Ward 6 N

[KGarrad]

Or maybe this one?!

Reference HO107, 129, 14/17, 29
Union Terrace, Chester

Ward, John  M  75  Labourer
Ward, Elizabeth  F  45
Ward, William  M  25  Butcher
Ward, John  M  4
Smith, Margaret  F  20      all born in county

Was he actually born in Liverpool?
Or maybe over the water in Birkenhead or The Wirral?

[Ivy May]

Hi everyone,

I am new at this so please excuse me if I am doing this incorrectly, I wish to reply to you all individually, but I am not sure how so I hope you all get to read this.

Firstly I am overwhelmed by your response & thank you so much for your help.

Yes, I have him on the following census's 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891, 1901 & 1911 but they are not helping me locate his parents/Step Grandparents.

I am not sure if he was born "over the water in Birkenhead or The Wirral"  This had never occured to me.

I do not have any names of the Step Grandparents.

I am unsure where to go from here but you have all given me a lot to think on.

Would I be able to look up where he did his apprenticeship? Or when he went to Gaol for 3 days?  Perhaps his step grandparents name's are on his indentures?  Or records of his schooling/employment?  I am clutching at straws!

I thank you all once again.

Regards,
Ivy May

[Radcliff]

Do you have his marriage certificate, this would help in searching, was he catholic ?
who were the witness to his marriage ,

[Radcliff]

The Schooner Cheshire Lass was built in Runcorn in 1857 and was lost on the 15 th of April 1880

it was owned by S Revenscroft of Runcorn,