Thorpe

[lost1937]

would like to find information about a marriage of William Henry Thorpe - thought to be from New Brunswick Canada to a Mary Ann? from Douglas. The first child according to the 1861census is born about 1844 so I presume that the marriage was around that year. William was a master mariner. Also on the 1861 census. They live in Liverpool and have 2 guests from Douglas - Catherine Fell and Catherine Mary Fell. Could one of them be Mary ann's sister.

Grateful for any help

[CaroleW]

Hi

Have you seen the 1851 entry for Liverpool - William's sister Abigail living with them plus a John Nicholls brother in law

HO107 Piece 2185 Folio 265 Page 21

[mosiefish]

A possible marriage:

2nd October, 1837
St James, Toxteth Park
William Henry Thorpe, full age, bachelor, Seaman, Toxteth Park, father Filou Thorpe Attorney
Mary Ann Nicholls, full age, spinster of Toxteth Park, father William Nicholls Joiner
Both signed as William Henry Thorp (no e) and Mary Ann Nichols (one l)
Witnesses: John Harris and Elizabeth Harris

One of the childrens birth certificates would confirm if it is the correct marriage.

Regards,
Mo
added: I think CaroleW`s find has confirmed the above.

[lost1937]

Thank you  bothfor  the info. Will try to find more out about Filou ( an unusual name) and Mary Ann

Regards

[mosiefish]

Hi,

On the Canadian Genealogy Index, 1600s-1900s there is a mention of a Philo Thorp living in New Brunswick 1785. 

Mo

[lost1937]

Will have a look at that

many thanks

[Hamilton David]

In about 1830 William Henry Thorpe (1815-18) came to Liverpool as a seaman and in 1837 married a Mary Ann Nichols. On their wedding certificate his father was named as Philo Thorpe, (1770-1824) occupation Attorney. William’s mother’s name was Jane who married Philo at the Canadian port St John, New Brunswick in 1815. Jane Thorpe’s (1784-1848) maiden name is unknown, and nothing is known about her parents or ancestors. The only other member of the family was their younger daughter Abagail (1825-?) who showed up on the 1851 Census living with her brother William and his family in Liverpool. It is Jane who is the likely candidate for my and our Native American ethnicity because all the other ancestral lines can be traced back to the early British settlers in Colonial America between 1620-1650. If Jane was of Native American descent from New Brunswick/Nova Scotia she may have been from the Micmac nation tribe of that region. So, although I have failed to find my Native American, I have discovered a whole tribe of English settlers, our American ancestors.
William Thorpe became master of the newly built Liverpool floating landing stage.
By 1857 he had been promoted to Master of the landing stage and in that year, he was appointed Master of the Liverpool Princes Landing Stage. He later crossed the River to Birkenhead where he took on the less demanding job as Master of the Woodside Ferry Landing Stage. William preferred to be known and addressed by his second name Henry.

William ‘Henry’ Thorpe Master of The Liverpool Landing Stage.

In 1857 The Liverpool Mercury reported the appointments for the newly constructed Prince’s Parade Landing Stage. This was built as a massive floating platform on the waterfront to facilitate the birthing of Ocean Liners. The paper reported that the Liverpool Dock Committee had appointed a Henry Thorpe age 43 as Master of the Landing Stage at a salary of £120.00 per annuum. This was a promotion after Henry’s 12 years of service as master of the small landing stage.
The paper seems to have mis reported his age and used his preferred second name Henry instead of his first name, ‘William’..

The floating platform of the landing stage may have been classed as a ship. The appointment of Master followed by First and Second Mate would indicate this. Therefore, William’s later career as a ‘Master Mariner’ from the age of thirty may have meant he spent most of his seafaring in Liverpool without spending much time at sea. Hope that's of interest.