Emily Mitchell 1877 Bradford

[ChrisWd]

Hi,

I'm having difficulty tracing one of my great-grandmothers, Emily Mitchell, who was born around 1877/8 in Bradford.

Emily married Robert Williams on 19/May/1902 in the parish of Heeley on the outskirts of Sheffield.  Emily's father was shown on the marriage certificate as James Mitchell, a wheelwright.

Robert & Emily had been living as man and wife in Ecclesall Bierlow at the time of the 1901 census. The census return indicated a daughter , Martha, aged 5 at the time of the census.

At the time of the 1911 census Robert, Emily and 5 children were living at Wellhead Road in Ecclesall Bierlow.   Emily's birthplace was given as Bradford.

I have tried to locate Emily in the 1881 census and have found an instance where the father's name is James, but his occupation is given as a warehouseman.  This James Mitchell was born 1853 in Undercliffe, Bradford and he married Clara Richardson in 1876 at St Peter's cathedral.  James's occupation changed from one census to the next: coal miner, police constable, warehouseman, labourer.  At no point was this chap a wheelwright so I'm assuming it's not the correct family for my Emily Mitchell.

I've not been able to trace Emily in the 1891 census.

Can anyone offer any advice or suggestions?

Regards,
Chris

[lizdb]

If the James you have folund could change his occupation that often, as seems from the censues, then it seems entirely possible he could have had a time as a wheelwright between censuses!

[ChrisWd]

Hi,

I must admit that did occur to me, but I always thought being a wheelwright was a skilled trade where the person would probably have to undertake some kind of apprenticeship.  I was quite surprised by the sequence of census returns where one moment he was a policeman, then he had a stint as a coal miner then 10 years later he was back as a police constable.

Regards,
Chris

[Milliepede]

Tricky and I can't even find what you found in 1901!  What name are they all under - Williams? *

* Ok found it - no s on Williams  and all born Sheffield.

[lizdb]

I think you may have to take the places of birth with a bit of a pinch of salt -
I see Emily is born Bradford in 1911, but Sheffield in 1901 (although they  boarders then, so the person giving the info may not have known where they were born and just said Sheffiled for all)
Martha is born Lancashire in 1911 (more accurate as that is completed by the family) but Sheffield in 1901.

I wonder why they were in Lancashire around Martha's birth, indeed whether they were together then or if she is just Emily's child - Emily would only have been about 17 - and also why they didnt marry till 1902?

[Milliepede]

Yes I agree probably all lumped together under Sheffield in 1901. 

Good point Martha may have just belonged to Emily and Robert took her on   

Maybe Emilys mother remarried and she wasn't born a Mitchell? 

Any other clues on the marriage certificate at all - witness names etc?

[ChrisWd]

Hi,

Many thanks for the comments.

My feeling is the 1911 census may be a bit closer to the truth regarding the birthplaces.  Robert Williams was born in Ecclesall Bierlow area although his father was a Cornishman from Bodmin.  The daughter Martha may have been born in Thornton near Bradford rather than in Thornton, Lancs.

When I trace back the James & Clara Mitchell connection in the Bradford I've found some of the earlier family members lived in Great Horton, Queensbury and Thornton districts on the outskirts of Bradford.

Emily actually had two children out of wedlock: Martha born around 1897 and Emily born 1898.  Young Emily was 'adopted' by Joseph and Kate Graham.  In the 1901 census her name is given as Emily Mitchell Graham living with Joseph and Kate at 3 Button Lane, Ecclesall Bierlow.  I can't find the daughter in the 1911 census. She married under the name Emily Graham in 1920 but later in life became re-united with her Williams/Mitchell family.

I have yet to apply for the birth certificates of the two daughters Martha and Emily but that could be an important next step to establish who the father or fathers were.  Emily's birth certificate should be easy to track down but Martha's may be more difficult due to the uncertainty in birthplace.

It's not clear to me that either of the two girls would have been the offspring of Robert Williams.

There are no obvious clues from Emily & Robert's marriage certificate.  Robert Williams was a 23 year old mason at the time of the wedding, living at 66 Gregory Road.  Emily is shown as a 23 year old spinster, strangely living at 62 Gregory Road.  I suspect they 'adjusted' the house numbers to hide the fact that they were living together.  The witnesses were Frederick Williams (Robert's brother) and a Lily Taylor.

Regards,
Chris

[Milliepede]

Thanks for the extra info every little helps.

So Marthas birth was probably registered under the surname Mitchell but I can't find an obvious candidate.
Likely as not fathers name wouldn't appear anyway, least I've never found any unmarrieds naming the father on certificates!

If it was Thornton Yorks there is a birth Dec 1897 but wasn't she 5 in 1901?  Might be a little late to be her.

Thornton Lancs has a birth again in 1897 but Mar.  Still wouldn't make her 5.

[Milliepede]

Think I have found Joseph Kate and adopted daughter Emily 10 years on.  Kate is down as Catherine.
Emily as Emily Mitchell aged 13.

Birth for Emily possibly the one registered Mar 1898 Sheffield.