Brick Wall - Dawsons in Cheshire and Yorkshire

[DecoGal]

Hi Milliepede, Mckha489, Arthuk, and ThrelfallYorky - thanks so much for the welcome and your replies And thank you for having a look into this for me!

Yes, on first reading I did think it was Chard - and I do think it probably says 'Mr'. Wishful thinking that it was William. Although it really is a puzzle - who is this Mr Chard? I have searched the census in Wakefield for any names ending in *ard but without knowing who I'm looking for exactly, its very frustrating. I'm not sure why he would have been listed as a grandfather, and he certainly isn't the paternal grandfather, who was Thomas Norton.

At the moment, I'm wondering whether the two girls went by another name in their childhood (maybe William Dawson had died and their mother remarried?), but why they would have used Dawson after leaving home in 1871 I don't know. The sister Frances giving New Brighton as a birth place is rather specific - and I can't find any Frances/Fanny living with an Agnes in New Brighton or Wallasey area between 1851 and 1861. And no birth entries that look like they could be a match. I've scanned through the census for Wallasey for 1861 and nothing stands out. It's not a massive area, so I might do this again.

I have found that a family named Scowby had a licence for a dram shop on Westgate in Wakefield, which by the looks of it could have been what has recently been known Alfred Mooney's/Moodies Public House. This has an entrance on Little Westgate - so could this have possibly been where the mysterious Mr Chard was living? Although the licence was transferred to another proprietor in 1890 - I've attached the screenshot for that as it may hold some coincidences? Just because of the Mr/Wm Ch- connection! I think I will try again at the 1891 Wakefield census to see if I can find something of relevance for this address - although it may not clearly link back to my Norton/Dawsons.

[DecoGal]

I think the new licensee of the public house is a red herring unfortunately. He is William Chalmers Beattie - I've found him residing there on the 1891 census. There is no connection to my ancestors, but it has allowed me to locate the property on the census (in case this is where Scowby's Yard was, with the pub being on Little Westgate and having been previously ran by the Scowby family). I've had a look at all pages of this census (District 12 Wakefield) and can't see the mysterious Mr Chard anywhere

[Raybistre]

Hi, the grandfather's name looks like Mr Okard to me
Ray

[Milliepede]

Or maybe supposed to be Orchard? 

Not helping whatever it is.  I tried looking for all the names suggested in Wakefield on census but nothing jumps out. 

This really is a brick wall for your first post DecoGal, I can quite see why you are stumped 

[ThrelfallYorky]

... But we're all still puzzling about it, with you.

[cath151]

Really clutching at straws here but there is a family in 1861
Limekiln Cottages, Birkenhead
Parents William and Sarah Mallard (possibly Mellard?) with a daughter Frances aged 6, born New Brighton, Cheshire
Found a death for a Sarah Mellard in 1863  Wirral
Also a family in 28 Tamworth Street, Toxteth Park
John and Frances Mallard with a daughter Agnes aged 10 born Everton.
At first I thought perhaps cousins but definately does nt add up if both fathers on marriages are William
I wonder if the grandfather s first name William might have run into the surname (if you see what I mean) and it could have started with M but written with a vowel.
 Far fetched , i would agree!

Cathy

[Milliepede]

It's the only straw we've got at the moment so must follow it up if we can even if it gets ruled out.

Birth for Agnes Mallard Dec 1850 has mothers name Spencer and I think

John Mallard marries Frances Spencer in 1848.

And then it doesn't really lead anywhere helpful that I can see 

[Milliepede]

Looking at the other family Cathy has found

Fanny Mellard birth Sep 1855 has mothers name Robinson

[ThrelfallYorky]

After looking carefully at that 1881 census entry, it seems very muddled - his 'n' her birthplaces swapped.... there's a notation that seems to relate to Mary Ann, in the disabilities column, too, 'tho I've not managed to make a lot of sense of it. I'm pretty sure her birthplace remained Birkenhead area - perhaps the enumerator was as confused as us?