Ellen Charnley, nee Smart

[Harlem]

Hi

I am enquiring about Ellen Charnley, nee Smart, (1860),  from Wigan. My interest is as a volunteer researcher for the Quilters' Guild. The Guild Museum has a quilt that was made by Ellen Charnley in around 1899, and they have asked Guild members who have some experience of family history research to help them to research the people who made the quilts in their collection. I have most of the details of Ellen's life from censuses and other records available on Ancestry. I am wondering, though, if anyone knows anything more about her and her family.  I would be happy to share what I have found.


Best wishes

Anne Spendiff

[CaroleW]

She is on the 1939 register but died Dec qtr 1939

[Maiden Stone]

What information do you have and what else would you like to know?
Is this the correct Ellen?
Ellen Smart birth registered Wigan 1860, mother's maiden surname Berry.
Possible birth registrations of siblings Hannah Matilda 1859, John 1862.

Marriage of parents  1858 St. Thomas, Wigan
John Smart, 43, butter merchant, widower, Bridge St. Father George, deceased
Ellen Berry, 24, spinster, Bridge St., Father James, grocer

Ellen Berry may have added a couple of years to lessen the age gap between her and John.
Baptism All Saints, Wigan June 1836
Ellen Berry 1st daughter of James & Hannah, Bridge St.; Occupation spinner
Baptisms of possible siblings of Ellen Berry: William 1839; James 1841; Elizabeth 1844; Thomas 1846; Robert 1848; Jane 1851; Robert 1854. Abode Bridge St. James had several occupations, spinner, mechanic, roller-coverer. Hannah's middle name was Matilda.
www.lan-opc.org.uk
 Birth registrations in Wigan for children born after 1837, mother's maiden surname Platt.

Ellen Smart married Lawrence Charnley 1889. Marriage registered in Wigan district, registry office or registrar attended.
Children included Lawrence, John, Mary Ellen, Elizabeth and Gertrude Alice.

Edit: Added Berry surname to Ellen to distinguish information about her from that about Ellen Smart.

[garstonite]

Just to add to Maidenstones excellent info - an address in Wigan - Ellen is 6 months old - so may well have been born at this address ?? although it says Ellen was born 1861 - the census was 31st March 1861 - so at 6 months old Ellen was obviously born 1860

Ellen Smart was a woman born in 1861 in Wigan Lancashire Wigan. During the 1861 UK Census she was 6m years old and lived in Lancashire. She appears as the daughter of her house in the 1861 UK Census.
LAST NAME:   Smart
FIRST NAME:   Ellen
MIDDLE NAME:   
BIRTH YEAR:   1861
BIRTH PLACE:   Wigan Lancashire Wigan
COUNTY:   Lancashire
GENDER:   Female
RESIDENCE:   1, Caroline St
Wigan
Wigan, Lancashire
HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS:   
John Smart (46, Male)
Ellen Smart (25, Female)
Ellen Smart (6m, Female)

hope the address helps 

[Harlem]

Thank you all, very much.

I have begun working through the censuses on Ancestry, and you have saved me a lot of work. I have messaged the people on Ancestry who have Ellen in their trees.

Here is the quilt:

https://www.quiltmuseum.org.uk/collections/mosaic-patchwork/furnishing-braids-hexagons-fragment.html

Maidenstone, you ask what i want to know. Good question. In my reports to the Guild I try to give the basic facts of the quilter's life, which mostly come from BMD records and censuses. Then I try to deduce other things. I always make clear what is deduction and what is fact! For example, in 1881 Ellen was living with her step father, James Woodger, a draper. That quilt has a lot of furnishing quality fabric in it - much tougher fabric than ordinary dressmaking fabric. I would guess that furnishing fabric might have come from Woodger.

Does anyone know Woodger's the drapers in Wigan?

Ideally, I would like to meet a descendant who has photos  and family stories. That is very unlikely!

Context can also be useful. I know very little about Wigan and its textile industry.  I have ancestors from St. Helens, which was/is a glass town. Wigan was maybe more of a textile town? Grandpa James seems to have worked in spinning, not weaving, so may not have been a source of fabric and needleworking skills. Did people in Wigan do more spinning than weaving?

So, I hope you see, anything might add to Ellen's story. I have also noted early deaths and childhood mortality. I am sure there is a lot to tell of Wigan in the 19th century.

Thank you for your interest, which I will acknowledge in my report to the Guild. Any other facts, ideas, suggestions, would be most welcome.

[Maiden Stone]

I know very little about Wigan and its textile industry. 

Some facts about Wigan + suggestions for other sources of information on the Wigan Home page of Lancashire Online Parish Clerks website.
 www.lan-opc.org.uk/Wigan/index.html
Transcripts of 1841 census for Wigan & district are on the website.

Wigan World
 https://www.wiganworld.co.uk

Wigan Archives & Local Studies, Wigan Council
https://www.wigan.gov.uk/Resident/Museums-archives/Wigan-Archives/index.aspx

Wigan Family & Local History Society (link from one of the above-mentioned sites)

Local trades directories can give you an idea about industries and businesses. Some historic ones are online.

Some of my ancestors lived in Wigan for a while (my great-grandma's "Welsh" ancestors) but I haven't researched them in depth. They didn't leave many records.

 

[Harlem]

Hi again

Yes, I knew abut Lancs opcs. It is a wonderful site. I have found Charnleys in the Wigan Cemetery lists, and they seem to be buried in the Catholic bit, which doesn't surprise me because I think Ellen's father John was Irish. This may account for not finding many in the OPCS website, but clearly there are some. I shall persevere.

And - Thank you for the wiganworld link. I typed Woodger into their search button, and it appears James Woodger committed suicide. There are stories here, and I have work to do.
 
Thanks again

[Maiden Stone]

1881 Ellen was living with her step father, James Woodger, a draper.

James Woodger marriage to Ellen Smart registered in Wigan district 1864. Registry Office or Registrar attended*. (Lancashire BMD)

Death registrations in Wigan on Lancashire BMD:
1864 John Smart age 48
1865 John Smart age 2

If the 1864 death was young Ellen's father it left her mother a widow with 3 young children, eldest no older than 5. The John who died 1865 aged 2 may have been her son whose birth was registered 1862.
*Includes weddings which took place in non-Anglican churches. 

[Maiden Stone]

 I have found Charnleys in the Wigan Cemetery lists, and they seem to be buried in the Catholic bit, which doesn't surprise me because I think Ellen's father John was Irish. This may account for not finding many in the OPCS website, but clearly there are some.

I had an inkling the Charnley family was Catholic. Lawrence & Ellen's marriage registration was "Registry Office or Registrar Attended" which is often a clue that the wedding was in a non-Anglican church.
 It was the Charnley surname which sparked my interest. It's an old Catholic name in Lancashire. Links with one of my ancient Catholic tribes in Lytham. Laurence Charnley's family may have solved a minor niggle in my FH. He had a younger brother, Peter. Transcription of one of my Lytham baptisms in 1700s has godfather Peter Chevigni. Unusual surname. I thought it may have been Cheyney but I couldn't find any local families with that surname. Light dawned yesterday -  it was probably Peter Charnley!    Roger Charnley was on 1767 Return of Papists as were my ancestors.
Mine moved to Preston during first half of 19th century. Some were on 1820 Catholic census of Preston, compiled by the Preston parish priest.

According to 1901 census Lawrence Charnley was born in Preston estimated year of birth 1857.
Was he a 5 year-old in Wigan on 1861 census with parents John (60) & Mary (40) + brothers Peter (3) & William Thomas (0)? Birthplace of baby William was Wigan. Mary, Lawrence and Peter born Preston. John's birthplace was Walton. There are several places called Walton in Lancashire. Walton-le-Dale is near Preston.

Birth registrations in Preston district:
1855 Lawrence Charnley, mother's surname Lee
1857 Peter Charnley, mother's maiden surname Lee 
Marriage registration Preston 1854 John Charnley & Mary Lee. Preston Registry Office or Registrar Attended.
(Lancashire BMD)